At the event which took place at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, took part the Vice-Minister for Political Affairs, Elvi Segovia, the Director of SOMOSGAY, Simon Cazal, the Director of Human Rights, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Diana Vargas and the Commissionaires Juan Sanabria and Alberto Vera, from the Department of Human Rights of the National Police and Dr. Jorge Galeano of the thematic Group UNAIDS. The signed document has as its aim the disarticulation of attitudes, values and practices that vulnerate the rights of the population and therefore give validity to the articles in the National Constitution and the International Treaties signed and ratified by the Paraguayan Senate; particularly in those that perfectionate the no discrimination by sexual orientation and therefore guarantee the validity of their rights which in several occasions are jeopardised by factors of social exclusion. To coordinate the actions planned in the current agreement it is expected to have an active participation of the National Police, the Office of Human Rights, previewing also the involvement in the execution of the same at the Office of Human Rights of the National Police. The Vice-Minister of Political Affairs, Elvio Segovia held that, "for the Minister of Internal Affairs, from the opening of this new guvernamental political process that started on August 15 of 2008, it is clear that the safety is very political, universal and must be egalitarian; this implies that the universality of the good of safety must guarantee all citizens and accomplish better conditions to develop accord to their references or orientations". The Vice-Minister added: "Whichever the reason of discrimination of the human being in this country, and in any part of the world, it must oblige is to restate the proper orientation; in this aspect the National Police is making an institutional effort very important to achieve th proper attention of all citizens"."The Minister of Internal Affairs looks forward to the support and accompaniment of the organizations of the civil society to reach the expectation of the society. To us it is a meaningful event to sign this agreement and we hope to take it to the practice that will allow to really overcome the discrimination for all groups that are vulnerable in terms of rights in our country." he said. On his behalf, Simon Cazal, director to SOMOSGAY, said: "We expect history to play its role and that in a few years we will talk about police officers that protect all citizens, and that the Ministry of Internal Affairs responds to protect the internal safety of the country, in the framework of the universal declaration of Human Rights and that from that point on all of the actions that we take, will happen in a paraguayan society that is less discriminatory and that all paraguayan citizens are happier". It is with this intention that an Agreement of Interinstitutional Cooperation is signed to establish a frame in which viability will be given to both institutions that intent to carry out activities that will allow the consolidation of a democracy that is more participative and the full validity of human rights without distinction based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Specifically in the 2010/2012 period workshops for cadets and police officers will take place in the effects to have a model of work coordinated for the compliance of the objectives of the agreement enabling the execution of coordination activities with other organizations allied to SOMOSGAY. SOMOSGAY consolidates, with this agreement, its vision as a community organization which aims to defend and promote the freedom of sexual orientation, and specifically, the freedom of sexual orientation to lesbians, gays, transgenders and bisexuals and also to collaborate in the aswer to the HIV pandemic, AIDS and other STI (Sexual Transmission Infections) and to work for the defense of right for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and SOMOSGAY sign an agreement against homophobia in Paraguay

The-Ministry-of-Internal-Affairs-and-SOMOSGAY-sign-an-agreement-against-homophobia-in-Paraguay

SOMOSGAY VIHVO gives answer to the necessity of giving voice to the big population affected by HIV in the gay community in Paraguay. The HIV and AIDS pandemic, has impacted disproportionately in the community of gay males since the beginning of the pandemic. The epidemiological data of the entire region state that our group is the most affected. The inescapable reality is still in the world, that the gay population has disproportionately impacted by this epidemic, not being our country the exception in this situation. In Paraguay, around 12 gay males out of 100 live with HIV as of today, in contrast to the number of 1 to 200 in the general population. Homophobia leads to social discrimination, has its hardest impact in the population of gay males with HIV, since it exposes and vulnerates them to the epidemic. A gay male will not easily discuss about his own necessities in terms of adequate information, and in some cases deny to even recognize his sexual orientation or sexual practices with other males. In the majority of the cases homophobia makes accessible only information that is loaded with prejudice and stereotypes that make the young gay male difficult to find the information that will allow him to take better decisions on health and taking care of his body. These are, among others, some of the various factors of structural discrimination and homophobia that put the gay population as the constant preferent target to this epidemic. It is a indisputable fact that there are no biological conditions that predispose particularly gays to the infection of HIV, and this is the reason why we must face decisively these factors that vulneralize our population. SOMOSGAY VIHVO understands and takes into conisderation these vulnerabilities seeking to give an answer to the development of programs of intervention that will produce such success that will offer a better quality of life for the gay community affected by the virus. SOMOSGAY through this initiative will develop legal spaces that will strengthen the citizenship of gay males, supported by the stock of knowledge generated in the three decades of confrontation of HIV. SOMOSGAY VIHVO will be advised by the networks to which it belongs to and supports, as the International Lesbian and Gay Association, the Association for Integral Health and Citizenship in Latin America (ASICAL), MSM Global Forum, AIDS Portal and the MenEngage Alliance.

SOMOSGAY VIHVO presents its work plan dedicated to gay males with HIV in Paraguay

SOMOSGAY-VIHVO-presents-its-work-plan-dedicated-to-gay-males-with-HIV-in-Paraguay

The stigma and hard reality that homophobia obliges gay people to live makes them clients more susceptible to spend great amounts of their incomes in places that give space to their reality. Being able to have a space that does not discriminate and in which it is possible to socialize without exposing to discrimination is an important incentive that leads this population towards the consumption of this sector more easily. However, is it also considerable that this important economical segment, receives in capitalist societies a greater attention, aiming to it with campaigns that promote products specially designed for this public. These campaigns contribute to sensibilize the public in general positively in regards to the acceptance of people independently of their sexual orientation or gender identity, contributing therefore to normalize the fact of being gay or lesbian in our societies. The publication of this type of dossiers, in newspapers of local circulation, without doubt contributes to reach a perspective of equality in other aspects, in which the business sector can be involved as well. In the articles SOMOSGAY presents the campaign Paraguay goodbye Homophobia! as part of its effort to deconstruct homophobia in all of the spaces possible. Being this the intention, this campaign seeks to involve local businesses to adequate their attention to respect the particularities of the LGBT segment in our country. This campaign is expected to be launched in May as part of the activities during International Week Against Homophobia in our country. In this same note, several businesspeople from Asuncion were interviewed, among these the owners of Hollywood Dance, Ever Jara, Angel Bottino and Gustavo Rossi, who gave their opinion on the gay market and its particularities. Simon Cazal was also interviewed, in his character of leader of SOMOSGAY and recently elected as Secretary to the Southern Cone for the International Lesbian and Gay Association, who gave details on the next campaign that will involve the business sector in the city. SOMOSGAY will maintain and reinforce the good exchange in the business sector of the community, with who it has been working actively in activities of community mobilization and outreach in STI and HIV prevention, making possible the wide reach of popular basis and communitary of the gay and lesbian population in Asuncion.

The newspaper La Nación interviews SOMOSGAY and the paraguayan LGBT market

The-newspaper-La-Nacin-interviews-SOMOSGAY-and-the-paraguayan-LGBT-market

Thanks to this, SOMOSGAY is committed to reach at least 90% of the population that attends meeting and entertainment places, such as the users of virtual communities in internet such as orkut, twitter and facebook. The goal is to reach at least 2500 people in these communities, already vinculated to the communication of SOMOSGAY, and add around 2000 people, users of the commercial meeting places in Asuncion. During the 2010 summer campaign, the members of SOMOSGAY have worked voluntarily in the communication activities, coming to hand out between the months of December and January over 5000 condoms and informative materials. As this stage comes to an end, the creators of "I LOVE YOU CONDOM" redesign this campaign with a fresh new image and updated information. This new version of the successful campaign is launched in February, considered as the month of love. The responsible team of the campaign establishes in this manner the strategy to bring the condom as the means of prevention, in a more friendly and human way, making a difference with the other HIV campaigns that always use medical terminology that moves away the public. It should be emphasized that this and all activities by SOMOSGAY are self-financed by its 60 active members, who support the organization and strengthen the sense of solidarity and community that SOMOSGAY seeks to promote. In its commitment to improve in the answer given to the HIV pandemic, with alarming results in Latin America demonstrate that the epidemic is still concentrated in gay males due to homophobia, even institutionalized, the campaign "I LOVE YOU CONDOM" will continue to work throughout the year in different communicational strategies, bringing appropriate information and focusing specially in the public ranging from the ages of 15 and 24, the group with the greatest number of cases of HIV registered in our country. In this way, SOMOSGAY reinforces its mission and advances towards the goal of achieving integral health for all paraguayans and begins the year of work which it will carry throughout the year in this area in particular.

SOMOSGAY passed out more than 5000 condoms and informative materials on HIV/AIDS

SOMOSGAY-passed-out-more-than-5000-condoms-and-informative-materials-on-HIVAIDS

ILGA is global federation that gathers the local and national groups dedicated to the promotion and protection of equality of rights to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, cross dressers, transexuals and intersexuals (LGBTI) around the globe. Founded in 1978, ILGA has among its members, more than 670 organizations, including small communities and national groups, which represents over 110 countries across all continents. In the meeting held at Curitiba, the section of the Latin American and Caribbean of ILGA was represented. In this meeting, over 400 activists in defense of LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, crossdressers and transexuals) from 35 countries discussed the different aspects of the protection of citizens and the fight against prejudices and homophobia. In the same occasion, ILGA-LAC appointed its new representatives and members OF the Regional Council. Simon Cazal from SOMOSGAY, was elected as Secretary of the Southern Cone of ILGA-LAC, the first post held by Paraguay since the consolidation of the Association. In the conference a discussion took place and later the next steps towards the defense of the human rights for LGBT people in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) were marked. In the LAC region, in the last few years, several advances have taken place such as the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Chile and Panama. Nevertheless, there are eleven countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Santa Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago) where homosexuality is considered a crime, which shows the urgent need of the movement and the actions of the governments in the fight of this and other challenges. In this event, the representatives from these countries requested the other countries, their support to take actions on their local authorities in order to put pressure through their governments to make the decriminalization of homosexuality a reality. In the preparatory meetings on the 26 and 26 several specific issues directly related with the defense of LGBT rights were discussed. These pre-conferences, set an agenda on HIV/AIDS topics, pride parades, priorities for lesbian women, LGBTI youth, executive power and public policies in the region, media, and coping strategies for religious fundamentalism. As a result of the Gay Forum, MSM and Trans Latin and the Caribbean on HIV/AIDS - ASICAL, a call was made to all governments of the region to give a more definite answer to the epidemics of HIV and AIDS that are currently focused on gay males. The HIV pandemic in the region and Paraguay, affects excessively to gay males, being homophobia the main barrier to give an effective answer. Another call was made to the countries that are beneficiated by projects of the Global Fund, to give an explicit participation of gay males in the sectors of management, monitoring and execution of projects. In the First Meeting of Homo-Lesbo-Transphobia in Schools - GALE, SOMOSGAY presented its strategies in terms of education. GALE is an International Alliance for LGBT Education being SOMOSGAY frequent collaborator of Paraguay to the alliance. As a result of the First Regional Conference of InterPride, representatives to the region for the entity were elected, being appointed two regional coordinators of Brazil and Paraguay. It is also the first time that Paraguay takes such an important position in the organization. It is expected that this position will help with the visibility of activities and actions that take place in our country in regards to the defense of the rights for LGBTI people. The Conference was supported by the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Global Fund for Women, Special Secretariat for Human Rights, Special Secretariat on Women's Policies and the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality of the Presidency, The Department of STI, AIDS, Viral Hepatitis of the Health Ministry, Government of the Parana State, the Government of the City of Curitiba and Itaipu Binational. SOMOSGAY considers the Conference successful in the paraguayan representations in international spaces and prepares itself for the LGBTI Global Conference to be held on December of this year in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where global actions on the international LGBTI movement will be coordinated. SOMOSGAY achieved in this way to position as a leader in the regional level in its participation in the LGBTI movement, keeping its north as a solidary organization committed with the improvement of life quality for all paraguayans, beyond their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Noticias

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and SOMOSGAY sign an agreement against homophobia in Paraguay

22 mar 2010

SOMOSGAY VIHVO presents its work plan dedicated to gay males with HIV in Paraguay

03 mar 2010

The newspaper La Nación interviews SOMOSGAY and the paraguayan LGBT market

02 mar 2010

SOMOSGAY passed out more than 5000 condoms and informative materials on HIV/AIDS

16 feb 2010

Simón Cazal was elected as Secretary of the Southern Cone of ILGA-LAC

04 feb 2010