Here are two views on programming for men who have sex with men. There is a posting from "outside" in which it is implied that human rights violations against men who have sex with men take place in Myanmar. Attached are two presentations from "inside" that show what can be done.
[him] moderator
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Asian gays call for acceptance
Mu Byan Binn and Kwarn Lake
Shan Herald Agency for News
24 January 2008
International Lesbians and Gays Association Asia (ILGA-ASIA) will undertake the first pride parade on January 26, 2008, for the first time in its history, a press release by ILGA-Asia stated. The parade is part of the 3rd International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) Asia Regional Conference where more than 150 gay rights activists will gather from January 24 to 28 at the BP Chiang Mai City Hotel.
Studying gender is not all about male or female in this modern society and Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgender (LGBT) from different countries around the world are trying hard to be recognized in their societies. The first ever pride march will start from Narawat Bridge to Chang Klan Road along the Night Bazaar this Saturday.
The aim of the march and the conference is 'to be recognized, respected and to gain solidarity and have equality' said Aung Myo Min, who is a gay and the director of the Committee for Lesbigay Rights in Burma (CLRB) founded in 1999.
Representatives from Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal,
New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and United States will attend the conference, according to the statement.
Aung Myo Min said 10 representatives from Burma will attend the conference. There are about 300 members in the CLRB, he added.
When asked whether they have any support from the junta, he said, "in Article 1:377, the Burmese government criminalizes homosexuality by law" and the government "is a Champion of Human Rights violation".
But Burmese organizations in exile are more supportive and "it is no more a taboo for them", he said.
Women's organizations in exile allowed LGBT to become members and All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) had abolished their law that said
homosexuality shall be punished, Aung said.
"In the current situation, we don't think it is necessary to have that law so we abolished it during the sixth conference in 2001," said Sonny, the general secretary of ABSDF.
According to the ILGA website," ILGA-ASIA is the Asian region of the International Lesbians and Gays Association (ILGA). It gathers 66 organizations throughout the region working for human rights and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people. It is an umbrella organization of ILGA which was founded in 1978. It now has more than 600 member organizations. Every continent and over 90 countries are represented.
