WE ARE HERE…SO WHAT!
Submitted by Jacky on Mon, 07/07/2008 - 17:10.
The National conference on peer education and HIV and AIDS just ended on 20th June in Nairobi, the theme on ‘stigma’ was emphasized across board with pertinent issues put on table. This article has been motivated by Ishtar-MSM (Men who have sex with Men) group in Kenya, after sentiments during their presentation. I learnt a lot on advocacy and wish to address ALL MSM to speak up, and not with emotions. To be lesbian or gay is not OK to many. Examine the process of influencing policy makers and learn how to assess the life cycle and dimensions of a policy issue and how to use that as assessment to develop effective strategies and tactics to influence the decision of policy makers. In advocacy, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, but only permanent issues and realize that lack of knowledge, negative beliefs and attitude is never an enemy but a battleground.
”If you change the way you look at things…the things you look at change”
I know my friend George will react to this but I stand my ground that we have to be receptive in issues that will affect us someday. If we waste lots of time researching on how gays became gay, we will end up be asking ourselves where did the word ’gay’ came from? Hasn’t it been existing since when invented, this sounds like time wasting to me. Let’s focus on how we can prevent new HIV infections on young people for healthier livehoods. The situation is far from rosy but we will get there someday. After all, WE ARE HERE TO STAY.
