UNAIDS Asia-Pacific 
Maya is only 21 years old, but she has already had more life experiences than many people double her age. The transgender sex worker from Singapore is full of life and the picture of positive energy, so it’s hard to believe that she has experienced a lot of pain including abuse, rape and homelessness. Despite all the hardships, Maya thinks of herself as a fighter who has overcome everything that has been thrown her way. Today, she is a program coordinator for Project X, the only organization in Singapore that advocates for sex-worker rights. UNAIDS spoke to Maya about her extraordinary journey. Read More
#CloseToOpen is a campaign which promotes strengthened community action around HIV testing and treatment in Asia and the Pacific. The campaign is all about turning a possible setback into a step forward and is inspired by the famous adage “when one door closes, another one opens.”
It is important for everyone to know their HIV status, but many people avoid having an HIV test. Only when individuals knows their HIV status can they access antiretroviral medicine (ARVs). It is important to get on treatment, as quickly as possible because this keeps people healthy and also prevents the transmission of HIV to sexual partners.
This week the 6th ILGA-Asia Regional Conference is taking place and as the largest conference of its kind on the continent it is an occasion to spotlight champions of the LGBTI movement in the region.
This year Nepal has taken several historic steps in recognizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. In September the country adopted a constitution which protects LGBTI from discrimination, violence and abuse. This followed another recent decision to provide passports recognizing a third gender. These changes in laws and policies are transforming society, but history is made by people. UNAIDS and the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) spoke with Meghna Lama, a transgender woman, who is a champion of LGBTI rights.
Ms Lama grew up in a rural area and moved to Kathmandu, where she opened Pink Tiffany- the first of restaurant of its kind in Nepal. The place caters to the LGBTI community by providing a space where they can come to be themselves and have a good time. Ms Lama who won the 2010 Transgender woman contest in Nepal and represented her country at the Miss International Transgender Queen competition also works as a model. After she joined the Blue Diamond Society, she says she ‘found her sexuality’ and moved to Kathmandu to pursue her higher studies. Since then she has found great success but it hasn’t come easily.UNAIDS/APCOM spoke to Ms Lama about her extraordinary journey.
“Out in Japan” is an ambitious photography project which aims to take photographs of 10 000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Japan by 2020, when Tokyo will garner global attention as the host of the Olympic Games. The photographer, Leslie Kee from Singapore is directing the project, which is sponsored by the non-profit, Good Aging Yells.
Gon Matsunaka, the founder of Good Aging Yells says “LGBT people in Japan are still largely invisible, many are afraid to speak out about their sexual orientation and gender identity. However, while still few in number, more and more LGBT people are taking their courage in both hands and speaking up. This chain reaction by individuals can change the perception one neighbour at a time and transform society. “Out in Japan’ aims to weave together this budding chain of courage.”
Mr Kee’s work as fashion, celebrity and art photographer has been widely published in magazines and he is well-known for his portraits of top artists like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Pharrell Williams, Cindy Crawford and Yoko Ono. Mr Kee was recently interviewed about “Out in Japan” by the Japanese TV broadcaster, TBS. UNAIDS spoke to Mr Kee about his involvement in this innovative project, which aims to break down LGBT stigma one photograph at a time.
For millions of young people who use drugs from Asia and the Pacific, services that could improve their health, encourage recovery and bring about a better quality of life are often denied. Stigma, discriminatory laws and policies prevent many people who use drugs from accessing the benefits of harm reduction programmes.
Eliminating such barriers was the focus of “Access to Harm Reduction Services for Young People Who Inject Drugs in Asia and the Pacific”, a session held on 20 October as part of the 24th International Harm Reduction Conference (IHRC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Youth LEAD ran the session, which was supported by UNESCO Bangkok.
The dynamic and interactive discussion brought together advocates for marginalized youth from throughout the region for a discussion on systems that too often fail the health needs of young people.
“I was 18 years old, when a school friend introduced me to drugs,” said Pam, who is now in her thirties and lives in Chiang Mai, a major city in northern Thailand.
“When I was 22, I met a guy, who became my lover. We injected drugs together. At that time I was sharing needles with many people,” said Pam.
There will be an innovative arts track at the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), which will take place from 20-23 November in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It will be put together through an international collaboration of local artists, community arts specialists from Australia and civil society organizations in Dhaka.
The health and human rights of transgender people in the Asia-Pacific region are highlighted in a new report released 8 October by the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network. The “Blueprint for the Provision of Comprehensive Care for Trans People and Trans Communities in Asia and the Pacific” points to the significant barriers transgender people face, highlights important progress in some countries, and calls for sustained efforts to improve the legal and social status of transgender people across the region. Read More
UNAIDS Asia-Pacific 