farewell symposium

November 1, 2004: A symposium on Homosexualities and HIV entitled, "More Than a Question of Rights" which was held in Amsterdam last month also marked the departure of Frans Mom from HiVOS and gave AARI representatives an opportunity to meet and further develop the organisation.

Frans Mom has worked tirelessly within HiVOS to develop programmes related to LGBT rights and HIV. The symposium was testament to his achievement, bringing prominent activists and academics from across the globe to discuss the issue of homosexuality, and how it manifests itself differently in different cultures and the fight against HIV, particularly in relation to MSM (Men who have Sex with Men).

Many paid tribute to his work and took the opportunity to thank him for his determined approach to stimulating debate and assisting emerging lesbian and gay groups worldwide. Delegates, many of whom also identified as personal friends, were present from Asia, Latin America and Africa, as well as Europe and America. The 4 day event, which included a visit to the head office of HiVOS in The Hague, meetings with HiVOS partners in The Netherlands, workshops with other Dutch LGBT and HIV organisations and a friendship programme of films and a canal boat tour highlighting the lesbian and gay history of Amsterdam, had at its centre a one day symposium. Delegations from different continents presented arguments, responded and took questions.

Africa was represented by Judge Edwin Cameron and Juan Nel (South Africa) and Keith Goddard (Zimbabwe). In an open and honest appraisal of recent history, Judge Cameron admitted that prominent activists, himself included, who had been active in the struggle for gay rights in South Africa and who had been instrumental in informing the country's post apartheid constitution were slow to engage in the issue of HIV - fearing stigmatisation they waited before revealing their own HIV statuses. Although Africa is alone in the fact that HIV has had a greater impact in the heterosexual community than among MSM, the presentation revealed that the very hesitation on the part of activists may have played a role in de-gaying the disease for policy makers. Now Africa, South Africa included, faces the challenge of getting MSM back onto the agenda when it comes to fighting HIV/Aids.

Other presentations raised different issues - from Asia the very notion of MSM was challenged in a presentation, which argued that if straight identified men are having sex with feminised men they do not therefore consider that they are having sex with "men" - so MSM does not apply. The Latin American presentations agreed with this argument but also raised the issue of how HIV is being de-gayed in their region. Figures that show that there is an increase in HIV among heterosexuals are being interpreted as this being the largest group now affected. However figures clearly show that the largest affected group remains MSM - but fashionable arguments highlighting heterosexual transmission are never-the-less diverting funds away from MSM prevention, treatment and care.

The occasion of the Amsterdam symposium and presence within the African delegation of the 5 remaining AARI steering committee members meant that they could meet to further develop the constitution and to iron out a few outstanding issues - bringing their work of formalising the organisation back on track after difficulties relating to communication and the tragic loss of one of the committee when Fannyann Eddy was murdered recently in Sierra Leone. While the committee were assisted by HiVOS to meet in Amsterdam, their extended stay in the city was supported by The World Bank and the meeting was hosted at the offices of NiZA (Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa).