queer

“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give thee rest.” What does this mean to the church? I know scripture isn’t the most common language one would find on a CHAMP blogspot :-) but there it is and here I am, a Christian and a proponent for social justice for all.  And I have some questions for my sistren and brethren in the church.

I spent the first 3 days of my time in Mexico City at the Ecumenical Pre-Conference where I appreciated some great dialogue with most of my time and energy engaging in discussions around gender, and specifically about patriarchy in the church and gender based violence. I was sad to note an absence of dedicated space on the program for LGBTQQI people and issues/dynamics particularly affecting queer folk, particularly given the early and continued epidemiology of HIV&AIDS as well as the continued proliferation of discrimination against queer communities and individuals.  read more »

As one of the speakers on the first day of the MSM Global Forum,  David Wilson spoke passionately about the need to focus funding, research and programming on MSM. He cited as an example the strides the AIDS community has made in lowering new infection rates among sex workers and intravenous drug users.

Over lunch, a global south AIDS hero could be heard saying to his colleagues, ´Oh great´ he began sarcastically ¨Now we are back where we started with them (global south governments). To this, they will  say LET THEM DIE, THEY SHOULD CONTROL THEMSELVES.¨

At the heart of his statement is the concern that, by isolating a group such as MSM that is considered by some as immoral or at the least on the fringe of society, we will be taking a step back in our collective response to normalize and personalize HIV/AIDS.

For me this is an interesting point. I entered into the AIDS world as a way of dealing with my homosexuality, connecting with those that came before me that I would never meet. As much as Jack Tripper (from TV´s THREEs COMPANY) was a quasi role model, it was the faces of ACT UP on Wall Street that began to awaken my sexual and political queer beings. I was disheartened that by the time I got involved with HIV/AIDS it was still in the throws of being de-gayed.

In gay culture, we are seeing a return to the early days of HIV as a point of conversation and inspiration.  read more »