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LATIN AMERICA / HOMOPHOBIA
STORY: LATIN AMERICA / HOMOPHOBIA
TRT: 2.56
SOURCE: PAHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SPANISH / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: MARCH 28 2009, GUAYAQUIL. ECUADOR / FILE
MARCH 28 2009, GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR
1. Various shot, doctor examines male patient
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Fernando Leal, Fundación Arenosa Vive (FUNDARVI):
“There’s been a lot of progress, but let’s say the biggest problem with this topic is not talking about it, because if you don’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist, and if it doesn’t exist, you can’t get resources for it.”
3. Med shot, doctor calls transgender patient and walk together into examining room
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Fernando Leal, Fundación Arenosa Vive (FUNDARVI):
“What does homophobia lead to? An increase in cases of HIV, an increase in violations of human rights…because what you don’t talk about ceases to exist. It’s a bit of a malevolent contradiction that you get, with these supposedly great victories by the LGBT movement” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
5. Various shots, doctor examines male patient
6. Med shot, female Doctor looking into a microscope
7. Close up, microscope
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) German Franco, Administrator, Friends for Life:
“One time I went to a health clinic and they were giving me an HIV test, and I just mentioned that I had had a sexual relationship with a man, and the doctor told me right then that I had AIDS—without even taking my blood, without even telling me, You know what? Take an HIV test. He just told me I had AIDS.”
9. Various shots, group of people waiting at the clinic’s lobby
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Raisa Alusa Altamirano, transgender:
“I went to the hospital, it was in the morning. I waited from 5 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon to get care. I waited all those hours just for some doctor to come and tell me, no, you can’t get any care.”
11. Various shots, city scenes
12. Wide shot, shot, gay and transgender persons walking on the street
13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Dr. Telmo Fernandez, Medical Director, Equity and Family Foundation:
“In this clinic, we provide care at different levels, including at the community level, including counseling, prevention, and medical care for populations at high risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections.”
14. Zoom out, meeting of gays leaders from various countries
15. Various shots, gay leaders at the meeting
19. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Orlando Montoya, Executive Director, Equity Foundation:
“We were working on a health care guide…this year there’s going to be a program where we start to train health workers on how to provide proper care taking into account people’s sexual orientation.”
20. Wide shot, people sitting waiting at the clinic’s lobby
Stigma, discrimination, and violence against homosexuals—also known as homophobia—threaten efforts to fight the HIV epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pan American Health Organization said yesterday in observing the International Day against Homophobia, May 17.
Homosexual men are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Fear of discrimination discourages them from getting tested for HIV. It also discourages them from seeking counseling, support and even antiretroviral therapy when they need it.
Transsexual and transgender people also experience discrimination, especially at schools and in health facilities.
In the Americas, several countries have launched initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with different sexual orientations. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Mexico have started new programs or adopted policies to reduce prejudice, stigma, and discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation.
In 2008, Nicaragua and Panama—the last two countries in Latin America where homosexual relations were considered a crime—revoked those laws. In the Caribbean, more open discussion of these matters is emerging, although sex between men is still a crime in seven countries of the region.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said stigma, discrimination and violence against homosexuals—also known as homophobia—threaten efforts to fight the HIV epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Homosexual men are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Fear of discrimination discourages them from getting tested for HIV and from seeking counseling and even antiretroviral therapy when they need it.
Transsexual and transgender people also experience discrimination, especially at schools and in health facilities.
In the Americas, several countries have launched initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with different sexual orientations. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Mexico have started new programs or adopted policies to reduce prejudice, stigma, and discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation.
In 2008, Nicaragua and Panama—the last two countries in Latin America where homosexual relations were considered a crime—revoked those laws. In the Caribbean, more open discussion of these matters is emerging, although sex between men is still a crime in seven countries of the region.
The International Day Against Homophobia was observed worldwide on Sunday.
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