Search, Detention and Bail ....Your Rights Reminder

In light of recent events where persons from the LGBT community were harassed and searched without proper justification by agents of the state here are some reminders when it comes to BAIL and SEARCHES

Know Your Rights: Search And Detention!!!!

SEARCH

Searching Persons

§ To search you, police must have reasonable suspicion that you are committing or have committed an offence. They should tell you why they want to search you.

§ A woman must be searched by a woman only, and if no female police officer is available, the search must be made by any woman designated for that purpose by a police officer.

House Search

§ If the police want to enter your house, you should ask them if they have a warrant. Ask to see the warrant!

§ However, there are cases where the police can search without a warrant. For example, when it is believed that a crime has been or about to be committed

§ A warrant will normally be executed by day unless otherwise stated and where good reasons were given why it must be done at night.

§ A warrant should be executed only within the strict specifications mentioned within the warrant.

§ Follow the officer during the search!

§ Ask the officer his name but if he fails to identify himself, note anything that can help you to identify the officer for example, his badge number, markings on the car he drove, etc.

§ Look carefully at the officer so that you may be able to identify him, if necessary you can relay the description at a later date.

§ Request a signed list of anything that the officer takes with him.

Vehicular Search

§ If the police wish to search your vehicle they must tell you the reasonable grounds for wanting to search. They do not have a right to search as a matter of routine.

DETENTION

§ Police officers often lock up persons without charging them.

§ If you are detained for more than 72 hours without being charged, you can get a lawyer to go to court for an order for the police to release you if they are not going to charge you. This is known as habeas corpus.

Habeas Corpus which literally means “bring the body” is a writ or legal action through which a person can be released from unlawful detention.

NB.

The above is still in effect as the 2010 amendments to the Bail Act as part of the Anti-Crime Bills address the issue of bail and not detention. Bail is only relevant when you are charged with an offence.

the “RIGHT TO BAIL - COURT”

* Detention period may be extended under State of Emergency circumstances.

RIGHT TO BAIL – POLICE

§ Once you are charged you have a right to bail.

§ Bail must be considered within 24 hours of your being arrested.

§ For most offences bail can be granted by the police. This is known as station bail.

§ If you are charged with an offence for which you cannot be imprisoned then the policeSHOULD in most cases grant you bail.

RIGHT TO BAIL – COURT

§ If police deny you bail you can request bail before a Resident Magistrate (RM).

§ If you are charged with an offence for which the police cannot grant you bail then ask to be taken to a judge as soon as possible.

§ Under the 2010 amendments to the Bail Act, persons charged with serious offences under the “Second Schedule” will not have bail considered for 60 days if they have already been convicted of an offence under that Schedule. The “Second Schedule” makes mention of serious convictions such as certain offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act, Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Suppression and Punishment) Act, Child Care and Protection Act (trafficking of children), Offences Against the Person Act and Perverting the Course of Justice.

§ When you are charged with an offence under the “Second Schedule” and you are in custody during the 60 day period, you should be brought before the court 7 days after you were charged and then every 14 days thereafter for the court to review your bail application.

§ If a court denied bail at first, you can keep applying to the same court or you can apply to a judge of the Supreme Court

TO GET BAIL

§ One (1) passport-sized picture signed by a Justice of the Peace (J.P.)

§ A valid form of identification

a. National ID

b. Drivers’ Licence

c. Passport

§ Two (2) letters of recommendation

a. JP

b. Sergeant of police or police of higher rank

§ Collateral

a. Motor vehicle statement

b. Land title without caveat

c. Bank statement

§ Proof of Address

a. A recent utility bill

NB. There are changes expected with what is acceptable documentation

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation ........

Egodystonic sexual orientation is an egodystonic condition characterized by perceiving a sexual orientation or experiencing an attraction that is at odds with one's idealized self-image, causing anxiety and a desire to change one's orientation or become more comfortable with one's sexual orientation.

Classifications

The World Health Organization lists egodystonic sexual orientation in the ICD-10, as a disorder of sexual development and orientation. The WHO diagnosis covers when gender identity or sexual orientation is clear, yet a patient has another behavioural or psychological disorder which makes that patient want to change it. F66.1 The diagnostic manual notes that a sexual orientation is not a disorder in itself.

The diagnostic category of "ego-dystonic homosexuality" was removed from the American Psychiatric Association's DSM in 1987 (with the publication of the DSM-III-R), but still potentially remains in the DSM-IV under the category of "sexual disorder not otherwise specified" including "persistent and marked distress about one’s sexual orientation”.

The Medical Council of India uses the WHO classification of ego-dystonic sexual orientation. The Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders includes ego-dystonic homosexuality.

The American Psychological Association has officially opposed the category of ego-dystonic homosexuality since 1987.

Diagnosis

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 F66.1
ICD-9 302.0

When the World Health Organization removed the diagnosis of homosexuality as a mental disorder in ICD-10, it included the diagnosis of ego-dystonic sexual orientation under "Psychological and behavioural disorders associated with sexual development and orientation". The WHO's ICD.10 diagnoses Ego-dystonic sexual orientation thus:
The gender identity or sexual preference (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or prepubertal) is not in doubt, but the individual wishes it were different because of associated psychological and behavioural disorders, and may seek treatment in order to change it. (F66.1)
The WHO notes that for codes under F66: "Sexual orientation by itself is not to be regarded as a disorder."
This is often a result of unfavorable and intolerant attitudes of the society or a conflict between sexual urges and religious belief systems.

Treatments

There are many ways a person may go about receiving therapy for ego-dystonic sexual orientation associated with homosexuality. There is no known therapy for other types of egodystonic sexual orientations. Therapy can be aimed at changing sexual orientation, sexual behavior, or helping a client become more comfortable with their sexual orientation and behaviors. Human rights groups have accused some countries of performing these treatments on egosyntonic homosexuals. One survey suggested that viewing the same-sex activities as compulsive facilitated commitment to a mixed-orientation marriage and to monogamy. Treatment may include sexual orientation change efforts or treatment to alleviate the stress. In addition, some people seek non-professional methods, such as religious counseling or attendance in an ex-gay group.

Disidentify with LGB

A task force commissioned by the APA found that religious identity and sexual orientation identity develop through life, and psychotherapy, support groups, and life events can influence identity development; similarly, self-awareness, self-conception, and identity may evolve during treatment. Psychotherapy, support groups, and life events can change sexual orientation identity (private and public identification, and group belonging), but not actual sexual orientation, emotional adjustment (self-stigma and shame reduction), and personal beliefs, values and norms (change of religious and moral belief, behavior and motivation). The APA has stated that sexual orientation develops across a person’s lifetime".

Gender Wholeness Therapy was designed by an ex-gay Licensed Professional Counselor, David Matheson. "The emphasis in Mr. Matheson's counseling is on helping men — all his clients are male — develop 'gender wholeness' by addressing emotional issues and building healthy connections with other men. He [says] he believe[s] that help[s] reduce homosexual desires.
Gender-affirmative therapy has been described by A. Dean Byrd as follows: "The basic premise of gender-affirmative therapy is that social and emotional variables affect gender identity which, in turn, determines sexual orientation. The work of the therapist is to help people understand their gender development. Subsequently, such individuals are able to make choices that are consistent with their value system. The focus of therapy is to help clients fully develop their masculine or feminine identity".

Several organizations have started retreats led by coaches aimed at helping participants diminish same-sex desires. These retreats tend to use a variety of techniques. Journey into Manhood, put on by People Can Change uses "a wide variety of large-group, small-group and individual exercises, from journaling to visualizations (or guided imagery) to group sharing and intensive emotional-release work." Weekends put on by Adventure in Manhood support "healthy bonding with men, through masculine activity, teamwork, and socialization." Though not specific to gay men, several gay men attended the New Warrior Training Adventure, a weekend put on by Mankind Project, which is a "process of initiation and self-examination that is designed to catalyze the development of a healthy and mature masculine self." Joe Dallas, a prominent ex-gay, leads a monthly five-day men's retreat on sexual purity titled, Every Mans' Battle.

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation and religion

Further information: Religion and homosexuality

Some gay people have turned to pastoral care. Some churches publish specific instructions to clergy on how to minister to gay and lesbian people. These publications include Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination, produced by the Roman Catholic Church, and God Loveth His Children, produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1994, a church in the Presbyterian Church (USA) held a conference entitled “The Path to Freedom: Exploring healing for the Homosexual.” The APA encourages religious leaders to recognize that it is outside their role to adjudicate empirical scientific issues in psychology.
Mental health practitioners can incorporate religion into therapy by "integrating aspects of the psychology of religion into their work, including by obtaining a thorough assessment of clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs, religious identity and motivations, and spiritual functioning; improving positive religious coping; and exploring the intersection of religious and sexual orientation identities." Researchers have found that for some clients, identity conflicts can be reduced by reading religious texts, which will help clients increase self-authority and focus less on negative messages about homosexuality. Researchers also found that clients made further progress if they came to believe that regardless of their sexual orientation, God still loves and accepts them.

Alternatively, gay and lesbian people may decide to seek out "minority-affirming religious groups", or change churches to those that affirm LGBT people.

Internalized homophobia

(or egodystonic homophobia) refers to negative feeling towards oneself because of homosexuality. This term has been criticized because holding negative attitudes does not necessarily involve a phobia, and the term "internalized stigma" is sometimes used instead. It causes severe discomfort with or disapproval of one's own sexual orientation.
Such a situation may cause extreme repression of homosexual desires. In other cases, a conscious internal struggle may occur for some time, often pitting deeply held religious or social beliefs against strong sexual and emotional desires. This discordance often causes clinical depression, and the unusually high suicide rate among gay teenagers (up to 30 percent of non-heterosexual youth attempt suicide) has been attributed to this phenomenon. Psychotherapy, such as gay affirmative psychotherapy, and participation in a sexual-minority affirming group can help resolve the internal conflict between a religious and a sexual identity.

The label of internalized homophobia is sometimes applied to conscious or unconscious behaviors which an observer feels the need to promote or conform to the expectations of heteronormativity or heterosexism. This can include extreme repression and denial coupled with forced outward displays of heteronormative behavior for the purpose of appearing or attempting to feel "normal" or "accepted". This might also include less overt behavior like making assumptions about the gender of a person's romantic partner, or about gender roles. Some also apply this label to LGBT persons who support "compromise" policies, such as those that find civil unions an acceptable alternative to same-sex marriage.

Some argue that some or most people who are homophobic have repressed their own homosexuality. In 1996, a controlled study of 64 heterosexual men (half claimed to be homophobic by experience and self-reported orientation) at the University of Georgia found that men who were found to be homophobic (as measured by the Index of Homophobia) were considerably more likely to experience more erectile responses when exposed to homoerotic images than non-homophobic men.

Rhesus monkeys resistant to HIV with special TRIM5 protein

Known as TRIM5, the protein prevents the HI virus from multiplying once it has entered the cell. Researchers from the universities of Geneva and Zurich have now discovered the protein's mechanism, as they report in Nature. This also opens up new prospects for fighting HIV in humans.
Unlike people, certain monkey species, such as rhesus or night monkeys, are resistant to HIV thanks to TRIM5, a cellular protein: In the case of an HIV infection, the protein intercepts the virus as soon as it enters the cell and prevents it from multiplying. We have known about TRIM5 for over six years. However, the mechanism TRIM5 uses to prevent the HI virus from multiplying was still largely unknown.

The majority of the key aspects of TRIM5's defense mechanism against HIV was discovered by the Swiss research teams of Prof. Jeremy Luban, University of Geneva, and Prof. Markus Grütter, University of Zurich, in collaboration with teams from the USA and France. They demonstrated that TRIM5 immediately triggers an immune response if infected with HIV. Consequently, TRIM5 is an HIV sensor in the innate immune system. Unlike the adaptive immune system, which only develops when confronted with a pathogen, the innate immune system is already able to eliminate pathogens as soon as it comes into contact with them.
The HI virus, which penetrates the cell during an infection, has a shell, the components of which are arranged in a lattice, similar to the pattern on a soccer ball. TRIM5 recognizes this lattice structure and specifically attaches itself to it. This stimulates the protein to produce signal molecules known as polyubiquitin chains in the cell. These chains immediately trigger an anti-viral reaction. The "alerted" cell can then start eliminating cells infected with HIV by releasing messenger substances (cytokines).

Humans also have a TRIM5 protein, but it is less effective in fending off HIV. However, the findings in resistant monkeys have opened up new possibilities and ways of fighting HIV in humans. 33 million people are currently infected with HIV worldwide; two million die of AIDS each year. And with 2.7 million people becoming infected every year, HIV remains a major problem.

Markus Grütter
gruetter@bioc.uzh.ch
41-446-355-580

ENDS

Human cells have some natural defenses called “restriction factors” that protect cells against infection by viruses.

Lassoing HIV to the cell

Tetherin is a molecular “lasso” that “tethers” new baby viruses to a cell as they try to escape.

In this figure, taken from Stuart and colleagues in the journal Nature, we see a bunch of HIV virus particles (the little black circles) all clumped around a cell.
This doesn’t normally happen with HIV. Usually new baby viruses bud out of cells and move along to infect new ones.
What’s causing this clumping?

Tetherin! It latches onto these new viruses and keeps them on the cell surface, which prevents them from moving on to infect new cells.
But this doesn’t usually occur in HIV infection. Most new viruses are able to escape the effect of tetherin. In real life, tetherin activity is so bad from HIV’s point of view, that HIV actually has a protein called Vpu that it uses to block tetherin.
The figure from the Stuart paper shows what happened when the experimenters deleted the Vpu gene from HIV and allowed the virus to replicate itself in cells. What happened is that without the action of HIV’s Vpu protein, all the new baby viruses got stuck to the cells and clumped together because of tetherin. Blocking Vpu might even make an attractive target for an antiretroviral drug by allowing tetherin to do its job.

What got me writing this post this week was a new paper that came out about how HIV targets another restriction factor called APOBEC3G, and how it might use that to its advantage.

Mutant-maker

APOBEC3G is another restriction factor that we have in our cells. APOBEC3G (pronounced “ape oh Beck 3G”) has a weird way of messing with HIV.It introduces mutations in the HIV genome by essentially changing the DNA base guanosine (G) into adenosine (A).

It’s actually a bit more complicated than that but the end-result is the same: APOBEC3G changes Gs in HIVs genome to As. Now introducing all these mutations into its genome is bad for HIV because the mutations can mean that its proteins won’t work as well. So yet again, HIV has a protein that counteracts this restriction factor. That protein is called Vif.
APOBEC Advantage

Last year, Fourati and colleagues published a nice paper where they looked at whether antiretroviral therapy could result in changes in Vif, the anti-APOBEC3G protein. Their idea was that HIV might be able to use the mutagenic (mutation introducing) activity of APOBEC3G to its advantage.
We know that mutations in HIV can cause drug resistance, which allows the virus to replicate even in the presence of antiretrovirals. For instance, a single mutation in HIV’s reverse transcriptase gene (a mutation to the amino acid valine at position 184) can allow the virus to replicate in the presence of the antiretroviral drugs lamivudine (3TC) and emtricitabine (FTC).

Fourati and colleagues had the idea that a mutation Vif might slightly reduce its ability to block APOBEC3G. Vif blocks APOBEC3G mostly by targeting it to be degraded by the cell, which reduces the levels of APOBEC3G within the cell.
So, a mutation in Vif could potentially allow a little bit more APOBEC3G to stick around in cells, which could make the build-up of mutations a bit faster, without allowing APOBEC to go crazy and introduce too many mutations. If this actually did happen, you’d expect to find Vif mutations in HIV from patients who are failing therapy due to drug resistance. This is exactly what the Fourati group found.
Specifically, there was a mutation in Vif called K22H (a change at position 22 from the amino acid lysine to a histidine) that was almost 10 times more common in patients who were failing therapy. They then performed experiments where they took HIV with the K22H mutation and grew it in cells. If the mutation decreases Vif’s action against APOBEC, you would expect more of those G to A mutations in the resulting viruses.

More on VIF Mutation here

Emerging Sexualities & Race: Response to Sexuality in Jamaica conference ... organizer says debate on homophobia acrimonious

An upcoming conference at Warwick University scheduled for October 2011 is calling for papers with the aim for informed opinions on Jamaica's homophobia etc coupled with the English Speaking Caribbean, the conference is slated address the so called highly publicized assertions being made about the situations here on the rock and the Caribbean basin.

The organizers describe as an acrimonious debate the discussions over the last nine years framing Jamaicans as homophobic that initially focused on a group of artists which was then broadened to include the rest of society covering legal, policing and criminal justice, prevailing religious beliefs and other aspects of culture. The organizers are Dr. Robert Beckford or Warwick University and Dr. Perry Stanislas of De Montfort University of Leicester both in the United Kingdom, Dr. Stanislas bachelor degree's topic focused on "Homophobia and the Christian Church told an online publication representative that there is a need for much more research and focus on this area, he added that widely held views about homophobia in Jamaica is largely uninformed as when he did his Bsc he learnt a great deal about British homophobia which has historically resulted in much more extreme behaviour than has taken place in Jamaica.

The British police used to carry out raids on gay men in their private spaces for indecency and other reasons they even transported the same laws into the colonies but not one black police organization has ever conducted a raid on a private space in Jamaica.

You don't live here Mr. Man, do you?

They continue that they need to have this conference as an academic response because of the issue of sexuality in Jamaica and other issues in Jamaica supposedly to include race. Dr. Stanislas suggests that international activists particularly from Western agencies have placed the issues on the agenda and have basically misconstrued the matters on homophobia in Jamaica.

One wonders which activists is he referring to when he was quoted:

"We need to separate the actual facts of homophobia from racism which is driving the agenda of some activists. There is popular homophobia in Jamaica but it is a direct outcome of the structural violence which has been experienced in that country in terms of the impact of macro and midrange policy and how it attacks masculinity in poor urban areas which creates the context for the emergence of dancehall"

Dr. Stanislas continued that Jamaica statistically is safer to be gay than to be a straight male, female or child who are killed in the hundreds every year.

Papers for the following themes are welcomed the organizers suggest:

1) Theology and Sexuality in Jamaica, the English Caribbean and its Diasporas

2) Policing, Criminal Justice Human Rights and sexuality in Jamaica

3) Caribbean music forms and sexuality

4) Historical powers of sexuality in Jamaica and the English speaking Caribbean

5) Literature and sexuality in Jamaica

6) Media representation and sexuality in Jamaica

7) Politics and sexuality in Jamaica

8) Sexuality in visual cultures

9) Education youth and sexuality

10) Public health and sexuality

The conference will be held at the University of Warwick on October 21 - 22 2011 those wishing to present papers should prepare and send a 250 word proposal to Dr. Robert Beckford r.beckford@warwick.ac.uk by June 30, 2011 authors who have been accepted will be notified by July 31, 2011.

A selection of papers will be considered for publications in an edited collection.

Enquiries can be sent to: pstanislas@dmu.ac.uk

Silent madness on the rise (Star feature)

Every now and again some good sense in a way prevails and the Star publishes a thought provoking piece although they are few and far in between, here is Leighton Levy known more for sports radio on a particular station on the recent startling issues of murder suicide and the possible co-relation with stigmatization to vulnerable groups taking into account the down low phenomenon vs denial.

The article reads:

Silent madness on the rise

with Leighton Levy

In the past few days two policemen - well one and another who had retired - triggered by relationship issues took out about seven people before killing themselves. Since the end of March, three teenagers reportedly committed suicide.

Is this just a coincidence, or is it that the silent madness that a lot of us Jamaicans have been experiencing is beginning to manifest in abundance? Professor Fred Hickling wrote in The Gleaner last year that a significant portion of the population suffers from some form of mental condition.
However, we are not availing ourselves of the necessary help because like for so many other things, we have attached a stigma to mental health.

We seem to find a way to stigmatise so many things in this country; a sign I believe of how mentally unstable we are. We conjure up all kinds of unnecessary drama to try and somehow escape reality. We have stigmatised the number two, we raise eyebrows if a man hugs another or expresses emotion of any kind (as if to say anger is not an emotion), we continue to bash homosexuals even though some of us who do are on the down low.

Some of our most notorious criminals have at one time or another been exposed as closet gays, so why are we still living this fantasy, this delusion?
What this amounts to is that many of us, especially our men, are forced to bottle up all their emotions for fear of being ridiculed, ostracised and stigmatised, so at the least sign of trouble we explode. It has got to a point now where we can't even spend enough time to listen to our kids, to show them love, to let them know that someone cares.
There should be no surprise then that our kids are resorting to killing themselves.
They must somehow believe that it's easier to be dead than to live among us.


we need help

Whether we want to accept it or not, we need to start acknowledging that individually and collectively we need help. Between the daily stresses of the excessively high cost of living and just trying to stay alive and on top of that the idiot politicians making our lives even more hellish, we are bound to need help.

And there is nothing wrong with needing help. In fact, it takes great courage to admit that we need help and we used to be a courageous people. We used to have fire in our bellies, the fire that helped the Maroons fight for their freedom.

It was that courage that put us on the path to independence.

Somewhere along the way that courage was replaced by something else and whatever that thing is, it has not been serving us well.
We need to find our way back to what we were before, a strong and proud people and the only way to start that process is to accept that we need help and ask for it.

Yogyakarta Principles Comic English Version

Yogyakarta Principles Comic English Version

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Yogyakarta Principles Comic versi Bahasa Indonesia

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The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity is a set of international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, intended to address documented evidence of abuse of rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, andtransgender (LGBT) people, and further of intersexuality, requested by Louise Arbour according to the International human rights law. The outline of the Principles was drawn at a meeting of International Commission of Jurists and human rights experts from around the world at Gadjah Mada University on Java from 6 to 9 November in 2006.

"It contains 29 Principles adopted unanimously by the experts, along with recommendations to governments, regional intergovernmental institutions, civil society, and the UN itself". The principles are named after Yogyakarta, the smallest province of Indonesia (excluding Jakarta) located on the island of Java.

Among 29 signatories of the principles, there are Mary Robinson, Manfred Nowak, Martin Scheinin, Elizabeth Evatt, Philip Alston, Edwin Cameron, Asma Jahangir,Paul Hunt, Sanji Mmasenono Monageng, Sunil Babu Pant, Stephen Whittle and Wan Yanhai. The principles are intended to be and have become a universal guide to human rights.

In alignment with the movement towards establishing basic human rights for all people, the Principles specifically address sexual orientation and gender identity. The Principles were developed in response to patterns of abuse reported from around the world. These included examples of rape, torture, extrajudicial executions,medical abuse, denial of free speech and assembly as well as a range of discriminations in work, health, education, housing, access to justice and immigration. These are estimated to affect millions of people targeted on the basis of perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity.

Gay Pride Dates in the US & Cananda

Below is a list of the 2011 Gay Pride Events being held around the US & Canada. If you know of any Pride Events that I missed, please send me an email, or leave a comment, and I will be sure to add them to this list.

Thanks to girl2girl for the heads up, mwaaaahhh daaahling

Now get ready to CELEBRATE!!!!

APRIL
Saturday, April 16, 2011 Miami Beach Gay Pride

MAY
May 21-22, 2011, Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Pride
May 26-29, 2011 Washington DC Black Pride
May 28-June 5, 2011, Winnepeg, Manitoba Winnipeg Pride
May 30-June 5, 2011 , Kansas City, MO, Kansas City Gay Pride

JUNE
June 2-12, 2011 Washington, DC Capital Pride
Jun 3-4, 2011, Austin, TX, Austin Pride
June 3-5, 2011, Salt Lake City, UT Utah Pride
Jun 3-12, 2011 Boston, MA, Boston Pride
Jun 4, 2011, Honolulu, HI, Honolulu Pride Parade
Jun 4, 2011, Sacramento,CA Sacramento Pride
Jun 5, 2011, Guerneville, CA, Sonoma County Pride
Jun 5, 2011, Charleston, WV, Rainbow Pride of West Virginia
Jun 8-12, 2011, Key West, FL, Key West Pride
Jun 9-11, 2011, Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque Pride
Jun 10-12, 2011, Los Angeles, CA, LA Pride
Jun 10-12, 2010, Milwaukee, WI, Pridefest
Jun 10-13, 2011, Des Moines, IA, Des Mines Capital City Pride
Jun 11, 2011, Tulsa, OK, Tulsa Pride
Jun 11, 2011, Columbus, OH, Columbus Pride
Jun 11, 2011, Erie, PA, Pride Picnic
Jun 11, 2011, San Antonio, TX, Pridefest, SA
Jun 11, 2010, Spokane, WA, Spokane Pride Parade & Rainbow Festival
Jun 12, 2011, Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Pride Day
Jun 12, 2011, Huntington, Long Island, NY, Long Island Pride Parade
Jun 12, 2011, Columbia, MO, Mid-Missouri Pride Festival
Jun 12-13, 2011, Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh Pride
Jun 12-19, 2011, Portland, ME, Southern Maine Pride Parade & Festival
Jun 17-18, 2011, Louisville, KY, Kentuckiana Pride Festival
Jun 17-19, 2011, Kalispell, MT, Montana Pride in Kalispell
Jun 18, 2011, Boise, ID, Boise Pride
Jun 18, 2011, Flagstaff, AZ, Pride in the Pines
Jun 18, 2011 Grand Rapids, MI, West Michigan Pride
Jun 18, 2011, Nashville, TN, Nashville Pride
Jun 18, 2011, Providence, RI, Rhode Island PrideFest
Jun 18, 2011 Syracuse, NY, CNY Pride
Jun 18-19, 2011, Denver, CO Denver Pridefest
Jun 18-19, 2011, Portland, OR, Pride Northwest Portland
Jun 18-26, 2011, Anchorage, AK, Anchorage Pride
Jun 24-Jul 3, 2011, Toronto, Canada, Toronto Pride
Jun 24-25, 2011, Chicago, Chicago Pride
Jun 24-26, 2011, Columbia, SC, South Carolina Black Pride
Jun 24-26, 2010, Oklahoma City, OK, Oklahoma City Pride
Jun 24-27, 2011, New Orleans, New Orleans Pride
Jun 25, 2011, Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Gay Pride Fest
Jun 25, 2011, Houston, TX, Houston Pride
Jun 25, 2011,Tampa Bay, FL, Tampa/St. Pete Pride
Jun 25-26, 2011, Minneapolis, Minneapolis/St.Paul Pride
Jun 25-26, 2011, New York, NY, New York City Pride
Jun 25-26, 2011, San Francisco, CA, San Francisco Pride
Jun 25-26, 2011 Seattle, WA, Seattle Pride
Jun 25-26, 2011, St. Louis, MO, St. Louis PrideFest

JULY
Jul 9, 2011 in Monterey, CA, Pride of Monterey County
Jul 15-17, 2011, Charlotte, SC, Charlotte Black Gay Pride
Jul 15-17, 2011, San Diego, CA, San Diego Pride
Jul 16-17, 2011, Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado Springs PrideFest
Jul 23, 2011, Burlington, VT, Pride Vermont Parade
July 31, 2011,Vancouver, Canada, Vancouver Pride

AUGUST
Aug 9-14, 2011, Montreal, Canada, Montreal Pride
Aug 13, 2011, Eugene, OR, Eugene/Springfield Pride Festival
Aug 20, 2011, Edgewater, MD, Chesapeake Pride Festival
Aug 20, 2011, Reno, NV, Reno Pride
Aug 20-21, 2011, San Jose, CA, San Jose Pride

SEPTEMBER
Sep 4, 2011, Oakland / East Bay, Oakland Pride, Oakland Pride
Sep 17, 2011, Hartford, CT, Connecticut Pride
Sep 17, 2011, Modesto, CA, Modesto Stanislaus Pride
Sep 24, 2011, Raleigh-Durham, NC Pride Parade and Festival

OCTOBER
Oct 15, 2011, Memphis, TN, Mid-South Pride

Truth Wins Out calls for Uganda To Investigate Anti-Gay Activist Martin Ssempa

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Read Online

Truth Wins Out Calls On Uganda To Investigate Anti-Gay Activist Martin Ssempa On Possible Charges of Extortion, Perjury, and Fraud

Gay Man Claims Ssempa Paid Him To Say He Was 'Ex-Gay'; Ssempa's 'Ex-Gay' Also Testified in Favor of Anti-Homosexuality Bill Under What Appears to be Coercion and Duress

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Truth Wins Out today called on Ugandan authorities to investigate anti-gay activist Martin Ssempa for potential extortion, perjury and fraud, following the New York Times' discovery that Ssempa may have paid and pressured a witness to give false testimony in favor of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

In a last ditch effort to bring the "Kill the Gays" bill up for a vote, Ssempa brought so-called "ex-gay" activist George Oundo to a meeting with the speaker of Parliament, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi. In the meeting, Oundo said that he had gone from gay-to-straight and strongly urged the speaker to pass the notorious measure.

However, with Ssempa no longer present, Oundo reversed his testimony and told New York Times reporter Josh Kron that he was paid by Ssempa to say he had gone straight and actually opposed the anti-gay bill. Clearly, there appears to be coercion, if not extortion involved, given Oundo's quick repudiation of his testimony and his allegation that he was paid for delivering a bogus sexual conversion tale.

"Clearly, something stinks in Martin Ssempa's corrupt campaign to get a vote," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "Ugandan authorities should immediately launch an investigation of Ssempa to find out if he has engaged in coercion or illegal activity in pursuit of passing the Anti-Homosexuality bill."

The following is what was written in today's New York Times:

Mr. George Oundo, 26, a transgender person who used to go by the name Georgina, went next. (testifying to Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi)

"I used to call myself the Queen Mother and Lady of the City," Mr. Oundo said. "I was recruited into homosexuality many years back, when I was 12."

"When I joined Mr. Ssempa, I told him all my problems," he said. "I had to come out and join the struggle.

"Please help us; let the bill pass," he said.

But an hour later, in a quiet hotel, Mr. Oundo recanted much of what had been said at the meeting.

"David Kato was murdered; it was a plot," Mr. Oundo said. "I don't support the bill."

As for being a "former homosexual," that, too, was not true.

"I've always been gay," Mr. Oundo said, in a timid but growing voice. "I didn't choose it."

"David Kato was the first one who taught me to protect my human right," Mr. Oundo added.

Mr. Oundo said that his presence alongside Mr. Ssempa at Parliament had been to "protect" himself and that he had been contacted only that morning by Mr. Kagaba about the meeting and offered about $42 to attend. He said Mr. Ssempa had offered him about $2,000 in 2009 to repent and switch sides in the debate, but later reneged. Either way, Mr. Oundo became a poster-child for Mr. Ssempa's anti-homosexuality movement.

Mr. Ssempa declined to comment on the allegations.

Mr. Oundo admitted that he had picked up boyfriends at high schools and universities, what the antigay movement calls recruiting. But he said Uganda's gay population was full of "natural-borns," like himself.

"If I live or die, I am gay, and if I am buried, bury me gay," he said.

"It is clear that George Oundo came under an inordinate amount of pressure to lie about his sexual orientation and suppress his actual position on the this bill," said TWO's Besen. "Ugandan officials should question Ssempa to see if blackmail, extortion or fraud led to Oundo's false testimony. If it is determined that Ssempa lied or forced Oundo to lie at any time under oath, he should be charged with perjury. Martin Ssempa should not be above the law."

Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that fights anti-LGBT religious extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.

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Tenofovir Might Reduce Inflammation, Boost Immune System

The antiretroviral (ARV) drug tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla) might calm the immune system in people with HIV and make them less susceptible to other infections, according to a study published online April 5 in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

HIV directly harms the immune system by infecting, and ultimately destroying, key immune cells. Such direct killing, however, doesn’t fully explain how or why the immune systems of people with HIV become so damaged over time, as only a small proportion of cells ever become infected.

Since the introduction of potent ARV therapy in the late 1990s, scientists have been able to study other ways that the presence of HIV can cause harm to those infected with the virus. Inflammation is believed to be a primary culprit. When the body is under threat—either from infection, cell damage or cancer—it produces dozens of different chemicals that place the immune system on high alert. This is a good thing, as it allows the body to respond to those threats, but if the immune system never fully calms down—which appears to be the case in people living with HIV—it can lead to serious problems, such as cardiovascular disease.

Another problem with HIV is that is it can, ironically, put the breaks on some components of the immune system while also revving up inflammation. In particular, by reducing a chemical messenger called interleukin-12 (IL-12) and increasing another called interleukin-10 (IL-10), the immune system becomes suppressed and less able to fight off other serious infections.

HIV drugs significantly reduce inflammation by shutting down HIV replication, but even when virus levels are diminished almost completely, inflammation remains. However, one ARV drug, Selzentry (maraviroc), has been found to calm down inflammation in addition to shutting down the virus. This has sparked researchers’ attention and led them to begin studying other ARVs.

Jesper Melchjorsen, PhD, from the Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, in Aarhus, Denmark, and his colleagues set out to understand the anti-inflammatory properties of tenofovir, Retrovir (zidovudine) and Ziagen (abacavir). The team incubated non-HIV-infected cells, treated them with the drugs, and then stimulated them with a variety of other types of pathogens, including the cytomegalovirus (CMV), Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Meclchjorsen and his colleagues found that tenofovir offered two types of protection to the cells. First, it suppressed the production of inflammatory messengers, such as Interleukin-8 (IL-8). The authors note that other studies of tenofovir have not found an inflammatory effect, and so caution is warranted in interpreting the results. They stress, however, that because they used both tenofovir in its commercial form Viread, which is actually a modified version of the active drug tenofovir, and purified tenofovir, they feel their results are valid and deserve further testing.

Tenofovir also appeared to keep the balance of IL-12 and IL-10 stable. The drug enhanced the IL-12 levels, thus increasing their ability to respond to other infectious pathogens, and it kept IL-10 levels low, thus keeping the body from putting the breaks on the immune response.

Retrovir, on the other hand, had detrimental effects in both directions. Not only did it increase the production of IL-8 and other inflammatory chemicals, but it also reversed the balance of IL-12 and IL-10, thus making the cells more susceptible to infection.

Lastly, the team found that Ziagen had a neutral effect on cells. It neither increased nor decreased inflammation. It also had no effect on the balance of IL-12 and IL-10, neither increasing nor decreasing the cells’ susceptibility to other infections.

Further research will be needed to determine whether these findings actually translate into a clinical benefit in people’s bodies. Nevertheless, the authors conclude that the findings are intriguing enough to warrant such research.

The "outing" on a Sunday morning ....

The life of a fifty plus year old married man from a middle class suburban community in St. Catherine will not be the same again following a most embarrassing outing and temporary displacement incident on of all days a Sunday morning April 10th as he returned from early morning exercising to prepare to go to church with his family. The man who was described as very active in his community and a member of the neighbourhood watch team among other social outreach work is also a father of two male teenagers but as it turns out he also may have had another side to him that was discovered by accident allegedly by the wife who reportedly burrowed the cellphone that was left as he went on the usual early morning exercise routine as many do who reside in that scheme.

It was upon his return according to eyewitness reports that things got out of control as his wife and two other relatives on her side created an embarrassing scene at the home much to the shock of the neighbours, as in cases such as this the audience usually gathers very quickly as word spread that Mr. So and So was a battyman so animated the issue became that prayer warriors allegedly from his church congregation who may have been called also converged at the home during the initial heated exchange between the couple and relatives to supposedly pray the gay away. The teenage boys were reportedly stunned as they watched the incident unfold. The prayer warriors reportedly passionately called on God to strike down this evil spirit out of him as he was a good man and just strayed, they shouted frantically and some were said to be "in the spirit" with a view to fix Mr. So and So. The homosexual relationship as it was belted out by the woman, his wife of some twelve years now supposedly started when their house that was upgraded had several thug looking typed characters working on the construction activities she said she was told only some time afterwards that something looked suspicious as there was one particular guy who would hail her husband and her also when he passed by the home on his bicycle and was very friendly but she didn't take it as a gay relationship instead she thought he was just being polite, she also suggested that one particular neighbour who is known to be very nosy (there is one in every community, village lawyers) said the young thug came by the house more than once when she was travelling but she never took it seriously and maybe thought he was just coming to ask for some money or assistance seeing that they were familiar with him from before. He is described as very masculine, muscular and handsome with a very cool yet dreaded demeanor.

Things came to a head however when the "alleged thug lover" in question turned up at the home with other men on bicycles saying it was a lie that was told on him and that he was called and told that his name was being mentioned that he was a battyman and involved with Mr. So and So, they hurled expletives at the woman insisting she stopped pushing her unfounded accusations, the reported damning text message that was the evidence the victim's wife relied on could not be found by this time to substantiate her claim and it's not yet known what actually occurred between the man's arrival from exercising and his access to the phone which he had in his possession during the heated exchange, he may have deleted the text, interestingly enough it was the alleged "thug lover" who drove off with the outed man in a car that was parked on the sidewalk when things cooled down, both men along with others returned in the afternoon with a moving truck to take out the man's belongings with other thugs seemingly guarding the truck and entrance to the home. They also reportedly chased away some onlookers and the prayer warriors who had calmed down from the praying exercise by this time but who were still expressing shock at the allegations. The thug in question apparently also left a veiled threat that if anything should happen to "bossy" (a common term used to show respect from hyper masculine types to older men especially if they are able to get jobs or money when they make requests of them) he would sort out who is to be sorted out (not in such kind language). On lookers were said to be mum yet fearful to condemn or make anti gay sentiments based on the type of men who at the scene in an indirect way defending Mr. So and So but there were whispers non the less.

Things have calmed since and my sources tell me that community seems quiet on the surface. If there are any new developments there will be updates.

Even if the allegations are not true this also show how quickly a situation can develop from just mere assumptions with no time to defend oneself for a retreat or an amicable solution.

Notes:

Whether there is any truth to the allegations we may never be sure unless we get really close to the situation or if the man in question is willing to speak on the issue. It is interesting however if the men who arrived on the scene to deny the allegations and to guard the removal process were defending the outed man because they too are gay or bisexual as well but have an image to protect seeing working class types must adopt hyper-masculine or "heaviot" aesthetics or they were defending him because they didn't believe the allegation or because they can "nyam a food" (favours or money they can get from literally free loading on more affluent men in a non sexual relationship) or all of the above.

One thing I am happy it never turned out any more violent that it may have if it were different circumstances and a more depressed community we know all too well the outcomes of said outings elsewhere.

The matter of downlow rears it head again in this incident and begs some questions:

1) when if ever are we going to have any discourse on clandestine relationships seriously in the public domain?

2) in this case are we to assume the thugs were or are gay for pay types but deny publicly the accusations?

3) given recent happenings in certain inner city communities where so called thugs/heaviots/hyper masculine types are caught in the act, are you surprised?

4) did de man dem a protect dem ting cause man haffi nyam a food nuh matter wah?

Sure it is when stories like this are highlighted properly that we get the opportunity to examine the issues of down-low living better although each case must be taken on it's own merit.

A similar incident happened in another section of St. Catherine as well several years ago and while some neighbours expressed outrage and anti gay sentiments it was some of the so called thugs in the area who said the outed man should remain and no one was to touch him, they since retracted that line and he had to remove from his home and selling the property.

Peace and tolerance

H