Advancing Evidence & Equity: Report on The XVIII International AIDS Conference (AidS 2010)

the XVIII International aIDS Conference (aIDS 2010) took place during a pivotal year for the global health and development field, coinciding with the 2010 deadline world leaders set for achieving universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment to all in need. occurring just after the Group of eight (G8) and Group of 20 (G20) summits in Canada 1and in advance of the united nations (un) Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit and Global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria’s third replenishment, AIDS 2010 was an ideal opportunity to examine scientific and programmatic evidence demonstrating how HIV investments are reaping significant dividends while also contributing to a number of related global health and development goals. the biennial event (see sidebar : aIDS 2010 statistics) , which garnered significant media attention, was also an opportunity to remind world leaders and the general public of the need for continued attention to aIDS as other global priorities continue to emerge.

AIDS 20 0 statistics
• 19,300 participants, including:
• 16,012 delegates
• 1,218 participants from eastern europe and
Central asia
• 848 scholarship recipients
• 1,276 media
• 770 volunteers
• 197 countries represented
Speakers used the conference theme, Rights Here, Right Now, to illustrate the gap between rhetoric and reality on human rights in the global response to aIDS and to document the extent to which unfulfilled human rights commitments contribute to HIV transmission and inhibit access to evidencebased HIV interventions.
With 248 sessions to choose from, AIDS 2010 participants examined the impact of the epidemic globally and regionally. The location of the conference in Vienna, austria, also allowed for an expanded focus on eastern europe and Central Asia (eeCa) , the region where the epidemic is expanding most rapidly. this in turn helped spotlight a call for a more scientific approach to international drug policy. By the close of AIDS 2010, over 12,725 scientists and other supporters had signed the Vienna Declaration www.viennadeclaration.com and support continues to grow, with over 17,000 signatures collected as of 1 October 2010.

Download the PDF HERE

A Response to the EU parliamentary question on the depathologisation of gender identity disorder ............

European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection John Dalli answered a parliamentary question on the depathologisation of gender identity disorder:

The Commission refers the Honourable Members to its answer to written question P‑2625/10, in which the Commission explained the ongoing process of revision of the International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10.

The objective of the International Classification of Diseases is to facilitate the tasks of health professionals and health systems in helping individuals, in particular in relation to their reimbursement. This classification does not imply any social, cultural or moral judgement about individuals, behaviours or needs.

As mentioned in the Issue Paper on Human Rights and Gender Identity adopted by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe in July 2009, many international and national medical classifications impose the diagnosis of mental disorder on transgender persons. Such a diagnosis may become an obstacle to the full enjoyment of human rights by transgender people especially when it is applied in a way to restrict the legal capacity or choice for medical treatment.

The issue paper also emphasises that transgender people appear to be the only group in Europe subject to state-enforced sterilisation and that married transgender persons find themselves forced to divorce prior to their new gender being officially recognised.

For these practices to be considered under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, namely with regard to the right of respect to human dignity, the right of respect to private and family life and the right to non-discrimination, they would have to fall within the remit of the implementation of Union law, which they do not.

As pointed out in a document produced by the European Parliament in relation to “Transgender Person’s Rights in the EU Member States”, which the Honourable Members mention in their question, the approach to regulate legal requirements for access to hormonal treatments and gender reassignment surgery without psychiatric monitoring varies between Member States. This is the result of the exclusive competence of the Member States in this matter.

The Commission is contributing to the revision of the 10th version of the ICD, and the 11th version of the ICD is scheduled to be adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2014. In the context of this revision, the Commission will take into account the issues raised by the Honourable Members.

Source

Meanwhile the vexed issue has also raised some concerns and responses on this side of the planet chiefly from Gender Identity Disorder Reform Advocates who are opponents towards its inclusion in the DSM V slated for release in May 2013.

In a clearly outlined piece as to reasons why Transvestic and other related disorders must be removed from the DSM Kelley Winters Ph. D said among other things "

The classification of gender diversity and nonconformity to birth-assigned gender roles as mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has drawn growing protest and outrage from transpeople and and allies worldwide. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the APA, is regarded as the medical and social definition of mental disorder throughout North America and strongly influences international diagnostic nomenclature. The fifth edition of the manual, the DSM-5, is in development and scheduled for publication in 2013. While the diagnostic category of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) has garnered most of the controversy, a second category of so-called Transvestic Fetishism (TF) has harmed transwomen, including transsexual women, as well as male-to-female crossdressers, dual gender and gender nonconforming people since the earliest days of the DSM. Trans and LGB advocates have been inexplicably quiet about the TF category, even after the APA proposed to expand the category in the DSM-5, renamed Transvestic Disorder, to implicate gender nonconforming people of all sexes and all sexual orientations.

The proposed DSM-5 diagnosis of Transvestic Disorder, even worse than its predecessor Transvestic Fetishism, labels gender expression not stereotypically associated with assigned birth sex as inherently pathological and sexually deviant. The diagnosis is punitive and scientifically capricious, serving to punish social and sexual gender nonconformity and enforce binary stereotypes of assigned birth sex. Here are ten reasons why the Transvestic Disorder diagnosis should be eliminated entirely from the DSM-5.

1. Diagnosis of Diversity
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, (HBIGDA), publishes recognized standards of medical transition care for those who need it. In May, 2010, WPATH issued the following pivotal statement on de-psychopathologisation of gender variance,
The WPATH Board of Directors strongly urges the de-psychopathologisation of gender variance worldwide. The expression of gender characteristics, including identities, that are not stereotypically associated with one’s assigned sex at birth is a common and culturally-diverse human phenomenon which should not be judged as inherently pathological or negative. The [psychopathologisation] of gender characteristics and identities reinforces or can prompt stigma, making prejudice and discrimination more likely, rendering transgender and transsexual people more vulnerable to social and legal marginalisation and exclusion, and increasing risks to mental and physical well-being. WPATH urges governmental and medical professional organizations to review their policies and practices to eliminate stigma toward gender-variant people.
Gender expression that differs from social expectations of assigned birth sex does not meet any medical or scientific definition of mental pathology. Difference is not disease."

Please follow this and other related issues on my GLBTQ Jamaica Blog which also has Intersexed references as well as we look at our friends who are trans-gendered, inter-sexed who are looking for their rights to be recognized.

Peace and tolerance

H

Psychology Today asks: Could homosexual genes be naturally selected?

Homosexual genes may have been naturally selected

Scientific discovery has a way of shattering our preconceptions whether we are scientists or not. That is certainly true of homosexuality. As Psychology Today recently reported, biologists, who long ago concluded that homosexuality could not have been favored by natural selection are being forced to revise their views from two perspectives: evidence of gay genes and gay animals.

Gay genes on the X-chromosome
Exclusive homosexuality is puzzling for evolutionary biologists because homosexuals leave substantially fewer offspring. Some marry due to social pressures and end up having children but many do not reproduce. Any genes predisposing to homosexual behavior would thus get excluded by natural selection. Current research implies male homosexuality is a sex-linked trait, although genes are far from being the whole story. (Female homosexuality is also heritable but less is known of the genetic mechanisms).


Sex-linked traits, such as color blindness highlight a curious chink in the armor of natural selection. In the normal course of events, any genetic trait that impedes survival or reduces reproductive success gets winnowed out by natural selection operating over many generations. Sex-linked traits are different because they are on the X-chromosome. Females are carriers of the affected genes (since fathers always transmit Y-chromosomes to their offspring in the course of normal fertilization). Females rarely manifest the sex-linked trait, however, because their second X-chromosome masks the mutated gene.

This fact opens up a genetic conflict of interest between the sexes. Why? Because a gene that is harmful to male reproduction can be retained by natural selection if it provides advantages to females. Indeed, if the reproductive benefit to females is greater than the cost to males, then lineages having the sex-linked gene will out-reproduce those lacking it based on simple arithmetic.

A gene promoting male homosexuality could therefore slip through the net of natural selection. For this theory of male homosexuality to be credible, at least two criteria would have to be met. First, it would have to be demonstrated that male homosexuality is transmitted through the female line after the manner of all other sex-linked traits. Second, it would have to be demonstrated that the gene increased the reproductive success of the female carriers.

In recent years, evidence has accumulated that a homosexual orientation is inherited. Study of family history reveals that homosexual men have more homosexuals in their family tree than do heterosexuals. But this is true only of ancestors that can be traced through the mother's side of the family and does not apply to paternal ancestors (1,2). This phenomenon is a smoking gun not only for genetic inheritance of sexual orientation but also for considering homosexuality as a sex-linked trait. In other words, it comes from the maternal line because that is how the X-chromosome is transmitted across the generations (male ancestors conveying Y-chromosomes only). Plenty of evidence now implicates the X-chromosome in male homosexuality but the precise genes have not been identified.

So far, the evidence for male homosexuality as a possible female adaptation lines up perfectly with the first prediction. What of the requirement that females who carry a gene for male homosexuality must enjoy some sort of advantage that allows them to out-reproduce females who are not carriers? Recent studies (1,2) have found that female relatives of male homosexuals do indeed produce more children (and the same is true of bisexual men).

Why exactly the female relatives are more fertile is also interesting. It seems that they are more fertile because they have a comparatively high sex drive. It is tempting to imagine that the high sex drive of female carriers of the putative "homosexual" gene is partly due to their greater attraction to male bodies. This idea is corroborated by similarity in the brains of male homosexuals and female heterosexuals in a part of the brain linked to sexual behavior (3).

The theory that male homosexuality evolves because the gene/s causing it increase/s the sexual activity and reproductive success in female carriers is scientifically neat.
Some researchers nevertheless argue that homosexuality can provide a net biological benefit for the homosexuals themselves whether they are males or females. They point to homosexual behavior of other species. I reserve discussion of gay animals to another post.

1. Camperio-Ciani, A., et al. (2004). Evidence for maternally-inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity. Proceedoings of the Royal Society of London, B 271, 2217-2224.

2. Camperio Ciani, A. (2009). Genetic factors increase fecundity in female maternal relatives of Bisexual men as in homosexuals. Sexual Medicine, 6, 449-455.

3. LeVay, S. & Hamer, D. (1991). A difference in hypothalamic structure between heterosexual and homosexual men. Science, 253, 1034-1037.

See Also:

Finding the Switch, by Rob Kunzig. Psychology Today from May 2008 http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20080420-000003.html

If there is one thing that has always seemed obvious about homosexuality, it's that it just doesn't make sense. Evolution favors traits that aid reproduction, and being gay clearly doesn't do that. The existence of homosexuality amounts to a profound evolutionary mystery, since failing to pass on your genes means that your genetic fitness is a resounding zero. "Homosexuality is effectively like sterilization," says psychobiologist Qazi Rahman of Queen Mary College in London. "You'd think evolution would get rid of it." Yet as far as historians can tell, homosexuality has always been with us. So the question remains: If it's such a disadvantage in the evolutionary rat race, why was it not selected into oblivion millennia ago?

Twentieth-century psychiatry had an answer for this Darwinian paradox: Homosexuality was not a biological trait at all but a psychological defect. It was a mistake, one that was always being created anew, in each generation, by bad parenting. Freud considered homosexuality a form of arrested development stamped on a child by a distant father or an overprotective mother. Homosexuality was even listed by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder, and the idea that gays could and should be "cured" was widely accepted. But modern scientific research has not been kind to that idea. It turns out that parents of gay men are no better or worse than those of heterosexuals. And homosexual behavior is common in the animal kingdom, as well—among sheep, for instance. It arises naturally and does not seem to be a matter of aloof rams or overbearing ewes.

More is known about homosexuality in men than in women, whose sexuality appears more fluid. The consensus now is that people are "born gay," as the title of a recent book by Rahman and British psychologist Glenn Wilson puts it. But for decades, researchers have sought to identify the mechanism that makes a person gay.

Something seems to flip the sexuality switch before birth—but what? In many cases, homosexuality appears to be genetic. The best scientific surveys put the number of gays in the general population between 2 and 6 percent, with most estimates near the low end of that range—contrary to the 10 percent figure that is often reported in the popular media. But we know gayness is not entirely genetic, because in pairs of identical twins, it's often the case that one is gay and the other is not. Studies suggest there is a genetic basis for homosexuality in only 50 percent of gay men.

No one has yet identified a particular gay gene, but Brian Mustanski, a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is examining a gene that helps time the release of testosterone from the testes of a male fetus. Testosterone masculinizes the fetal genitalia—and presumably also the brain. Without it, the fetus stays female. It may be that the brains of gay men don't feel the full effects of testosterone at the right time during fetal development, and so are insufficiently masculinized.

Continue HERE

see also:

On sexual orientation .. "homosexuality and bisexuality are natural phenomenon of the manifestation or expression of human sexuality"

“Unnatural” Nature, Immoral Butterflies: The Great Cover-Up of Animal Homosexuality

No one chooses to be homosexual, Profound Article

all from GLBTQ Jamaica (Blogger Edition)

also see:

Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (Stonewall Inn Editions) [Paperback] available at amazon

Homosexual Behaviour in Animals: An Evolutionary Perspective[Hardcover]

Volker Sommer (Editor), Paul L. Vasey (Editor)

Peace and tolerance

H

10 Principles for Peace of Mind

Thanks to The Gayte Keeper for this it is a reminder for us to stay centered in life no matter what and with an LGBT tinge to it, it flows perfectly for one to consider.

WARNING!!!!! some Xrated materials contained therein.

Peace and tolerance

H

1. Do Not Interfere In Others’ Business Unless Asked:

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours if in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody’s life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering ” Should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over split milk?

SOURCE: PRAVSWORLD

Live: Buju Banton’s Last Stand ........ Miami concert review

story Allison Davis

Buju Banton is going through some shit. The LBGT community has been all up in his face for a decade, and arguably rightly so, for “Boom Bye Bye,” a lurching, scary song with lyrics that incite the murder of gay men. As a result venues nationwide have canceled scheduled dates and promoters have long been shy, all in addition to the case he’s caught more recently for cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

But after 11 months in prison he is free on bail and decided to throw a show to end all shows (and probably pay his legal fees) last Sunday in Miami. Billed as “Darkest Before the Dawn: Buju Banton and Friends”, the flier was coy about exactly who these friends were, but the promise of Stephen Marley, Freddie McGregor, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder and Gargamel himself was enough to make seemingly all of Miami’s dread population and thick island community stand up and blow their contraband air horns.

Turns out Buju has a lot of friends. About five an hour. The show was being streamed live by Lime mobile all over Jamaica, and every artist with a visa (sorry Vybz and Beenie) wanted in. The first surprise of the night was Sean Paul, to a lukewarm reception. He has hits, bit he couldn’t make it through a verse without running out of breath, and the crowd was pulsing at barely more than a two-step even to the classics like “Gimmie the Light”. Good thing Spragga Benz was waiting in the wings to rush out and set the crowd back on fyah. Michael Rose played a solid set, evoking Black Uhuru in its hey.

The show stopper was undoubtedly Gyptian, who gave us just a taste of “Hold Yuh” and “Nah Let Go” then bounced off the stage like Sexual Chocolate. Tarrus Riley with Dean Fraser hollered at all the ladies with real hair and real breastisis, and Shaggy cracked jokes almost as long as he air/stage/crowd humped through his Mr. Lover Lover jams, with a little help from Rayvon. We were promised that Buju was up next as DJ Khaled took the stage for a strangely placed but totally appropriate hip-hop set with Rich Kid and Busta Rhymes, who set it off proper like a dungeon dragon. And then the lights went down.

Lighters and cellys went up as the operatic “O Fortuna” bumped a grandiose intro, but instead of dropping into a bass-filled riddim as expected, Buju softly sang “Have Mercy on Me” into “Destiny” from the wings of an unlit stage. Wearing a simple white shirt under a black vest and black pants, humility was the theme of his set, bordering on pleading for forgiveness. He introduced Marcia Griffiths as his “inspiration,” said that when he was 18, “she told me to be careful what you say in the music.” At one point he crooned, ” Why do you want to make Buju cry? Is it because of Boom Bye Bye?”

In the two hour set he rolled out nearly every hit of his career, alternately folding his lithe frame over at the waist on the ballads and high-stepping through the feverish double time dance hall. Everybody got mad warm and fuzzy when, while proclaiming, “yes, mi fren, mi good fren”, he brought out Stephen Marley, who posted $300,000 worth of equity of his own home as bail bond, and then OH SHIT DAMIAN MARLEY appeared too.

Just when it looked like the show was going to rock all night and right after Buju gave a shout out to his lawyers, the Bayfront Park Amphitheater cut the sound, abruptly ending a historical night of redemption songs, likely Buju’s last opportunity to ask forgiveness in the United States.


Read more: http://www.thefader.com/2011/01/18/live-buju-bantons-last-stand/#ixzz1BTigZ5av

Peace and tolerance

H

Jamaica Observer: Gay vs Paedophile, they seem not to know the difference

The Jamaica Observer again has messed up with a sensational story published on Sunday January 16th where they described an accused paedophile as a gay molester. What is a gay molester and is there such a thing??

Most paedohiles are not gay by orientation as the experts over the years have told us and proven and the Diagnostic Criteria from the DSM IV (V being reviewed for release in May 2013) that determines disorders from The American Psychiatric Association (AMA) has clearly shown the demarcation between the two.

Have a look at the story below and decide for yourself also see some of the comments which on the face of it are sensible.

Residents sit near a mobile police unit parked outside a house from which a man was chased and shot dead on Elletson Road in Kingston, yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Accused-gay-molester-killed_8295820#ixzz1BLqiZnHu

Accused gay molester killed
BY COREY ROBINSON
Sunday Observer reporter
robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com

A man who police say was accused of raping little boys in Tivoli Gardens in Kingston was among at least three persons shot dead Friday night.
An investigator from the Major Investigation Taskforce (MIT) said the man, who was identified as 42-year-old Winston Pennington, was found with a single gunshot wound to the head on Bustamante Highway at about 11:40 pm.

The police said Pennington was shot at point-blank range, and that a spent shell and a 9mm round were taken from beside his body.

"He was also called 'Black John', and so far our investigations suggest that he may have been killed because he reportedly molested youths in the community," the investigator, who declined to be named, told the Sunday Observer.
The murder -- the first recorded in the area by the police since the extradition of former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke last year -- kept the police busy combing for leads. Up until press time they said they had still not identified any suspects.

In the meantime, police theorise that William Robinson, who was found with gunshot wounds at the rear of his business place on Chisholm Avenue in Kingston, may have been a victim of extortion.
According the police, at least one gunman pounced on Robinson at about 11:00 pm, demanding money from him, before firing on him through the window above the counter.
Robinson was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the police said.

In the third incident, homicide investigators were, up to late yesterday afternoon, processing a crime scene at a house on Norman Crescent in East Kingston, from which a man was chased and shot dead on Elletson Road.
Police say 33-year-old Wajin Warren, whose body was found sprawled on the roadway, was chased by a gunman from the premises where he had gone to visit his girlfriend.
"The gunman ran him down from Norman Crescent, on to Norman Road, and onto Elletson Road in the vicinity of Telephone Street where he shot him," the MIT investigator said.
ENDS

Some comments below:
"I despise pedophiles & this story is Rubbish !!! This story make absolutely no sense...i agree with Willis... where is the proof that this man is in fact a Gay child molester ?the investigator declined to be named... I believe this is a concoction to cover the true story....Gay Child Molester in Tivoli Gardens and he got 1 gunshot to the head? REALLY? i'm now concerned about the Mothers and the precious children who were allegedly were raped."


"I think the headline is inappropriate and speak to the homophobic attitudes of most Jamaicans towards gays. I am certain if the man was an alleged molester of little girls, the headline wouldn't have read 'Accused Heterosexual Man Killed'. Where is the proof that this man was gay? Is the writer saying that the molestation of little boys is the typical behavior of a gay person? Don't tell me Corey Robinson is not familiar with the term Pedophile. If not, please look it up!"

"The article says 'accused', not charged. This man may be innocent. People tell lies. Last week there was a vigilante killing for praedial larceny. Give the police & let them deal with it. Shows the mentality of these people that they can go hoime & sleep. The killing of an accused 'gay' man doesn't surprise me. I heard a friend of mine, an ex-judge condemn homosexuals so bad that I think he would increase a sentence for that. He said US & Canada want Ja to accept their way & we must not."

"I am always shocked that so many people are willing to take the law into their own hands. If that individual actually molested a child, then the police should have been contacted to ascertain whether the accusation is indeed true. Shame."

"Where are the accusers ?if that is so why was there not an investigation done or why was he not charged before he was killed cold blooded .womaniser would probably sound better with more than 10 kids shame shame shame .wheel and come again."

Interesting comments there but sad that vigilante justice still abounds as it relates to gay themed or perceived cases maybe this is an indication of the homo negativity that easily moves to homophobic violence in no time if it not were a case of paedohilia.

Please see a much older entry posted when I was doing so under the JFLAG banner prior to the name change where I tried to show the difference between Paedophilia, Ephebophilia and Hebephilia entitled: Ephebophilia vs Paedophilia & Male Homosexuality

Ephebophilia is not listed as a paraphilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), unlike pedophilia, which is categorized as a disorder in the manual.

Pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in psychology, law enforcement, and the popular vernacular. As a medical diagnosis, it is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children.According to the DSM, pedophilia is specified as a form of paraphilia in which a person either has acted on intense sexual urges towards children, or experiences recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about children that cause distress or interpersonal difficulty. The disorder is frequently a feature of persons who commit child sexual abuse.

Peace and tolerance

H

Homosexuality Facts and inconvenient truths (Trinidad Express Article)

Rajiv Gopie concludes his analysis of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ/GLBT) issues by looking at some of the common misconceptions and untruths that have characterised this debate in the Trinidad Express.

Any sexuality besides heterosexuality is "unnatural".
FALSE: Pronouncements of various types of sexualities is well documented in almost all species in the animal kingdom (lions, giraffes, dolphins, reptiles etc). The commonly held myth that sex is solely for reproduction has been disproven time and time again. As a matter of fact if this were the case acts such as kissing commonly practiced by humans would also be deemed "unnatural" as it serves no part of the reproductive purpose.

The jury is still out on the cause of homosexuality but what is accepted is that it is a combination of nature (that is being born that way) and nurture (how one is brought up).

Religion and sexuality cannot be reconciled

FALSE: All over the world in every major religion cultural and historical context of religious texts have been factored in to arrive at liberal translations that keep the spirit and the true essence of religion while at the same time welcoming everyone regardless of sexuality. The United Church of Canada, the Lutheran Church in many Nordic countries, some Sufi Islamic schools and many Hindu sects in Nepal and India all welcome LGBTQ persons into their congregation.

Sexual variance is minor

FALSE: Conventional knowledge and generally accepted measures estimate that one in every ten men is gay and in women one in every 14. More importantly, however, are the measures of sexual activity rather than orientation, men who have sex with men or MSMs are estimated to range from two to four in every ten.
This is an extremely high figure and thus to say that this issue is minor would be completely inaccurate. In the case of T&T with an estimated population of 1.3 million if the conventional measures were employed that would equal 65,000 gay men and 46,429 lesbian women not factoring in bisexuals etc. To bring home this point, that is the equivalent of around four electoral seats in parliament.

The current laws are not problematic.

FALSE. As I showed in the previous columns these laws have the effect of rendering a large segment of the population "illegal". What this does is force a large number of persons into the "underground" and subjects them to discrimination, ridicule and the ever present possibility of arrest. Furthermore as has been demonstrated by numerous studies, HIV and other social ills will continue to multiply as the taboo around sexuality prevents sex education for practicing safe sex and access to testing and treatment.
By forcing LGBTQ persons to get married, society is creating dysfunctional marriages and families that many times end in divorce or break down completely.
To say that this situation is not problematic is to ignore the recent spate of teenage suicides in the US where children as young as 13 took their own lives in the face of ridicule and bullying for their sexuality.

There exists a devious "gay" agenda

FALSE. From the pulpit has been preached many times that decriminalisation of homosexuality will in some way lead to an explosion of the practice and that "everyone will be recruited". First and foremost this is downright ridiculous as countries that have the most liberal sex laws still have the same sexual statistics as more conservative ones — the LGBTQ population still remains around one in ten. Next the myth that "gays do not reproduce and need to recruit your children" is just that — myth. It is heterosexual parents who continue to make non-heterosexual children and even conservative, religious, strict "god-fearing" homes produce homosexual children.

There is nothing to be gained from decriminalisation

FALSE. Apart from the fact that it is socially and morally right not to criminalise a segment of the population who are engaging in consenting, adult, human same sex relationships the potential benefits to be gained are undeniable.
Many countries in the developing world are actively courting "Pink Money" which was projected to be US$743 billion in 2010, that is 16 times our national budget in purchasing power of the LGBTQ community.

Very conservative countries such as Nepal, Israel and even Islamic Lebanon's capital Beirut are benefiting from travellers, investments etc, from Pink Money.
In terms of human capital in recent years it has been recognised that a large number of well educated, bright and promising young people have been fleeing the developing world because of the criminalisation of their sexuality. T&T is no different as each year we haemorrhage some of our best young minds to the first world as they can no longer live in the shadows of their home country.
Should the current laws be reversed there will be a higher chance at convincing our precious human resource to stay at home and contribute and develop our country.
It has not been easy to write on sexuality as some of the responses I got were so full of hate that they shook my faith in the decency of the human race.
On the other hand I received an overwhelmingly positive response from people in T&T and many abroad. "Easy" is not the reason why millions are being spent on education, the youth of the nation are the ones who must tackle issues such as these head on. To say that something should not be spoken of is to try and temper free speech and this is a dangerous road to traverse as free speech is the foundation of democracy. My intent is to raise public awareness and public discourse about this topic that we can no longer ignore. Our nation has a tendency to turn a blind eye to many things around us and when it hits home we are taken completely by surprise. These articles and the ones that will follow will try to save us this distress.

It is hoped that those in authority are paying attention.

• Rajiv Gopie won the President's Medal for Business and Modern Studies in 2006. He is a Bachelor of Arts candidate in International Studies and Social/Cultural Anthropology at the University of Toronto, Canada
• rajivgopie@hotmail.com