by Christopher Cappiello

Brazil condom campaign aims at young gay men

Following reports of significant increases in HIV infection rates among young gay men in the past 10 years, Brazil’s Health Ministry has launched an eye-catching marketing campaign to educate young men on the importance of using condoms.

Recalling the provocative key art for the Oscar-winning film American Beauty, the campaign’s poster depicts a naked man lying on a sea of red condoms. The text reads, “Do whatever your want, but do it with a condom.”

The Health Ministry’s Epidemiological Bulletin indicated that in 1996, men who have sex with men accounted for 24 percent of AIDS cases in men ages 13-24, the Inter Press Service news agency reports. In 2006, that number had jumped to 41 percent. Similar statistics for men ages 25-29 increased by 11 percent.

“With the availability of the antiretroviral AIDS drug cocktails and the longer survival of people with AIDS, the new generation have not seen their friends die and haven’t experienced the pain of the loss of someone very close, so they have become careless about using condoms,” Julio Moreira, head of HIV prevention programs for a Brazilian gay rights group, told IPS.

Moreira added that gay men “are 18 times more likely to develop AIDS than the heterosexual population,” emphasizing that a targeted campaign was necessary.

In addition to the distribution of 100,000 posters, the campaign will include 500,000 leaflets with information about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as explicit instructions for the proper use of condoms.

Moscow mayor bans Pride events

The Moscow mayor’s office announced April 24 that it would not grant permission for gay Pride marches in early May because similar, unsanctioned events the past two years have been disrupted by right-wing ultranationalists and led to violent clashes.

“The council will act decisively and uncompromisingly to prevent attempts to hold such events because society is overwhelmingly opposed to the gay lifestyle and philosphy,” said Sergei Tsoi, Moscow City Council spokesman, according to Agence France-Presse. “Certain religious and other organizations said that they would use physical violence against homosexuals if the latter were going on a parade in Moscow,” Tsoi revealed. “No one needs bloodshed.”

In January 2007, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov referred to gay Pride events as “satanic,” and vowed to never allow them in the city. Luzhkov has been mayor since 1992 and wields uncommonly far-reaching power in the city. This is the third year in a row that he has refused to allow Pride events to go forward.

Activists were determined to follow through with plans to stage five marches per day in the month of May.

“This is not a question of security. It is only a question of the personal hatred of the Moscow mayor towards gay people,” Pride organizer Nikolai Alekseyev told AFP.

Alekseyev told AFP that the planned marches will not look like the flamboyant, hedonistic Pride events that Westerners have grown accustomed to.

“If everyone sees that these people are not nude or wearing makeup,” he said, “there will be many questions about why this event was banned.”

The activist stressed that his organization, Gay Russia, will continue to apply for permits for events in May and will appeal any bans.

“After the latest insults from Mr. Tsoi and unconstitutional decisions of Moscow authorities, I decided to continue the flight with even more strength,” he said. “We are going to continue our legal fight against the lawlessness of city officials. All bans, and there can be 155 of them by the end of May, will be appealed in Russian courts and then to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg,” Alekseyev told Interfax news agency.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but LGBT Russians have few legal protections and widespread discrimination remains a reality.

Lesbian priests wed in civil ceremony in Canada

In an ironic ripple effect of the growing schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion over same-sex marriage, when two elderly women priests were married in British Columbia on April 23, they had to do it through a civil ceremony.

Ruth Pogson, 83, and Beth Aime, 79, were married in a small ceremony at the Island View nursing home in Victoria.

“What we’re here for is about justice, and it’s about bringing a community into an inclusive community, rather than being shut out,” Aime said during the ceremony, Canwest news service reports.

After much controversy, in June 2007 the general synod of the Anglican Church of Canada voted against blessing same-sex unions. Since moving to Vancouver Island in 2002, Pogson and Aime have been prohibited from preaching.

“It’s been rough,” Aime told Canwest. “We’re two priests locked out of the church.”

In the days following the wedding, Pogson—who is in a wheelchair and requires care—moved to a nursing home in Vancouver, in the Diocese of New Westminster, where the bishop has said same-sex unions can be blessed if certain conditions are met. The priest and congregation must agree to it, and the bishop must grant his permission.

The couple, who first met in 1977 at St. John’s Divinity College in Winnipeg, are hoping that their new parish, St. Clare-in-the-Cove, will be granted permission to bless their legal union.