Friday, August 6, 2010
'Saying I'm HIV+ is tough; saying I'm gay is tougher'
The technical term used to describe them is MSM: Men Who Have Sex with Men. The group gathered here has bisexuals, homosexuals, and transgendered individuals. There are cross-dressers too, conspicuous with their elaborate hair-dos and bright outfits and what appear to be deliberately feminine mannerisms.
The meeting has been organized by the Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society and local NGOs who want to build a greater support system for the 60,000 men in Andhra Pradesh who have sex with other men. There is a sense of urgency. HIV is shooting up in the community - from 9 to 11% in the last two years.
Vivek tested positive for HIV in 2003. His wife knows that. What he hasn't told her is that he contracted the infection when he lived in Mumbai as a young man. To supplement his income as a receptionist, he worked as a paid sex worker. Since his teens, Vivek knew that he was sexually attracted to men. But the fear of rejection by his family and society, he says, nudged him into marrying a cousin He has a 12-year-old daughter now. Vivek says it was humiliating and debilitating to tell his family that he is HIV positive; but telling them about his sexual preference is impossible.
More than a year ago, a landmark judgement saw the Delhi High Court decriminalizing homosexuality under Section 377. That verdict has been challenged in the Supreme Court, whose ruling is awaited. The government, however, has not appealed against the High Court's decision. Chances are, experts say, that the ruling will not be over-turned.
But the gap between legal acceptance and everyday life is expansive and isolating. Nayeem, now in his 30s, came out to his father 10 years ago. It was traumatising for both father and son. After six daughters, his father responded, he wanted his only son to be a "proper man." Nayeem has held his ground, refusing to marry. But his sexual preference remains a secret.
"With HIV status, people may taunt you a couple of times. Then they accept. But it is not like that with homosexuality. They humiliate you everywhere, call you a hijra," he says.
The six -hour-long meeting encourages men gathered here to swap stories and understand that they need to access medical extension services offered by the government and NGOs.
And, also, more importantly, help others who find it very difficult to come out and seek guidance. To learn how they can lead a life of their choice and still protect themselves from HIV. Considerable time is spent explaining the need for regular tests. The gathering is familiarised with the exclusive drop-in centre for MSMs, the only one of its kind possibly in the country. Health workers explain that they are lobbying for MSM-specific condoms, with more lubricants, to soon be made available in the market.
At 5 pm, Vivek is ready to leave. He will tell his wife that he spent the day at his office.
Now listen to kamasutra for love making
How about listening to the audio on the steps for love making and trying out the moves, quite difficult?
This age-old flaw has now been taken care of, by releasing the world's most famous sex manual in the form of audio books.
Now all you have to do is listen to the audio to get your moves right.
Beautiful Books, of London, has commissioned actor Tanya Franks to read aloud from the treatise, including its most notorious chapter, "On Sexual Union", which describes 64 different ways of making love.
The books can be downloaded for 8.99 dollars.
Kamasutra is based on ancient Hindu philosophies and was first translated into English in 1883 under the guidance of Victorian explorer Richard Burton.
"Now there's no need to feel embarrassed by reading a copy of this wonderful and important book in public - simply download it on to your mp3 player and liven up your commute to work," The Guardian quoted Simon Petherick, the managing director of Beautiful Books, as saying.
"When I was asked to read the Kama Sutra I felt nervous and excited at the thought of it," Franks said.
When we finally did it I was completely relaxed and we had a great time. The only thing missing was the cigarette afterwards," she added.
Men work equally hard at home
Think twice before complaining that your husband do not help you in daily household chores as a study has said that husbands actually contribute more than their fair share of work in the house.
According to a research by the London School of Economics (LSE), wives who moan they have to juggle a `double-shift` with duties at work and then at home have in fact got it wrong, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.
The experts, who took into account paid and unpaid work, as well as voluntary work and care, found that men make much more of a contribution than they are given credit for.
While women tend to cut down on office time or leave work after having children, many men compensate for the lost earnings by working extra hours and overtime, the study found.
Researchers said both men and women work an average of eight hours a day in paid jobs or unpaid duties.
"This data overturns the well-entrenched theory that women work disproportional long hours in jobs and at home in juggling family and work," Dr Catherine Hakim, a sociologist at the LSE, said.
"Feminists constantly complain that men are not doing their fair share of domestic work. The reality is that most men already do more than their fair share."
However, couples who have no children, and in which both partners have full-time jobs, are the only group for which women`s overall workload was greater than men`s, the research found.
Julia Roberts converts to Hinduism
Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts has converted to Hinduism in the hope of having a peaceful life in her next incarnation.
The 42-year-old actress, who was born to a Baptist and Catholic couple, is now a practising Hindu after visiting India while shooting her upcoming movie 'Eat Pray Love'.
In the film, Roberts plays a woman hoping to find herself through Hindu spirituality.
Speaking to the September issue of Elle magazine, the Academy award winning actress said she now goes to temples to "chant, pray and celebrate" accompanied by her cameraman husband Daniel Moder and their three children, Hazel, Phinnaeus and Henry.
"I'm definitely a practising Hindu. I've been so spoiled with my friends and family in this life. Next time I want to be just something quiet and supporting," said Roberts.
The 'Pretty Woman' star was introduced to the Eastern philosophy while shooting for 'Eat Pray Love', the movie, based on the best-selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert, Roberts plays a recently-divorced woman travelling the world trying to find herself.
The character visits Italy for food, India for spirituality and Bali, where she finds love.
To talk about the Hollywood actors who convert to Indian religion we also have Richard Gere who is greatly influenced by Buddhism and is practising this philosophy and devotedly following Dalai Lama. People are turning spiritualistic these days to attain tranquility.
Train passengers robbed, assaulted in Bihar
Over 50 armed robbers stormed into the AC coaches of a Delhi-bound express train and looted the passengers in Bihar`s Lakhisarai district early on Friday.
The Howrah-Delhi Lal Quila Express was on its way to Delhi when the incident happened. The robbers looted cash and valuables from the passengers between Bansipur and Bhulai railway stations, about 150 km from here.
The passengers were also assaulted and were injured when they resisted the robbers.
Railway police has lodged a case in this connection.
Over a dozen train robberies have been reported in Bihar in the last six months. Today`s robbery is a case of major railway security breakdown.
Asif Ali Zardari, the thief of paintings
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has been accused of helping to steal paintings of an internationally acclaimed Pakistani artist.
Shaheen, the daughter of the late artist, Laila Shahzada has lodged court papers in Pakistan claiming Zardari colluded with her brother to steal 93 of her mother`spaintings from her Karachi flat in 1994 and shipped them to London.
Shaheen wants the London Metropolitan Police to question Zardari during his visit to Britain. Zardari has claimed in the past that he was simply looking after thepaintings for Sohail Shahzada, Shaheen`s brother. The President`s office has meanwhile rubbished the allegations by Shaheen.
Zardari, who is currently visiting various European countries, is facing strong criticisiam from Pakistani press for leaving the country when many parts of the country are facing flood sitution and sectarian violence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)