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Police Arrest NC Man After Having Unprotected Sex, Not Revealing HIV

A gay North Carolina man has been arrested and faces charges after having "repeated" unprotected sex and not telling his partner that he is HIV positive, reports Raleigh Durham's ABC 11.

John Conway Hart, 27, is charged with a public health violation. If convicted, he could face up to four months in jail and a medical quarantine. One of Hart's sexual partners informed police after allegedly finding out about Hart's medical status after the fact.

"Thirty-four states and two U.S. territories have HIV-specific criminal statutes," adds the Center for HIV Law and Policy. "Thirty-six states have reported proceedings in which HIV-positive people have been arrested and/or prosecuted for consensual sex, biting, and spitting."

The United States and Canada lead the world when it comes to prosecuting people who infect or expose others to HIV. Blacks and gays of color are disproportionately singled out for prosecution, according to data presented at AIDS 2010 in Vienna.

The man told police they had unprotected sex "for more than two months" before he learned Hart's serostatus. Prosecutors do not say the victim became infected.

Unsafe sex for two months and never asking your partner's status?

Watch ABC 11's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

KENYA: Legal Questions Surround Mandatory HIV Testing Proposal

Kenya's National AIDS Control Council and STI Control Program (NASCOP) is considering mandatory HIV testing for adults who seek medical care for conditions such as malaria, as well as all children, reports the Daily Nation.

Previously, only expectant women underwent compulsory testing. Children with unknown HIV status will also be tested regardless of the ailment for which they are seeking treatment, according NASCOP. Counselling will be offered to guardians and parents, who must give written consent for their children to be tested. This, said the head of NASCOP Peter Cherutich, would ensure total war against HIV/Aids.

Around 1.5 million Kenyans are estimated to be HIV positive. That is about 6.3 percent of the adult population. The rate is about mid-range for sub-Saharan Africa but the sheer numbers of infected Kenyans mean that only South Africa and Nigeria have more HIV-positive citizens on the continent, according to AVERT.

Kenya previously attempted to increase HIV testing through its Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) program. But many women do not want to risk "being viewed as promiscuous" and refuse to access services.

For the time being, "fears of mandatory testing in Kenya are premature, as Kenyan law currently bans such practices," reports Voice of America.

According to Dr. Andrew Suleh, National Chairman of the Kenya Medical Association, Kenya’s HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act (HAPCA) would have to be amended to allow mandatory testing. Suleh says Kenya's primary goal should be early testing of citizens. ... One interim solution, he says, would be to strongly encourage HIV testing when offering routine treatments for illnesses such as Malaria while allowing patients to opt out.

Because any new approaches would have to be aligned with Kenyan law, however, the nation's battle with HIV will continue to be waged strictly on a voluntary basis.

Kenya's government is considered moderate on gay rights. They were the first African nation to include gay and bisexual men in their national HIV strategy. Two pro-LGBT justices were confirmed to the Supreme Court in June.

But there has been a backlash against calls to decriminalize homosexuality in the East African nation, such as one cabinet minister's proposal to scrap the nation's sodomy laws. Last November, Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for the mass arrests of gays at a political rally but later retracted his statements.

More on Kenya and HIV/AIDS in our series for AIDS 2010 reported from Vienna.

Some Background ...
KENYA: Pro-LGBT Justices Confirmed
Controversy in Kenya After Pro LGBT Nominees
Kenyan Prime Minister: "All Gays Should Be Arrested"
AIDS 2010: Joel Nana on African Gay/Bi Men, HIV
WATCH: CNN Surveys Gay Rights in SA, Kenya, Cuba
Kenyan Gays Demand Protection After Brutal Assault
Kenya: "Things are Changing in Favor of Gays"
Homosexuality is Un-African?

GMHC's "I Love My Boo" Campaign Wins 2011 GLAAD Amplifier Award

Congratulations to New York City-based GMHC for winning the 2011 GLAAD Amplifier Award for Outstanding Social Marketing for the "I Love My Boo" campaign.

The campaign was designed to fight homophobia, increase visibility of gay men of color and encourage safe sex. The images were seen on telephone kiosks, subways and public transit across New York City. See our reports for the Black AIDS Institute and TheBody.com.

The campaign debuted in 2008 and was updated in October 2010. "We wanted to celebrate [the] community and find ways to empower Black and Latino men," said Francisco Roque, GMHC's director of community health."It's a social marketing campaign, tied into Facebook, and men can post pictures of their boos, to make it interactive. ... That's how we encourage testing and conversations about HIV/AIDS and sexual health."

The campaign and its messaging was very timely. Black gay/bisexual men continue to be hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. The number of new HIV infections among young Black gay and bisexual men has increased by almost half, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Controls.  Black gay men are also least likely to be aware of their infection. More than 70 percent of positive Black gay/bi men under 30 years old are unaware, reports CDC.

The posters for  "I Love My Boo" feature New York City-based activist/promoter Derrick L. Briggs  and debuted at AIDS 2010 in Vienna. It was a fabulous presentation and it was great to spend some time with Francisco Roque and his partner Rashad Robinson. Bravo to GMHC.

You May Have Missed:
"Alarming Increase" in HIV Among Black Gay/Bi Men
New "I Love My Boo" Campaign Debuts
"I Love My Boo" Campaign Targets Black/Latino Gay Men
CDC: Almost 1 in 3 Black Gay Men HIV Poz; 60% Unaware

KENYA: Pro-LGBT Justices Confirmed to Supreme Court

Excellent news to report from Kenya. One month ago, R20 posted on the backlash surrounding the selection process and pro-LGBT views of two leading reformers nominated to head to the Supreme Court. Both nominees were confirmed on Thursday and will join the court on Monday, reports Capitol FM.

The President gazetted Dr Mutunga as CJ alongside his Deputy Nancy Baraza and the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko, hours after Members of Parliament approved the nominees after an acrimonious vetting process. A statement from State House indicated that the President had also gazetted the five names of Supreme Court judges whose nominations were approved on Thursday by the Judicial Service Commission. .... According to the statement, the new officers will be sworn into office on Monday next week.

Mutunga and Baraza have pro-LGBT histories and that background—and Mutunga's habit of wearing a diamond stud in one ear—became a lightning bolt for church and anti-gay activists. Law professor Mutunga supported the creation of one of Kenya's first LGBT groups. Baraza is  completing a doctoral thesis on sexual minority rights.

More at LGBT Asylum News ...

Kenya's government is considered moderate on gay rights. But there has been a backlash against calls to decriminalize homosexuality in the East African nation, such as one cabinet minister's recent proposal to scrap the nation's sodomy laws. Last November, Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for the mass arrests of gays at a political rally and later retracted his statements.

At the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna last July, African and Kenyan HIV/AIDS activists credited Nairobi for some advances and were cautiously optimistic. "Kenya was the first African nation to include MSM in their national HIV strategy," Nairobi-based peer educator Job Akuno told R20,  Black AIDS Weekly and MSNBC in Vienna.  "That was in 2006. But ... it seems like we are rolling back on some of the gains that we made."

Some Background ...
Controversy in Kenya After Pro LGBT Nominees
Kenyan Prime Minister: "All Gays Should Be Arrested"
AIDS 2010: Joel Nana on African Gay/Bi Men, HIV
WATCH: CNN Surveys Gay Rights in SA, Kenya, Cuba
Kenyan Gays Demand Protection After Brutal Assault
Kenya: "Things are Changing in Favor of Gays"
Homosexuality is Un-African?

Controversy in Kenya After Pro LGBT Nominees to Supreme Court

There has been a backlash in Kenya over the selection process and pro-LGBT views of two leading reformers nominated to head to the Supreme Court, report the Daily Nation and the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation.

One week ago, the Kenyan Judicial Service Commission nominated lawyers Dr. Willy Mutunga and Nancy Baraza for the positions of Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice respectively. Nairobi lawyer Harrison Kinyajui has filed a motion with the court seeking an immediate injunction.

The court has declined to block the nominations, reports the Kenya Daily Star via All Africa.

High Court Judge Jeanne Gacheche said she was not in a position to give the urgent orders sought by Kinyanjui because she had received conflicting information. ... However, Justice Gacheche certified the case as urgent and directed it to be heard on May 26.

Kinyanjui also says Mutunga and Baraza are not fit to head the judiciary because they have both explicitly supported homosexuality. "Dr Mutunga facilitated the incorporation of Kenya Gay and Lesbian Trust dated October 31, 2006, whose objective was to engage in activism for the abolition of legal and extra legal forms of discrimination by same gender loving people," reads his court papers.

Kinyanjui says the JSC decision to nominate a single nominee for each post "amounts to a dictatorial decision because it leaves no room for debate. He also says JSC has acted mischievously, unconstitutionally and in total disregard of the need to treat all the interested parties with dignity. The church and a section of politicians have also criticized the JSC choices.

Mutunga is law professor and one-time political detainee. Baraza is co-founder of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and completing a doctoral thesis on sexual minority rights. Church leaders have blasted both choices—and Mutunga's habit of wearing a diamond stud in one ear.

Kenya's government is considered moderate on gay rights. But there has been a backlash against calls to decriminalize homosexuality in the East African nation, such as one cabinet minister's recent proposal to scrap the nation's sodomy laws. Last November, Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for the mass arrests of gays at a political rally and later retracted his statements.

At the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna last July, African and Kenyan HIV/AIDS activists credited Nairobi for some advances and were cautiously optimistic. "Kenya was the first African nation to include MSM in their national HIV strategy," Nairobi-based peer educator Job Akuno told R20,  Black AIDS Weekly and MSNBC in Vienna.  "That was in 2006. But ... it seems like we are rolling back on some of the gains that we made."

Some Background ...
Kenyan Prime Minister: "All Gays Should Be Arrested"
AIDS 2010: Joel Nana on African Gay/Bi Men, HIV
WATCH: CNN Surveys Gay Rights in SA, Kenya, Cuba
Kenyan Gays Demand Protection After Brutal Assault
Kenya: "Things are Changing in Favor of Gays"
Homosexuality is Un-African?

Black Gay Footballer in Queen Elizabeth's New Year Honours List

The founder of Britain's first gay football club has been appointed an MBE in the Queen’s New Year's Honours List 2011.

Fifty-year-old  Aslie Pitter was recognized for his 20-year-fight against homophobia. The founder of Stonewall FC tells the BBC that he is still "pinching himself" after after being appointed an MBE.

[Pitter said] it was nerve-racking being one of the first openly gay teams to "put our heads on the block" and start playing Sunday football. But he said the team had barely received any abuse over the decades.

Mr Pitter now manages Stonewall FC's second team. He said: "Being black and being gay I thought I might come in for a lot of stick. In our first game we were sharing a communal shower with seven other teams and I was pretty nervous. But it has never really been a problem."

Unfortunately Mr Pitter's father died only days before the announcement. He said: "It is a shame neither of my parents were around to see it."

Only one professional footballer has come out publicly. England international star Justin Fashanu was the first black player to command a £1m transfer fee but suffered vile homophobic abuse from fans and players after coming out in 1990. Fashanu tragically took his own life in 1998 at the age of 37.

Entertainer Annie Lennox was named an OBE—Order of the British Empire— for her activism on AIDS and poverty. Lennox was recently named Goodwill Ambassador by UNAIDS and was quite active at AIDS 2010 in Vienna. Lennox also spoke with R20 in Vienna and was very gracious. Congratulations and bravo to Lennox, Pitter and all those honored.

Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga: "All Gays Should Be Arrested"

Disturbing news from Kenya, where Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for the mass arrests of gays and lesbians at a political rally on Sunday, reports the Daily Nation.

"Addressing a rally at Kamukunji grounds in his Langata Constituency, the PM said their behaviour was unnatural. 'If found the homosexuals should be arrested and taken to relevant authorities,' Mr Odinga said. The PM thrilled the crowd when he asserted that the recent census showed there were more women than men and there was no need for same sex relationships. He said it was madness for a man to fall in love with another man while there were plenty of women and added that there was no need for women to engage in lesbianism yet they can bear children."

David Kuria from the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, Kenya's largest gay rights organization, called Odinga's comments "surprising," given the fact that the prime minister is currently enjoying a wave of popularity. "We thought in this country we had made a lot of headway," he told the BBC. Another official with GALCK tells the Associated Press there is "panic among its members", especially those who are HIV-positive. "The office [has] received calls from concerned members, some of whom are HIV-positive and fear they will be arrested when they collect life-prolonging medicine from government clinics, board member Nguru Karugu said."

Until very recently, Kenya's government was considered moderate on gay rights. But there has been a backlash against calls to decriminalize homosexuality in the East African nation, such as one cabinet minister's recent proposal to scrap the nation's sodomy laws.

At the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna last July, African and Kenyan HIV/AIDS activists credited Nairobi for some advances and were cautiously optimistic. "Kenya was the first African nation to include MSM in their national HIV strategy," Nairobi-based peer educator Job Akuno told R20,  Black AIDS Weekly and MSNBC in Vienna.  "That was in 2006. But ... it seems like we are rolling back on some of the gains that we made."

Some Background ...
AIDS 2010: Joel Nana on African Gay/Bi Men, HIV
WATCH: CNN Surveys Gay Rights in SA, Kenya, Cuba
Kenyan Gays Demand Protection After Brutal Assault
Kenya: "Things are Changing in Favor of Gays"
Homosexuality is Un-African?

Daily Use of Drug Greatly Reduces HIV Transmission in Gay/Bi Men

In what has been described as a "major breakthrough", the daily use of an antiretroviral drug therapy has been revealed to dramatically reduce new infections in HIV-negative gay and bisexual men. The results of clinical trials involving Truvada, a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine, open a new line of attack in HIV protection and prevention known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

  In the study, published Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that the hundreds of gay men randomly assigned to take the drugs were 44 percent less likely to get infected than the equal number assigned to take a placebo. But when only the men whose blood tests showed they had taken their pill faithfully every day were considered, the pill was more than 90 percent effective, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, head of the division of the National Institutes of Health, which paid for the study along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. "That’s huge," Dr. Fauci said.

The large study, nicknamed iPrEx, included nearly 2,500 men in six countries and was coordinated by the Gladstone Institutes of the University of California, San Francisco. The results are the best news in the AIDS field in years, even better than this summer’s revelation that a vaginal microbicide protected 39 percent of all the women testing it and 54 percent of those who used it faithfully.

The study found even higher rates of effectiveness, up to 73 percent, among men who adhered most closely to the daily drug regimen.

The clinical trials only tested the results of "pre-exposure prophylaxis" among men who have sex with men. The results may not apply to other transmission modes, such as male-female sex, injection. But experts say PrEP is a breakthrough because it's a new form of protection available to men, especially those who cannot use condoms because they are sex workers, in prison, under pressure from partners or lose their inhibitions when using drugs. The new form of protection "does not involve getting permission from the other partner, and that’s important," said Phill Wilson, president of the Black AIDS Institute, who describes PrEP as a "one of the most promising prevention tools on the horizon." 

Wilson adds: "But we want to caution people from misinterpreting the results. Condom use and decreasing sexual partners remain the most effective way for gay and bisexual men to protect against HIV infection. PrEP should only be an additional tool."

The new data is especially critical in the Black community because Black gay/bisexual men "continue to be hard hit by HIV/AIDS," Wiilson adds. New data from the Centers for Disease Control show almost one in three Black men who have sex with men are HIV positive. More than 60 percent are not aware of their HIV status.

New "I Love My Boo" Campaign Debuts in NYC to Fight Homophobia

Rod 2.0 readers may recall the "I Love My Boo" campaign developed by Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York City. The campaign is designed to fight homophobia, increase visibility of gay men of color and encourage safe sex. It features beautiful images of young Black and Latino men embracing and were displayed on telephone kiosks across New York City.  The campaign campaign has been updated and debuted last week across New York City subways, reports the Daily News.

"The message is also about protecting ourselves. It's about responsibility, being responsible, getting tested, knowing your status, talking to your partner," said Francisco Roque, the director of community health for Gay Mens Health Crisis.

The "I Love My Boo" campaign [also] addresses the shocking rate of HIV infection among men of color. A recent study found 28% of gay black men are infected with HIV, compared with 18% of Hispanics and 16% of white men, according to the Centers for Disease Control. "Part of what this is supporting is making young men feel good about themselves," Roque said. "If they feel good about themselves they're more likely to make healthier choices as related to safer sex."

One of the models on the posters, Derrick Briggs, who is featured with "his boo" Jaszi Alejandro, said the decision to pose for the campaign wasn't easy. "It took a lot of courage to do this. I knew this was going to be huge," said Briggs, 29, of Bedford-Stuyvesant. "Gay men come in all shapes, forms and colors... . This campaign is showing there are different types of gay people in the world and we exist." The posters also include taglines that read, "We're about trust, respect, and commitment" and "We're PROUD of who we are and how we LOVE."

It's an excellent campaign and the high-traffic NYC subway locations will increase visibility of Black and Latino same sex couples, which are rarely seen in the general population. The messaging is also very timely because Black and Latino gay/bisexual youth have seen the largest increase in HIV infections across the country.

The poster for the new "I Love My Boo" campaign debuted at AIDS 2010 in Vienna and was presented by Francisco Roque. It was fabulous presentation and it was great to spend some time with Francisco and his partner, GLAAD's Rashad Robinson. Congratulations to Francisco Roque, GMHC and activist/promoter Derrick L. Briggs for the campaign.

You May Have Missed:
"I Love My Boo" Campaign Targets Black/Latino Gay Men
CDC: Almost 1 in 3 Black Gay Men HIV Poz; 60% Unaware

READ: Is the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Good for Black America?

The first in our new four-part series for the Black AIDS Institute.

When the Obama administration released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) in July, it was described it as "one of the most anticipated moments" in the domestic fight against HIV/AIDS. The four-part plan re-focuses resources on the domestic epidemic and prioritizes Blacks and Black men who have sex with men. That means that Black people—especially Black gay/bi men, who have been decimated by the epidemic—stand to gain a lot.

For the series, we interview a cross-section of Black leaders on HIV/AIDS, including the Center for Disease Control's Dr. Kevin Fenton, Dr. David Malebrance, former Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, University of Pennsylvania's Dr. Robin Stanback Stevens and many more. Read the first part HERE.