Blow to Elton John's AIDS project in Nepal

An HIV/AIDS intervention programme in Nepal's backward far west region, which started two months ago with funding from British singer Sir Elton John, has received a setback due to homophobia and ignorance among government officials and NGOs working in the area, programme officials said.

Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal's only gay rights organisation in Nepal, said it had been asked to stop its support programme for gays and transgenders who are HIV positive in Dhangadi district on the ground that gays 'polluted' society.

Two months ago, BDS opened an outpost with three employees to provide support to the HIV positive in the region, especially gays and transgenders.

The programme is being sponsored by the Elton John AIDS Foundation that has announced a grant of 25,000 pounds for BDS' AIDS intervention projects.

'There is an increasing number of gays, transgenders and males with HIV in the far west,' BDS president Sunil Pant told IANS. 'Since the outpost started, we have sent more than 15 people living with HIV to Kathmandu for further support, treatment and hospice facility.'

On the second day of every Nepali month, the District Public Health Office in Dhangadi calls a meeting of NGOs to discuss their programmes.

On Tuesday, when BDS representative in Dhangadi Ram Avatar went to attend the meeting, he faced growing hostility from the public health officer as well as other NGOs, BDS says.

'The public health officer Krishna Bhatta claimed that there are no 'sex tissues' in the anus and so there's no chance of HIV/AIDS transmission through anal sex,' Pant said.

So there is no need for the BDS care and support programme in Dhangadi, Bhatta reportedly said.

Bhatta, who apparently is not aware who Elton John is, also wanted to see the donor as well as proof that there were HIV affected gays and transgenders in Dhangadi.

He also told the BDS representative that Elton John should attend the next District Aids Coordinating Committee meeting in Dhangadi to discuss whether the government should allow AIDS intervention programmes for gays in the district or not.

Bhatta was supported by at least two NGOs present at the meeting who said a support programme for gays would encourage more homosexual activities and 'pollute' society.

'We are not sure where Elton John is available to visit Dhangadi at the next meeting,' Pant said. 'When state public health officials and NGOs working in the sector of sexual health and HIV prevention display such homophobic attitude, we feel it is impossible to provide effective care and support treatment for the sexual minorities.'

Only last week, policemen assaulted five young men for carrying condoms, accusing them of being male sex workers.