This week we put the spotlight on Mohamad Shahrani Mohamad Tamrin who was recently appointed representative for gay men and MSM on the Malaysian AIDS Council, and Tono Permana, the national coordinator of Indonesia's GMW-INA – Gay Men, Men who have Sex with Men and Waria – who is responsible for the country's 17,508 islands (of which about 6,000 are inhabited).
This list is by no means exhaustive, but we are sure that this handful of extraordinary individuals will encourage and inspire you. If you know of anyone who you think is doing an amazing job for the greater good – whether they be activists or artists, entrepreneurs or entertainers, send us their details at editor@fridae.com.
Mohamad Shahrani Mohamad Tamrin
For Mohamad Shahrani Mohamad Tamrin (or Shah to his friends) the stakes are high: widespread high-risk sexual behaviour, budget restraints on Malaysia’s HIV response and persistent stigma and discrimination, all of which contribute to the spread of HIV in his home country.
This young man of 29, who was recently appointed representative for gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) with a mission to bridge the divide between city and province, has taken on the mammoth task of trying to bridge the divide between city dwellers and those in the province. His goal is to bring HIV education and awareness to the majority of Bahasa Melayu-speaking, non-gay-identifying men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) living outside of the national capital.
From humble beginnings as a volunteer at the Sarawak AIDS Concern Society (SACS) in Kuching, Tamrin had his first foray in the international sphere during a regional consultation at last year’s Asia-region AIDS Conference in Bali. With the spectre of increasing HIV prevalence rates in Kuala Lumpur (pegged at 3.9% among MSM after the most recent survey) there is great concern that the situation may be worse for men who cannot access the facilities in the big city.
In the coming months Tamrin will travel to Bangkok as a member of the Working Group organising the “Voices Of Youth” Consultation, Asia’s very first gathering of youth MSM and TG leaders in response to HIV/AIDS supported by the HIVOS Foundation of the Netherlands and the World AIDS Campaign.
æ: Why do you do this work?
There is a gap of knowledge in HIV/AIDS within the local MSM communities due to the diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. The current MSM intervention programmes are heavily skewed towards the more visible gay-identified venue-frequenting English-speaking white collar urban MSM, while the needs of other MSM ethnic groups, especially the non-English-speaking Malays and Indians, and the non-gay-identified, non-venue-based MSM which are at equal, if not greater risk of HIV infection are often neglected. The urgent need to bridge this gap and promote greater access to effective HIV intervention programmes to the underserved MSM subpopulations is what motivates me continuously to be involved in this field of work.
æ: How do you think you can make positive change happen in 2010?
I plan to address the sexual health needs of non-venue-based MSMs via Internet outreach, as they would most likely seek their sex partners online. As the non-venue-based MSM constitute a substantial amount of the overall MSM population, by targeting this subset of MSM through an effective tried-and-tested approach, I believe behaviour change can be introduced which will have a great impact on the dynamics of HIV transmission within the MSM population itself.
On a personal level, I would also like to send out the message to my friends, regardless of their sexual orientation/identity or ethnic background, that they should be more responsible with their health and the health of others whom they care about, e.g. their intimate partners. The prevalent misconception that HIV/AIDS is a ‘gay disease’ should be rejected aggressively.
æ: What is your message to people who stand in your way?
To those who wish to stand in my way, well, think again because there is a great probability that you will end up crying!
Mohamad Shahrani Mohamad Tamrin can be contacted via the Malaysian AIDS Council www.mac.org.my.
With contributions from Laurindo Garcia, Patty Tumang and Sylvia Tan.
AIDSAware – “Be The Message”
HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign & Memorial Exhibition
Presented by PT Foundation, with support from Ruumz Causes
Fri 14 to Sun 16 May | 11am to 8pm
Admission Free
Where: Annexe Gallery, Central Market, KL.
Why: HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic affecting millions of lives every day. Each year, the infection rate of HIV is growing exponentially, especially in underdeveloped and developing nations. In Malaysia, 13 persons get infected daily. Perhaps the biggest challenge that is facing Malaysia is that people are still largely unaware about the disease, resulting in high-risk behaviours, stigma and discrimination. This year the global theme for International AIDS Memorial Day is 'Many Lights for Human Rights', which is a rights-based approach focused on access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
You can also participate in the AIDSAware online campaign at aidsaware.ruumz.com
PT Foundation & Seksualiti Merdeka present Queer As Films:
And The Band Played On (1993)
This thrilling Emmy award-winning movie is based on the bestselling work of journalism by Randy Shilts, who single-handedly forced the world to pay attention to the AIDS crisis from the perspective of gay men, revealing how little was done about it for too long. The movie follows the dedicated epidemiologist Dr Don Francis (Matthew Modine) as he attempts to solve the mysteries of this new illness, even as the Reagan administration won't fund research for a disease that affects gay men, French and American scientists fight over who should get credit for discovering the virus, and the gay community is conflicted by this threat to their newfound sense of sexual liberation. As politics, greed and pride become obstacles to saving lives, the death toll climbs. Cast also includes Richard Gere, Ian McKellen, Steve Martin, Phil Collins, Lily Tomlin, Alan Alda and many others.
Date: Sun 16 May, 2010
Time: 3pm
Venue: The Annexe Gallery, 2nd Flr, Central Market Annexe, KL
Admission: FREE!
Enquiries: 03 4044 4611 (PT Foundation), 03 2070 1137 (The Annexe Gallery)
This is a private event - by invitation only - which will be checked against a register at the door. Please email to register for this event: queerasfilms@ptfmalaysia.org Include your name, age, and who you are bringing along, if any.