Paul Semugoma: I am Afraid...but I am a Human Being and We Live with Hope

In an emotional and powerful interview, Paul Semugoma from the Global Forum on MSM and HIV talks about stigma and discrimination in his home country of Uganda. He shared his fear about coming out and living as a gay man in Uganda. Semugoma explains how societal homophobia and anti-gay positions taken by the country's leadership are prohibiting proven science from being implemented and blocking prevention efforts for men who have sex with men. He notes the "huge structural issues" to ending AIDS in his country, including the criminalization of sex workers and drug users. Despite all this, he concludes that he is hopeful about the future.

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[Julia Fochtman]

And when I say more of a focus, I mean by the participants of the AIDS conference but ran out of characters!

[Julia Fochtman]

I agree. I really appreciated this interview and the fact that someone could speak out, especially when living as a homosexual in a country where there is so much hate towards these populations. But I do think the larger issue lies in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. I expected to see more of a focus on the high rates of HIV amongst intravenous drugs users and sex workers in Russia and other countries where this is an issue. We need to work on educating people on the fact that AIDS is WORLDWIDE

[Bro Laz]

Why doesn't this guy address the fact that the highest cases of AIDS/HIV are in countries that have the highest numbers of Europeans and western indoctrinated/educated Africans? He needs to make a distinction between his friends and his enemies.

[sdbaral]

right on...