NACP III: Male Sex work: Rights are rarely given

[Guest guest]

Dear all

Although I work particularly and specifically with male sex worker

but here my concern is for sex work in general and with a particular

focus on Male sex worker.

The present NACP III discussion on MSM there is hardly specific

space for male who sell sex. My disagreement starts when I look upon

the approach of intervention. A new designed MSM and HIV/AIDS

Intervention projects would be at odds with a sex workers rights

based approach if there were one.

Government funded intervention projects stand on the side of the

public health authority. The public health authority are exactly the

ones who the Rights based organization will have to fight to ensure

that our privacy rights, and the right to not test for instance or

take vaccines or any other " public health measure " some government

will want to impose on our workers. To fight not to have measures

imposed which are not imposed on other groups of workers. Same goes

for research. So building community based on prevention project mode

is really harmful. Rights are rarely given. People need to struggle

and take them- sex workers movement is no different.

The strongest gains are made in places where groups are autonomous-

whether their own funding or just have some of the very few really

good funders out there in the world. DMSC/Sonagachi Project does all

its rights work on the profit from the sex workers savings co-op it

set up. State funding will never accomplish the rights in true way.

From my own experience as community development worker working in

the field of last seven years cannot possibly equate a sex work "

Intervention projects " (which are government funded) with " uniting "

sex workers.

Most of these projects are disrespectful less participatory, and without

community perspective. And they seem to do a pretty good job of usurping the

voices of the sex workers -- who are mostly absent -- for their own political

goals and gain.

I know making this kind of mail will nothing mean to you all… this

mail will make some of you more confuse or some of you will really

disturbed because we all are looking for solution…

But, Solution cannot come the way we want it…

We need specific solution in project mode… but the project will not

deliver the needs of Sex worker always redesign and reconstruct our

mindset will be the first step for tangible change.

In solidarity,

Agniva Lahiri

Network of Indian Male Sex workers

e-mail: <nimsw@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends

I don't agree that taking state funding is tantamount to surrendering one's

integrity. In the first place the state funding doesn't belong to the state - it

belongs to the citizens and it is the task of civil society organizations to

assist in the flow of those funds to the people concerned. Particularly in areas

where for various reasons government systems and representatives are not able to

reach out to.

It may be true that some civil society organizations fail to protest government

wrong doings and negotiate problem areas with the government. But there are many

who can be seen to be working with the government and yet also criticising it.

Besides, to my mind the rightful thing to do is to make civil society

organizations (CSOs) stronger and smarter. For that the CSOs need to have

internal integrity and transparency. Including those CSOs which shun or want to

shun government funding. Unfortunately, even many well established CSOs shudder

at the prospects of having a simple human resources policy!

As for silencing of male sex workers' issues in MSM interventions, I would leave

it to those who run such interventions to respond to Agniva. But as a gay man

(and of course this is not my only identity), I must also point out that hardly

any of the interventions address gay men today, particularly the younger

generation who have just entered their 20s, under the presumption that they are

all rich, upper class, western educated, never sexually abused and never

depressed, with ready access to the best of the doctors, and therefore protected

from HIV.

Also, I have come across MSM / MSW intervention workers talking about working

with " Non-Koti MSM " ! I don't intend any disrespect to the Koti identities or

communities. But as a gay person I refuse to be " classified " into such a hideous

label which begins with a negative. Obviously, the fight for rights is not just

with the government, but with well meaning social workers as well!

Best wishes

Pawan Dhall

Country Director - Programmes & Development and

Calcutta Office Director

Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII)

CD 335, Sector I, Salt Lake

Calcutta 700 064, West Bengal, India

91 33 2334 7329 (Landline)

91 98312 88023 (Mobile)

saathii@... / pawan30@...

www.saathii.org