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Dragqueens and 'Silver Zone': Community at AIDS Conference

Vibrant, alive and determined in the fight against prejudices and discrimination: That's how the international LGBTQ community presents itself at the World Aids Congress.

,   and  Viktoria Klein
3 min read
Thehouseofhopelezz group presents themselves at the Aids-Conference.
Thehouseofhopelezz group presents themselves at the Aids-Conference.

HIV - Dragqueens and 'Silver Zone': Community at AIDS Conference

Dragqueens gather for an Aerobic-workshop, a film tells the story of a child living with HIV in Ukraine and other people, Activists promote condoms for attendees to take for open engagement with sexuality. Nearly 200 NGOs, organizations, and representatives of various communities present themselves in a hall at the World Aids Conference in Munich at the Global Village.

This part of the congress is open to the public and aims to bring together people who advocate for HIV-related causes, as well as educate the public. It unites the fight against the spread of the Virus, but also against stigmatization and discrimination.

Exchange Place

"It's about creating a lively exchange place and making the topic tangible," says Tobias Weismantel, CEO of Munich Aids-Help and co-chair of the Global Village. "HIV is a global problem." It can only be solved by working together worldwide. It's not enough to say that Germany is a low-incidence country.

"I am Juliana, born with HIV. And I am a Game-Changer," a woman confidently pinned a pink-colored Post-it note to a board. The conference, which is expected to attract over 10,000 attendees, provides a space for people living with HIV, as well as members of the LGBTQ community.

At the Monday evening kickoff of the conference, guests from all over the world showed up colorfully and fiercely. "Trans-rights now," chanted a group at the end of the opening ceremony, where Ugandan transman Jay Mulucha spoke about how dangerous life is for HIV-positive transgender people in Uganda. It's important to be heard, he urged the audience. In Uganda, which has made good progress in the fight against HIV, the death penalty threatens for "aggravated homosexuality" starting in 2023.

Elderly People with HIV

In a "Silver Zone" at the Global Village, the focus is on elderly people living with HIV. These people often have to take many medications, some have a long HIV history behind them, and some have complications, said the local congress president Christoph Spinner, an infectious disease specialist at the Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University Munich.

Some of them have been discriminated against their entire lives, added Weismantel. Many have suffered under the repealed "homosexual paragraph" 175, which at the time criminalized sex between men.

Open Engagement

Fernanda Galvis, Project Manager of LetsStopAids from Canada, reports on school visits. "I go to schools - and sometimes the students have never heard of Aids." At the stand, provocative dildos are set up, which visitors can throw rings onto as a small prize. It's about not tabooing the handling of sexuality, Galvis said.

Only education and an open approach enable young people to make the right decision for prevention. Many now use PrEP, a medication that can be taken daily or on demand before risky encounters and prevents the virus from spreading in the body.

Condoms, although in large quantities distributed at the Global Village to visitors, remain an effective and cost-effective method for HIV prevention, according to experts, but they are increasingly being used less.

  1. The film highlights the challenges of a child living with HIV in Ukraine, adding to the diversity of issues discussed at the World AIDS Conference.
  2. The Global Village in Munich is a platform for over 200 Non-Governmental Organizations and representatives to advocate for HIV-related causes and combat the virus, especially in low-incidence countries like Germany.
  3. The World AIDS Conference in Munich aims to tackle not only the spread of the HIV virus but also stigmatization and discrimination against individuals living with the disease.
  4. Bayern, or Bavaria, in Germany, plays host to the World AIDS Conference, demonstrating the international effort to combat HIV/AIDS.
  5. The conference encourages open engagement with sexuality, using unconventional methods like setting up an area for interactive dildo-throwing games to promote safe sexual practices and combat HIV/AIDS.
  6. Upper-income countries like Germany cannot ignore the global impacts of HIV/AIDS and rely on global cooperation to address this pressing global health concern.
  7. The World AIDS Conference in Munich also highlighted the situation of elderly people living with HIV, acknowledging their challenges and advocating for their rights, particularly those who suffered under discriminatory laws like the repealed "homosexual paragraph" 175 in Germany.
  8. HIV/AIDS remains a significant issue, particularly in countries like Uganda, which has made strides in its fight against the disease but still faces challenges, such as the threat of the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" starting in 2023.

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