Should it be Decriminalized????

HONG KONG (AFP) – - A three-day forum in Hong Kong on a growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Asia ended Friday with delegates calling for countries in the region to follow China’s lead in decriminalising homosexuality.

Beijing’s decision in 2001 had helped to minimise the spread of HIV/AIDS in China, Zhen Li, from the Tong Zhi awareness group, told the forum.

“Between 2005 and 2008 China made huge progress (in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS among homosexuals) in addition to working with civil society as partners,” Li said.

However, elsewhere in Asia “highly prohibitive legal frameworks” against homosexuality were aiding the spread of an HIV epidemic among homosexual men, the forum’s organisers said in a statement.

“As long as these laws are in effect it will push people into dark places,” Li told a news conference at the end of the forum.

Edmund Settle, from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said there were several Asian countries which had yet to follow China’s example and that they tended to be former British colonies.

As an example, he cited India, where there is currently a court case challenging the laws banning homosexuality.

Wong Ka-Hing, a consultant in special preventive programmes for Hong Kong’s Department of Health, said that the city’s HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns would continue to prioritise young homosexuals.

“In Hong Kong we are facing a rising epidemic among men having sex with men… that is why we have tried to target scarce resources towards the most vulnerable sections of the community,” Wong said.

The forum was jointly held by Hong Kong’s Department of Health, the World Health Organization, the UNDP and the Joint UN Programmes on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

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Five ways to shut off your inner control freak…

1.) Respect other people’s turf. In a blended family like mine, this means that you need to accept the custody agreement and work with what you have. At work, this may mean delegating work — and letting people do things their way.

2.) Pick your battles. Figure out what’s most important to you — and fight for it. Let the rest slide. This tip works with adult coworkers, family members, and toddlers alike. Adult tantrums are just as stressful — if not more so — than your 3-year-old’s.

3.) Understand that perfection is a myth. Control freaks want everything to be “just right,” and get frustrated when things go “wrong.” But the truth is, there is no “just right” in real life. Hold on to your ideals, of course, but abandon the idea that things can only be good if they’re perfect.

4.) Ask for — and accept — help. Really. I am not good about asking for help. But doing so is a great way to build bridges, accepting help is a great way to reduce stress levels, and once you see how competent everyone else can be, it may be easier to dismiss your inner control freak more often.

5.) Ask yourself: What are you really trying to control? What’s more important, that things get done exactly your way, or that things get done, period? Sometimes, we waste tons of energy trying to control the method, when the important part is the outcome.