As promised, I’ve signed on tonight to update you about the
session I attended today entitled: “Good Catholics Use Condoms: Answering the
Tough Questions that Come up When Discussion HIV Prevention”. While the purpose
of this blog is by no means to discuss my own personal beliefs and religious
values, I will begin by stating that I don’t associate my-self with the Jewish,
Catholic or Muslim religions. As such, I was excited but slightly nervous to
attend this session, sensing that I might be totally out of place and perhaps
even judged. What I failed to remember was that the International AIDS
Conference is by far one of the most open and accepting venues one could ever
attend, and that as long as you go in with an open mind and heart, others will
receive you with the same kindness.
Though it took some significant effort on my part, I set
aside my own personal prejudices and feelings before entering the session room,
and sat down ready to make a fresh opinion. I can’t begin to explain how
shocked, relieved and delighted I was to hear a gay Imam (an imam is an Islamic
leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim
community) and a reverend and rabbi that also offered acceptance and compassion
for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer) community and
PLWHA (people living with HIV/AIDS). Their presentations told stories of
discrimination that they them-selves have faced through out their careers as
religious leaders that promote the use of condoms in sexual relations and
advocate for safe and healthy sex practices.
One quote by Reverend Vincent Lachina really hit home for
me:
“Too often our faith traditions are as damaging as our
behavioral decisions”.
In this quote, he was speaking out to the fact that many
Catholics will refrain from getting tested for HIV/AIDS as getting tested means
that they are questioning their God’s ability to protect them from such a
virus. This decision, can in fact, be as dangerous as that to not wear a condom
in the first place.
I left the session with a sense of revitalization and
support for the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and all other religious and
non-religious communities that are willing to incorporate safe sex practices
and broaden their teachings to go beyond “abstinence only”. As a strong
advocate for safe sex education (and all its components), I felt truly
impressed and empowered by this presentation.
Just goes to show you how far an open mind can go!
Off for dinner with my partner in crime,
-Tracey K
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