Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 12, 2007
Francis Markus, International Federation in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The event aims to increase awareness of HIV among Mongolia's community of men who have sex with men (MSM). The show has been organized by Youth for Health, a gay men's group and partner organization of the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS).
Mongolia's gay men seek greater acceptance and understanding in what is still a conservative country. For Dr Iliza Azyei, the MRCS HIV Programme Manager, the task of building the community's self-esteem and dealing with the issues raised by HIV are closely entwined. "The Red Cross has learnt from disaster preparedness work that building community resilience is the way to reduce risks. This principle is also applied in our HIV work with key vulnerable populations," she says.
"Mobilizing and empowering men who have sex with men is an important part of our work. We need to support this diverse community to be confident to manage the risk of HIV and care for themselves and others," adds Dr Azyei.
There is certainly a feeling of empowerment in the air - and a sense of the unique occasion. Even a lengthy power outage fails to dampen the audience's enthusiasm for the show.
"You are all heroes tonight, each one of you should be proud of your beauty and your courage to be here!" Dr. Azyei, one of the judges, tells the contestants as the pageant reaches its climax around 4 o'clock in the morning.
This evening's pageant may be the first of its kind, but it is not an isolated event. It's one of a range of activities to mobilize and empower the community. Condoms and tailored information about HIV are distributed at all of the organized activities, which include regular basketball matches.
Condoms and advice are also provided at the locations where Ulaanbaatar's men who have sex with men look for partners. A visit to one of these sites behind an inner city building on a cold night gives a sense of the isolation and lack of acceptance which many members of Mongolia's MSM community still feel.
"People are often rude to us," comments one man. Another adds, "There is a lot of graffiti saying bad things about gays and blaming homosexuals for the country's HIV cases."
There are currently about 30 people living with HIV in Mongolia, including a number of MSM.
And this is an area where the Mongolian Red Cross Society leads the way. As Mongolia's biggest non-governmental humanitarian organization, the Red Cross is at the forefront of dealing with the issues raised by HIV, actively supported by partners such as the Finnish Red Cross and the Australian Red Cross.
Joel De Mesa - a board member of the Manila-based gay men's group, the Library Foundation - has been funded by the Australian Red Cross to help raise awareness and sensitivity among Mongolian Red Cross staff with a series of workshops focusing on men who have sex with men and HIV.
On a sunny Sunday, nearly 30 Red Cross branch officials and other officers from Mongolia's 17 provinces gather in a meeting room at Mongolian Red Cross headquarters.
There are role play exercises in which the Red Cross workers - most of whom are middle-aged women - have to put themselves in the position of a young gay man or male sex worker.
The issues being dealt with may be serious, but that doesn't inhibit a lively atmosphere as the participants play a handshaking game with their eyes closed and taps on the shoulder to simulate HIV transmission among a small circle of people.
Though the participants started the workshop with many questions, the general consensus by the end of the afternoon is that their understanding has increased dramatically.
Once they go back to their respective branches, these Red Cross officers will play a key role in changing attitudes towards the gay community and in working with Mongolia's men who have sex with men to prevent the spread of HIV.
Of course it will take time to build such understanding across a vast and sparsely populated country like Mongolia. But the process has begun. The first step is to create safe spaces where men who have sex with men can feel comfortable with their sexuality and have access to information and support. The next step will be to increase their participation in researching the issues which affect their relationships and sexual health, ultimately empowering them to make informed decisions about HIV.
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