Update

UNAIDS has received the LGBTI Citizenship Allies Award in recognition of its human rights-based approach to responding to the AIDS epidemic among gay men and other men who have sex with men. Created by Grupo Dignidade (Dignity Group), one of Brazil’s most respected nongovernmental organizations working on issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and on HIV prevention among gay men and other men who have sex with men, the award is given to people and organizations in recognition of their contribution to advancing the rights of LGBTI people in Brazil.

The award highlights some of the efforts made by UNAIDS in this area, including the development of campaigns and initiatives such as the zero discrimination campaign, the production of a wide variety of publications and its advocacy efforts to specifically mention LGBTI people and other key populations in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS.

Georgiana Braga-Orillard, UNAIDS Country Director in Brazil, highlighted the importance of the award. “We are investing time and effort in human rights and zero discrimination in the country and globally. The award shows us that we are going in the right direction and that our efforts are having an impact for the communities we want to support,” she said.

The award ceremony marked the 25th anniversary of Grupo Dignidade. Grupo Dignidade works with partners—including the municipal, state and federal departments of the Public Ministry, public human rights authorities and Brazil’s Supreme Court—on key areas related to human rights and the rights of LGBTI people.

“Much of what I have learned in terms of respect for diversity and the importance of the social movements for the response to the AIDS epidemic came from my constant interaction with Grupo Dignidade,” said Mariângela Simão, UNAIDS Director of Rights, Gender, Prevention and Community Mobilization, in a video message to the award ceremony. “Receiving this award from Grupo Dignidade is very important to us and I would like to thank you, in the name of Michel Sidibé, the UNAIDS Executive Director,” she added.

The ceremony also hosted the Educating on Respect for Sexual Diversity Award, given to 11 selected individual and institutional initiatives that recognized, valued and encouraged the promotion of respect for sexual diversity in the educational environment in Brazil.

UNAIDS is working to support countries to reach the targets set out in the 2016 Political Declaration, which include the review and reform of legislation that may create barriers or reinforce stigma and discrimination, and to promote access to non-discriminatory health-care services, including for populations at higher risk of HIV, specifically sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender people and prisoners.