Renowned LGBTQI+ advocate Apako Williams has been elected as a board member of the Uganda Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund, a worldwide partnership to fight HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. [...] Apako will serve as the representative of “Key Populations” on the board. Key Populations refer to marginalised communities disproportionately affected by diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, including transgender individuals, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs. Apako is a transman, meaning a person who despite being identified as female at birth, identifies as a man.
Very cool to see!!! Especially since trans men&mascs have been extremely underserved in HIV prevention and care (as well as healthcare in general).
Uganda passed an anti-homosexuality bill last year that includes 20 year sentences for "promotion" of homosexuality and up to the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" so an organization with the clout of the Global Fund appointing a trans man to the board for Uganda specifically is a big fucking deal.

















