Latest news with #HIVAids
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hawaiʻi is celebrating World Pride. Here's what to expect this month
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaiʻi is celebrating World Pride with a statewide calendar of events that shine a light on the islands' long, rich history of gender and sexual diversity. From Oʻahu to Kauaʻi to Maui, pride this year is more than a celebration. It is also a powerful reflection of history, justice and community healing. On Monday, June 2, the Hawaiʻi State Capitol raised the Pride flags for the first time in state history. 'Really excited that on June 1, for the first time in history, the Hawaiʻi State Capitol will be displaying the pride flag,' Dean Hamer, co-founder of the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories Project, said. 'And it's actually the progressive pride flag, which includes the LGBTQ community and the familiar rainbow, as well as intersex folks and, trans folks and people of color and people affected by HIV Aids.' 'There will be eight flags, right on Beretania Avenue, right in front of the Capitol, a real symbol of our pride and also of unity,' Hamer added. On June 4, a new historical marker will be unveiled at Queen's Surf Beach in Waikīkī. 'There's going to be the unveiling of a new historical marker that reminds people what a center this was for the gay community starting in the 1970s that is now being regained,' Hamer explained. For many years, Queen's Surf Beach was a safe haven for those looking to safely enjoy outdoor activities and for those looking to experience community and camaraderie. 'It's going to be a really fun celebration at Queen's Surf Beach Waikīkī, right next to the aquarium,' Hamer added. 'Remarks by the mayor as well as, and a ceremony and a nice free picnic.' You can click here for more information. Joe Wilson, co-founder of the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories Project, shared a special project happening on Kauaʻi. 'And on Kauaʻi, throughout the month of June, but launching at a wonderful event on May 30 at the Kauaʻi Community College Performing Arts Center, will be a display called Tahlequah, known as Kaulike No Nā Mea A Pau: Toward Queer Justice in Hawaiʻi ,' Wilson said. The permanent exhibit for this is located in Honolulu at the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center, but the traveling exhibit is being take to our neighbor islands, beginning with Kauaʻi. 'It's just a wonderful exhibit that looks at the span of time in Hawaiʻi and the ways in which the lives of people across the spectrum of gender and sexual diversity have intersected with the legal system here in Hawaiʻi,' he can click here for more information. Another powerful event is taking place at the historic Hawaiʻi Theatre. 'On June 10, we're really excited to be partnering with the Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation to do a very special screening of a film from 1993 called How in Paradise,' Wilson said. The film is produced and directed by Sarah Banks and Kate Sample. The documentary looks at life in Hawaiʻi through the perspective of 30 lesbian women who were 'putting themselves' out at a time when these issues are really just beginning to turn. 'This is going to be a very exciting event that actually serves as the preview launch of the upcoming Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival,' Wilson added. 'It's free and open to the public, and tickets can be reserved on the Hawaiʻi Theatre website.' You can click here for more information. Wilson also spoke about a collaboration on Maui. 'We're also quite excited about a partnership we've had with the Maui Public Art Corps called Hui Alo Lei PUA Ala,' explained Wilson. 'And this is an effort, to interview and create intergenerational dialog between, people in the queer community, to share their stories and then invite creative performing artists to interpret those interviews in a beautiful pop-up performance.' This pop-up event is a special event that is part of the Aloha Maui Pride celebrations. 'So, on June 14, the amazing Native Hawaiian artist Christopher Kawi Morgan is going to be doing one of those performances that spoke to him. And he, I think, is titling it Hidden in Plain Sight,' Wilson said. You can click here for more information. Hamer highlighted a recurring cultural performance in June. 'This special event will be taking place every Wednesday in June. So, the 4, the 11, the 18 and the 25. There is a special performance of The Return of Kapaemāhū, an amazing hula performance about the healer stones at the time of Māhū,' he said. 'That's performed right in Waikīkī at the hula mound on the beach. It's free and open to the public,' Hamer explained. 'It's a really spectacular performance that combines classic hula with modern music and the lovely story of these four healers. That's every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.' You can click here for more information. Aloha Maui Pride kicked off with a welcome brunch on Sunday, June 1 at Nalu's in Kihei. The Maui County Proclamation and Flag Raising ceremony took place at the Maui County Building in Wailuku. You can click here and here for a more detailed look at Maui's Pride celebrations that run through June 14 and culminate with a community festival. The 7th Annual Kauaʻi Pride Parade & Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 7. The parade will begin at Vidinha Stadium at 10 a.m. and will proceed along Rice Street to the Historic County Building Lawn, where a family-friendly festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 2p.m. Organizers said the event promotes peace, acceptance and unity for everyone on the island, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation or background. You can click here for more information. Honolulu Pride takes place during the month of October. However, many local LGBTQ+ organizations will be hosting events throughout the month of June. Click here for a community calendar. You can click here for more information. Hawaiʻi Island gets two Pride celebrations. One is taking place in Kona between Sept. 12 and 14. You can click here for more information. There is also a celebration in Hilo, but we're still waiting on the details for this one. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8 It's World Pride Month. It's a time to celebrate lokahi and ʻohana. And it's a time to remember how hard it was in our modern world to get to a point of acceptance. So, Happy Pride, everyone. This celebration is for everyone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
eNCA
4 days ago
- Health
- eNCA
SA universities need R2-billion to save research programmes
JOHANNESBURG - South African universities are in crisis mode. The freeze in US funding has left major institutions scrambling to save critical health research programmes. In an urgent appeal, universities, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, have approached National Treasury, requesting R2-billion in local aid to prevent a collapse in research infrastructure that supports everything from HIV and reproductive health to broader public health systems. The freeze has already resulted in project terminations, staff retrenchments, and massive uncertainty with more cuts looming. Professor Glenda Gray has been at the forefront of HIV Aids research for decades.
Mail & Guardian
16-05-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
HIV programmes will not collapse after Trump funding cuts, Motsoaledi says
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi .(Alet Pretorius/Foto24/Gallo Images) Health Minister South Africa is spending R46.8 billion on its 'It is inconceivable that out of R46.8 billion spent by the country on HIV/Aids programmes, the withdrawal of R7.9 billion by 'We must put it categorically clear that under no circumstances will we allow this massive work, performed over a period of more than a decade and a half, to collapse and go up in smoke because President Trump has decided to do what he has done.' Earlier this year, Trump cut US foreign aid globally, effectively ending funding for HIV/Aids and tuberculosis programmes in South Africa. On Thursday, Motsoaledi acknowledged that the funding cuts had sparked stress and fear in the health sector, and among patients, but said existing funding programmes are cushioning the blow. Pepfar supported the 'When the Pepfar-funded clinics were closed … 63 322 files belonging to these key populations were moved to public health facilities,' the minister said. 'It is not only Pepfar which was dealing with key populations clients but other prominent funders like the Global Fund have been supporting the country with health services for these key populations,' he added. The Global Fund supports 34 designated facilities and has enabled more than 74 000 people from key populations to receive treatment, according to Motsoaledi. Motsoaledi said 8 061 out of 15 539 workers in the 27 districts funded by Pepfar had lost their jobs. The remainder are still employed — for now — through interim support which will last until September. The minister said South Africa was still on track to meet the UN's 95-95-95 target to 'We know that there are 7.9 million people in South Africa who are estimated by UNAids to be HIV positive. At the moment, in terms of the UNAids target, we are at 96-79-94 and today we have 5.9 million people who are on ARV therapy,' Motsoaledi said. He added that the government's Close the Gap campaign, launched in March, aims to shift the needle from 79 to 95 by getting 1.1 million people who are HIV positive onto treatment by the end of the year. So far, 520 700 have been started on treatment, Motsoaledi said.
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Experts warn South Africa cannot afford tariff showdown
Analysts argue South Africa has no muscle for a tariff war with the US and should instead pursue strategic diplomacy. Experts are divided how South Africa should deal with US tariffs in light of China's success in forcing the US to drop the exorbitant tariffs it imposed. China refused to bend to Trump's imposition of a 145% tariff hike. Instead, it imposed its own levy of 125%. Following negotiations between the two countries in Geneva, Switzerland, there was an agreement that the US tariffs on China would drop to 30% and China's on the US to 10%. SA lacks economic strength to confront US tariffs like China – experts South African political analysts have different views, with one saying the country could not afford to do the same as China and embark on a tit-for-tat tariff battle with Washington because South Africa is no longer an economically or politically powerful force in Africa. Instead, it has declined on all fronts. International relations expert Jan Venter from North-West University suggested that instead of trying to emulate powerful China by imposing a reciprocal trade levy on US goods, South Africa should align itself with President Donald Trump. He advocated for convincing Trump that the country could do something to please him. ALSO READ: US and China agree to slash tariffs in trade war de-escalation South Africa had little to bargain with, he said, as its economic power has declined over the years. 'We have made a living of formulating an international relations environment where we have the best of the West – America and Europe – and the best of China and Russia,' Venter said. 'America wants us to come over to its side and we really have nothing except if we convince America that this country is open for business. We have to tell America that we are going to rebuild infrastructure and we are going to give them value for money. Pursue strategic diplomacy 'The best way would be to engage with America, find out what it is they want and give them an idea that we are going to agree to some of their demands.' He said a positive attitude towards the US would help to restart the 'money line' from the US, which would ensure the reinstatement of aid focusing on HIVAids and medical research. 'The sooner we get that money back, the sooner people will reap the benefits again.' ALSO READ: Trump announces first post-tariff trade deal with UK He said South Africa had no muscles to flex because it was not even a regional superpower any more. 'We have no military, the police and so on are corrupt and our infrastructure is declining at a rapid rate. South Africa isn't powerful; it does not have cards to play and all hope is on positive diplomacy,' Venter said. Another analyst, Sandile Swana, said China was able to resist Trump's aggressive approach because it did not really depend on the US for trade. China has good grounds to stand up to US As China had grown so rapidly economically and in terms of technological advances, it was in a better position to dictate terms and direction and set international standards in those areas in future. 'So, China has good grounds to stand up against the US and it was morally necessary for them to do that. 'Their culture does not permit them to be cowards. So they've done well and I think they are still going to do better. This is just the start,' Swana said. ALSO READ: Trump tariff threat could cripple African film and TV industry South Africa also had some economic grounds to resist US trade tariffs and the withdrawal of aid. 'South Africa has no basis to worry about the US, the amount of trade under Agoa is negligible and the US is not our No 1 trading partner,' Swana said. SA exports to the US relied mainly on US and European companies based in South Africa and the white farmers who were all 'Trump's stakeholders', but not the black majority who did not export anything to the US, he said. Ramaphosa doesn't have to compromise 'Ramaphosa doesn't have to compromise anything with the US. The US can be free to do deals with the white population and American companies based here,' he said. Trump's tariffs policies and sanctions have been opposed domestically, including by US chief executives and top investment and finance houses. 'They are not convinced that it's a correct strategy for the US to continue to involve itself in such an endeavour. So that's a problem Trump has to face, relative to the tariffs,' Swana said. NOW READ: Trump-Ramaphosa meeting seen as key to easing tensions
