The lexicon of Pride is vast. People, initiatives and our realities constantly feed it, introduce new terms, new definitions. Beirut Pride asked participants, intellectuals, writers, journalists, witnesses and organizations to explain to us, in light of our realities, these "words of Pride".
1. Communities, community of people with a common attribute or key population support peers, work on responses and defend human rights. They are crucial to keep people at the center of decision-making and implementation, ensuring that no one is left behind. To this end, they work along with peer educators, counselors, health workers, service providers, institutions, organizations and grass-roots activists. Their mobilization is needed to ensure they are on the political agenda and they remain on it, that human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled, and that public decision-makers and implementers are held accountable. Communities are often the sole means of support in hostile environments, and are the only ones to offer services to their peers. However, far too often they lack the resources and recognition they deserve and need, and joining together to help themselves is vital to overcome the barriers that stop them from delivering needed services. [1]
2. Community-led organizations, groups, and networks (Including collectives, coalitions, and other ways that people self organize), irrespective of their legal status, are led by the people who they serve and are primarily accountable to them. The majority of their structure (such as governance, leadership, staff, spokespeople, membership, volunteers) reflects and represents the experiences, perspectives, and voices of their constituencies. Community-led organizations, groups, and networks have transparent mechanisms of accountability, are self-determining and autonomous, and not influenced by government, commercial, or donor agendas. Not all community-based organizations are community-led. In the AIDS response, for example, this includes organizations by and for people living with HIV or tuberculosis and organizations by and for people affected by HIV, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, prisoners, sex workers, transgender people, women and young people. [2]
3. Key populations is a term that refers to people primarily concerned with a specific topic and encompasses ways people describe themselves, including related to sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. Key populations share experiences of stigma, discrimination, criminalization, and violence, and shoulder disproportionate social, medical and economic burden. In the AIDS response, for example, key populations include people living with HIV, female, male and transgender sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, and transgender people. Key populations speak for themselves, determine their priorities from their lived experiences, and are an intrinsic part of the response. [2]
4. Responses are actions inscribed in campaigns and tactics that seek to reach a final goal such as improving the health and human rights of a key population. Reflecting on the lived experiences of key populations, they are specifically informed and transformational, based on the priorities, needs, rights and aspirations of KP. The participation of KP, on their terms and with consideration to varying social and structural determinants, in the research, design and implementation of responses is crucial for their enhanced effectiveness and sustainability. With overlapping KP, responses strive to be intersectional. They include advocacy; campaigning; monitoring of policies, practices, and service delivery; participatory research; education and information sharing; service delivery; capacity building and funding outreach and management. They can take place at global, regional, national, subnational, and grassroots levels, and can be implemented virtually or in person. Not all responses that take place in communities are led by KP. [2]
References:
[1] https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2019/world-aids-day-2019-communities-make-the-difference
[2] https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2019/what-is-a-community-led-organization