Sharing your life as LGBT in your community in Cambodia

• Cambodia Pride Week 2009

During February-May 2009 a loose alliance of lgbt Cambodians, ex-patriots, NGO workers (working with MSM/HIV/AIDS NGOs) and gay business-owners worked together to plan and hold the first week-long Cambodia Pride 12-17^th May 2009 (supported in part by British Embassy funds). This was the 5^th Pride event in Cambodia but the first to last a week and embrace a range of activities and actors.

Following a successful week of events (workshops, art exhibition, film festival, social nights and networking) those involved have reflected on the experience and found lots of possibilities for building on Cambodia Pride week. Apart from large numbers of Cambodian lgbt enthusiastically participating in Pride week, the week highlighted both the level of willingness for activism and the level of need which exists in Cambodia’s still fledgling lgbt community and movement.

What services do exist for the community predominantly cater for MSM, or men who have sex with men, some of whom are gay. For Cambodian transgender few services exist beyond sexual health and safe sex support. Human rights abuses suffered by the trans community- who often earn a living as sex workers due to limited employment options- regularly go unreported and victims receive limited support due to a lack of resources and services, as well as a challenging human rights context.

Very little exists for lesbians. In fact this was one of the great successes of Cambodia Pride week as over 50 lesbians from 5 provinces traveled to PP to take part in the weekend section. They attended workshops and witnessed the level of organising currently in place for MSM. This inspired them to have such a vision for Cambodian lesbians too and since May two lesbian groups have self-organised, one in PP (over 200 members) and one in Kg Chnang (over 100 members) with support from Women’s Network for Unity (WNU).

For the NGOs who supported Cambodia Pride week the range of issues/needs raised by participants at the workshops was challenging as the NGO remit is solely a health service remit. As NGOs are currently the largest service provider to the lgbt community- or more accurately MSM community- the thinking and understanding of what it means to be ‘gay or lesbian’ is often reduced to the sexual health issues involved in having that identity rather than a broader exploration of what it means to be gay or lesbian or bi or trans in Cambodian society.

What also remains lacking is a broad range of services to support the most-times difficult personal journey involved in being lgbt- personal support like drop-in centres where people can meet and experience a sense of community and solidarity; support for coming out to family and friends; help-lines to break the isolation experienced by lgbt people especially in rural areas; life skills training, including personal development courses and specific job skills training; advocacy training to lobby for greater security for and understanding of lgbt people in Cambodia.

• Building on Cambodia Pride Week 2009

Regular meetings have followed Cambodia Pride Week- mostly monthly and sometimes bi-monthly. As a result of Cambodia Pride week there is now a greater number of lgbt people attending these meetings, Cambodian and ex-patriot. Some follow-up activities have happened already. These include:

- information sessions for students of Gender Studies in Pannasastra university

- self-organising of two lesbian groups (PP, Kg Chnang)

- preparation of Cambodia Pride promotional dvd (soon to be completed)

- monthly lgbt film nights at META House

- a post-Pride photo exhibition at META House

While ideas are already taking shape for a bigger and better Cambodia Pride Week 2010, there is a lot of momentum among Cambodian and ex-patriot lgbts to harness the connections and possibilities generated by this year’s Pride and strengthen the lgbt community/movement through developing activities/services/events other than Cambodia Pride Week.

This year, we will celebrate Pride Week from 11 to 17 May 2010.