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Using a non-traditional educative method for working with Asian gay men from culturally diverse backgrounds. This presentation was given by Asvin Phorugngam, Health Educator, Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre, at the AFAO HIV Educators Conference 2010.
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GAPGay Asian Proud
Using a non-traditional educative method for working with Asian gay men from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Asvin PhorugngamHealth Educator
Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre
OUTLINE
• Issues • Background• What is GAP?• Workshop’s model evolution • Successes/outcomes• Lessons learnt
ISSUE
In 2002, nearly 60% of Asian gay men who participated in the Asian gay community periodic
survey, Sydney, reported they’ve experienced some discrimination based on their minority
ethnic background in gay communities in Australia.
They still are!Stigma & Discrimination
BACKGROUND
• 1996/7 – AFAO, Gay Asian Proud, first Asian MSM HIV/AIDS national awareness campaign.
• VAC/GMHC - GAP workshop originated from the campaign.
What is GAP?
VAC/GMHC’s perspective
Increase health literacy: • STIs & HIV/AIDS education • Health seeking behaviour.
Participants’ perspective• Social/fun• Support• Friendship• Being with other Asian MSM
Integration = HIV/AIDS in lived contextAll Asian MSM 18+
Sounds great but is difficult to achieve!
Workshop’s model evolution
1997 - 1998• Structured, 6 weeks, HIV/AIDS prevention education
w/s in lived context.• Asian MSM.
Passive participation: we informed themChanged - small Asian MSM population
Workshop’s model evolution
1999-2002• Structured, once a month, HIV/AIDS prevention
education w/s in lived context.• Asian MSM
Close group to open groupPassive participation: we informed them
Changed: low level of interest
Workshop’s model evolution 2002 - 2004• Unstructured, once a month, HIV/AIDS prevention
education in lived context. • Education tools - movies• Asian MSM
More active participationNegative feelings/experiences/discrimination = Victims
Changed – unhealthy environment
Workshop’s model evolution
2005 – 2007• Unstructured, once a month• Education tools – yum cha, g/l cultural/art events,
movies, other cultural/art events etc…• Asian MSM & partners/friends
HIV/AIDS education is in the background
More participantsMore active participation
Workshop’s model evolution
2007 – Today• Unstructured, once a month• Education tools – yum cha, g/l cultural/art events,
movies, others cultural/art events etc…• Asian MSM, Yellow Kitties & partners/friends
Active participantsMore participation
2009 Applied a Community Development model
Successes/Outcomes
Active participation• G/L annual cultural: Pride March, Midsumma,
CNY • GAP Facebook• A letter in gay press to engage constructive
dialogue. • Australia GLBTIQ Multicultural Committee
LESSONS LEARNT• Used a Learner Centred approach, which creates a service that could
be tailored to the target group’s needs.• Education can take place any where, not just in a formal structured
format.• Move away from a “victim mentality” to be strengths focussed. Allow
participants to share their experiences and concerns, but they need to be managed and used in a constructive manner for their own and other participants’ growth.
• Encourage participants to take responsibility and be more proactive and assertive when encountering discrimination in order to engage in constructive dialogue.
• Conducting workshops in public spaces and free of agenda are much more difficult to facilitate, requiring a skilled facilitator.
• The current model is highly flexible.
LESSONS LEARNT• Education tools need to be clever, innovative and organic enough to fit
into the participants’ agenda.• Participants are there to be social, not to learn about HIV/AIDS.• An on-going workshop can risk participants developing a dependency .• An on-going workshop can be a forum where participant development
and growth can be observed and itself become a change agent• Participants don’t realise they’re in a workshop. This could be seen as
an advantage (things happen in an organic way) and a disadvantage (difficult to evaluate).
• It’s highly time consuming. • Must be fun!