The “we” that Ah Tao is talking about are gay men on the island, like him. With the aim of understanding the life of the LGBT community in Hainan, I asked Ah Tao to be my guide. Unlike big cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, the LGBT community in the island located on the southern coast of the mainland 30 km is not really well received, has to live a closed life and hide its bias. sexual orientation towards society. Unlike in Beijing or Shanghai, the LGBT community in Hainan province still faces many prejudices and is not accepted by society. Photo: The Beijinger. Hide your identity 11 years ago, I spent 12 months learning Chinese in Hainan and interacting with the local LGBT community. From that experience, for the past 8 years, I have started researching the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people in this low-economic and culturally low-value locality. In the past few years, the government has made a lot of efforts to promote tourism in Hainan, but there has not been the same level of investment in other coastal areas. Ah Tao led me out of the square, through an empty market, and into a dark alley. “When you go there, don’t mention homosexuality or heterosexuality,” he warned carefully. Most have to hide their identities to be able to integrate into the community and continue to lead normal lives. Photo: New York Post. I suddenly recalled in 2009, the first time my friends took me to the only gay bar in Haikou – the capital of Hainan province. It was nestled behind an abandoned hotel, hidden by another row of working hotels. Later, I found out that that is the common point of spaces for the LGBT community – discreet, out of sight. To outsiders, these areas are completely invisible, hard to find. But for people like Ah Tao, this is the only place to take off your mask and be true to yourself. “Happy or sad, I always go to these bars to relax. The LGBT community here doesn’t have that much space,” said Xiaomai, a 19-year-old gay man. However, such bars only exist in major cities on the island. In smaller towns, they can only meet and chat at teahouses, convenience stores and parks. The risk of being discovered, stigmatized, affecting honor, family and work is also greater. Therefore, Ah Tao told me not to mention a word related to “gay”. Following Ah Tao’s footsteps into a convenience store at an intersection in a dark alley, I saw three electric mahjong tables surrounded by many people, men and women of all kinds. Seeing Ah Tao, they turned to ask about love and marriage. “It looks like it, but the men sitting here are all gay,” Ah Tao whispered to me. Accordingly, because they want to participate in community activities, many gay people in Hainan accept to hide their identities and pretend to be a different person. The worry of “no wife, no children” “How do you have a wife and children that are so few these days?”, a woman playing mahjong turned to ask Ah Tao. In fact, gay men here often receive such curious questions about marriage. Family pressure, children are always present, reminding Ah Tao that he is living “no wife, no children”. Many people in the community fear that they will be forced to marry and have children according to the expectations of family and society. “I am happy to make friends, get to know many people like me. But what about the future? How should I face my family, how do I explain the fact that I am still unmarried at 20-30 years old?”, Xiaomai’s heart. Some gay people living in Hainan choose to have children through surrogacy, which helps relieve the pressure of marriage and the anxiety of loneliness in old age. Photo: The Guardian. In China, the traditional concept of family still has a profound influence in society. For men, they need to be responsible for getting married and having children at all costs. In addition, due to fear of old age without a caregiver, many gay men accept marriage. “I got married partly because of my parents, partly because I was afraid that I wouldn’t have someone to look after me in my old age,” said 24 year old Liang Zongwei, a gay man living in Haikou. Some individuals like Ah Long (36 years old), a factory owner in northeastern Hainan, choose to have children through surrogacy. However, not everyone has the financial means to do this. In big cities, social organizations are trying to change stereotypes and raise social awareness about the LGBT community. But with provinces and cities that have not yet received economic and cultural investment like Hainan, the presence of homosexuals has not been properly recognized. From the experience of making friends with Ah Tao and being exposed to LGBT culture in Hainan, I reflect more on life, wondering if having to hide my true self is really “living”.

“The new naming does not replace the scientific names of the variants, but can aid in public discussion,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical team leader on Covid-19. Other SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest will be labeled with the words “Epsiloon”, “Zeta”, “Eta”, “Theta” and “Iota”. (Artwork: BBC) Under the new system, the British variant (B.1.1.7) is called “Alpha”, the South African variant (B.1.351) is “Beta”, the Brazilian variant (P1) is “Gamma”. The Indian variant B.1.617 is divided into sub-lineages, where the B.1.617.2 variant is called “Delta” and the B.1.617.1 variant is called “Kappa”. Names such as variant B.1.1.7.2 will continue to be used in scientific circles, because of the mutational information their names convey. “Despite their advantages, scientific names can be difficult to say and remember, and easily misinterpreted. As a result, people often refer to variants by the places where they were first discovered, causing stigma and discrimination,” according to the WHO statement. “To avoid this and simplify mass communication, WHO encourages authorities, national media and everyone else to use these new names,” the WHO said. The Greek alphabet has 24 letters and WHO has not yet planned what to do next if all 24 letters are used. According to AFP, “Epsilon”, “Zeta”, “Eta”, “Theta” and “Iota” are names for variants of interest.

WHO technical team leader on Covid-19 Maria Van Kerkhove. Photo: AFP According to the new announcement, WHO will use Greek letters to refer to variants that were first detected in countries such as the UK, South Africa and India. For example, the variant in the UK is called Alpha, in South Africa it is Beta, and in India it is Delta. The full list of names has been published on the WHO website. The Government of India earlier this month criticized the naming of variant B.1.617.2 – first detected in the country last October – as “Indian variant”, despite WHO never officially called it that. “No country should be discriminated against in detecting and reporting variants,” said WHO’s Covid-19 technical team leader Maria Van Kerkhove, “we don’t want to replace scientific names.” available, but only to assist in the transmission of certain information to the general public” If more than 24 variants are officially identified, meaning the system will run out of Greek letters, WHO will announce the new designation. Ms. Van Kerkhove on May 31 also called for close monitoring of variants and sharing of scientific data to help prevent the spread. Over the weekend, Vietnamese health officials warned of a new virus variant, which is believed to be a dangerous combination of two Alpha and Delta variants. While a scientific adviser to the British Government on May 31 said that the country is in the early stages of a third wave of Covid-19 infections, partly due to the Delta variant.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Photo: Reuters As suggested by WHO, the COVID-19 mutation is called “British strain” or B.1.1.7 should be called “Alpha”, while the common mutant strain in South Africa is renamed “Beta” . The two Brazilian strains, called P.1 and P.2, became Gamma and Zeta, respectively, while the two subtypes of the “Indian variant”, B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2, were called “Kappa” and “Delta”. Two other strains, first reported by the US in March of this year, were assigned the most difficult names to remember, “Epsilon” and “Iota”. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s COVID-19 expert team, stressed that the new names will not replace the scientific name of the strain, because the scientific name is a complex combination of letters and numbers. Instead, the new name will make it easier for people to name variables in public discussions. At the same time, this will help remove the stigma against the country that first discovered the mutation. “No country should be discriminated against for detecting and reporting mutations,” and Van Kerkhove said. WHO List of VOCs of concern. List of Variants of Interest (VOI). In which, the first column is the new name proposed by WHO. The WHO’s new move comes in the context of India’s growing anger when the media calls the B.1.617 virus strain an “Indian variant”. India’s Health Ministry argued last month that the name freely used in the media was “misleading” because it was not a name designated by the WHO. Earlier, in February, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, then co-chair of South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, told CNN in an interview to stop calling the virus spreading. in his country is the “South African variant.” Instead, call it by its scientific name: 501Y.V2. The politically correct idea of ​​WHO is supported by many countries. But it also confuses many people. Some observers argue that Greek letters are actually not that easy to remember. While others point out that the WHO is in danger of “running out of names” at some point, since the Greek alphabet has only 24 letters.

Miss Khanh Van wears a dress inspired by the LGBT community. Photo: Tran Dat Khanh Van’s crew said the dress was designed by Tang Thanh Cong. “The main dress is made in purple. It’s a color that blends pink (representing women) and blue (representing men) for a long time as a symbol for LGBT, associated with the history of the LGBT community’s struggle since the late 19th century” – Stylist Tran Dat – the person in charge of Khanh Van’s costume at Miss Universe shared. The dress has a tight shape, cut-out on both sides to respect the perfect curves and long straight legs of the Vietnamese representative. One of the highlights of this outfit is the giant long bow that sweeps the ground with the image of a hexagonal rainbow, the symbol of the LGBT community. Miss Khanh Van’s mask is also designed in the same color as the bow. LGBT rights promotion expert Huynh Minh Thao. Photo: NVCC Exchange with PLO, LGBT rights promotion expert Huynh Minh Thao said Miss Khanh Van had a set of photos to support the LGBT community last year (along with Lynk Lee, BB Tran, Hai Trieu…). So at Miss Universe – the second largest beauty arena in the world, Khanh Van will continue to show her support for the LGBT community in some way. “It was surprising that designer Van Thanh Cong’s beautiful dress with a rainbow color stripe, the color representing the LGBT community on the back – With the meaning “red – courage, orange – knowledge, yellow – battle victory, green – development, blue – hope and purple – integration” – Hopefully these will also be the good wishes that the LGBT community sends to Khanh Van in this year’s Miss Universe contest! “- Huynh Minh Thao said. The dress is even more meaningful when the World Day Against Discrimination against the LGBT community is approaching. Photo: Tran Dat Previously, Miss Uruguay’s costume with the message printed on the rainbow flag: NO MORE hate, violence, rejection, discrimination (roughly translated as NO MORE hate, violence, denial, discrimination) was also received. much interest from the community. Final Miss Universe World The 69th edition (Miss Universe) will take place at 7:00 am on May 17. Every year, May 17 is the world day to speak out against stigma and discrimination against people from the bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) community. IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia)- International Day Against LGBT Discrimination has been officially recognized in many countries such as Luxembourg, Canada, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, UK, Costa Rica, Croatia, Netherlands, France, Venezuela and European Union EU… The main purpose of IDAHOBIT day is to help raise awareness and awareness of society about violence, stigma and discrimination against the LGBT community on a global scale.

US President Joe Biden speaks in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA The US Senate’s ratification of the draft Act on Hatred Crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic is considered a milestone in the Biden administration’s efforts to protect the Asian community. This is also a remarkable domestic achievement of Mr. Biden in the first 100 days in power. The draft Hate Crime Act of the COVID-19 pandemic received the support of 96 senators and only 1 vote against. The near-absolute support in the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans share seats, shows that the two parties themselves are increasingly aware of the urgency to enact a legal basis to stop them. cases of violence against Asian Americans as well as strict punishment against objects of discrimination against this community. The bill was proposed by the only two Asian parliamentarians in the Senate, Ms. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Ms. Tammy Duckworth (Illinois), requiring the US Department of Justice to speed up the review of related cases. enmity stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic, which proposed the establishment of an office under the Justice Department tasked with dealing with criminal acts against Asian Americans. Law enforcement at the local level will be assisted in receiving and resolving violence against Asian Americans, and expanding resources to improve the reception of information about cases. hate, increase investment to support the victims. Notably, the bill also aims to limit the increasing use of discriminatory language since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Next May, the US House of Representatives will hold a vote on the draft law, but the possibility that the above document is passed and becomes law is completely feasible when the Democratic Party, which holds control in this agency. and both President Biden has previously expressed support for the bill. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) affirmed that the new bill “will protect American values ​​through the fight against xenophobia and hatred of Asian people”. Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the bill as a message to the Asian American community that “the government will care, listen and act to protect them”. This can be seen as a success of President Biden, who has repeatedly urged the US Congress to pass a bill to deal with discrimination against Asians in America. It can be said that resolving racism in the US in general, and Asian-American discrimination in particular, is one of the focuses of the Biden presidential administration. Just a week after taking office, Mr. Biden signed an executive order condemning prejudice and violent discrimination against Asian Americans. The US government has also implemented a series of measures to deal with this situation, such as setting up a committee to deal with and end Asian discrimination, calling on local authorities to pay more attention. to this issue. The US also announced to spend nearly $ 50 million to support Asian people who are victims of violence and discrimination. A virtual library of projects to explore and celebrate Asian contributions to the United States is also underway. Recently, President Joe Biden appointed Erika Moritsugu, a Japanese-American, to the position of Vice President Assistant and Senior Coordinator for the Asian American Community and Pacific Islands. Along with the government’s measures, the US Senate’s ratification of the bill is the first concrete action of congressmen, demonstrating the determination of the US authorities to resolve this issue. In fact, stigmatization cases against Asian Americans and islands in the Pacific (AAPI), which make up 6.9% of the US population, have existed for a long time in this country’s society and are growing steadily. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic more than a year ago, partly due to misinformation about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to a study by California State University, the city of San Bernardino, Asian-American discrimination cases increased by nearly 150% in 2020 in 16 of America’s largest cities, especially in Los Angeles and New York. , where there are a lot of Asians. Stop Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI), an organization that synthesizes cases against Asian Americans, said less than a year since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has received the report. about 3,795 cases of discrimination against Asians and Pacific islands across the US, of which verbal harassment accounts for 68%, avoidance or deliberate avoidance of Asians 20, 5% and 11% are attacks. These numbers are only “a small part of what’s happening”, but show the prevalence of discrimination and violence against this community. According to Pew Research Center data released on April 22, 81% of Asian Americans participating in the survey said that violence against them is increasing in the United States. Even 45% of the 352 Asian adults participating in this survey shared that they were victims of at least 1 in 5 racist acts since the COVID-19 epidemic occurred. Not only the acts of physical and mental harassment, the destruction of Asian-owned stores and businesses that hinder this community from doing business has increased significantly during the period. outbreak … According to statistics from the New American Economy Fund, although only accounting for a small percentage of the US population, Asian people and Pacific islands have certain contributions to the US economy. The tax that the households of this community contributed in 2017 accounted for 7.8% of the total taxes of all households in the US, equivalent to $ 218.6 billion, and this community also spent 526, $ 2 billion in consumer spending, housing purchases and investment. If only 9.5% of American workers are business owners, the rate among Asian and Pacific Islanders is 10.3%, contributing to creating millions of jobs for the US labor market. In 2016, Asian-owned businesses employed more than 5.1 million people. It can be said that the wave of marches against Asian stigma spread in the US, and Asian patrol teams were established in New York and many cities over the past time, showing a change in reception. a positive attitude in America to this issue. The issue of Asian-American stigma is difficult to resolve overnight, but the measures taken by the Biden administration show America’s efforts to combat discrimination and hatred. clan, in the spirit of “healing and national action”.

This article’s Professor and Doctor of Dermatology Duong Hy Xuyen (China) talk about the history of leprosy and the miracles that humans have fought to overcome this evil disease.

When you hear the word “leprosy”, what comes to mind first?

“Phong Village” is forgotten

Without a doubt, most people have this idea first in mind.

This is a somewhat frightening and remote topic, this bizarre disease has been too distant for us in the 21st century, far enough away to be forgotten.

Fifty years ago, hundreds of thousands of shunned leprosy people were still living in China, now it is hard to see them. The miserable patients are inherently seen as symbols of sin: leprosy and death are equated.

Leprosy is a chronic bacterial illness that can be written as leprosy, but it has nothing to do with madness. Perhaps to avoid such misunderstandings, this disease is often referred to as “leprosy”.

But everyone’s association with it is not only madness, but also represents bright red eyes, short fingers, festering wounds, amputated feet, distorted appearance and even death. miserable.

For thousands of years, leprosy has been considered an evil disease, even a symbol of evil, and under the tragic fate of leprosy patients, they continue to be tortured both physically and mentally, This is beyond our imagination.

In the old era, when medical technology was limited, medical equipment was scarce, leprosy was basically determined to be incurable since it had regionally contagious properties, the only way to Control of fluid growth is isolating the patient.

So, on the mountain, on an isolated island, a group of leprosy villages were built so that the sick lived there. There is no specific medicine or vaccine, and untreated self-resisting patients will continue to develop ulcers and disfigurement until they become paralyzed or even die.

Over time, people misunderstood, dispelled, and feared it, and the “scary” Phong was now a trademark of terror.

The end of the leprosy era

The leprosy history is long, stretching for 1400 years, like an endless nightmare.

It was not until 1874 that the Norwegian physician Hansen (GerhardH.A.Hansen) broke the darkness that he discovered the culprit – the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.

Symptoms caused by Mycobacterium leprosy bacteria are manifested in the skin, peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and eyes, if not treated promptly can lead to blindness or deformity, disability and other consequences.

In other words, once leprosy is found, the disability rate will be very high. However, if the disability is detected early and treated promptly, the disability can be cured.

In current medical conditions, leprosy is already an easy-to-diagnose and treatable disease, currently in clinical use mainly a combination of many drugs and chemotherapy treatments, which can cure leprosy. Within 6-24 months, the contagiousness of the disease may disappear after a week of taking the drug.

Usually, if the patient unfortunately gets the disease, the patient does not need to have negative psychology and bewildered when treating this disease, on the one hand it will not be inherited, on the other hand, the survival rate of bacteria in vitro is low.

Generally, they can be destroyed by disinfection, most people have natural immunity (according to survey statistics with 90% or more), extremely low incidence, when infected. Nor does it need isolation, just treatment.

Darkness has long passed, the era when leprosy is “incurable disease” has been shortened by history. At present, there are basically few new cases, there is no so-called “leprosy village”, only more than 3,000 elderly people in community rehabilitation villages have survived the disease, but have also incapable of working, still facing sequelae.

Leprosy is not terrible

Although leprosy is rare, but because it is very similar to the symptoms of other diseases, it is possible to misdiagnose or omit the disease, so the prevention and treatment cannot be relaxed.

On the other hand, leprosy is a disease with a dark history. Even modern people will still have a lack of sympathy towards patients with fear of leprosy, which has become the biggest obstacle to leprosy prevention today.

So sometimes, it is not the terminal illness, but the hearts of people. Of course, society is not without action.

The last Sunday of January every year is “World leprosy Day”, many countries will organize many activities on this day to mobilize social forces to help leprosy patients overcome difficulties in their life. live and work to eliminate prejudice and discrimination.

There are also many volunteers entering the rehabilitation village, sharing, chatting, even eating, living together, giving care, warm care and making their best contributions. can.

The original purpose of writing this article was to hope everyone to have a correct understanding of leprosy, not to be bound by inherent impressions of the past. Leprosy is not as formidable and frightening as we can imagine. It can be seen from a scientific perspective, it will reduce the superficial evaluation and alienate the patient.

• According to The Paper

Dr. Panta Rouhani Schaffer, a dermatologist in New York (USA), said the Y gene – people born between 1981 and 1996 – is interested in taking care of yourself earlier than the previous generation. They fully believe in current aesthetic methods.

According to Schaffer, the number of young people getting botox injections has increased dramatically over the past few years. “This trend exploded strongly after the pandemic, when people were spending too much time working and playing on screens,” said Schaffer.

Botox injection is a favorite beauty method. Photo: Windsor Dermatology.

Botox was once considered the “secret beauty weapon” of celebrities and the wealthy, according to the report New York Times.

They injected botox to melt wrinkles, slim the jaw and have a more satisfactory face. In the past few years, this solution has become a common activity for middle-class and up people and those with abundant income.

Besides Millennials generation, Z gene (born in 1996 onwards) also started to worry about aging and fading beauty from a young age. For example, applying sunscreen is a must before going out with Generation Z, but that is not the priority of the group of people born in the 1980s.

Rushed to inject botox

Leah Walkiewicz (27 years old, living in Manhattan) had a botox shot in the forehead three years ago. She decided to use this solution after seeing wrinkles on her skin and observing the aging of her family members.

“I see obvious wrinkles on the forehead and the makeup on them. If someone told me about the benefits of botox earlier, I would have given it an injection, ”said Walkiewicz. New York Times.

Despite concerns about the harmful effects of botox, Walkiewicz still conducts his doctor’s schedule, about every 10 months. Recently, the 27-year-old girl tried to inject more crow’s feet next to her forehead and the area between her eyebrows.

Many young people look to aesthetic methods to retain their beauty after Covid-19. Photo: BBC.

Kathryn Gongaware (32 years old, from Chicago), a yoga teacher and comedian, is always curious about botox. But it wasn’t until she received the encouragement of her friends that she had the courage to go for an injection two years ago.

“The more people open up about botox, the less stigmatized it will be,” she stressed.

This change is especially evident with women of color – subjects often do not appear in ads about cosmetics and beauty.

Dr Onyeka Obioha, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist who has been using botox injections since the age of 25, said that in the past, most beauty advertising did not focus on targeted audiences. lack of numbers.

But now the media is gradually paying more attention to the fact that women of color also go for cosmetic surgery. As a result, the stigma directed at them also decreased.

Regardless of the consequences

However, the popularity of botox on online platforms has some downsides. Many young people think they need to start using botox because their friends are doing it.

“I met 20-year-old girls in college who had no knowledge of botox. They want an injection because their friends are doing so, even though they don’t think it’s necessary. I will not agree to give injections to anyone in this age group and will try to explain the reasons for them, ”said Dr. Sheila Farhang, a plastic surgeon.

The change in botox management has also motivated young people to try this method. When botox first launched, people used it to “freeze” the muscles under the skin, preventing them from contracting and deepening wrinkles, Dr. Schaffer said.

At that time, doctors were only using 20-30 units for one area or muscle, this number has dropped significantly over the past 10 years.

Abuse of botox will leave unpredictable consequences for the health of users. Photo: New York Times.

“Less-dose injections are prevalent, you can still see the effect through the soft feel and structural balance in your face,” she said.

“Baby botox” is similar to traditional botox, but it is injected in smaller amounts, most commonly on the forehead, wrinkles, eyebrows, and the corner of the eye. When done correctly, the user’s face is still “refreshed” but not frozen.

Although these injections do not last as long as traditional botox because of its lower dosage, “baby botox” can still make a difference in a person’s appearance.

Most patients in their 20s and 30s are looking to this beautification to smooth wrinkles and prevent the speed of aging in the future.

While less risky than filler injections, botox is not always a miracle cure. Botox injections are a medical procedure, not a business model. Overuse of it will severely affect its users.

Dr Farhang said that some people who inject high doses in their 20s feel their skin gradually thinning.

A few weeks ago, Farhang received a fiancé with drooping eyelids due to the injection too low and deep in the forehead and eyebrows.

“I can’t really do anything to help her other than prescribe eye drops to activate muscles in those areas. This is just a temporary way, she looks tired, ”said Farhang.