Understanding and Challenging Stigma toward ... - Pact Cambodia

Coping with
Stigma
Example Responses:
The examples below are not the required answers, and you are not expected to read them
out loud. They are included to illustrate the type of responses expected and can help you
identify issues you may want to raise, if they are not raised by participants. However, you
should let each group come up with their own ideas. Remember: there are no right and
wrong answers.
Yes, there is stigma. When I walk with long hair MSM, I feel ashamed and afraid
my friends might see us together and mock me for being with them.
Some short hair do stigmatize long hair. The short hair want to hide their MSM
identity and be seen as “real men,” so they avoid mixing with long hair (who are
more visible).
Some MSM short hair call MSM long hair “katooey,” a very insulting word.
Some short hair want to hide their MSM identity,
so they even avoid contact with other short hair.
This kind of MSM discriminates against both
long and short hair. They are still in hiding. They
have not yet learned to accept themselves
as MSM.
Some short hair don’t want to mix with us
long hair because they fear we will steal their
partners.
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