Understanding and Challenging Stigma toward ... - Pact Cambodia

A10
When the Family Discovers
that their Son Is a
Man who Has Sex with Men
Facilitator’s Note:
In this exercise participants make up stories to describe what happens when
a family discovers that their son is a man who has sex with men. This sparks a
discussion on how men who have sex with men (MSM) are treated by their families,
how this affects their lives, and what can be done to change this response by
families.
If you are short of time, you might use the example stories located at the end of
the exercise as case studies and ask groups to read and discuss them.
“We don’t give our families enough time to digest the fact that we are MSM.
We give them the news and expect them to love us in the same way, without any
change. It takes time for them to understand. Remember, it took all of us time to
understand ourselves. So give them enough time to understand what it means to
be MSM and at the end of the day they will defend you, and continue to love and
respect you” (MSM).
Objectives:
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
Describe how MSM are stigmatized by their families
Explore ways to help families become more supportive to MSM children
Target Group:
Health care providers, NGO and CBO staff, police, and the community.
Time:
1-2 hour
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