Homosexuals and sex workers have been singled out as some of the neglected groups that continue to defeat HIV/AIDS war because they cannot approach medical services without fear of being punished for their illegal sexual activities. Often, those who engage in sexual activities with people of the same sex are not catered for at all in the local medical facilities and suffer in silence.
That prostitutes and same sex groups are a minority group cannot be disputed. That the majority of Batswana shun these groups cannot be disputed either. Anytime and on any day, voices calling for the discrimination of these groups are sure to be heard all over Botswana. Yet, experts in the fight against HIV and AIDS have advised Botswana that to win the HIV war within these neglected groups, it should come up with laws that recognise these people and laws that aim to reach out to them, against the current laws that punish these groups. Indeed going to kgotla’s can only procrastinate our efforts to take the HIV/AIDS fight to another level. We will just be just going in circles. Various Ministers in the past and even recently returned from these kgotla meetings regretting why they even raised the subject, after getting a barrage of attacks from angry and intolerant Batswana. Many still believe that legalising these would encourage people to engage in these practices.
