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Ian McKnight

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Jamaican activist

Ian McKnight is an HIV/AIDS activist from Jamaica.

Education

McKnight attended the University of the West Indies where he attained a Bachelor in Theology and a master's in communication for social and behaviour. McKnight also holds a master's in human resource management from Nova Southeastern University.

Career

In 1991, Ian McKnight and several friends co-founded Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), the first and largest AIDS service organization in Jamaica. Over the next 20 years, McKnight held several positions at JASL, including Executive Director. In 2010, he praised the US government for ending its travel ban on people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2011, he called on the Jamaican government to increase funding for housing programs for gay men living with HIV.

From 2006-2013, he also worked at the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), a coalition of community organizations that does HIV advocacy work for marginalized populations in the Caribbean. In 2011, he spoke against David Cameron's threat to cut funding for HIV/AIDS services if Jamaica did not repeal its anti-gay laws. While serving as Executive Director of CVC, he spoke at the closing session of the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC. McKnight critiqued the conference for "tokenism" and "half-baked" attempts to include sex workers and drug users at the conference. He also warned against potential HIV/AIDS funding cuts to the Caribbean and called for governments "to make the investment necessary to end AIDS".

For several years, he served as Chief of Party for USAID COMET II, a community development program. Under his leadership, COMET II invested in local projects such as a community journalism training program and a business training for a group of young artists.

As of 2024, he is the Director of Programs and Services at the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA).

LGBTQ Activism

McKnight has spoken about the dangers facing the LGBTQ community in Jamaica and the Caribbean. He has stated: "Jamaican LGBT individuals have to be constantly careful of how they live and how they manifest their sexuality." In 2003, he contributed to a report about discrimination against the LGBTQ community in Jamaica. He has spoken about how homophobic laws and stigma hinder HIV/AIDS service provision in Jamaica. In 2012, McKnight participated in a legal case against Jamaica for its laws prohibiting gay sex.

Producer Work

McKnight has also been the Producer and Executive Producer of a number of documentaries on issues of social justice and human rights for marginalised communities in the Caribbean. These include "The Cost of Hate: How Homophobia Fuels HIV" (2011), "My Body My Business" (2010), "Complex Problems: Simple Solutions" (2007), "Take a Stand: Jamaican Civil Society organises for Health" (2009), and "A Right to be: Sex Worker access to health care in the Caribbean" (2009).

Awards

References

  1. "Documents from Intimate Conviction". University of Florida Digital Collections. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  2. "Who We Are". JASL. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  3. "The Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) Case Study – PANCAP". pancap.org. January 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  4. "Looking back, looking forward | JASL providing more than 25 years of 'love, action and support'". The Gleaner. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  5. "Resilient at 30: AIDS Support launches year-long celebration". The Gleaner. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  6. Dawes, Kwame (26 April 2008). "Secrets, Taboos and Private Lives in Jamaica". Pulitzer Center. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  7. "People living with HIV claim travel rights". The Gleaner. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  8. "Jamaica: help HIV homeless". Star Observer. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  9. ^ "New Kingston gay and HIV homeless need help — HIV activists" (PDF). Jamaica Observer. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 21 August 2013.
  10. "Directors". CVC Coalition. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  11. "Who We Are". CVC Coalition. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  12. "Britain warned of serious backlash over "anti-gay" threat". Caribbean 360. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  13. "Closing Session" (PDF). Kaiser Family Foundation. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  14. "2012_24 | Face of AIDS Film Archive". faceofaids.ki.se. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Caribbean Sees Progress on HIV/AIDS, Fears Funding Cuts - World | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  16. "Ian McKnight wants end to "half-baked" attempts to end HIV epidemic". Radio Jamaica News. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  17. Lewis, Emma (24 October 2017). "Training Citizen Investigative Journalists in Jamaica". Global Investigative Journalism Network. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  18. "Mighty Gully now ready for the world". The Gleaner. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  19. Lawrence, Canute (8 February 2024). "Caribbean immigrants find refuge and solace at PWA Foundation". The Caribbean Camera. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  20. "Out of time". The Guardian. 24 August 2001. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Gay Men and HIV/AIDS Around the World". TheBody. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  22. Hron, Anthony (24 May 2003). "Report On Persecution of Sexual Minorities in Jamaica". Scribd. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  23. Watson, Patricia (12 May 2002). "Groping in the dark - HIV intervention among the MSM community in Jamaica". The Gleaner. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  24. Dayle, Philip (1 December 2010). "HIV fears put repeal of homophobic laws on the table for Caribbean nations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  25. Roberts, Scott (26 October 2012). "Jamaica faces legal action over anti-gay laws". PinkNews. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  26. The cost of Hate...How Homophobia Fuels HIV. Retrieved 31 May 2024 – via vimeo.com.
  27. CVC COIN (27 March 2014). A RIGHT TO BE: Sex Worker Access to Health Care in the Caribbean (Part 2/2). Retrieved 31 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  28. "Gleaner Co. Annual Report '04" (PDF). 2 May 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 May 2024.
  29. "Ian McKnight: Born to Serve". Kingston Gleaner. 3 January 2005.
  30. "Human rights activist Flo O'Connor among recipients of UTech's 'Unsung Heroes' award - Jamaica Observer". Jamaica Observer. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2024.

External links

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