Ian McKnight explained

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.[1]

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.[2] [3] [4] [5] Over the next 20 years,[6] 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.[7] In 2011, he called on the Jamaican government to increase funding for housing programs for gay men living with HIV.[8] [9]

From 2006-2013, he also worked at the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC),[10] a coalition of community organizations that does HIV advocacy work for marginalized populations in the Caribbean.[11] 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.[12] While serving as Executive Director of CVC, he spoke at the closing session[13] [14] of the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC.[15] McKnight critiqued the conference for "tokenism" and "half-baked" attempts to include sex workers and drug users at the conference.[16] 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[17] and a business training for a group of young artists.[18]

As of 2024, he is the Director of Programs and Services at the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA).[19]

LGBTQ Activism

McKnight has spoken about the dangers facing the LGBTQ community in Jamaica and the Caribbean.[20] He has stated: "Jamaican LGBT individuals have to be constantly careful of how they live and how they manifest their sexuality."[21] In 2003, he contributed to a report about discrimination against the LGBTQ community in Jamaica.[22] He has spoken about how homophobic laws and stigma hinder HIV/AIDS service provision in Jamaica.[23] [24] In 2012, McKnight participated in a legal case against Jamaica for its laws prohibiting gay sex.[25]

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),[26] "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).[27]

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 12 Oct 2017 . Documents from Intimate Conviction . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240531002112/https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/AA00061899/00001 . 31 May 2024 . 2024-05-30 . University of Florida Digital Collections . en.
  2. Web site: 2020-06-08 . Who We Are . 2024-05-30 . JASL.
  3. Web site: Jan 2018 . The Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) Case Study – PANCAP . 2024-05-30 . pancap.org.
  4. Web site: 2017-11-27 . Looking back, looking forward JASL providing more than 25 years of 'love, action and support' . 2024-05-31 . . en.
  5. Web site: 2021-02-03 . Resilient at 30: AIDS Support launches year-long celebration . 2024-05-31 . . en.
  6. Web site: Dawes . Kwame . 26 April 2008 . Secrets, Taboos and Private Lives in Jamaica . 30 May 2024 . Pulitzer Center.
  7. Web site: 2010-04-25 . People living with HIV claim travel rights . 2024-05-31 . . en.
  8. Web site: 2011-08-23 . Jamaica: help HIV homeless . 2024-05-30 . Star Observer . en-US.
  9. Web site: 15 Aug 2011 . New Kingston gay and HIV homeless need help — HIV activists . dead . https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/08/21/LGBTI.pdf . 21 Aug 2013 . Jamaica Observer.
  10. Web site: Directors . 2024-05-30 . CVC Coalition . en-US.
  11. Web site: Who We Are . 2024-05-30 . CVC Coalition . en-US.
  12. News: 31 Oct 2011 . Britain warned of serious backlash over “anti-gay” threat . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111102195843/http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/jamaica_news/513782.html#ixzz1cP4mHGEa . 2 Nov 2011 . 30 May 2024 . Caribbean 360.
  13. Web site: 27 July 2012 . Closing Session . 30 May 2024 . Kaiser Family Foundation . PDF.
  14. Web site: 2012_24 Face of AIDS Film Archive . 2024-05-30 . faceofaids.ki.se . en.
  15. Web site: 2012-07-31 . Caribbean Sees Progress on HIV/AIDS, Fears Funding Cuts - World ReliefWeb . 2024-05-30 . reliefweb.int . en.
  16. News: 30 Jul 2012 . Ian McKnight wants end to “half-baked” attempts to end HIV epidemic . 30 May 2024 . Radio Jamaica News.
  17. Web site: Lewis . Emma . 24 Oct 2017 . Training Citizen Investigative Journalists in Jamaica . 2024-05-30 . . en-US.
  18. News: 2 Nov 2016 . Mighty Gully now ready for the world . 30 May 2024 . The Gleaner.
  19. Web site: Lawrence . Canute . 2024-02-08 . Caribbean immigrants find refuge and solace at PWA Foundation . 2024-05-30 . The Caribbean Camera . en-US.
  20. News: 2001-08-24 . Out of time . 2024-05-30 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  21. Web site: 2012-06-27 . Gay Men and HIV/AIDS Around the World . 2024-05-30 . TheBody.
  22. Web site: Hron . Anthony . 24 May 2003 . Report On Persecution of Sexual Minorities in Jamaica . 2024-05-31 . Scribd . en.
  23. News: Watson . Patricia . 12 May 2002 . Groping in the dark - HIV intervention among the MSM community in Jamaica . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240531012507/https://old.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20020512/out/out3.html . 31 May 2024 . 30 May 2024 . The Gleaner.
  24. News: Dayle . Philip . 2010-12-01 . HIV fears put repeal of homophobic laws on the table for Caribbean nations . 2024-05-31 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  25. Web site: Roberts . Scott . 2012-10-26 . Jamaica faces legal action over anti-gay laws . 2024-05-31 . PinkNews . en-US.
  26. The cost of Hate...How Homophobia Fuels HIV . en . 2024-05-31 . vimeo.com.
  27. A RIGHT TO BE: Sex Worker Access to Health Care in the Caribbean (Part 2/2) . 2014-03-27 . CVC COIN . 2024-05-31 . YouTube.
  28. Web site: 2 May 2005 . Gleaner Co. Annual Report '04 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240531013505/http://66.132.217.137/gleaner/about/annualreport.pdf . 31 May 2024 . PDF.
  29. News: 3 Jan 2005 . Ian McKnight: Born to Serve . Kingston Gleaner.
  30. Web site: 2014-07-03 . Human rights activist Flo O’Connor among recipients of UTech’s ‘Unsung Heroes’ award - Jamaica Observer . 2024-05-31 . Jamaica Observer . en-US.

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