By Dane Swanser, DKT International
The Pride flag in full display at the Sao Paulo Pride celebration
This month and every month DKT stands in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people. Since our founding in 1989, we have remained staunch supporters of equality, safety, and prosperity for LGBTQ+ communities, and have leveraged our strength as a major player in the field of sexual health to advocate for greater visibility and acceptance across the globe.
DKT’s decentralized model allows country teams to tailor programming to the needs of marginalized communities in their respective geographies. This approach is crucial in how we reach LGBTQ+ groups, whose needs and circumstances vary drastically depending on the various cultural and political contexts in which we work.
This Pride month, we wish to highlight some of the incredible work our teams do to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people while navigating the daily struggles of individuals who identify with these groups.
Promoting LGBTQ+ Health: Snapshots from DKT’s Initiatives and Programs
Latin America (South)
Helena Maciel said she interviewed with more than 40 companies before joining DKT three years ago. She worked happily for many years in a Register Office, she said, but when she decided to leave her job and look for new opportunities, she faced a longer-than-expected job search and some difficulty.
DKT teams participated in Pride marches in Ecuador and Colombia, celebrating love, diversity, and inclusion.
“Here in Brazil, the companies in general have prejudice in hiring transgender individuals as formal employees,” Maciel said. She eventually found DKT through a program that connected transgender individuals with companies specifically looking to hire transgender employees. According to Maciel, DKT was one of the first companies in Brazil to post a position that catered exclusively to transgender applicants. Prior to her joining the team, upper management even held training sessions with DKT staff on transgender-inclusive practices and sensitivity.
Maciel is proud that DKT Brazil is committed to building an inclusive culture and community where LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive. “I started as a receptionist and am now a part of the sales team, DKT gave me the opportunity to grow in my career.”
DKT Brazil is committed to building an inclusive culture and community where LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive. In Brazil, nearly 12% of the population identifies as LGBTQ+. In early June, our teams participated in the annual Pride parade in Sao Paulo, giving out nearly 15,000 condoms to attendees. Teams ran four radio pieces promoting the parade and 12 radio advertisements advocating for the safe use of our condoms. The ads reached 1.2 million listeners in addition to the more than 3 million people who attended the parade. DKT Brazil also partnered with MAC Cosmetics and Mac-sponsored social media influencers, who watched the parade from Mac’s centrally located store-front and were encouraged to promote DKT’s Prudence-branded condoms with their audiences.
DKT’s Chief Operating Officer, Dan Marun said DKT Brazil has been actively engaging with LGBTQ+ groups since operating in the region in 1991. DKT Brazil has never been afraid to push boundaries in its advertising to promote safe sex and pleasure, and even became the first condom company to begin advertising in G Magazine, what used to be a popular magazine for gay men in Brazil, he said.
It is DKT’s brand of “pleasure for everyone” that directly speaks to the interests of the LGBTQ+ community, he said, and reflects DKT’s commitment to ensuring that everyone has a fundamental right to safe and pleasurable sex without fear of stigma.
Marun, who served as DKT Brazil’s Country Director from 2006-2022, said there was a time when marketing to LGBTQ+ audiences wasn’t acceptable. In 2006, the office of the mayor denied the portrayal of a same-sex kiss on a billboard, threatening the billboard company with legal action if they didn’t dismantle it. “The office of the mayor went down pretty heavily on the owner of the billboard,” Marun said. “(The mayor’s office) told them, ‘if you don’t take it down we’ll sue you and you’ll lose your license.’”
Philippines
DKT Philippines brand ambassadors share a moment with Dr. Ronnievinn Pagtakhan, Founder and CEO of LoveYourself, Inc.
Gil Cadiz, the Head of the DKT Philippines marketing team said the Philippines is “one of the countries where members of the LGBTQ+ community can be out, loud, and proud year-round.” DKT is committed to uplifting the voices of its LGBTQ+ community by making space for everyone to be unapologetically themselves, he said.
The Philippines has an increasingly vocal and vibrant LGBTQ+ community, but individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ continue to face stigma, which complicates DKT’s work and even poses significant public health dangers to clients. Due to stigma and discrimination associated with HIV, the Philippines is currently experiencing the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Western Pacific. Approximately 70% of HIV cases in the Philippines are among men who have sex with men, yet over three-quarters of these men have never obtained an HIV test.
DKT Philippines partners with local organizations such as LoveYourself, Inc. and Watson’s pharmacy chain to facilitate events such as Pride and HIV/AIDS awareness-related activities promoting the use of condoms and personal lubricants.
On June 1, PREMIERE Condoms sponsored LoveYourself’s Pride Night 2024, held at the Bridgetowne Open Grounds. LoveYourself, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and treatment, and they also advocate for HIV testing, counseling, and education. The event was a radiant celebration, filled with music and an overwhelming sense of pride. Notable personalities such as beloved actor and thespian Phi Palmos, the stunning drag queen and performer Lady Gagita, and former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach graced the occasion and dazzled the audience with their talents and messages of love, acceptance, and resilience.
Vietnam and Myanmar
DKT Myanmar staff pose in front of their booth that provides condoms, pamphlets, and vital sexual and reproductive health information.
DKT’s work with LGBTQ+ communities in Asia is not limited to the Philippines. DKT is supporting the empowerment of LGBTQ+ people in Vietnam and Myanmar through its engagement with HIV/AIDS work. Recent data shows that in the Mekong Delta region and Ho Chi Minh City, 80.8% of HIV cases were transmitted through sexual intercourse and the infection rate among MSM has risen sharply from 6.7% in 2014 to 12.47% in 2022, with MSM accounting for a considerable percentage of detected HIV cases in some areas.
In Myanmar, teams have held annual outreach events and have participated in larger themed events in support of LGBTQ+ during Pride month. Teams are committed to understanding the gaps in care for LGBTQ+ individuals and continue to build partnerships with other organizations – local and international. Both DKT Myanmar and DKT Mekong collaborate with UNFPA, UNAIDS, and local CSOs to connect with those in the LGBTQ+ community, and this year, DKT Myanmar partnered with the larger, international community and the Institut Francais to sponsor the “Out Loud & Proud” festival at a popular restaurant in Yangon. A “voguing culture” event topped off the evening, which also included live music performances and a dance party with DJ Lalit.
Sub-Saharan Africa
LGBTQ+ populations continue to face challenges in highly restrictive countries, and this is especially true in many countries across sub-Saharan Africa. DKT regularly conducts outreach to LGBTQ+ individuals with resources and information, despite restrictive laws and customs targeting these groups.
In Liberia, our teams have forged partnerships with local CSOs such as the Lesbian and Gay Association of Liberia (LEGAL) and have reached more than 500 men and women with access to education, condoms, and lubricants. Some of these individuals have even become distributors, and are promoting these resources with their own discreet communities.
In Mozambique, our teams promote our online, sex-positive talk show “Prudence Comekie” to normalize conversation on LGBTQ+ issues, and work in partnership with LAMBDA to feature some of their members on the show. The mission of this partnership is to invite real people and influencers to discuss certain topics in a modern and accessible way. Now nearly four seasons into the show, our message has reached over 700,000 people and our audience only continues to grow.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), DKT has been able to deploy discreet programming to provide LGBTQ+ individuals with the resources and information they need. Starting in 2023, DKT DRC began hosting a discreet party periodically every six months in partnership with a local bar to create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community members to gather. DKT contributed condoms and lubricants to the 50 people who attend these events.
Finally, in Francophone West and Central Africa (FWACA), where LGBTQ+ groups face many legal and cultural barriers, our teams have found ways to provide sexual health resources to the most vulnerable groups. Last year, on World AIDS Day, our teams distributed condoms in Cote d’Ivoire in a neighborhood known to be frequented by LGBTQ+ people who sell sex.
Looking Ahead: Future Goals and Expansion of DKT’s Pride Initiatives
DKT’s steadfast commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity and sexual health is apparent through the organization’s diverse initiatives. Cadiz said he is proud that DKT employs marketing materials that are unapologetic in its approach to challenging stigma around the world.
“The tone of our educational materials is and will always be fact-based but cheerful and sex-positive,” Cadiz said. “But written with wit, charm, and style.”
As we forge ahead, collaborating with local organizations and challenging societal norms, DKT remains dedicated to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can enjoy safe, pleasurable, and empowered lives.