Matters of health relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are central to the business of GALZ. The association provides unique services in this regard and, as homosexuals are purposefully ignored in all government-led national health programming, GALZ plays an important role in ensuring that information specific to Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and Women who have Sex with Women (WSW) reaches at least some of those who need it.

Psychosocial Support

The oppressive climate of homophobia prevailing in Zimbabwe means that many lesbian and gay people suffer extreme trauma and feelings of self-doubt when trying to come to terms with their sexuality. These feelings are often compounded by real fears of being evicted from home, dismissed from work and being verbally and/or physically abused.

Many lesbian and gay people come from conservative Christian backgrounds which frequently results in them experiencing moral guilt and psychological conflict between their religious beliefs and the reality of their homosexuality.

Lesbians and gay men often suffer the stress of being forced into heterosexual marriage, into having children and leading double lives. In addition, since same-sex relationships are not usually affirmed by family and friends, these relationships may also suffer additional unnecessary strain.

So, it is not surprising that, in such a harsh homophobic climate, some members of GALZ suffer from extreme anxiety which at times can lead to severe depression, alcohol abuse and even thoughts of suicide.

Trained professional counsellors in the GALZ Health Department are skilled at providing assistance with all the above problems and more. The department also offers pre-and post-test HIV/AIDS counselling.

On rare occasions, parents and friends of lesbian and gay people approach GALZ seeking help in coming to terms with the discovery that one or more of their loved ones is lesbian or gay.

When it comes to young people, state-controlled propaganda regarding homosexuals is so intense that many Zimbabweans truly believe that the sole objective of homosexuals is to recruit children for sex. For this reason, GALZ provides services, at present, only to people who have reached the age of majority (18). Younger people seeking help from GALZ are referred to gay-friendly counsellors who either already have experience in matters relating to human sexuality or have been briefed about the issues by a GALZ counsellor.

The GALZ referral system also includes a database of gay-friendly doctors, health-care workers and clinics throughout Zimbabwe. This is an important service for, in the past, staff in clinics have been known to ridicule clients with gay-related health problems and to parade them in front of fellow workers.In addition, some LGBT people are so deeply closeted that they feel uncomfortable disclosing their sexuality even to a doctor with a proper professional attitude.

Orientation of New Members

Any person approaching GALZ to become a member for the first time is asked to go through an orientation session which allows a counsellor to assess whether or not the applicant is genuine. Owing to State-instigated propaganda, others are under the mistaken impression that GALZ is an association of sex workers and that members are paid to provide sexual services to foreigners. Some of these applicants are genuinely lesbian, gay or bisexual and are happy to join anyway; others are heterosexuals desperate to earn a living even if it involves performing sexual acts which run counter to their sexual orientation.

Another valuable function of orientation sessions is to discover if new members are experiencing any personal problems that a counsellor might be able to help them with. Basic information relating to HIV and other STIs is also offered. This is particularly important for sexually inexperienced new members who may be tempted to rush into sexual relationships without careful thought as to the implications these might have on their general health and well being.

HIV/AIDS Support

The GALZ Positive Support Group, GALZ+ offers psychosocial support for members who are HIV positive or think they might be. GALZ+ also provides support for members who are HIV negative but still affected by by the virus.

The Positive Image Access to Treatment Health Scheme provides HIV+ members with medical insurance and health care and with access to antiretroviral therapy if needed and prescribed.

In an effort to limit the spread of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), Positive Image also provides members with support for the treatment of any STI, irrespective of the person's HIV status. Safer-sex kits with accompanying information relevant to the LGBT community are also freely available to all members.

See also: Gender • Skills for Life/Safety Net