Thai Dancers Raise Money To Provide HIV Counseling

A duo of Thai men, dressed in gleaming gold lame and sparkling traditional headdress are dance delicately. It’s part of a performance by Service Workers In Group (SWING),  a group of former and current sex workers who provide HIV and AIDS counseling to gay sex workers throughout Thailand.

"Thai traditional outfits, one is called the kinnaree, which is sort of a half-swan, half-human mythological type creature," says Cameron Wolf. He is a public health expert and a photographer who helped organize the SWING performance at the Global Village at the International AIDS Conference in downtown D.C.

"I love dancing, I love performance, I love someone come looking at me. I’m happy and I can help somebody," says dancer Apinun. He says the performances help raise money for counseling and support services, and that saves lives.

Wolfe’s photo exhibit called "Transcendents: Beyond Limitations" feature the dancers in breathtaking dress and poses, and the stories of the dancers featured are equally moving. You can see the photos in The Global Village. 

The SWING dancers perform here this afternoon between 5 and 7 p.m.