Research: In 2008 SMU conducted a needs assessment of
Men who have sex with men (MSM) in
Paramaribo, the capital of
Suriname. The needs assessment was SMU's first large activity and provided baseline information for follow-up activities. One hundred MSM took part in the needs assessment of which seventy men were open about having sex with other men, while the remaining thirty were not. The needs assessment gave sufficient insight into the beliefs, behaviors and needs of men who are openly MSM or are having
closeted sex with other men in Suriname. To illustrate one specific need, reference is made by the closeted respondents for a need for discreet health information for men who have sex with other men. In response to this need, Suriname Men United created a website providing relevant health information for the MSM community in Suriname.
Human rights: In November 2008, a Caribbean telecommunication company organized a free concert with two Jamaican
Dancehall artists who are known for their homophobic and discriminatory song lyrics, in which they speak of promoting violence and hate against the MSM community and women. Suriname Men United, supported by domestic lawyers, the local LGBT community, the media, and the international network of LGBT organizations, confronted the company about the discriminatory nature of the lyrics of the booked artists. Based on Article 8(2) of the Surinamese Constitution, which prohibits discriminatory treatment on any ground, SMU demanded that the organizers of the concert guarantee that the performances of the two artists would respect the laws of Suriname. The fierce stance by SMU forced the telecommunication company to make public statements ensuring that no homophobic lyrics or statements would be presented at the concert, guarantees that the company complied with. From 2010 on, the Coming Out Parade, an activity during the Surinamese Coming Out Week, has become an annual human rights activity of SMU. As a member of the LGBT platform, SMU has organized and taken part in
National Coming Out Day and Coming Out Parade the last 3 years. The parade involves various national and regional LGBT organizations, allies of the LGBT community, and human rights activists. Internationally, SMU is also active in the area of human rights. SMU represented the Surinamese LGBT Platform at the
Universal Periodic Review session in Geneva in May 2011 and requested that the Surinamese government improve the protection of LGBT persons against discrimination. On
Human Rights Day (December 10, 2013), SMU developed and aired 10 human rights-themed infomercials. The infomercials feature representatives of the Surinamese society, such as athletes, parliamentarians, lawyers, LGBT youth, labor union representatives, people living with HIV, and other activists. The infomercial activity was funded by the Caribbean Vulnerable Community Coalition and inspired by the successful campaign "We are Jamaicans". The infomercials were aired on television and
YouTube. ==Public views on homosexuality==