August, 2016 News (71 Articles with 379,366 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for August, 2016 HARRY MILLER: LGBT Community Progress Awards and personalized letters of commendation from U.S. Senator Bob Casey were presented to community advocates Harry Miller and Doris Cipolla at GEAE Afternoon for Equality. Photo: Mike Mahler
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
Category for this issueCalendar & Upcoming Events
Calendar of Local GLBT Events |
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Local and Regional News
Deadline for September 2016 print edition (issue # 250) of Erie Gay News is Monday, August 15
For the next print edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 250, cover dated for September, 2016), please send in calendar events, news items, and other info for late August 2016 and beyond by Monday, August 15. We expect that the next print edition will come out on Tuesday, August 23.
Remember NW PA Pride on Erie Gives Day, August 9
The NWPA Pride Alliance, Inc. is committed to providing public events to increase visibility, awareness and a sense of community to the LGBTQIA population of the Erie, PA area. We’re hoping you’ll help us continue to bring you free and low cost events by supporting us on Erie Gives Day. August 9, 2016 • 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Eriegives.org.
GEAE After Pride Party
The Erie annual Pridefest is always an exciting time for the local LGBT community. This year, the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) is adding to the celebration on August 27 with an After Pride Party at the Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St, Erie PA from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. GEAE is providing a wide variety of free food for three hours (or until it's gone!), as well as free mechanical bull rides; with a cash bar available. As Pridefest winds down, the After Pride Party will begin! GEAE and the staff at the Bourbon Barrel are enthusiastic about this party, and so we hope that everyone will stop by to continue the celebration of Pride in Erie!
As GOP Writes Anti-LGBT Platform, Cleveland City Council Votes to Protect Transgender Ohioans
CLEVELAND - July 13, 2016 -- The Republican National Convention is coming to town next week and preparing to adopt a "staunchly conservative platform" that "amounts to a rightward lurch even from the party's hard-line platform in 2012" -- meanwhile, the Cleveland City Council today unanimously voted to protect transgender citizens under the city's public accommodations law.
2016 Afternoon for Equality Recap
On Sunday, June 26th, over 100 people gathered for the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality's 6th Annual Afternoon for Equality. This year, the signature fundraiser for equality in Erie was held at the beautiful Sunset Inn, 1990 Lakeside Drive, Erie PA, with a special focus on celebrating pioneers in the local equality movement. LGBT Community Progress Awards and personalized letters of commendation from U.S. Senator Bob Casey were presented to community advocates Doris Cipolla and Harry Miller. Participants celebrated the work of GEAE over the past year and listened to a compelling talk from Peter Steward about growing up as a gay man in England in the '60s. An announcement was made regarding the up-coming opening of GEAE's center for equality, a place to conduct the organizations activities. GEAE's events coming up in the next few months were also announced.
Miss Erie Pageant a Great Night!
On Sunday, June 26, the Miss Erie Pageant was held at the Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, Erie PA. The two contests were Danyel Vasquez and Jill Valentine Jamison. Miss Erie 2016/17 is Danyel Vasquez and 1st runner up is Jill Jamison.
Dazzling LGBT Float in 51st Annual Millcreek 4th of July Parade
NW PA Pride Alliance had a float in the 51st Annual Millcreek 4th of July Parade, held on Monday, July 4, 2016 along W 12th St in Erie, PA. Friends from TransFamily of NW PA and other members and supporters of the LGBT community also rode on and walked in the contingent. About 20,000+ people typically show up to watch the parade. There has been representation from the LGBT community in every Millcreek 4th of July parade since 2006. The response from spectators was overwhelmingly positive.
Pride Day at Waldameer on August 28!
We can't think of a better way to finish your Pride Weekend than with discounted tickets to rides and relaxation at Waldameer Park and Water World! To join us on Sunday August 28th for some family fun at the 10th oldest amusement park in the US, you just need to Use the handy ticket link below to get your discounted day passes to the main park and newly expanded water park. (You can also reserve your passes with us at Erie Pridefest, August 27th in Griswold Park) Tickets at the discounted rate are $24.50 per person.Then just stop by our reserved pavilion, Coaster 1, to pick up your passes. Enjoy your day in the park with friends and family
Erie PrideFest on August 27
NW PA Pride Alliance will be presenting Erie Pridefest on Saturday, August 27th. The day's events will begin with the Pride March. As always, assembly for the march begins at noon at the Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, and step off is at 1 PM with the march ending down at the Festival in Griswold Park. Pridefest will begin at 2 PM and will feature performers, speakers and entertainers; as well as vendors and information tables. The Facebook event page is here.
Entertainment and Travel
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2: Game-Changing Twist & New Trailer Revealed
New York, NY – August 2, 2016 –"RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" season two sashays to the screen on Thursday, August 25at 8:00 PM ET/PT with a queen-sized 90-minute episode, loaded with more sickening twists and turns than the Presidential election. For the first time in "Drag Race" history, the full season will simulcast on Logo and VH1.
Logo Launches LGBT-Focused 2016 Election Series with Chelsea Clinton Interview
New York, NY - July 28, 2016 – Logo today announced a multiplatform digital series focused on the issues that matter most to LGBT people and their families during this year's Presidential election. LGBT advocate and social media star Raymond Braun will host election themed videos for Logo and LogoTV.com featuring interviews with candidates, elected officials and LGBT leaders. He is also reporting via Logo's social platforms including Snapchat and Facebook Live.
LOGO Greenlights Ninth Season for RuPaul's Drag Race & New Docuseries Fire Island
NEW YORK, NY – July 20, 2016 – Hot off the heels of two Emmy nominations and one of the most watched seasons in the show's history, Logo today announced the season nine renewal of its hit reality series, "RuPaul's Drag Race. " Additionally, the network has greenlit docuseries "Fire Island " to premiere in 2017. Both series join the recently announced new reality dating competition series, "Finding Prince Charming," hosted by Lance Bass which will debut on the network this fall.
Logo Greenlights New Dating Competition Series Finding Prince Charming
NEW YORK, NY – July 12, 2016 – Logo today announced the greenlight of a brand new reality dating competition series, "Finding Prince Charming." This first of its kind dating show, featuring a cast of all gay men, is currently in production and will debut on the network this fall.
Political, Activism and Legal
LGBT People of Color Face Rampant Discrimination, Bias and Abuse in the U.S. Criminal Justice System
Washington, D.C., August 4, 2016 - The events of the summer of 2016 have spurred renewed dialogue and protests about the unequal treatment of people of color, particularly black and Latino people, in the U.S. criminal justice system. Now, a new report explores how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color are treated in police interactions, court proceedings and confinement.
NCLR Responds to U.S. Supreme Court's Stay of the Fourth Circuit's Ruling in Transgender Student Case
(San Francisco, CA, August 3, 2016)—Today, in a 5-3 vote in which Justice Breyer noted that his vote for a stay was a mere "courtesy," the U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of the Fourth Circuit's recent decision in G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board holding that federal law requires Virginia's public schools to permit Gavin Grimm, a transgender boy, to use the same restrooms as other boys. The stay will remain in place only while the Court considers whether to review the Fourth Circuit's decision.
NCAVP mourns the homicide of Skye Mockabee, a transgender woman of color killed in Cleveland, Ohio
August 2, 2016 - The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has learned of the homicide of Skye Mockabee, a black transgender woman, in Cleveland, Ohio. According to local media reports, Skye Mockabee was found murdered in a parking lot in the Puritas-Longmead neighborhood on Saturday, July 30th. Local press reports that Skye is the 4th transgender woman killed in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in the last 4 years. Initial police and media reports misnamed and misgendered the victim.
Seattle Joins Growing Number of Jurisdictions Protecting LGBTQ Kids from Conversion Therapy
(San Francisco, CA, August 1, 2016)—Today, Seattle City Council unanimously voted to protect LGBTQ youth in the city from conversion therapy, making Seattle the 10th jurisdiction—along with California, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Vermont, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, and Miami Beach, FL—to protect youth from this dangerous practice.
Federal Court Hears Argument for Transgender Clients in Lawsuit Against North Carolina's Anti-LGBT Law
RALEIGH, N.C. - August 1, 2016 - A federal court today heard oral argument on a motion seeking an immediate halt to provisions of North Carolina's House Bill 2, the law that mandates discrimination against transgender people in single-sex facilities, among other things.
LGBT Advocates Urge District Court Not to Let States Game the System
(Wichita Falls, TX – July 28, 2016) – Five leading national civil and LGBT rights organizations late yesterday filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief in the multi-state lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's guidance regarding public school districts' responsibility to allow transgender students to use the same restrooms as other students. The lawsuit also targets guidance addressing transgender workers. The brief in Texas v. United States argues that many of the states and political jurisdictions joining the lawsuit are doing so improperly in order to avoid transgender-affirming rulings handed down by their federal circuits and that granting a nationwide injunction would be improper for this reason.
NCLR Responds to Seventh Circuit Decision Rejecting Sex Discrimination Claim by Lesbian Worker
(San Francisco, CA, July 29, 2016)-Yesterday, a panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that it was bound by its own prior decisions to deny a woman's claim that her employer, Ivy Tech Community College in South Bend, Indiana, violated Title 7, a federal law barring sex discrimination in employment, when it repeatedly refused to promote or hire her full time because of her sexual orientation. The plaintiff in the case, Kimberly Hively, was represented by Lambda Legal.
HISTORIC: US Navy To Name Ship After LGBT Rights Icon, Harvey Milk
WASHINGTON - July 28, 2016 -- Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military families, praised the news that the U.S. Navy plans to name a ship after the LGBT rights icon and former Naval officer, Harvey Milk. According to a congressional notification signed by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus that was obtained by USNI News, the Navy will name a planned Military Sealift Command fleet oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206).
Chelsea Manning Faces New Charges, Indefinite Solitary Confinement Related to Suicide Attempt
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - July 28, 2016 - Imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning received a document from Army officials today informing her that she is being investigated for serious new charges related to her July 5 attempt to take her own life.
LGBT Community Building Long Term Political Power with Record Number of Viable Candidates
Philadelphia, PA - July 25, 2016 – As the Democratic National Convention gets underway, LGBT elected officials and leaders are viewing this election cycle as a unique opportunity to advance equality by supporting LGBT candidates nationwide. US Representatives Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) and Mark Takano (D-CA), former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and Victory Fund President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills noted the unprecedented number of LGBT candidates running for office this year, and highlighted new research showing the impact of LGBT lawmakers on policy outcomes and their straight colleagues.
Equality California Applauds Choice of Kaine as Clinton Running Mate
Los Angeles - July 22, 2016 - In response to today's announcement from Hillary Clinton that she has chosen Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate, Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur issued the following statement: "With her selection of Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton has highlighted the stark differences between her ticket and her opponent's. In contrast to the extremes of racism, xenophobia, sexism, and homo- and transphobia on vivid display by Donald Trump and his running mate, Kaine presents an alternative: a pragmatist who works across ideologies and across the aisle to get things done.
GLSEN Statement on NBA Announcement to Move 2017 All-Star Game Out of North Carolina in Response to HB 2
NEW YORK (July 21, 2016) – GLSEN's Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard, made the following statement in response to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's announcement that the 2017 All-Star Game will not be held in Charlotte, N.C., as planned. The move is in response to HB 2, the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed by Governor Pat McCrory after the Charlotte City Council passed an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance.
In Orlando, Hillary Clinton Condemns Terrorist Attack, Act of Hate on Latino LGBT Community
July 22, 2016 - During a roundtable with community leaders in Orlando on Friday, Hillary Clinton condemned the terrorist attack against the LGBT community that killed 49 Americans and injured dozens more at The Pulse nightclub in June. Clinton reiterated her commitment to addressing gun violence and disrupting global networks that terrorists use to execute these attacks. Pointing to the need to pull together against hate and bigotry, Clinton said, "We have to stand against hate and bigotry. I was really moved by everyone who stood in solidarity with the victims and families here in Orlando, with the LGBT community, the Latino community, the Muslim community, with law enforcement and others, who have been truly tested and tried in the face of such horror and evil. People from all walks of life came together to help and support one another."
American Federation of Teachers Passes Resolution to Protect LGBTQ Students' Educational Opportunities And Safety
Washington, DC - July 22, 2016 - Following the recent passage of a resolution focused on LGBTQ students at the American Federations of Teachers convention, Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, issued the following statement: "In Minneapolis this week, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) passed a resolution that stands up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ students in all schools, but focused heavily on transgender students' rights
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds NBA Move of All Star Game in Wake of Anti-LGBT North Carolina Law
WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the NBA announced it would move the 2017 All Star Game out of North Carolina in protest of the anti-LGBT and anti-worker law HB2: "We applaud the NBA for doing the right thing by its fans, its players and employees, and the people of North Carolina. When a powerful institution like the NBA takes a stand in support of civil and human rights, that action reverberates far beyond its immediate impact and helps to shape our nation's values and culture of inclusion.
ACLU of Iowa Files Civil Rights Complaint on Behalf of Transgender Corrections Employee
DES MOINES, IA - July 21, 2016 - The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa today filed a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission on behalf of Jesse Vroegh, a long-time Iowa Department of Corrections nurse who was discriminated against because he is transgender. The complaint was co-filed with the ACLU and cooperating attorney Melissa Hasso with the Sherinian & Hasso Law Firm in West Des Moines.
Women's Group Praises NBA for Moving 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte, NC Over Anti-LGBT Law
July 21, 2016 - Moments ago, the NBA announced that they would be pulling the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte over North Carolina's controversial law - HB2 - that prevents transgender individuals from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender, and nullifies existing LGBT protections passed by North Carolina's cities.
CfA Releases Report Showing State Anti-LGBT Laws Coordinated at National Level
WASHINGTON D.C. - July 14, 2016 – Today, Campaign for Accountability (CfA) released a new report, Documenting Discrimination, uncovering how national right wing religious groups – working through smaller local groups – are spearheading the movement to legalize discrimination against LGBT individuals through Religious Freedom Restoration Act ("RFRA") legislation.
NEA president comments on Donald Trump's choice for vice president
WASHINGTON - July 15, 2016 - NEA President Lily Eskelsen García today provided the following statement regarding Donald Trump's selection of Gov. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, as his vice presidential running mate:"Donald Trump had a choice to make with his pick for running mate: to unite rather than divide our country. Unfortunately, Trump's pick of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate indicates that he is bent on tearing us apart with divisive rhetoric, dangerous ideas, and bad choices.
On LGBT Standards and Beyond, DNC Platform Stands in Opposition to TPP Trade Deal
Washington, DC - The following is a statement from Jerame Davis, Executive Director of Pride at Work reacting to the Democratic Party platform adopted this past weekend and assessing why it stands in strong opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal: "The DNC platform makes it clear that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal fails to meet the standards and vision outlined and championed by the Democratic Party, including upholding the dignity and respect of LGBT individuals across the world.
NCLR Launches Campaign Urging RNC to Reject Support for Conversion Therapy in 2016 Platform
(San Francisco, CA, July 15, 2016)—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) calls on the LGBT community and the general public to urge delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention to reject the party's proposed platform and work to end the dangerous and discredited practice of LGBT conversion therapy. Delegates to the convention, which is set to begin Monday, will vote on a platform that includes, among other extreme anti-LGBT provisions, a resolution approving the use of so-called "therapies" that attempt to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Such practices have been condemned by every major medical and mental health organization across the country because they are known to lead to extreme depression, substance abuse, and suicide.
Trump's Policy Proposals Violate Constitution
NEW YORK - July 14, 2016 - The American Civil Liberties Union today released a constitutional analysis of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's policy proposals and vowed to challenge them in court should he win the presidency.
LGBT Advocates and Scholars Applaud New California History-Social Science Framework
Sacramento, CA - July 14, 2016 - The California State Board of Education announced today that it has adopted a new History-Social Science Framework. The Framework sets out guidelines for K-12 schools to implement content standards for history and social science instruction. Among the many changes made to the Framework, LGBT people and their contributions to California and US history are accurately represented for the first time.
Donald Trump's Selection of Governor Mike Pence 'Completes a Trifecta of Hate on LGBT Rights'
PHILADELPHIA, PA - July 14, 2016 – Equality Forum, the nation's premier lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights summit, called Donald Trump's announcement of Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice-presidential running mate "deeply troubling for LGBT Americans."
ACLU Praises Ruling to Uphold Contempt Order Against Kim Davis
KENTUCKY - July 13, 2016 – A federal appeals courts today dismissed Kim Davis's appeals in the Rowan County marriage licensing case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Miller v. Davis upheld the order that found Davis in contempt.
Donald Trump Refuses to Reveal Position on Major LGBT Civil Rights Bill
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Equality Forum, the nation's premier lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights summit, sent a letter dated June 14, 2016 to the Donald J. Trump for President's New York and Alexandria, Virginia campaign offices requesting the candidate's position on the Equality Act, asking Does Mr. Trump support or oppose the passage of the Equality Act?
National TV Ad Depicting Transgender Discrimination to Premiere During Republican National Convention
WASHINGTON -- A groundbreaking ad depicting the challenges faced by transgender people in accessing public restrooms—and highlighting the lack of state and federal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people—will have its national television debut on FOX News Channel next Thursday, July 21, during the final night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The ad will air nationwide again on MSNBC during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia one week later.
Winning Plaintiff in Supreme Court Marriage Equality Case to Testify on Anti-LGBT Legislation Hearing
WASHINGTON - July 11, 2016 - Jim Obergefell, former ACLU client and the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court's historic marriage equality ruling, will testify today at a House hearing on a bill that would allow taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT people, women, and others.
Equality Florida's Pulse Victims Fund Surpasses $7 Million
An online fundraiser for the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting set up by Equality Florida has raised $7M in a campaign that continues to break records for online philanthropy.
Equality California Condemns Police Shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota
Los Angeles - July 7, 2016 - In response to this week's police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile in Louisiana and Minnesota, Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur issued the following statement: "Along with people of conscience across the country, we are heartbroken and sickened by the brutal shooting deaths by police of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. We extend our deepest sympathy to their families and loved ones. While a thousand miles separated them, like the 123 black people shot by police this year across the country, they were guilty of the same offense: being black in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Pride at Work Statement on the Deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
Washington, DC - July 7, 2016 - Following the recent police-involved shootings of two black men - Alton Sterling and Philando Castile - Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, issued the following statement: "Alton Sterling was a father. Philando Castile was a union brother. Their lives mattered, but those lives were taken from them in the blink of an eye by the very people designated to protect and serve us all. The repeated and continuous violations of black bodies is appalling.
GLAD Cheers Passage of Massachusetts Public Accommodations Bill
June 7, 2016 - GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) issued the following statement by Transgender Rights Project Director Jennifer Levi after the Massachusetts House and Senate passed transgender accommodations bill, now on its way to Governor Charlie Baker for signature: "Today is a great day for the transgender people of Massachusetts, and for everyone in the Commonwealth who supports equality and opposes discrimination. All transgender people have ever wanted is to live fully and authentically, whether walking through a park, checking a book out of a library, buying a gift for a loved one, or celebrating with a meal in a restaurant.
Health
MA Legislature Passes Insurance Mandate to Cover HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy
August 1, 2016 - The Massachusetts House and Senate approved a bill late last night requiring insurance coverage for the treatment of HIV-related lipodystrophy. An Act Relative to HIV-associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome Treatment, sponsored by Representative Sarah Peake and Senator Mark Montigny, mandates that private insurers and MassHealth cover treatment for a debilitating and disfiguring side effect of the first wave of life-saving HIV medications.The bill is the first of its kind in the country, and now goes to Governor Charlie Baker for signature.
Don't Lose Yourself in a Relationship
Often, when I counsel newly-married couples, I hear a familiar lament: "I feel like I've lost myself since I got married" or "After moving in with my partner, I feel like I've merged with them so much that I don't know who I am anymore".
Donor Cuts for Global HIV Investments Imperil Programming for Key Populations
(Durban, South Africa) – MSMGF attended Tuesday a press conference to address the findings of a new Kaiser Family Foundation/UNAIDS report presenting alarming data that 13 of 14 donor governments reduced funding in 2014-2015 for AIDS investments in low- and middle-income countries. Chris Beyrer of the International AIDS Society noted this reduction in funding is expected to fall particularly hard on key populations, including gay and bisexual and other men who have sex with men, as donor governments that contribute to the Global Fund and PEPFAR are far more likely to support key populations programming than their domestic government counterparts. This report provides further evidence that all the high-minded talk of "ending AIDS " will be empty rhetoric without necessary and sustained investments by donor governments.
Increases in Hepatitis C Threaten Young Women and Babies
The rate of women of childbearing age (WCBA) testing positive for hepatitis C increased by 22 percent across the United States between 2011 and 2014 (from 139 to 169 per 100,000 WCBA), according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the same time period, the national rate of infants born to women living with hepatitis C increased by 68 percent (from 0.19 percent to 0.32 percent).
Gay & Bisexual Teen Males No More Likely than Heterosexual Teen Males to Engage in Several Sexual Risk Behaviors
New CDC data presented today at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, suggest there are no significant differences in several HIV-related risk behaviors among U.S. male students in ninth through 12th grades who identify as heterosexual, gay, or bisexual. Still, young gay and bisexual males are at much higher risk for HIV because their sex partners are more likely to be infected with HIV.
DATA Highlight: Health Disparities Experienced among Older Sexual Minorities: National Health Interview Survey, 2013–201
The Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS OMH) posted online national data – for the first time ever - exploring differences in 15 health characteristics between adults 65 years of age or older (older adults) who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (sexual minority), and older adults who identify as heterosexual or straight (sexual majority).
MSMGF Releases Strategic Plan for 2016-2021: Community Action, Sexual Health and Rights
Immediately following, an all-day meeting to discuss the future strategic direction of the organization, MSMGF's (the Global Forum on MSM & HIV) International Steering Committee and Board of Directors released their new Strategic Plan for 2016-2021 titled: Community Action, Sexual Health & Rights.
One Hundred Doctors Urge Passage of MA Bill to Treat HIV-Related Lipodystrophy
July 13, 2016 - Over 100 Massachusetts doctors have written a letter to MA House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, urging the passage of An Act Relative to HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Treatment (H927), a first-of-its-kind bill which would mandate insurance coverage to treat long-term survivors of HIV for a disfiguring condition.
Antibiotic resistance threatens gonorrhea treatment
Resistance to azithromycin, a first-line antibiotic used to treat gonorrhea, is emerging, according to CDC findings published today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.  CDC currently recommends a combination gonorrhea treatment with two antibiotics – an oral dose of azithromycin and single shot of ceftriaxone. Findings released today from CDC’s surveillance system for monitoring the threat of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea show that the percentage of gonorrhea isolates with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin, an indicator of emerging resistance, increased more than 400 percent between 2013 and 2014 (from 0.6 percent to 2.5 percent of gonorrhea isolates). This is a distressing sign that the future of current treatment options may be in jeopardy and underscores the importance of the federal government’s Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (CARB) Action Plan
MSMGF Unveils e-Learning Platform for Health Professionals Serving Gay and Bisexual Men
CPR* is a new e-learning hub assembled by MSMGF (The Global Forum on MSM & HIV) and made possible with support from the Levi Strauss Foundation and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It offers continuing education opportunities for all health professionals including healthcare providers, community and government clinic workers, NGOs and CBOs, policy makers and other health sector stakeholders to ensure that sexual health programs for gay and bisexual men are aligned with WHO-endorsed global standards for services. This includes a major focus on interventions across the full HIV services continuum, including prevention, treatment, care and support.
AIDS United Calls for Supervised Injection Facilities as Part of Comprehensive HIV Prevention Strategy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 6, 2016 - The AIDS United Public Policy Committee, the largest and longest-running national coalition of community-based HIV/AIDS organizations, calls for the local implementation of supervised injection facilities as part of a comprehensive public health approach to reduce overdose deaths, prevent the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C and improve quality of life among people who inject drugs.
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
Tracing the LGBT DNC legacy
The Democratic National Convention that will convene in Philadelphia July in just a couple hours with LGBT history on full public view. This will be the first national political party convention with LGBT participation on every level: the largest number of out LGBT delegates and delegates at every level, from a small county district to super delegate, from county commissioner to U.S. Senator. And while the Republican platform suggests same-sex married couples are at risk of raising drug-addicted children, denies transgender people any rights and asks that women not be allowed equal duty in the military, the Democratic platform embraces LGBT issues in broad strokes - from the Equality Act in Congress to the military and trans rights.
Mark My Words: Donald Trump, Orlando and Nazi skin-heads
Like many of you in the LGBT community, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from allies here and around the world after last month's mass shooting in Orlando. But I also have many questions and am perplexed by what I m seeing and hearing as some people attempt to explain or use this incident for their own purposes - or even to bash other communities in our name. Those mixed feeling are slowly building up to anger.
The Problem is Fear: Gun Control and the LGBT Community in the Wake of Orlando
I am a pretty good shot with a rifle. I won a turkey shoot as a teenager. I have destroyed clay pigeons and discs skeet shooting with a double-barreled shotgun. I trained on an M-16, an adaptation of the AR-15.So when I talk about guns, I understand the allure - and the repulsion. I wore a uniform when I fired that M16. Civilians should not be walking about with that kind of firepower. The Senate's failure to impose the bare minimum gun safety measures is unconscionable. I will do my best to remove these cowards from office for dereliction of duty.
The Amazon Trail: Freedom Clothes
So here I am, trying on men's dress pants for the Golden Crown Literary Society Awards ceremony, and I keep thinking of the photos of our people in Orlando. They dressed up too in their best freedom clothes, also anticipating an evening of togetherness. I'm grateful to be alive and able to gather with other gay women, while I can barely take in how many of us were killed, wounded, traumatized and experienced losses because of our gender preferences.
Contests
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Enter to win Blood Like Wine CD and West of Night (2012) CD by Angie and The Deserters!
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Miscellaneous
Partnership Results in New Community College Scholarships and Educational Advancement Programs
LOS ANGELES, July 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the cost of a four-year degree program an insurmountable financial hurdle for many students and families, today nearly half of all undergraduates are enrolled at community colleges. For 15 years, Point Foundation (Point), the largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students, has helped young people complete four-year and advanced degree programs. With support from longtime partner Wells Fargo, Point has launched a pilot program to help students in their final year at a community college achieve their goal of transferring to a four-year college or university.
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