Low-income HIV-positive Americans may soon have the continued promise of better access to health care and federal funding. The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Treatment Extension Act of 2009, or S.1793, passed the House of Representatives on Oct. 21 with a vote of 408 to 9, and was approved by
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) has publicly come out in opposition to a Senate bill that would eliminate the requirement for written, informed consent prior to HIV testing. Some think that by eliminating the requirement, more people would consent to being tested. GLAD shares with everyone in the HIV
ACT UP New York: Activism, Art and the AIDS Crisis, 1987 - 1993, a new exhibition at the Harvard Art Museum s Carpenter Center, includes posters, stickers, and other visual media that were conceived in the midst of the AIDS crisis. The art is a presentation of almost a decade of AIDS activism efforts in New York City.
As someone who has cared for people living with HIV for almost 30 years, I have seen both the ravages of the epidemic and the successes of major improvements in HIV prevention and therapy. But, despite these successes, it is estimated than more than 2.5 million people around the world will become infected with HIV in t
Notes from leading community members (locally and nationally) recall the late Senator as a lion-hearted advocate for LGBT issues. # If there ever is a gay Mount Rushmore, Ted Kennedy needs to be chiseled in that stone. He was our champion, our defender, our protector from the moment he went to Washington. But if our bo
This year, as it celebrates a much-anticipated move to its new home - the Ansin Building at 1340 Boylston St. - the core message of the organization remains unchanged. It s what Fenway s mission has always been and continues to be, Fenway Health President Dr. Stephen Boswell said. The medical organization opened its ne
Fenway Health s Ben Perkins is looking for a few good black gay and bi men. To be specific, he s looking for 330 of them. Perkins and the Fenway, working in collaboration with the Multicultural AIDS Coalition (MAC), have launched the recruitment phase of a new study aimed at learning more about the sexual health of bla
Common-sense solutions to common challenges define much of Massachusetts history. Basic social institutions like public education and our subway system exist because a group of Bay Staters worked together to strengthen our community. The systems we created here in Massachusetts have helped our communities and our count
Ethan Jacobs can be reached at ejacobs@baywindows.com
As the economic downturn puts the squeeze on many non-profits, two Boston-based HIV/AIDS service organizations, Victory Programs and the AIDS Housing Corporation (AHC), have merged. As of July 1 AHC, which provides technical assistance to agencies operating housing for people living with HIV/AIDS, will now function as
Ethan Jacobs can be reached at ejacobs@baywindows.com
The economy may be in the doldrums, but that didn t stop the thousands of walkers who participated in the June 7 AIDS Walk Boston from raising money to help in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The walk, which is AIDS Action Committee s (AAC) largest fundraiser, has already brought in about $900,000 in cash donations, an
Ethan Jacobs can be reached at ejacobs@baywindows.com
Since 1986 AIDS Walk Boston has endured as the city s most visible AIDS fundraiser, but one key feature of the walk looks ready to go the way of the dodo: the pledge sheet. Encouraged by the increasing ubiquity of online social networks like Facebook and Twitter, as well as the skyrocketing popularity of the blogospher
The state Senate on May 19 passed a budget amendment to restore some funding to the Department of Public Health s (DPH) AIDS budget that had been cut in the Senate Ways and Means Committee s original proposal for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) filed the amendment, which brings the state
LGBT advocates fear that a Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget proposal released by the Senate Ways and Means Committee May 13 could mean that programs serving the LGBT community will be hit with substantial cuts. The proposal eliminated all of the earmarks for state-funded LGBT programs as part of a broader effort to cut c
Ethan Jacobs can be reached at ejacobs@baywindows.com
Two HIV-positive patients filed suit against Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) May 12 alleging a violation of their right to privacy after an MGH billing manager lost a bundle of documents on the MBTA Red Line train in March containing the patients names and HIV statuses. The patients, who are not named in the suit,
On May 1, John Keith, independent candidate in the 3rd Suffolk District special election for state representative on June 16, hung a rainbow flag, a symbol of gay pride, in the front window of his Tremont Street storefront campaign headquarters, the former home of South End Photo. His intention in raising the flag was
A group of attorneys representing four HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations may file suit against Massachusetts General Hospital for breach of privacy on behalf of seven patients whose HIV status was accidentally disclosed when an MGH billing manager left a bundle of billing records on the MBTA Red Line train on March 9 (se
A panel discussion about a controversial AIDS documentary, House of Numbers, descended into a screaming match April 21 at the Boston International Film Festival, with both the film s director, Brent Leung, and other members of the audience shouting down and attempting to drown out the remarks of Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, a
He s most famous for his role as the gay food and wine connoisseur on Queer Eye, but when it comes to one part of his diet, Ted Allen s taste is slightly (gasp!) for a Straight Guy. Potato chips! says Allen, when asked about his favorite gluttonous, guilty pleasure. I don t feel too guilty about it, though. What s not
In an effort to deal with an escalating budget crisis, the House Ways and Means Committee has stripped out all of the earmark language for LGBT programs in its Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal released on April 15. Earmarks for LGBT domestic violence programs, LGBT elder programs, and LGBT youth programs under both the
Dr. LeBaron Moseby, Jr. died unexpectedly at his home in the South End last month. Diagnosed with AIDS Related Complex (ARC) in 1985, Moseby used his quick wit, sharp analytical brain, and deep passion to talk about and improve the plight of persons living with AIDS. During the mid-1980s Moseby was part of a group of p
Talk about a bitter pill. Last week a South Boston man received a call from his doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital s (MGH) Infectious Disease Associates, where he receives treatment for HIV. The doctor informed Jacob, who asked that his last name be withheld to protect his medical privacy, that a billing ticket f
Yovannys Kenney, known as Gio to his friends, is an outreach worker at Boston Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS), and at 22 years old he isn t far removed from the population that the LGBT youth center serves. In fact, Kenney is a Boston GLASS alum, having gotten involved with the center as a high schoo
The first panel at Harvard Law School s 4th annual Harvard Lambda Legal Advocacy (HaLLA) Conference was tasked with answering the question, is there an LGBT health gap? Without fail all four panelists answered in the affirmative; Fenway Health population research expert Judy Bradford came equipped with a PowerPoint pre
President Obama today announced his selection of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his new nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, a move that is seen as a positive development by gay and HIV groups. Meanwhile, community groups also applauded what they hope will eventually be the first step by the admini
Ethan Jacobs can be reached at ejacobs@baywindows.com
Major changes may be underway for three of the Boston area s leading HIV/AIDS service organizations. Last week AIDS Action Committee (AAC), JRI Health and Cambridge Cares About AIDS (CCAA) sent a letter to other organizations serving people impacted by the epidemic informing them of the beginning of an initiative to st
President Obama today announced the appointment of an openly gay man with deep connections in the AIDS service community to head the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. Jeffrey Crowley, a former officer at the National People With AIDS Association and a current research scholar at the Georgetown University Heal
In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama on Feb. 24 beckoned American citizens to do their part to help rebuild the nation s weakened economy. And while he singled out health care as one of three absolutely critical priorities during this difficult time, he also warned that a day of r
Big changes may be afoot for three of the Boston area s leading HIV/AIDS organizations, AIDS Action Committee (AAC), JRI Health and Cambridge Cares About AIDS. Bay Windows is working on a story for next week s issue looking at a strategic initiative the three organizations are undertaking to rethink their service deliv
Last week’s announcement of new House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s leadership team and the new House and Senate committee assignments brought welcome news for LGBT advocates. Most promising was the appointment of Newton’s state Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem, a longtime advocate for LGBT rights, to serve as the new Senate chair of
We re talking about life and death. Don t be shy about that says Sciortino More than 500 people turned out at the State House Jan. 29 to send lawmakers the message that despite the economic downturn the state should make no further cuts to HIV/AIDS funding. The attendees, a mix of HIV/AIDS service providers, people li
The Rev. Gregory Groover, who was elected to chair the Boston School Committee on Jan. 5, has made a name for himself in education circles as an advocate for strengthening the public schools and closing the achievement gap between black and white students, but many in the LGBT community first became acquainted with Gro
Gov. Deval Patrick released his Emergency Recovery Plan Jan. 28, including a new round of budget cuts for the current fiscal year and the budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). As Bay Windows went to press advocates were still working to understand how the FY10 budget proposal would impact the state s LGBT and HI
The new Coalition to End HIV/AIDS will initially focus on state funding during this difficult budget season on Beacon Hill. The new Coalition to End HIV/AIDS will initially focus on state funding during this difficult budget season on Beacon Hill. As HIV/AIDS advocates prepare for a potentially bruising budget cycle th
In the midst of an economic crisis that will no doubt occupy much of the legislature s time, LGBT advocates have their sights set on two goals as the start of the new legislative session: to pass a transgender rights bill and to try to protect state funding for LGBT and HIV-related programs. MassEquality, the Massachus
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