The District of Columbia s AIDS programs received an 11th-hour reprieve from spending cuts totaling as much as $4 million or more when Congress voted to revise and extend the Ryan White CARE Act early Saturday morning in a session that began Friday. The revised legislation exempts the city from a policy set by the prev
AS PEOPLE LIGHT candles across the world at memorial vigils on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, television channels will also commemorate the day, marking 25 years of the epidemic with a variety of programming. PBS gay newsmagazine In the Life, which is celebrating its 15th year on the air, dove into the program s archives to c
The elusiveness of AIDS is part of what has made the disease such a formidable enemy of human life over the last 25 years. In the early 1980s, it took scientists years into the epidemic to determine exactly what was killing thousands of Americans, most of them gay men. Once that cause - a virus - was discovered, HIV sh
Us Helping Us, a local black gay AIDS organization, is heading to a Baptist church to commemorate World AIDS Day this year. The relationship between gay blacks and the Christian faith is tumultuous, but Covenant Baptist Church in Southwest D.C. has established itself as a place of acceptance for black gay men and lesbi
Far from representing a new danger facing African Americans, HIV/AIDS has continued unabated through black America for 25 years, and will continue to do so until everything from homophobia to unstable housing is eliminated, according to a new study endorsed by dozens of prominent black organizations and politicians.
The District s AIDS administration officials terminated a $227,000 grant to a vendor that vowed to help clients through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ after city auditors could find no evidence in recent months that it provided services to people with the disease, according to an official with the D.C. Inspector G
WHILE SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES ARE traditionally in the corner of the Bush administration, they are now lashing out against the president for appointing a gay man as global AIDS coordinator and for comments made by a cabinet member at his swearing-in ceremony. The discontent stems from the Oct. 10 appointment of U.S. Globa
U.K. cabinet split over new gay rights proposal LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing open revolt in his cabinet after blocking a proposal that would ban schools, hotels, bars and social service agencies from refusing services to gays, the Observer reported on Oct. 15. The struggle is between more liberal member
Despite sharp criticism from some fellow AIDS service organizations, the creators of an edgy HIV awareness campaign defend their work as needed to shake gay men out of complacency surrounding the disease. Much of the controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center s month-long campaign is focused on a
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is looking into whether the federal government acted prudently by spending millions of dollars to subsidize six separate AIDS conferences this year, which hundreds of federal employees attended at the government s expense, an aide to Coburn said. In a series of e-mails sent to the news
Bush administration challenges AIDS funding ruling WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration sought Oct. 10 to overturn a court decision that lets nonprofit AIDS groups apply for federal funding without signing a pledge opposing prostitution and sex trafficking. At least one of the groups, DKT International, Inc., has
As First Lady Laura Bush stood behind her, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice administered the oath of office on Oct. 10 to gay physician Mark Dybul as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, a post that has the rank of ambassador. In a ceremony held at the State Department s historic Benjamin Franklin Room, Dybul placed his ha
AIDS activists expressed frustration after Congress adjourned last week without renewing the Ryan White CARE Act. The measure, which provides $2.1 billion in federal funding for local programs and services for people living with HIV and AIDS, expired as Congress adjourned Sept. 30. The soonest the CARE Act can be renew
For the 20th anniversary of the annual 5K AIDS Walk Washington, Whitman-Walker Clinic officials, the gay health organization that produces the event, say they have reason to celebrate. Once a significant fundraising event that made millions for the Clinic, AIDS Walk participants and the amount of money raised plunged o
Oklahoma teenager allegedly removed from school over AIDS rumors GROVE, Okla. (AP) - The mother of a 15-year-old boy has accused the Grove School District of unjustly removing her son from school and spreading rumors that he carries the AIDS virus. Sheila Dawson, who filed a lawsuit on Sept. 16 in Delaware County Distr
South Africa to permit blood donations from gay men CAPE TOWN - Beginning next month, South African government officials will allow gay men who have been celibate for at least six months to donate blood, the SABC radio reported. The change was one of several that were part of a more streamlined questionnaire for dono
HIV a gay disease in new AIDS awareness campaign LOS ANGELES (AP) - One of Southern California s most influential gay institutions has launched a controversial ad campaign that describes HIV as a gay disease. The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center s departure from 20 years of countering the idea of AIDS as a gay plague is d
Most national AIDS advocacy groups announced cautious support for the federal government s final recommendations for making HIV testing a routine part of medical care, signaling a change in attitude among activists who once opposed widespread AIDS tests without extraordinary safeguards to protect privacy. The U.S. Cent
BEFORE A CROWD of more than 24,000 activists, health workers and researchers from more than 132 countries at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto last month, Julian Bond, chair of the NAACP, announced to the crowd what African-American HIV activists have been saying for decades: It is time for the African-
Two Miami men arrested in alleged AIDS Medicare scam MIAMI - Two Miami-Dade County men were arrested Sept. 6 for allegedly defrauding the Medicare system out of $1.4 million in an elaborate scheme that involved altering the blood samples of HIV patients to make it appear that they needed expensive medications. Luis Mod
Sharp disagreements over how more than $2 billion in federal AIDS funds should be allocated to states and cities through the popular Ryan White CARE Act surfaced this week as a committee of the House of Representatives was poised to vote on a bill to revise the 16-year-old AIDS program. One faction of AIDS advocacy gro
Anglicans weary of gay controversies, says archbishop LONDON (AP) - The archbishop of Canterbury says divisions in the church have left many ordinary Anglicans confused and weary. In a letter to leaders of the world s Anglican churches released Sept. 16, Archbishop Rowan Williams also said there would be no quick respo
The position of director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy has been vacant for seven months, renewing speculation about the Bush administration s commitment to the office. Carol Thompson, who was named director of the office in May 2004 and assumed the unofficial title of U.S. AIDS czar, left her job on
Mental health issues were long viewed as either/or: someone either was, or wasn t depressed. But in recent years, mental health experts have paid more attention to the various gradations of depression, and some gay health advocates say it s time people recognized how even moderate levels of depression can significantly
Cabinet sidelines South African health minister on AIDS JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - South Africa s government scaled back the influence of its minister for AIDS policy, pilloried for questioning the effectiveness of anti-retroviral drug treatments and promoting beetroot, garlic and African potatoes as ways to fig
I M FRIGHTENED ENOUGH that talking to you makes me nervous, a senior official at an American health organization tells me in an interview that is - for the most part - off the record. I m an American. We have free speech, he continues, as though this is a fact he needs to remind himself. We re talking about AIDS. Spec
A new group is adding West Coast voices to the growing chorus of gays calling for change in U.S. immigration laws. Out4Immigration, based in San Francisco, is working with other gay rights and immigration groups to promote a bill that would allow gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for immigration. It s go
THE AIDS PLAY IS a bona fide subgenre of American theater with works dating back to nearly the beginning of the epidemic with Larry Kramer s groundbreaking 1985 drama The Normal Heart. In the 90s, similarly-themed efforts penned by gay playwrights continued to command attention, including Tony Kushner s epic masterpiec
After a year of legislative wrangling, Congress is poised to renew the Ryan White CARE Act. The act, which provides more than $2 billion in federal funding for local services and programs for people living with HIV and AIDS, expired 12 months ago. Early attempts to renew the act were stifled by political bickering and
Gay D.C. Councilmember David Catania was far ahead of his three fellow openly gay candidates running in the city s 2006 election in raising campaign funds as of Aug. 10, the most recent deadline for candidates to file finance reports with the city. According to the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance, Catania, who is runni
Marcy Marcell shudders thinking about what might have happened if Hurricane Katrina arrived in New Orleans just seven days later. If that storm would ve been one week later, it would ve been all those people from around the world here and it would ve been three times worse, if you can imagine that, said Marcell, noting
AIDS protesters still visible at international conference TORONTO - While their numbers may be slimmer than in years past, protesters at the 16th International AIDS Conference made their presence known, including a rally by sex workers and a women s march demanding more funding for HIV prevention. Chants from protester
The Bush administration is accustomed to criticism of its AIDS policies by those attending the biennial International AIDS Conference. But this week, two U.S. leaders in the fight against HIV - including Bush s gay former AIDS czar - took aim at what they called the president s ideologically driven, abstinence-until-ma
Philadelphia yanks controversial ads for HIV testing PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Health officials yanked public service advertisements urging HIV testing after a gay advocacy group expressed concerns about images depicting young black men in a gun s cross hairs. Putting the face of a black man in the cross hairs of a gun paint
On the eve of the largest gathering of HIV/AIDS researchers, service providers and activists from across the globe, critics of U.S. AIDS policy say that it is encumbered by the same dilemma as much of the Bush administration s foreign relations: Most of the good the U.S. does is overshadowed by America s leadership sta
A gay physician who specializes in treating black gay men with HIV and a gay Republican leader are among seven new members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS that were named July 25 by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. The appointment of Atlanta gay physician David
Ann Coulter and Mel Gibson are just the latest examples of our society s tolerance of hate speech in public debate. HATE SPEECH IS not a passive form of public speech. And one of the signs of an intolerant society is its hate speech, whether used jokingly or intentionally, aimed at specific groups of people. When this
When that little space man planted an MTV flag on the moon back in August of 1981, no one knew that the little cable channel would change pop culture forever. Back when it was still playing music videos, teens everywhere clamored, I want my MTV. And at the same time, many parents feared the rock n roll lifestyle, andro
HIV mutation related to AIDS dementia SAN FRANCISCO - Researchers may have discovered why only some HIV-positive people develop HIV-related dementia. A study of 18 HIV-positive subjects shows that HIV in the brain and central nervous system is genetically different from HIV that lives in the blood and peripheral tissue
IN JULY 2003, Darryl Stephens sat in the Los Angeles apartment of Patrick-Ian Polk, hoping to become one of the actors on a series Polk created called Hot Chocolate. Sporting a denim jacket and a debonair 5 o clock shadow, Stephens read for the part of Dwayne, a smooth-talking, deep-voiced store clerk who is aggressive
FOR THE GENERATION that grew up seeing red ribbons on the lapels of stars at the Oscars, the July 18 DVD release of An Early Frost will feel like a bit of nostalgia. In the mid-1980s, the groundbreaking made-for-TV movie confronted the crisis in a landmark event. The first major film to deal with the topic, An Early Fr
Gates Foundation gives $287 million for AIDS vaccine research SEATTLE (AP) - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced July 19 it s awarding $287 million in grants over five years to create an international network of scientists to speed up the development of an AIDS vaccine. The collaboration is critical to ma
Stop blaming homophobia and the D.L. for HIV among blacks and turn to monogamy and responsibility. A RECENT WASHINGTON screening OF the documentary Faces created an uproar among local African-American religious leaders. A number of pastors walked out during a scene that showed a Los Angeles clergyman encouraging parish
Working quietly behind the scenes, Darlene Nipper, director of D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Affairs, helped put together the nation s first known transgender job fair sponsored by a U.S. city. The July 22 event, held at the Reeves Municipal Building at 14th and U Street
IN THIS CONSERVATIVE era of politics and religion, I have noticed how the animus toward people with HIV/AIDS has not abated even though we are now at the quarter century milepost of the epidemic. The new HIV/AIDS prevention push requiring public health authorities and agencies to report HIV-positive patients to the gov
A newly created position within the attorney general s office is targeting complaints of civil rights violations. The first complaint filed by the Office of the Civil Advocate accuses a Warren woman of harassing a neighbor with AIDS because of his sexual orientation. A scheduled court hearing yesterday was postponed be
G-8 leaders pressured to increase AIDS funding ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - World leaders attending the Group of Eight summit Sunday were criticized for not providing enough money to fight HIV and AIDS worldwide. Max Lawson of Oxfam, an aid agency, lamented that two global initiatives - the Education Fast Track Initia
Bush nominates gay man to head global AIDS office WASHINGTON - President Bush nominated gay physician Mark R. Dybul July 17 to be United States Global AIDS Coordinator, a post at the State Department that has the rank of ambassador. If the U.S. Senate ratifies his nomination, Dybul would replace pharmaceutical industry
President Bush nominated gay physician Mark R. Dybul July 17 to be United States Global AIDS Coordinator, a post at the State Department that has the rank of ambassador. If the U.S. Senate ratifies his nomination, Dybul would replace pharmaceutical industry executive Randall Tobias as head of a $15 billion program init
After several days of angry opposition from black gay bloggers, an AIDS charity canceled a New York concert featuring reggae rappers Beenie Man and T.O.K., whose lyrics have advocated hanging and burning gay men and lesbians. In a statement posted on its website July 12, the AIDS organization LIFEbeat said it decided t
Women who have sex with women face the lowest risk of contracting HIV than any other group of the sexually active population, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. We are not aware of any confirmed cases, said Dr. Patrick Sullivan, acting deputy director for science with the CDC s
FDA approves first single dose, once-a-day pill for HIV PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - Drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and biotech drug maker Gilead Sciences Inc. said July 12 the Food & Drug Administration approved a long-awaited combination HIV treatment made by the companies through a joint venture.
Suspect says Aviance called him sweetie, provoked attack NEW YORK - Four youths accused in the alleged gay –bashing of gay drag performer and singer Kevin Aviance claim he provoked them by calling one of the group sweetie. You ain t Diesel, suspect Gerald Johnson, 16, told Aviance, the New York Daily News reported July
The Rainbow World Fund is asking gay men and lesbians to dig deep into their philanthropic pockets to help promote human relief efforts across the globe. Rainbow World Fund joined officials from CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, at the National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., held June
The D.C. Department of Health will introduce a proposed municipal regulation later this month that replaces the city s coded unique identifier system with a confidential names reporting system for keeping track of people who test positive for HIV, the head of the city s AIDS office said. What people are saying is it is
lack gay residents of D.C. and its environs will be donning their finest white garments to celebrate life and reinforce educational messages about HIV/AIDS at the 8th annual White Attire Affair, on Saturday, July 15, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown D.C. This year s fundraising e
On the surface, J.L. King appeared to be a typical heterosexual black family man. A successful marketing consultant and father of two, King was a deeply spiritual man who attended church regularly. In reality, King was leading a double life that would not only destroy his marriage but also land him on Oprah and the New
Men with older brothers are more likely to be gay WASHINGTON (AP) - Men who have several older brothers have an increased chance of being gay - whether they were raised together or not - a finding researchers say adds weight to the idea that sexual orientation is based in biology. The increase was seen in men with olde
Celebrities generally promote themselves using one of two strategies. Either they aim for a humanizing effect, portraying themselves in unflattering, everyday situations with which the reader is meant to identify (think Britney Spears recent interview with Matt Lauer) or they try to up their cool factor by, for example
Goodall opposes request for AIDS research on monkeys ATLANTA (AP) - Primate expert Jane Goodall and 18 other researchers sent a letter to federal officials urging them to oppose an Atlanta research center s proposal to do AIDS-related research on sooty mangabey monkeys. The letter urges the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Ser
A federal appeals court on June 27 ruled that an HIV-positive man denied a job as a Foreign Service officer by the State Department has a right to a full trial to determine whether the government violated an anti-discrimination law. The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Distri
Gay author and activist Eric Rofes, died June 26 in Provincetown, Mass. from natural causes, according to Boston s Bay Windows newspaper. He was 51. Rofes wrote 12 books, most of which considered the role of sexual orientation, AIDS and or education in contemporary society. Rofes also organized 1997 s Sex Panic Summit
A South Florida AIDS organization plans to sue Boy George and his booking company because the former pop star canceled a White Party appearance in November 2005 and has not returned an $8,400 deposit Care Resource, the South Florida AIDS group, signed a contract June 6, 2005, with Red Parrot, Boy George s booking compa
Before a scheduled rugby match against gay team Gotham Knights, an opposing team comprised of New York firefighters asked the Knights if they could swear that everyone on their team is not HIV-positive. When the Knights could not give such a guarantee, the FDNY team forfeited, according to a story on Outsports.com.
A federal appeals court on June 27 ruled that an HIV-positive man denied a job as a Foreign Service officer by the State Department has a right to a full trial to determine whether the government violated an anti-discrimination law. The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Distri
Frank Oldham, executive director of the National Association of People With AIDS, will mark the official start of the 12th annual National HIV Testing Day on June 27 by ringing the famous bell at the New York Stock Exchange to open the day of trading. Aimed at drawing attention to the importance of HIV testing, Oldham
New HIV doorway drugs may carry serious risks WASHINGTON (AP) - The excitement over a novel class of drugs being developed to fight HIV has been dampened by fears they could pose serious safety risks, including the possibility they might actually speed the progression of AIDS. The new drugs, called CCR5 receptor antago
When faced with a financial crisis last year, the city s Whitman-Walker Clinic closed its suburban Maryland location, but managed to keep a Virginia office open. The Northern Virginia location has since expanded its hours and services, while critics contend that the void left by Whitman-Walker s exit from Maryland is c
When a methamphetamine user approaches Kristen Degan, she offers a practiced response. She regularly welcomes meth addicts to Prevention Works, a privately funded program in D.C. that operates a needle exchange program and encourages addiction treatment. Degan, a program assistant who specializes in meth issues, counts
After D.C. s Pride has come and gone, there are still plenty of gay themes to celebrate at the American Film Institute s Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Md. Started in 2003, the annual SilverDocs film festival - produced by the AFI and the Silver Spring-based Discovery Channel - premieres documentary works from filmma
U.N. chief says world is losing AIDS battle UNITED NATIONS - Secretary General Kofi Annan said June 1 the world is losing the battle against HIV and AIDS, the New York Times reported. The epidemic continues to outpace us, he told a session of the General Assembly. There are more new infections than ever before; more de
Twenty-five years ago this week, James Curran traveled from his Atlanta office to a hospital in New York City where he reunited with a patient whom he had never met, and whom the young scientist would never forget. I recall walking into NYU Medical Center and meeting a man who was almost precisely my age, who had come
As the nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of the outbreak of AIDS, Congress is wrapping up its year-long effort to revamp the Ryan White CARE Act, which AIDS advocates say has provided life-saving medical care to millions of low-income Americans with HIV since 1990. The complexities of the multi-billion dollar Ry
Steven Dwyer remembers the sexual freedom that he and other gay men enjoyed 25 years ago. In the months before the HIV outbreak, when Dwyer lived in Los Angeles, he lived a wild lifestyle with a lover who owned the city s first leather bar. All that changed in June 1981, when the Centers for Disease Control & Preve
Despite more than 20 years of admonitions and ad campaigns aimed at promoting safe sex, some gay men continue to seek unprotected anal intercourse, also known as barebacking. There is no shortage of websites and listserves catering to those interested in bareback pornography and in meeting like-minded men for condom-fr
Filmmakers have responded to the AIDS epidemic with rage, sorrow, grim humor, and, all too frequently, denial. However, during 25 years of AIDS, certain illuminating gems rose to the top. An Early Frost (1985): The first TV AIDS film premiered on NBC and starred the young Aidan Quinn as a successful lawyer who flies ho
Despite strong objections from AIDS activists, the production and sale of adult videos for gay men in which the actors don t use condoms is expanding at a rapid pace, with more studios and retail distributors jumping on the bareback bandwagon. Some AIDS activists, who expressed concern three years ago when gay bareback
IN THE LATEST X-Men movie, the humans discover a cure for the mutant X gene, and the mutants find themselves at war among themselves over whether to take the bait. The analogy to homosexuality isn t lost on us gay viewers, since we ve all probably thought about whether we d take the cure, if there ever were such a thin
Is leaders of local and national black gay AIDS organizations examine 25 years of media coverage of the disease, they say news outlets have neglected to properly cover the staggering number of black gay men with HIV/AIDS. I think by and large the larger media has done a poor job covering black AIDS in America in genera
While working as a full-time actor, singer and songwriter for years, D.C. s Monte J. Wolfe noticed that other men who were black, gay and HIV-positive like himself were suffering in a culture that didn t appreciate them. There haven t been too many options for us to be able to express ourselves in public about what we
San Francisco makes it easier to test people for HIV SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Public medical clinics run by the city will no longer require written consent and counseling sessions before testing people for HIV in a bid to increase the number screened for the virus, officials said May 17. It s a dramatic policy shift for a
For the past 25 years, it has been impossible to forget the AIDS epidemic, but it s hard to remember it correctly. The world has lived with it so long, we sometimes need to be reminded how it started, what went wrong and how it got to where it is today. Also, for those who missed the early days of the disease or weren
As the United States expands its leadership role in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, it continues operating without a comprehensive strategy to curb the disease domestically, according to a study released May 23 by the Open Society Institute, a liberal human rights foundation. Authored by Chris Collins, a consultant
Not many people enjoy going to the doctor, given the paper gowns, personal questions, and being poked and prodded by unfamiliar medical personnel. For transgender men and women, the fear of revealing their life-changing decision while seeking medical care can be an inconvenience at best - or a nightmare. Sponsors of a
The nation s largest Black Pride event is on fire this year, according to the organization s board president, Clarence Fluker. This year s D.C. Black Pride is titled, Fire 2006 - an effort to maintain the original essence of the 16-year-old event, Fluker says. As it does every year, D.C. Black Pride falls on Memorial D
A little more than three hours northeast of D.C., nestled along the picturesque Delaware River, lies New Hope, Pa., a popular destination for gay men and lesbians who want to escape the maddening maelstrom of their urban lives. The town is well known for its natural beauty, its rich history and an expansive sense of di
A dramatic rise in the number of documented syphilis cases among gay men is prompting federal health officials to revamp national prevention programs to specifically target the demographic. The new plan will begin an innovative and comprehensive strategy to stem the tide of rising infections among men who have sex with
AIDS epidemic approaches quarter-century landmark ATLANTA - When the Centers for Disease Control first reported the presence of pneumocystis pneumonia in five Los Angeles gay men on June 5, 1981, there were concerns at the agency that they would underestimate the potential impact of the strange new disease. Almost 25 y
Officials at the Whitman-Walker Clinic insist that coordinating the annual Capital Pride celebration remains a priority, despite recent financial troubles and a change in focus toward providing more primary care services for clients. We have not altered our core mission, said Kim Mills, Whitman-Walker s communications
The five major candidates running for D.C. mayor differ on whether to support same-sex marriage or civil unions while each expresses strong support for all other gay rights issues. They made their positions known during a May 8 forum sponsored by the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city s largest gay political grou
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky is challenging new restrictions on protests staged at funerals, memorials and burials. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Kentucky, the organization alleges the ban unconstitutionally restricts free speech. The lawsuit asks the court to suspend the law for the du
D.C. s Men of May are preparing to throw an over-the-top party to not only commemorate their birthdays, but to raise money for a good cause. On Sat. May 13, eight local men will celebrate their May birthdays with a glamorous, Monte Carlo-themed casino night at the Thurgood Marshall Center, 1816 12th St., NW. While the
U.S. immigration laws have physically separated thousands of gay Americans from their non-American partners and Congress should act so they can legally reunite, according to a new report. The report - Family, Unvalued released May 2 - evaluates how U.S. immigration policies affect gay Americans and their families. It a
Human trials near for new HIV vaccine developed in Atlanta ATLANTA - A promising new HIV vaccine developed in Atlanta is taking a major step forward, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported April 23. The vaccine, created by Emory researcher Harriet Robinson and an Atlanta biotech company called GeoVax Inc., is moving i
THE WEEKLONG civil rights symposium Equality Forum and the festive circuit party Blue Ball will overlap for the first time next month, bringing two popular annual gay events to Philadelphia simultaneously. The Equality Forum, which started in 1993 as PrideFest Philadelphia, is being held May 1-7 in various locations ar
Aggressive promotion of abstinence-only education is hurting efforts to combat HIV and AIDS worldwide, according to a new government report. The United States Government Accountability Office recently concluded U.S. health field teams are less effective than they could be because they must heavily promote abstinence as
Immigration reforms under consideratiuon by Congress will neither unite bi-national gay couples, nor let HIV-positive foreigners into the country. Experts said congressional support for the two issues remains limited. Although there is bipartisan interest in passing at least some reform, no congressional leaders from e
Volunteer organizers of this weekend s Cherry 11 circuit party were hopeful that the annual D.C. gay dance extravaganza would buck a national trend in declining returns for the mega fundraising parties held in various U.S. cities. Last year, the Cherry Fund, the tax-exempt nonprofit group that produces the Cherry parti
When Poz magazine founder Sean Strub sold his life insurance policy in 1995, he didn t think he had much time left. In the 1990s viatical companies sprung up to buy life insurance policies from people with AIDS and other terminal illnesses. Because AIDS was still considered a death sentence, the investors figured they
Clinton calls for universal HIV testing BEIJING - Former President Bill Clinton said March 25 that countries with high HIV infection rates should implement mandatory HIV/AIDS testing according to a report in China View. Clinton said this year the southern African country of Lesotho woul
Truvada holds promise as first-ever HIV prevention drug ATLANTA (AP) - Two drugs already used to treat HIV infection have shown such promise at preventing it in monkeys that officials last week said they would expand early tests in healthy high-risk men and women around the world. This is the first thing I’ve seen a
A Baptist minister who has called for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage vowed during his first meeting as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS to push for AIDS-related services for all groups, including gay men. Rev. Herbert Lusk, who embraced anti-gay ministers Jerry Falwell and
Washington moves to protect drug coverage for HIV-positive SEATTLE-AIDS advocates are saying some HIV-positive people in Washington state are falling through the cracks now that the federal government’s Medicare prescription-drug program is under way, the Seattle Times reported last week. Some HIV-positive people are h
The Whitman-Walker Clinic will have a new chief executive officer beginning May 1. Donald Blanchon was named to the post March 21, succeeding Roberta Geidner-Antoniotti, who took over as interim director after previous CEO Cornelius Baker resigned in December 2004. Blanchon s background is solidly in primary care and w
The U.S. government last month approved a blanket waiver that allows foreign visitors who are HIV positive to travel to the United States to participate in or attend the Gay Games VII Sports & Cultural Festival in Chicago in July. The waiver provides a temporary, 20-day exemption from a U.S. immigration law that de
Eight Democratic senators listened to complaints last week from gay activists that they and their party colleagues have hindered progress on gay rights, according to several participants in the meeting. The activists say that by remaining passive or by taking ambiguous and tortured positions on same-sex marriage and ot
For the first time since a ban prohibiting gay men from donating blood went into effect more than two decades ago, the American Red Cross is petitioning the government to revise the guideline. A federal Food & Drug Administration advisory panel heard arguments March 9 in Bethesda, Md., against the current policy, p
The latest U.S. State Department human rights report has some gay activists calling on the government to heed its own advice and impose sanctions on countries that target gay citizens with abuse. Each year, the State Department issues a human rights report detailing abuse committed by foreign governments, including abu
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration was scheduled to meet March 9 to hear arguments from organizations that want changes to a 23-year-old policy prohibiting gay men from donating blood. During the onset of AIDS, no test was available to detect HIV in blood, and thousands of transfusion recipients became infected wi
DISCO, DECADENCE AND IMAGES OF a forgotten Manhattan set the stage for a tale of freedom found and, ultimately, lives lost in 1970s Greenwich Village. On the heels of Stonewall, gay New York was ripe for a sexual revolution. For the first time in modern history, gay men of all backgrounds began to experience a freedom
LAS VEGAS RESIDENT Robert Hickman was just settling into his new job as manager of a Subway sandwich shop in February 2005 when he was allegedly fired for being HIV-positive, according to a federal lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund last month. Hickman first disclosed his HIV status to the compa
A conservative senator who opposes gay rights is winning support from several AIDS groups for a bill he introduced this week to overhaul the Ryan White AIDS CARE Act. Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma incorporated into his bill a number of recommendations from national AIDS advocacy groups, including calls for inc
President Bush has appointed a Baptist minister who advocates a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. In a move yet to be publicly announced, Bush last month named Rev. Herbert Lusk, a former Philadelphia Eagles football star and current pastor of Philadelphia s
Drug helps add body fat to HIV-positive patients DENVER - A French study has found the drug pioglitazone helps HIV-positive people add body fat to their arms and legs, Reuters Health reported earlier this month. A study of 130 HIV-infected adults who were on the same highly active antiretroviral regimen for the previou
AN IMPORTANT HIV treatment study released this month has been poorly explained in the mainstream media, possibly leading those living with HIV to dangerously misguided conclusions about when they need to start therapy. Consider the Reuters news headline about the research, presented at the Conference on Retroviruses
Since bird flu starting grabbing international headlines in 2003, fear of a pandemic has swept across the globe and refocused health policies in some countries, including the United States . In all, 91 people died of avian flu between 2003 and Feb. 13, 2006, according to the World Health Organizati
CDC study shows HIV hitting black men 7 times harder DENVER, Colo. - Just over half of new infections with the AIDS virus in the United States are in blacks, U.S. researchers reported. A study of detailed data from 33 states shows that of 156,000 new cases of HIV infection between 2001 and 2004, 51 percent were in non-
Spending for AIDS prevention and treatment programs in the United States would increase by $128 million while AIDS research funds for the National Institutes of Health would be cut by $15 million under President Bush s proposed fiscal year 2007 budget. The president s budget also calls for a $740 million increase in th
HIV study suggests starting meds early ATLANTA - Patients with the AIDS virus are better off if they start taking powerful medicines early, rather than waiting for symptoms of their disease to appear, new research suggests. A new study calls into question guidelines that say patients should delay taking the toxic drugs
A new plan to have a majority of the Whitman-Walker Clinic s board of directors come from its client base is drawing cheers from AIDS activists. The Clinic wants to ensure that at least 51 percent of its board members are clients, according to spokesperson Kim Mills. Billy Cox, chair of the Whitman-Walker board and who
The black church sold out its social gospel message of justice for faith-based initiative dollars, and Al Sharpton can t save it. SHOULD THE BLACK church continue to have such a central role in the lives of African-Americans in 2006. Consider the inattention from black churches to the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging our com
Bills may let doctors refuse to treat gays, offer birth control WASHINGTON, D.C. - Gay rights advocates fear gay patients will be among those affected as legislatures in 18 states weigh measures to allow health care providers to refuse to offer treatments with which they disagree, the Washington Post reported. This goe
Religious groups get nearly one-quarter of U.S. AIDS money WASHINGTON - President Bush s $15 billion effort to fight AIDS has handed out nearly one-quarter of its grants to religious groups, and officials are aggressively pursuing new church partners that often emphasize disease prevention through abstinence and fideli
As some anti-gay black clergy are likely to recall the legacy of Coretta Scott King and her contribution to the civil rights movement during sermons this week, gay activists hope they will also heed her call for equal rights for all people. Ministers today need to sit back and realize what Dr. and Mrs. King were all ab
Calif. may switch to name-based HIV reporting LOS ANGELES - As opposition eases, legislation to allow California health officials to track HIV patients by name may be headed toward approval, the Los Angeles Times reported. Years of debate over privacy concerns blocked the bill, with critics concerned that the method wo
GAY ACTIVISTS HAVE A SIMPLE NEW way to help fight the spread of AIDS: donating idle computer time to a global community of computers that will crunch data to find new HIV drugs. By joining the World Community Grid, which links personal computers around the globe to create a virtual super computer, people donate their i
Report: Unsafe sex common in those with resistant HIV NEW YORK - A notable percentage of both gay and heterosexual men with anti-retroviral-resistant HIV engage in high-risk sex with HIV-negative partners, researchers report, according to Reuters Health. Identification of those who are most likely to transmit drug resi
Activists protest arrest of gay men for online club in India NEW DELHI - The arrest by Lucknow police of four men for homosexuality and allegedly running an online gay club sparked a rare protest in the capital city last week, Reuters reported. The protesters demanded the release of the men, charged under 19th-century
A new government program designed to collect behavioral information about people with HIV is invasive and time-consuming, according to an AIDS advocacy group that wants the new requirements scrapped. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has already implemented its Program Evaluation & Monitoring System,
F=Supreme Count nominee Samuel Alito believes that some of his judicial decisions have favored the small person who was challenging a big institution. His unsolicited comment this week during his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee centered on a gay-related decision he wrote while serving as an
Tory Dent, poet who wrote of living with HIV, dead at 47 NEW YORK (AP) - Tory Dent, a poet and critic whose searing poems about living with AIDS won several awards, died Dec. 30. She was 47. Dent died at her Manhattan home of an opportunistic infection associated with AIDS, said her husband, Sean Harvey. Since she was
The Whitman-Walker Clinic is seeking to broaden its patient base from mostly people with HIV and AIDS to all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their families, however they choose to define family, Clinic officials said this week. The Clinic has long treated non-HIV patients through its sexually transmit
Calif. AIDS group decries New Year s Eve Viagra ad CHICAGO - Alleging that ads for the impotence pill Viagra encourage recreational use of the drug, a top AIDS advocacy and treatment organization last week asked the drug s maker to pull the New Year s Eve advertisements, Reuters reported. In the full-page ad that ran i
Local health clinics are looking closely at HIV test results after clinics in California and New York received a high number of false positives with a widely used oral test. The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and two San Francisco Department of Health testing sites stopped using OraQuick Advance, a mouth-swab test that
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to open confirmation hearings on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 9, and gay organizations and liberal allies have stepped up a coordinated campaign to portray Alito as a hard-nosed, conservative ideologue. Led by Lambda Legal Defense & Edu
British couple plans to fight for morning after HIV drug LONDON - A gay couple plans to sue the government over its refusal to offer an HIV treatment that acts like a morning after treatment to prevent infection with the virus, the Guardian reported. The two men, both HIV positive, want to force the Department of Healt
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