November 2008 Archives

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the assassinations of Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor, and George Moscone, the San Francisco mayor. Both men were killed by Dan White, also a San Francisco supervisor. Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States.

Today marks the release nationwide of Milk, a Hollywood movie commemorating his life. The movie stars Sean Penn as Milk and was directed by Gus Van Sant. Emile Hirsch plays Cleve Jones, who was a consultant for the movie having worked for Milk as a student intern.

Much has improved societally for LGBTs since 1978, but progress for LGBT civil rights remains slow (although I would argue that it's slow and steady). I believe that we're currently in the middle of a new groundswell of LGBT activism, which I hope will result in major legislative victories in the next few years.

I saw a preview of Milk last night and I left the theater recommitted to doing what I can to help us advance our civil rights. I hope that this movie provides LGBTs everywhere with the same inspiration.

"I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living ... you have got to give them hope." - Harvey Milk

Watch the movie trailer:

After seeing Twilight this weekend, I realized that abstinence can be sexy. Based on the book by Stephanie Meyer, it tells the story of a teenage girl who falls in love with a teenage-looking boy vampire.

The movie won the box office this weekend with more than $70 million in ticket sales. Teenage girls were largely responsible for that success.

Physical intimacy is so complicated for the happy human/vampire couple that abstinence is the result. So when the mother asks the girl a certain question, it undoubtedly got my attention.

The mother asks the girl about the boys in her life. The girl finally reveals that she indeed is seeing someone, but has to hastily get off the phone. The last question the mother asks: "Are you being safe?"

The audience laughed out loud, reacting to the double meaning of the line. The mother is asking about safer sex yet the circumstances the girl finds herself in actually require a more basic form of safety.

Abstinence-only sex ed has been a failure. However, promoting abstinence in and of itself hasn't been the problem. Prioritizing abstinence over safer sex and often excluding safer sex education altogether have been the problem.

It was a pleasant surprise to witness a mother ask her daughter about safer sex in a movie with abstinence as a theme. Bravo, Twilight.

Watch the movie trailer:

There are some noteworthy updates relating to LGBT civil rights and HIV/AIDS on Change.gov, the official website of the Office of the President-Elect. Click on "Agenda" in the horizontal navigation bar and then click "Civil Rights" on the pull-down menu.

The "Plan to Strengthen Civil Rights" section at the beginning of the "Civil Rights" page has an impressive set of general goals. "Support for the LGBT Community" immediately follows that section and takes up more than half of the page.

That section starts with this quote:

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

A list of goals follow the quote, including expanding hate crimes statutes, fighting workplace discrimination, supporting federal rights for LGBT couples, opposing a federal anti-same-sex marriage amendment, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and expanding adoption rights.

Below are excerpts of his HIV/AIDS goals:

Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, Barack Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. Obama will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. Obama also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. He will continue to speak out on this issue as president.

Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Barack Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

There's no doubt that these promises are encouraging, but we must all remember to hold the new president accountable.

Click here to read an analysis of Obama's promises by Queerty, an LGBT blog.

In a previous post ("The POZ/DDF Ratio"), I promised a separate entry on "drug and disease free"—a.k.a. "DDF"—to explain why this phrase bothers me. Here are the main reasons.

Why are "drug" and "disease" in the same phrase? I'm a big fan of alliteration, but the repeated "D" sounds aren't the only reason for this word coupling. Recreational drug use and sexually transmitted infections often are linked, but they are not automatically. Many people who use recreational drugs are STI-free and many people who have STIs are recreational drug-free.

Why do "drug" and "disease" refer only to recreational drugs and STIs? Alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs used for recreational purposes are at least as potentially addictive and destructive as other recreational drugs. Many communicable diseases are not sexually transmitted.

It doesn't make sense to me to exclude people who drink alcohol regularly or smoke cigarettes and have cold sores occasionally from the DDF rules. I already hear the counter arguments. Alcohol and tobacco are not the same as heroin. Cold sores are not the same as gonorrhea or HIV. I agree—these are not equivalent, which prompts my next question.

Why request "DDF" instead of communicating what you really mean? I believe that many people who request DDF actually intend on keeping all recreational drug users and all people with STIs away from them. I also believe that DDF is used primarily by HIV-negative people to "politely" communicate that HIV-positive people are not wanted, but the DDF brush is too harsh to be polite.

A phrase like "no poz guys" isn't polite either, but it accurately reflects what the user of that phrase really wants. I say forget being "polite" to me. My feelings are probably going to get hurt no matter how polite you are about rejecting me, so just be clear about it.

Why request "DDF" instead of practicing safer sex? Invoking the DDF spell may ward off most poz guys, but it is not an impenetrable force field. At best, someone may simply be unaware that they are HIV-positive. At worst, someone may intentionally lie about being HIV-positive. You're within your rights to request DDF, but don't delude yourself into thinking it's a proper substitute for safer sex.

The LGBT grassroots protests nationwide have inspired me. I'll be attending the New York City rally tomorrow. I hope that "the fierce urgency of now" will finally guide the LGBT civil rights movement.

President-elect Obama often invoked during the presidential campaign that famous phrase from the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the speech was the defining moment of the 1963 March on Washington.

Here is an excerpt from the speech that puts the phrase in context:

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check—a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

And so is revealed the ultimate division at this moment in the LGBT civil rights movement—"the fierce urgency of now" versus "the tranquilizing drug of gradualism."

It's clear which path Dr. King and President-elect Obama chose to follow. The coming weeks will determine which path the LGBT civil rights movement will follow.

President-elect Obama may prove to be the most LGBT-friendly president we've ever had, but Election Day was bittersweet for LGBTs. The right to marry was taken away from same-sex couples in California by a voter referendum. Voters in Arizona and Florida also denied same-sex couples the right to marry by approving amendments to their state constitutions.

There is much to learn from those defeats. My takeaway is that we focused too much on rallying LGBT voters and not enough on educating opponents of same-sex marriage. Thankfully, the wind is still at our backs.

Marriage for same-sex couples will most likely be approved through the legislatures of at least two states in the next two years—New York and New Jersey. Even now, California is not beyond hope. There are legal efforts already underway to invalidate that voter referendum.

A shining example of what remains possible is the fact that starting today same-sex couples can be legally married in Connecticut. There are still plenty more victories yet to enjoy.

To underscore my point before about educating opponents of same-sex marriage, Keith Olbermann from MSNBC recently made an argument that I think LGBTs should expand—marriage is about love.

Watch Keith Olbermann make his case for same-sex marriage:


Click here for the full transcript of this Keith Olbermann video.

Seventy years ago today, the Germans signed the Armistice to end World War I. Known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day around the world, the United States commemorates today as Veterans Day.

I served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. As a veteran, I'm humbled by veterans who were in combat and especially the military personnel who died serving our country.

I was called up to active duty during the Gulf War, but I did not go to the Persian Gulf and never saw combat. I was to participate in the ground invasion, but the land war lasted only 100 hours. My role as backup was never needed. Nonetheless, I am proud to have served my country.

As a result of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, there are many thousands of newly minted veterans. Regardless of how we may feel about war in general or these wars in particular, we owe all veterans both a symbolic and tangible debt of gratitude.

Too many men and women are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with wounds that are physical and mental (amputees, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.)—and they require serious attention. We asked them to sacrifice their lives, so the least we can do for them in return is provide them with the best medical services available for the rest of their lives.

Click here to read "Sergeant Ozzy Ramos Comes Home" by James Wortman from the June 2008 issue of POZ. The article recounts the heartbreaking and inspiring story of this fellow Marine turned activist who lost his wife, daughter and stepson to AIDS.

Click here to listen to an AIDS.gov podcast conversation with Ronald Valdiserri, MD, director of the Public Health Strategic Healthcare Group at the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration (the Department of Veterans Affairs is the "single largest provider of HIV care in the United States"). They report that there are more than 22,000 HIV-positive veterans.

Barack Obama has wasted no time as president-elect to get ready for his inauguration. Neither should the HIV/AIDS community. If we want his attention during the first 100 days of his presidency, we'll need to demand it.

Sen. Obama made it clear during the campaign that he intends on implementing a national AIDS strategy. Despite his best intentions, I'm sure that two wars and the economy will be his main priorities and may keep him from many other issues.

Health care will most likely remain a top priority for him in general, but it'll be up to all of us to make it clear to him that HIV/AIDS needs to be included in particular.

How? Start by visiting Change.gov, the official website of the Office of the President-Elect. Click on "Agenda" in the horizontal navigation bar and then click "Healthcare" on the pull-down menu.

HIV/AIDS is not mentioned on the health care page. AIDS is mentioned on the "Women" page (with some specific HIV/AIDS items), the "Additional Issues" page (no specific items) and the "Faith" page (no specific items).

This is not good enough. Thankfully, we have someone in Obama that believes in listening to the people. On the health care page, he has a link to a page called "Of the People, By the People" to tell the transition team what we think is important.

I submitted my personal email address, my first name and last name and my ZIP code (they're required). In the "issues most important to you" section, I clicked the "Healthcare" box. I typed in "HIV/AIDS" in the "another issue" field. Finally, I typed in "National AIDS Strategy" in the "your ideas" field.

It took me a lot longer to explain that than it did for me to actually do it. I encourage everyone reading this blog post to take a few minutes to do the same. It may not seem like much, but it can potentially have an impact if enough of us do it.

UPDATE: As of Nov. 17, there have been a few additions to their HIV/AIDS agenda.

As a journalist, I believe wholeheartedly in being reserved in public as to my political beliefs. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled about the election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America.

I believe that Sen. Obama will lead our nation to a better future. That said, I'm still a journalist. My task now is to be part of the chorus of people holding him accountable to his promises, which I look forward to doing.

This election is the beginning of a potentially wonderful journey for those of us seeking a national AIDS strategy, advancement in LGBT civil rights (despite setbacks in this election for same-sex marriage in California, Arizona and Florida, as well as adoption by LGBTs in Arkansas) and many more progressive ideals.

For now, let us rejoice in the hope of tomorrow!

Watch Obama's election night speech:

Tomorrow night, we'll finally know whether Sen. Obama or Sen. McCain will be president-elect. I don't envy either man. If he rises to the challenge, however, his potential for a great presidency is extraordinary.

In foreign policy and in domestic policy, it's clear that the priorities of one man will be vastly different than the other man. Just a few of the things at stake: Iraq, a comprehensive national AIDS strategy, Afghanistan, universal access to health care, Iran, a renewed focus on education, investment in renewable energies, etc.

As a gay, Latino, HIV-positive U.S. citizen, I admit to often focusing more on issues of direct relevance to my identities, such as health care, immigration and LGBT civil rights. Advances in health care and immigration will largely depend on who wins, but advances in LGBT civil rights will depend almost exclusively on who wins.

Passing of The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as well as repealing of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass (if only the military had remembered Don't Pursue, Don't Harass) and of The Defense of Marriage Act, are all potentially within reach if Sen. Obama wins.

Even if Sen. McCain wins, however, there's at least one LGBT-related issue that should rise above partisanship. The FBI released a report last week showing that hate crimes were down about 1 percent in 2007 from the previous year. However, anti-gay hate crimes were up about 6 percent. There were about 1,265 incidents attributed to sexual orientation bias.

The FBI doesn't speculate on why the statistics are what they are, but I will. As LGBT civil rights get closer to reality, it upsets many people for religious or moral reasons (or miscellaneous homophobic reasons, too many to categorize here). A tiny few of those people are threatened enough to react with violence. Unless we take action, the violence could increase with every step we take on the road to equality.

Passing of The Matthew Shepard Act to protect LGBTs at the federal level from hate crimes should be closer to reality—no matter who wins.

Click here to read my previous blog post about the 10th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard.