May 2009 Archives

Raul Hernandez--a Cuban-born, HIV-positive gay man--applied for asylum in the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act, but was denied because of his HIV status.

He has now applied for U.S. political asylum without consideration under the Cuban Adjustment Act, a process that is not influenced by his HIV status.

The Cuban Adjustment Act is a federal law that grants permanent resident status to Cuban citizens. However, Cubans allowed in under this law are subject to U.S. immigration policies, which currently ban people with HIV.

The Bush administration removed the HIV travel ban federally, but the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has yet to make it final. The Obama administration has stated that removing the HHS ban is still under review.

By not addressing this issue in a timely manner, the Obama administration demonstrates yet again its willingness to try the patience of its core supporters, which include LGBT people and people with HIV. Obama should know that our patience is wearing thin.



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Memorial Day is intended to remember the men and women who gave their lives for this country. As a former Marine, I salute their service. I have only the highest respect for them in making the ultimate sacrifice.

As a gay, Latino and HIV-positive former Marine, I also need to pay tribute in particular to the men and women who served in silence or under hostile conditions. Gay and lesbian members of the military are still subject to discharge if they're open about their sexual orientation. How many LGBT soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have died to protect us?

African Americans and Latinos arguably serve as equals today, but that wasn't always true. How many black and Latino members of the armed forces died without the dignity of being considered equal in the eyes of those they were defending?

And too few Americans know that HIV-positive soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have served and died. There are currently more than 22,000 HIV-positive veterans, but how many HIV-positive members of the armed forces have died in our defense?

Every life lost in service to our country should be honored.




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In the spirit of The Denver Principles (a manifesto of self-empowerment written by AIDS activists in 1983), a new set of guidelines have emerged for the LGBT civil rights movement: The Dallas Principles.

Here's info from their website:

On May 15-17, 2009 in Dallas, Texas, twenty-four thinkers, activists and donors gathered to discuss the immediate need for full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United States. Collectively we prepared The Dallas Principles.

The following eight guiding principles underlie our call to action. In order to achieve full civil rights now, we avow:

1. Full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals must be enacted now. Delay and excuses are no longer acceptable.

2. We will not leave any part of our community behind.

3. Separate is never equal.

4. Religious beliefs are not a basis upon which to affirm or deny civil rights.

5. The establishment and guardianship of full civil rights is a non-partisan issue.

6. Individual involvement and grassroots action are paramount to success and must be encouraged.

7. Success is measured by the civil rights we all achieve, not by words, access or money raised.

8. Those who seek our support are expected to commit to these principles.

I added my name on their website to endorse The Dallas Principles and I encourage all of you to add your support.

Hat tip to Pam Spaulding of the LGBT blog Pam's House Blend for this story. She is one of the original 24 people who created The Dallas Principles.



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Cielo Latino 2009 was great! Congratulations to the Latino Commission on AIDS for such a successful event. This 14th annual national fundraiser on May 12 was one to remember.

Among the distinguished attendees: Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza; actress Lupi Ontiveros; actor Wilmer Valderrama; and actress Rosie Perez.

One of the most touching moments was witnessing Pedro Zamora's sister accept the posthumous Voz de Compromiso Award.

One of the most silly moments was getting to meet Wilmer Valderrama. He's so much more handsome up close than I had imagined he would be.

Watch the video I edited of the event:

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I love the Pet Shop Boys. Apparently, so does well-known gay, HIV-positive author and former POZ contributor Andrew Sullivan. He interviewed band members Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe for the June/July 2009 issue of OUT magazine.

The interview covers their 25 years of making music, including the recent release of their newest album. The interview includes subjects ranging from politics to religion, but I was interested in reading that a few of their songs were directly connected to AIDS.

Here's an excerpt:

Andrew Sullivan: Within your music, also, there is the arc of the AIDS epidemic.
Neil Tennant: There are a lot of songs about the AIDS epidemic.

AS: I guess it started with "It Couldn't Happen Here," right?
NT: My best friend was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986, and that song is a description of a conversation we had. I remembered him saying in the very early days that AIDS was not going to happen in Britain for various reasons. And we were being a bit complacent about it.

AS: Is it his funeral in "Your Funny Uncle?"
NT: Yes, and it's the same guy in "Being Boring." When I grew up in Newcastle my first band was a folk group called Dust, inspired by the Incredible String Band, believe it or not, and he was the other guy in it. There were two girls as well. And then we split up due to musical differences, namely because he wanted to be the Incredible String Band and I wanted to be David Bowie, but "Being Boring" is the description of a party we had, "Your Funny Uncle" is his funeral, and "It Couldn't Happen Here," again, was looking back at us as teenagers.

To read the complete interview, click here.
 


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I believe fear is what fuels stigma. Unfortunately, fresh evidence to support my belief is being seen in Mexico, according to The Associated Press. Mexicans are discriminating against their fellow citizens who have had or are suspected to have had H1N1 (swine flu).

From the AP article:

"Moises Bonilla spent five days struggling to breathe in a hospital ward he shared with others suspected of having swine flu. He watched the woman in the bed next to him die.

"Bonilla lived to tell his story -- a bold choice for swine flu survivors in Mexico, where neighbors have shunned the sick out of fear of contagion, even as the government protests foreign quarantines of its citizens. Most of the country's more than 1,000 confirmed survivors have remained anonymous ...

"Even healthy Mexicans have been the target of fear: Some Acapulco residents hurled stones last week at cars with Mexico City license plates, angry that anyone from the epicenter of the outbreak had ventured to their town."

I wish I could say that we in the United States would behave differently, but I don't think so.
 


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The Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA) is the largest national organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS in the Latino community in the United States. So it makes sense that the LCOA 14th annual national fundraiser also is the largest of its kind.

Cielo Latino 2009 will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Tuesday, May 12. Cocktail reception and silent auction start at 6 p.m. Dinner and awards presentation start at 7 p.m. and live entertainment starts at 8 p.m.

This year's distinguished attendees include: Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza; actress Lupi Ontiveros; actor Wilmer Valderrama; Jaslene Gonzales from America's Next Top Model; and actress Rosie Perez.

This year's award honorees include: Angela Diaz, MD, the director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, for her contributions to HIV/AIDS research; Pedro Zamora from MTV's The Real World; and Merck.

There will be musical performances by Latin Grammy award-winning guitarist Hernan Romero; Jorge Villamar, the former lead singer of the Grammy award-winning band Bacilos; and Yerbabuena.

I'll be at the event, so look for an update next week!



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WhiteHouse.gov, the official website of the Obama administration, has deleted almost all references to HIV/AIDS. The Civil Rights section of the site has no HIV/AIDS references, although as recently as two days ago it had two long paragraphs of promises.

The Civil Rights section also was the home of all the promises to the LGBT community, which filled half the page. Here's what currently remains regarding LGBTs:

"President Obama also continues to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. He supports full civil unions and federal rights for LGBT couples and opposes a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He supports changing Don't Ask Don't Tell in a sensible way that strengthens our armed forces and our national security, and also believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation."

OK, not terrible. However, one thing more than any raised my eyebrows. "He supports changing Don't Ask Don't Tell ..." Huh? Previously, "we need to repeal the don't ask don't tell policy" was the language. There's a world of difference between repeal and change.

There are changes throughout the Issues pages on WhiteHouse.gov replacing lists of promises with text highlighting progress. So since there's been no tangible progress on HIV/AIDS policy yet, it explains why HIV/AIDS was deleted.

It will be a great day when WhiteHouse.gov will be able to update the progress on HIV/AIDS policy by stating the implementation of a national AIDS strategy. Until then, it's a waiting game and the players are getting restless.

(Click on the image to the right for the complete list of promises for LGBTs and HIV/AIDS on WhiteHouse.gov as of April 23, 2009.)

Hat tip for this story to the LGBT blog Towleroad.



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