The CDC has dropped the ball...
WASHINGTON (June 27, 2010) As health departments, community organizations and AIDS advocates around the country observe National HIV Testing Day today, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) criticized the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) for its failure to implement its own landmark 2006 change it its official HIV testing guidelines that included the recommendation for routine testing of all individuals ages 13-64 for HIV as they visit or encounter routine healthcare settings. Instead, health bureaucrats at the CDC and in the field rely on outdated, ineffectual behavioral interventions as the number of new HIV infections in the US—now, thought to be about 56,000 new cases each year—continues to grow.
“Having a policy on routine HIV testing is absolutely worthless unless you implement it,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which conducts over 40,000 free HIV and STD tests annually throughout California, Florida and Washington, DC. “With rapid HIV testing technology today, the process have never been easier, yet the CDC still relies on useless behavioral interventions to try to address the growing US epidemic. The CDC and other government bodies do not put enough priority on testing when it comes to funding programs. They are not actively encouraging jurisdictions to implement routine testing, or streamlining the testing process.” “The CDC pushes HIV National HIV testing Day, but it is not making routine testing happen a full four years after recommending it,” said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Director of Public Health for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “How many people have to become infected with HIV before the CDC will take a more assertive posture with states that will not fully implement its recommendations? How much are we willing to spend on behavioral interventions that are expensive and not effective before we make the choice to prioritize testing and finding HIV positive individuals as a primary and secondary prevention method?”
Engeran-Cordova oversees AHF’s HIV testing program, whose ‘Testing America’ mobile HIV testing van wraps up an ambitious 6-month, 48 state free HIV testing tour in New York City this weekend. The AHF/Magic Johnson ‘Testing America’ tour, which kicked off in Los Angeles in January and has logged over 4,300 tests so far in more that 20,000 miles of travel—is part of a collaborative effort to raise local and national awareness about the importance—and ease—of HIV testing and to challenge attitudes about moving toward a streamlined model of HIV testing and counseling nationwide. This is AHF’s second HIV Testing Tour across the US after the successful completion of its inaugural 14 city AHF/Magic Johnson HIV Testing Caravan in mid-2009.At the time of the CDC’s landmark recommendation for changes in HIV testing back in 2006, a Medscape.com article (September 26, 2006, News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD; CME Author: Charles Vega, MD, FAAFP) reported:
“These recommendations for HIV testing are intended for all healthcare providers in both public and private settings, including hospital emergency departments, urgent care clinics, inpatient services, substance abuse treatment clinics, public health clinics, community clinics, correctional healthcare facilities, and primary care.”
The article also noted “The goals of these recommendations are to increase HIV screening of pregnant women and other patients in healthcare settings, to allow earlier detection of HIV infection, to identify and counsel persons with unrecognized HIV infection and refer them to clinical and prevention services, and to further reduce perinatal transmission of HIV in the United States. These revised guidelines update previous recommendations for HIV testing in healthcare settings and for screening of pregnant women.”
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest global AIDS organization. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 137,000 individuals in 23 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia Pacific Region and Eastern Europe.
Source: www.aidshealth.org
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
An Email from L.A.
It's Saturday morning and the only reason I'm awake at 9:00 a.m. is because "my guy" had a photo shoot to art direct, and as he was leaving my place he asked me to lock the door behind him. I got up, locked the door and I grabbed my cell phone from the dresser before I crawled back in the bed to check emails, texts, Facebook, and Twitter messages that may have come through and this is the first thing I saw....
From: Beyonce World
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:54:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Im Amazed
Hello my name is Shannon from los angeles ca and i came across your blog today & i am absolutely amazed of all of the lost knowledge i learned today reading your blog.you are the example of what society needs to see from a gay black man. You have stimulated my mind and inspired me so much. And your play...WOW, this what the world needs to see. No one can interpret the lifestyle better than ourselves. I hope this play leaves a grand mark and i cant wait to see the finished product. If no one has ever told you I want to say thank you, for sharing your knowledge to people like me. You may not have the fame or success like tyler perry but sure captured the heart of a new fan. Dont stop until you reach the top!!!!
Signed,
A newfound fan
Signed,
A newfound fan
This is my reply:
I almost deleted your email without opening it because I thought it was spam because the "FROM:" field said "Beyonce World". My mouth was wide open as I read your email and I couldn't help but wonder how you learned about the blog. Before I knew it I was in tears sobbing because I struggle on many levels daily to get "A Day in the Life" the brand to the masses.
It's been eight years and counting since I sat down to write the stage play, and it's since developed into a script for cable (not yet developed) and the blog. I created the blog with hopes of reaching young gay people, perhaps, in small towns that need examples of progressive gay people to inspire, uplift, and encourage. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me reasonS today to continue searching for resources and making daily sacrifices for "A Day in the Life".
Craig Stewart
It's been eight years and counting since I sat down to write the stage play, and it's since developed into a script for cable (not yet developed) and the blog. I created the blog with hopes of reaching young gay people, perhaps, in small towns that need examples of progressive gay people to inspire, uplift, and encourage. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me reasonS today to continue searching for resources and making daily sacrifices for "A Day in the Life".
Craig Stewart
Proof yet again that God works through people...
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Friday, June 25, 2010
A Night to Network...
Last night began on the rooftop of the Loews Hotel for Dining Out Magazine's Summer Issue Release Celebration at the Loews Hotel on the Terrace. Afterwards we convened in the lobby for a special performance by Ben Deignan who sang some originals as well as covers by Bobby Brown, Maroon 5. In this photo (above), master tailor Matthew Weaver, hair enthusiasts Brandon Thompson and Monty.
Rameses Frederick, Founder of Urban Socialites magazine
(with 944 magazine managing editor, Isoul Harris)
My next stop of the night was the Hotel Palomar for Equally Wed, the nation’s premier online same-sex wedding magazine event. The couple (seen below) said the idea came as a result of planning their own nuptials, so, immediately after they married they created equallywed.com to assist other gay and lesbian couples who are tying the knot. Their site is full of resources as well as engagement stories. The signature drink for the event, Belvedere grapefruit spritzer...
(it was hot. See the sweat on my shirt)
Photos from Equally Wed Event by: http://www.annaandspencer.com
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
DC Woman Sues Church for Tithes Payed...
DC resident, Yvonne Moore sued Covenant Baptist Church over its support of gay marriage, Soledad O'Brien reported. Moore, a member of Covenant Baptist for 37 years, sued for her weekly tithes of nearly $250,000 after Pastors Dennis and Christine Wiley performed a gay commitment ceremony in 2007. “I don’t believe in that, I’m a southern Baptist,” Moore told O’Brien. “The bible speaks against that. You cannot take that in the church.”
Moore was not the only member displeased with the union. According to CNN, the historically black church lost half of its congregation following its active support of marriage equality. The church’s pastors consider the struggle gay rights an extension of the black civil rights movement.
“I don’t think we as a people have a lock on civil rights,” Pastor Dennis Wiley said.
Moore has since dropped her lawsuit, but has not returned to the congregation.
Source: 365 gay.com
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Behind the Scene Video, "A Day in the Life"
Here are some behind the scene clips from the shoot for the "A Day in the Life" trailer. Jasmine Bonet is featured in these clips, but we have 4 different scenes that we'll merge together. The purpose of this trailer is two fold: to shop as a cable series and to procure sponsorship for a national tour of the stage play. Stay tuned for the full length trailer...
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Day 3, A Day in the Life Trailer Shoot
Yesterday was the third day of filming for the "A Day in the Life" trailer. Chet Brewster of Davenstar shot all of Tyler Perry's stage plays, (King & Queens of Comedy), Keith Sweat's Platinum House and now "A Day in the Life". Jasmine Bonet is "the face", "the body" and one of the stars of the stage play. Here are a few snap shots from the Purple Door.
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
A Move to Massachussetts...
Massachusetts made the list of best places for gay families to reside, and not simply because it was the first state to legalize gay marriage...
Widely recognized as a top-rated town for its distinctive downtown, arts and culture, families, education, historic preservation and wide range of outdoor activities, the quaint New England town is an idyllic community. In the heart of central Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley, the town is just 30 miles east of the Berkshires, a region famous for its art galleries, music festivals, chichi restaurants and country inns. Cross-country and downhill skiing in the winter is just minutes away; and in spring and summer, there’s hiking, horseback riding and swimming throughout the area. The 8-mile Norwottuck Rail trail, a paved-over railroad bed that passes through the town, is a favorite for families looking for a place to roller-blade, bike, run, or just take a stroll. The charming campus of Smith College is perched high on the hill above the city’s historic commercial district and is one of five institutions of higher learning in the area. The prestigious Smith and nearby Mt. Holyoke are both all-women colleges. Smith’s impressive art museum and botanical garden draw residents and visitors alike.
A walk through the town reveals a pleasant enclave of eclectic restaurants and shops, and gay couples are commonplace. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. Northampton is considered something of a liberal mecca, and has a non-discrimination ordinance in place to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
Massachusetts: Permits single GLBT adoption. Does not clearly prohibit joint gay adoption. Second-parent adoption allowed.
With an outdoor wall mural celebrating women through the ages, a women’s college and a sex-toy shop specifically for women, Northampton is in many ways the ladies’ answer to the Massachusetts boys’ town, Provincetown. The small but personable town of 30,000 flies a rainbow flag from its visitor center and the mayor since 2000, Clare Higgins, is an out lesbian.
Northampton has also hosted its fair share of lesbian icons.
Source: 365gay.com
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Widely recognized as a top-rated town for its distinctive downtown, arts and culture, families, education, historic preservation and wide range of outdoor activities, the quaint New England town is an idyllic community. In the heart of central Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley, the town is just 30 miles east of the Berkshires, a region famous for its art galleries, music festivals, chichi restaurants and country inns. Cross-country and downhill skiing in the winter is just minutes away; and in spring and summer, there’s hiking, horseback riding and swimming throughout the area. The 8-mile Norwottuck Rail trail, a paved-over railroad bed that passes through the town, is a favorite for families looking for a place to roller-blade, bike, run, or just take a stroll. The charming campus of Smith College is perched high on the hill above the city’s historic commercial district and is one of five institutions of higher learning in the area. The prestigious Smith and nearby Mt. Holyoke are both all-women colleges. Smith’s impressive art museum and botanical garden draw residents and visitors alike.
A walk through the town reveals a pleasant enclave of eclectic restaurants and shops, and gay couples are commonplace. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. Northampton is considered something of a liberal mecca, and has a non-discrimination ordinance in place to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
Massachusetts: Permits single GLBT adoption. Does not clearly prohibit joint gay adoption. Second-parent adoption allowed.
With an outdoor wall mural celebrating women through the ages, a women’s college and a sex-toy shop specifically for women, Northampton is in many ways the ladies’ answer to the Massachusetts boys’ town, Provincetown. The small but personable town of 30,000 flies a rainbow flag from its visitor center and the mayor since 2000, Clare Higgins, is an out lesbian.
Northampton has also hosted its fair share of lesbian icons.
Source: 365gay.com
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
To Be Gay in New York...
Yesterday, a bill was introduced that would grant married gay couples the ability to file state taxes in New York, if passed. It's a leap forward considering New York doesn't recognize gay marriage...
New York assemblyman Daniel O’Donnel introduced a bill Tuesday that would grant greater tax equity to gay and lesbian couples. Current state law forbids gay couples from filing joint income tax returns. The Defense of Marriage Act forbids the recognition of same-sex unions by federal agencies, including the IRS. In New York, an individual’s income tax filing status mirrors his or her federal status. Meaning, if a gay couple cannot file joint federal income tax returns, they may not file jointly in the state. If passed, the proposed bill would allow married gay couples to file jointly on their state tax returns in spite of their federal status, said On Top Magazine. Although gay marriages performed in New York are not legal, the state recognizes unions performed in other jurisdictions.
“New York State must remove every statutory barrier to the full recognition of legal same-sex marriages,” O’Donnel said. “Gay and lesbian spouses deserve every financial benefit that currently accrues to heterosexual married couples, regardless of whether or not the federal government recognizes those unions.” State legislators are making great strides toward equal tax treatment for same sex couples. Still, some activists wonder: Are these new efforts helpful? Last spring, Washington state lawmakers introduced an initiative that would tax the earnings of same-sex couples in domestic partnerships as they would married couples. According to Komo News, “I-1077 would tax couples with adjusted gross incomes greater than $400,000 annually, or incomes of more than $200,000 for individuals.” Gay advocates have expressed concerns that filing joint tax returns would result in unfair penalties for gay couples where only one partner makes more than $200,000. “You would have seen gay and lesbian families paying significantly more taxes than their similarly situated heterosexual peers,” said Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington.
Source 365gay.com
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
New York assemblyman Daniel O’Donnel introduced a bill Tuesday that would grant greater tax equity to gay and lesbian couples. Current state law forbids gay couples from filing joint income tax returns. The Defense of Marriage Act forbids the recognition of same-sex unions by federal agencies, including the IRS. In New York, an individual’s income tax filing status mirrors his or her federal status. Meaning, if a gay couple cannot file joint federal income tax returns, they may not file jointly in the state. If passed, the proposed bill would allow married gay couples to file jointly on their state tax returns in spite of their federal status, said On Top Magazine. Although gay marriages performed in New York are not legal, the state recognizes unions performed in other jurisdictions.
“New York State must remove every statutory barrier to the full recognition of legal same-sex marriages,” O’Donnel said. “Gay and lesbian spouses deserve every financial benefit that currently accrues to heterosexual married couples, regardless of whether or not the federal government recognizes those unions.” State legislators are making great strides toward equal tax treatment for same sex couples. Still, some activists wonder: Are these new efforts helpful? Last spring, Washington state lawmakers introduced an initiative that would tax the earnings of same-sex couples in domestic partnerships as they would married couples. According to Komo News, “I-1077 would tax couples with adjusted gross incomes greater than $400,000 annually, or incomes of more than $200,000 for individuals.” Gay advocates have expressed concerns that filing joint tax returns would result in unfair penalties for gay couples where only one partner makes more than $200,000. “You would have seen gay and lesbian families paying significantly more taxes than their similarly situated heterosexual peers,” said Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington.
Source 365gay.com
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Homeless and Gay...
Oftentimes, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people find themselves homeless after coming out because their family is unable to accept them...
The Center for American Progress estimates in a new study that gay and transgender youth account for 20-40 percent of homeless youth in the US, while only about 5-10 percent of the general youth population is LGBT.The report comes just before the Obama administration is scheduled to release the first-ever national strategy to prevent and end homelessness. The federal government’s budget for homeless-assistance programs is $4.2 billion, plus the $1.5 billion that President Obama included in the stimulus package last year. Out of that initial budget, only $195 million is allocated to address youth homelessness, and an even smaller percentage of that goes specifically toward homeless youth who are on the streets without parents or other guardians.
The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimates that approximately 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year in the US, about half of them being youth. The Center for American Progress study examines not only the numbers of youth that are on the streets or in shelters each night, but also what that means for these individuals. The report offers statistics about how domestic abuse and violence leads to homelessness and how homelessness can lead to involvement in drug and alcohol abuse and sex work for survival. The report also suggests that there is a disproportionate number of homeless LGBT youth because families are banishing their gay and transgender children as they come out younger and younger. In New York, the report finds, the average age that a gay or lesbian youth becomes homeless is 14.4 years old. The White House has not indicated whether the new national strategy to end homelessness will address the disproportionate number of LGBT homeless youth.
Source: 365gay.com
Follow me on Twitter:@therealcstewart
The Center for American Progress estimates in a new study that gay and transgender youth account for 20-40 percent of homeless youth in the US, while only about 5-10 percent of the general youth population is LGBT.The report comes just before the Obama administration is scheduled to release the first-ever national strategy to prevent and end homelessness. The federal government’s budget for homeless-assistance programs is $4.2 billion, plus the $1.5 billion that President Obama included in the stimulus package last year. Out of that initial budget, only $195 million is allocated to address youth homelessness, and an even smaller percentage of that goes specifically toward homeless youth who are on the streets without parents or other guardians.
The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimates that approximately 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year in the US, about half of them being youth. The Center for American Progress study examines not only the numbers of youth that are on the streets or in shelters each night, but also what that means for these individuals. The report offers statistics about how domestic abuse and violence leads to homelessness and how homelessness can lead to involvement in drug and alcohol abuse and sex work for survival. The report also suggests that there is a disproportionate number of homeless LGBT youth because families are banishing their gay and transgender children as they come out younger and younger. In New York, the report finds, the average age that a gay or lesbian youth becomes homeless is 14.4 years old. The White House has not indicated whether the new national strategy to end homelessness will address the disproportionate number of LGBT homeless youth.
Source: 365gay.com
Follow me on Twitter:@therealcstewart
FMLA for Gays & Lesbians
Change comes one step at a time. President Obama has done an incredible job of including gay and lesbian people in incremental changes to current policies that exclude gay people. We need to applaud him for the steps he has taken as opposed to criticizing him for the things he has yet to fulfill....
From our "It's about time" file, gays will be able to leave work to care for an ailing child. President Obama continues to slowly but surely chip away at discrimination against gays by tweaking the Family and Medical Leave Act. President Obama has made a number of small changes that have increased benefits to gays and lesbians since taking office. Under his administration, gay employees have been given long-term health insurance for their partners, day care, and child subsidies. The Federal Housing Authority cannot consider a loan applicant’s sexuality anymore. The Census Bureau will count the number of Americans who say they’re part of a same-sex couple. The president even addressed "modern families" in his Father's Day address. While people are throwing stones at him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," perhaps they should consider other changes he's made that have a far-reaching impact. Two snaps up!
SOURCE: http://www.eurweb.com/?p=31267
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
From our "It's about time" file, gays will be able to leave work to care for an ailing child. President Obama continues to slowly but surely chip away at discrimination against gays by tweaking the Family and Medical Leave Act. President Obama has made a number of small changes that have increased benefits to gays and lesbians since taking office. Under his administration, gay employees have been given long-term health insurance for their partners, day care, and child subsidies. The Federal Housing Authority cannot consider a loan applicant’s sexuality anymore. The Census Bureau will count the number of Americans who say they’re part of a same-sex couple. The president even addressed "modern families" in his Father's Day address. While people are throwing stones at him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," perhaps they should consider other changes he's made that have a far-reaching impact. Two snaps up!
SOURCE: http://www.eurweb.com/?p=31267
Follow me on Twitter: @therealcstewart
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