National Gay Men's Health Summit in Seattle this October

A Call to the National Gay Men’s Health Summit 2008 in Seattle from October 17-21, 2008

We are a group of people working to support the development of a strong, visible, politicized gay men's health movement in the United States and we invite you to join us from October 17-21, 2008 in Seattle, Washington to continue to launch this ambitious effort.

Our motivations for calling on you to join in this effort are diverse. Some of us worked to create the initial national gay men’s health summits. Others of us took on leadership roles in organizing local and regional gay men’s health summits; still others participated in the recent LGBTI Health Summits. We embrace and welcome to this work all who support the health and well being of men who are gay, bisexual, queer, or have sex with men. This gathering's events will encompass the needs of all queer men, including those who are FTM or transgender-identified.

Some of us have been working in AIDS or health issues for several decades and are interested in creating a stronger, more visible grassroots movement among gay men focused on strengthening our communities and tackling a range of health concerns. While HIV/AIDS remains a central focus for our energies, we maintain other central concerns such as substance use, cancer, heart disease, other sexually transmitted diseases, and mental health issues.

Others of us are drawn to this summit because we hope to re-energize gay men in our communities to be actively engaged in political activism, volunteerism, community life, and health promotion efforts. We want to spend a few days of intense focus on the health of our communities with colleagues from all over the nation who confront similar challenges and draw on similar community strengths.

We come from different locations, cultures, generations, and professions, but we share common concerns about improving gay men's health and wellness, strengthening our local communities and subcultures, and enlisting service providers, activists, health professionals, researchers, writers and cultural workers in our efforts. We have all been inspired either directly or indirectly by the legacy of Eric Rofes in organizing the Gay Men’s Health Movement.

The summit will include speakers, panels, workshops, and organizing meetings on a range of topics including, though not limited to:

· health promotion for gay men of color

· the hidden assets and strengths of our communities

· upswings in syphilis among urban men who have sex with men

· self-care, holistic and complimentary health, and creating sustainable community organizations

· substance use and abuse

· marriage equality, polyamory, monogamy, domestic partnerships, and communal living

· issues facing poor, homeless, and indigent gay, bisexual, queer, and trans men

· the implications that gender and masculinity have for gay men's health

· health issues facing middle-age and older men

· making young gay men into health advocates

· model community health projects

· changes in gay cultures in response to the increasing centrality of cyberspace

· sex debates in gay male communities and community health implications

· a new generation of HIV prevention for gay men

· rural gay men's health needs

· countering racism, sexism, and classism in gay men’s communities

· consideration of the value of mentoring and the development of intergenerational relationships

· mental health issues facing gay men of all colors

· activism focused on gay men's sexual health and access to technologies

This is a grassroots organizing effort with ambitious aims. It is being organized by concerned men and women in various parts of the country who are handling logistics, program planning, publicity, and housing. We are already excited by the support and interest which has been generated. We welcome all people motivated to improve the well-being of our communities to participate and we invite programming ideas focused on any population or subculture identifying as gay, bisexual, queer, or trans men.

Please consider submitting a workshop proposal and plan now to be an active participant in the Seattle summit. If you would like to add your name to this list, or would otherwise like to help in organizing the Summit, please email gmhs2008@gaycity.org.

Airen Lydick, Seattle, WA

Arthur Padilla, Seattle, WA

Ben Kudler, Boston, MA

Brian Davis, Seattle, WA

Carlos Velazquez, Alexandria VA

Chris Bartlett, Chester, PA

David Ferguson, Salt Lake City, Utah

Dennis McCarthy, Seattle, WA

Edward Strickler, Charlottesville, VA

Eleazar Juarez, Seattle, WA

Fred Lopez, San Francisco, CA

Fred Swanson, Seattle, WA

Gordon Youngman, British Columbia, Canada

Jack Johnston, Seattle, WA

Jim Baxter, Syracuse, NY

Jim Pickett, Chicago, IL

Justin Varney, London, UK

Lance Toma, San Francisco, CA

Luis Viquez, Seattle, WA

Marcos Martinez, Seattle WA

Noël Bonam, Portland, ME

Peter Jabin, Seattle, WA

Robert Yoon, Seattle, WA

Scott Cook, Chicago, IL

Stephan Adelson, Boston, MA

Steven Belec, Boston, MA

Steve Wakefield, Seattle, WA

T. Scott Pegues, Denver, CO

Thomas Lewis, Boston, MA

Trevor Hoppe, Ann Arbor, MI