New health care law addresses LGBT needs

Within six months of the enactment of this law, we have put in place policies that many of us have fought our entire life for.

via Bay Area Reporter, by Matt Baume

Six months after the passage of health care reform, big changes are under way for the ways that LGBTs access health care. With lower costs and expanded protections on the horizon, the LGBT Community Center [San Francisco] hosted a forum Monday to explain the ways that health care has already changed and may shift in the months and years ahead.

Hosted by Dan Gould, director of the California LGBT Health and Human Services Network, a program of the Equality California Institute, the discussion featured comments by Herb Schultz, California's regional director of the Department of Health and Human Services, and David Hansell, acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.

Appointed earlier this year by President Barack Obama, Schultz and Hansell are key to the administration's efforts to address LGBT health issues.

Provisions of the Affordable Care Act have already begun reform private insurance and expand public programs, and are expected to continue doing so over the next decade.

Among the new measures is expanded eligibility for Medicaid, caps on out-of-pocket expenses, tax credits for small businesses, free prevention and wellness programs, and annual wellness consultations for Medicare recipients.

Behind the scenes, health organizations will improve data collection and will receive improved cultural sensitivity training.

The reforms also eliminate lifetime limits on heath coverage, and prohibit insurance companies from dropping customers when they become sick. These issues have disproportionately affected people with HIV.

Schultz recommended that people visit www.healthcare.gov to learn more about how their coverage and options may be changing.

The work of HHS isn't limited to just the implementation of the health care reform bill. Hansell pointed out that the department administers a broad range of services and protections, including the enforcement of Obama's recent directives that hospitals recognize advance care directives and enforce inclusive visitation policies.

Obama also asked HHS to make recommendations for addressing health care issues that affect the LGBT community. The department has convened a committee to gather recommendations from citizens and health organizations, and expects to issue those recommendations this fall.
Among the recommendations currently under investigation are guidelines for benefits that serve transgender individuals.

"ACF was not very LGBT-friendly in the previous administration," Hansell acknowledged. "Well, I can tell you, that has changed."

To that end, ACF has created new programs to serve LGBT adoptive parents, including outreach and grants for parent-to-parent support programs. In addition, the administration has directed programs for homeless youth to specifically serve LGBTs. It is also revising abstinence education – which it is required by Congress to provide – to more appropriately reflect the concerns of LGBT youth.

"Within six months of the enactment of this law, we have put in place policies that many of us have fought our entire life for," Schultz said. But, he added, their work is far from over.

"In order for us to be successful, we need the community to tell us the things that are important," he said.

Who's That Queer? [Ken Mehlman]

Brought to you by Pistol Pete

Kenneth Brian Mehlman is an American businessman, attorney, and political figure who served as the campaign manager for the 2004 re-election bid of George W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007. On August 26, 2010, Mehlman came out as gay, making him one of the most prominent openly gay figures in the Republican Party.

Prior to coming out, rumors about Mehlman's orientation had circulated since at least 2004. In May 2006, Mehlman denied that he was gay, saying, “I’m not gay, but those stories did a number on my dating life for six months.” On November 8, 2006, comedian Bill Maher made an appearance on Larry King Live, during which he referred to Mehlman as a closeted gay man. The incident became controversial because CNN edited out Maher’s comments in later taped editions and removed the reference to Mehlman's sexual orientation from the transcript of the show. The day after Maher's comments, Mehlman announced he would step down as chairman of the RNC (although reports said that his resignation had been expected for some time)

Almost four years later Mehlman told the press that he is in fact gay, and that he plans to be an advocate for legalizing same-sex marriage. This disclosure followed years of him avoiding and denying inquiries about his sexual orientation. During his RNC chairmanship, Mehlman supported social positions of the Republican Party, including opposition to same-sex marriage. Mehlman claimed that he could not have gone against party consensus, but acknowledged that, had he come out of the closet earlier, he could have impacted Republican efforts to pass state initiatives and referenda banning same-sex marriage.

Source: Wikipedia

Bullies Break His Arm - And it Doesn't Dissuade Boy Cheerleader

LOVE YOU TYLER

An Ohio mom is disappointed that her son's school didn't do more to stop at least two boys who allegedly picked on her 11-year-old cheerleader son until the bullies beat him so bad they broke his arm. She says the beating didn't break his spirit however. Tyler Wilson has vowed to continue cheering with hopes it helps him get into college some day.

Woof Wednesday

Transmen - body, sex, identity and more

What are Transmen's HIV Prevention Needs?
via Youths 2gether Network (Nigeria)

Excerpt:

Accurate information about the diversity of transmen’s bodies is not widely available. Transmen have different types of bodies, depending on their use of testosterone and gender confirmation surgeries (which may include chest reconstruction, hysterectomy, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, 1 etc.; see www.ftmguide. org for further information) . Transmen use a broad range of terms and language to identify their sex/gender, describe their body parts, and disclose their trans status to others. For instance, some transmen are not comfortable with the terms ‘vagina’ and ‘vaginal sex’ and may prefer ‘front hole’ and ‘front sex’ or ‘front hole sex’, although this is not true for all transmen. This diversity creates unique needs and barriers for negotiating and adhering to safer sex practices that are not addressed by current HIV prevention programs.

Read more.

Great resource - check it:
Primed: The Back Pocket Guide for Transmen and the Men Who Dig Them

How to Stay Sane in a Mad, Mad, Info-Overload World

 

5 Ways to Keep the Internet from Destroying Your Brain

via AlterNet, by John M. Grohol

Human beings are creatures of habit, and nowhere is the force of habit more apparent than in the way most of us use the Internet. Few of us are disciplined enough to go online, do one thing, and log off. While it may be fun to keep updating our Facebook profiles or repeatedly accessing our various feeds throughout the day or merrily multitasking round the clock, researchers are beginning to document the emotional and psychological price we're paying for doing so. But the good news is that feeling overwhelmed and lost online isn't an inevitable consequence of living in the Internet Age—we can change how we behave when we go on online and how we interact with the web.

Mindfulness training is a particularly handy tool for helping us become more aware of our relationship with the Internet. It provides a number of effective ways to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety that arise from trying to organize and keep track of too much information at once. The tips below will help you be more present when using the Internet, improve your online efficiency, and reduce the stress that so often accompanies multitasking and information overload.


Read the rest.

Dating and Mating with Alan Irgang [Threesomes and Groupsex]

Ask Alan about love, romance, and relationships (and anything) else here! *All private information is kept confidential


Dear Alan, I am 37 years old and I am starting to date a guy who is 38. We met online, then we met in person two times. I like the guy, (and he likes me too) he is smart and sweet, also good looking and sexy BUT, I just noticed that in his profile online he states that he is up for threesomes and group sex. That "ain't" my cup of tea and that is making me doubt him. Will I be enough for him? Is this a recipe for disaster? Do people with that kind of behavior ever settle down and want to have a family? Does this behavior suggest a cheater? Should I run or stay put? Should I ask him about it? Any advice / guidance in the matter would be appreciated. Thank you, Stephen



Dear Stephen,

I imagine you are disappointed in discovering your new romantic interest's sexual proclivities. The first thought that occurred to me is if you met him online, did you not see this part of his profile indicating what he likes sexually? I often find that it is very common for people who so intensely want to find a mate to exhibit what's called "selective attention" when they are seeking out potential partners. In other words, there is a tendency to ignore red flags and only focus on what the person looks like, and other attributes that are highly desirable. So the important lesson here is to pay attention to the whole package and be honest with yourself about what is important to you in selecting a mate and sustaining a relationship.

OK, so now that you are paying more attention to this part of who he is and what he likes to do sexually, you have lots of valid concerns. You are asking very important questions about what it all means about who he is and his capacity to be in the kind of relationship with you that you want for yourself. My best advice for you is to sit down with him and have a long talk about what you have learned from his profile. Ask him all of the questions on your mind, as well as about his past experience with these behaviors. Let him know what your concerns are and see how he responds. Do not judge him for having interests that are different than your own. Yet it is important that if you hear anything that is of concern for you to be honest with yourself about that and be willing to let him go. It will be hard at first but you will avoid much greater heartache down the road. You will also avoid condemning yourself for making the wrong decision about staying with him, having known of his sexual interests from the beginning.

I wish you the best in sorting this out and encourage you to let your inner guide lead you.






Alan Irgang, LCSW is a psychotherapist and “dating coach” in private practice in Chicago. He is also on the faculty of the Loyola University School of Social Work where he teaches graduate level courses in Human Sexuality. Alan has been in private practice since 1998 and has been facilitating groups for singles about dating and relationships for seven years. Check out his website www.alanirgang.com for more information about his practice and his upcoming seminars for singles. Questions may be submitted to Alan at lifelube@gmail.com; all private information will be kept confidential.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID Statement on National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Many gay and bisexual men have been instrumental as AIDS activists in raising awareness about the public health impact of HIV/AIDS, shaping the HIV/AIDS research agenda and advocating that this research is well funded. In addition, gay and bisexual men catalyzed the movement to bring treatment and care to people with HIV/AIDS and to promote HIV prevention. Before the development of proven, effective therapy for HIV/AIDS, leaders in the gay and bisexual community influenced me to endorse a policy that gives people with serious illnesses access to experimental treatments, even if the individuals do not qualify for ongoing clinical trials of those treatments. This policy established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has become a source of hope for patients with life-threatening conditions.

The third annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Sept. 27, 2010, marks an occasion to reflect on how profoundly HIV/AIDS has affected gay and bisexual men. It also is a fitting time to recognize how much this group has influenced the development and implementation of strategies to prevent and treat the virus and the disease.

^{Read the rest.}

 

AFC Recommends More Frequent HIV Testing for Gay Men

On this, National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) calls for more frequent HIV testing among gay men and a re-doubling of efforts to combat the epidemic among this most-impacted population.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on September 23 that approximately one in five gay men in 21 American cities are HIV-positive, and 44% were unaware of their status. Chicago released its data from this study in July 2009 and found that a little more than 17% of gay men surveyed were found to be HIV-positive.

CDC researchers tested a total 8,153 gay/bi men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) who participated in the 2008 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System. They found the highest infection rate, 28 percent, was among black gay/bi and other MSM. Eighteen percent of Hispanic gay/bi and other MSM were infected, as were 16 percent of white men.

In Chicago, where a total of 570 men were tested, HIV prevalence among black gay men was 30.1 percent - more than twice the rate of white gay men (11.3 percent) and Hispanic gay men (12 percent). At the time of the survey, 50 percent were unaware of their positive status.

“These staggering numbers illustrate the severe impact HIV is having on gay men of all colors in our community. The impact on gay black men is especially troubling, and completely unacceptable,” said Mark Ishaug, AFC President/CEO. “We must re-double our efforts to address these appalling disparities.”

Since the CDC release, much of the coverage has neglected to provide important context. In Chicago, 88 percent of the gay/bi men and other MSM who were unaware of their HIV infection had been tested at least once for HIV in their lifetime and 61 percent of those men had reported taking at least two HIV tests in the past two years.

“The good news is that a majority of gay men are getting tested annually, a clear illustration of their concern. However, these data reveals that annual testing is not sufficient. AFC recommends that sexually active gay men with multiple or anonymous partners get tested every three to six months, and should get tested for syphilis at that frequency as well,” said Jim Pickett, AFC Director of Advocacy.

Per the President's National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the resources deployed to combat HIV in this country must match the epidemic. Since the burden of HIV/AIDS falls on gay/bi men and other MSM, more must be done to meet the needs of this under-served population.

“While the dollars need to follow the epidemic, we also need to improve our prevention efforts and broaden our strategy beyond a focus on individual level change,” said David Ernesto Munar, AFC Vice President. “In the fight against HIV in Chicago and across the country, we need to focus on gay men and fighting homophobia. We need to increase testing frequency, we need to ensure access to appropriate care and treatment, and we need to go beyond individual level strategies and address bigger, systemic challenges that contribute to the disparities we are seeing.”

AFC recently launched an initiative—known as Project IN-CARE (Identify, Navigate, Connect, Access, Retain and Evaluate) — that addresses these disparities by linking people to care and meeting the unique needs of individuals living with HIV, focusing on gay men of color. A collaborative effort , partner agencies include AFC, Brothers Health Collective, Howard Brown Health Center, Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center and Test Positive Aware Network and is funded by a 1.8 million dollar National AIDS Foundation Positive Charge grant for three-years.

As of July 2010, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported 20,871 people were living with HIV/AIDS in Chicago, 79 percent male and 21 percent female. Blacks made up 53 percent of these cases, followed by 27 percent among whites and 17 percent among Hispanics. Gay/bi men and other MSM made up the majority of cases – 56 percent, followed by injection drug users (19 percent) and heterosexuals (17 percent.) Because it is estimated that 21 percent of individuals who are HIV-positive are not aware of their status, Chicago could have as many as 26,419 people living with HIV/AIDS.

Monday Morning Perk-Up [Chef Rage Fail]

Brought to you by Pistol Pete

Chef Rage FAIL - watch more funny videos

Save our State - 2010 AIDS Run/Walk Chicago Needs YOU to Help Avoid a Shipwreck

Looking for volunteers to enlist!

Gearing up for the 2010 AIDS Run/Walk? Wanna add a sailor hat into the mix? This year, AFC’s policy department will be gearing up sailor-style to Save Our State.

The-Titanic-is-sinking-themed tent will urge event participants to learn more about Illinois’ budget crisis and how they can fight to change it - plus folks can play our Save to State game and win a free t-shirt! In addition, AFC will be running a separate tent to register Illinois residents to vote.

All this madness means only one thing – WE NEED YOU! You can sign up for a two-hour shift at either tent, or donate whatever time you have. Please reply to psubkoviak@aidschicago.org and specify the tent and time you’d like to help out.

 2010 AIDS Run and Walk Advocacy Volunteers

Saturday, October 2nd

7am-1pm (shifts from 7-9, 9-11, 11-1)

Grant Park – Columbus and Balbo

Chicago

Not great for running, but for kicking butt? Asstacular.

New Diesel sneaker campaign - shits 'n giggles.

Gay and Bisexual Men's Health - NEW RESOURCES

The CDC has a number of new info resources that will be very handy for all of us working in gay/bi men's health, as well as HIV/AIDS.

The following came to LifeLube's inbox this morning....Check them out.

Updated Factsheet: HIV among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)
The HIV among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)factsheet has recently been updated with information from the 2008 HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areass

MMWR: Prevalence and Awareness of HIV Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men --- 21 Cities, United States, 2008
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In 2006, 57% of new HIV infections in the United States occurred among MSM. To estimate and monitor risk behaviors, CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system (NHBS) collects data from metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) using an anonymous cross-sectional interview of men at venues where MSM congregate, such as bars, clubs, and social organizations. 

New CDC Site: Gay and Bisexual Men's Health
Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) represent an incredibly diverse community. Gay and bisexual men have both shared and unique experiences and circumstances that affect their physical health and mental health needs as well as their ability to receive high-quality health services. 

Feel the Love... Sister Glo's all tied up with L.O. Baird

May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive, which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love.

~L.O. Baird

Love is all you need with Sister Glo each Friday on LifeLube.

 

 

Friday is for Faeries

Vote Naked Illinois!

To highlight a change in Illinois election law (anyone eligible to vote can now do so by absentee ballot starting September 23) the advocacy group Equality Illinois has come up with a pretty amusing video as part of their new “Vote Naked Illinois” campaign.

According to Vote Naked’s Facebook page, “For the first time ever, you may now vote by mail from home. No need to go to the polls, wait in line, or even put on pants.”

Check out the video below, and if you're in Illinois, check out Vote Naked's Facebook page to vote by mail!

Health Bill to Collect LGBT Data Moves in House

The Energy and Commerce Health subpanel recently referred 16 public health bills to the full committee with recommendation for passage during markup next week.

All but one, requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to set up voluntary data collection on the sexual orientation and gender identity of people who apply for HHS services or respond to its surveys, garnered unanimous bipartisan support. The measure's author, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), said lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans are ill-served by a "lack of cultural competency" among federal officials that leaves the U.S. with "gaping holes in our knowledge on LGBT health."

Read the rest.

Today is Bisexual Day! Celebrate it tonight at Center on Halsted

Tonight at 7pm, Chicago's Center on Halsted celebrates Bisexual Day

Center on Halsted is welcoming some of Chicago's dedicated Bi activists, who will share their place in the world with a guest panel regarding Bisexual history, health, activism, politics, relationships with Transgender people, and the importance of working together. Followed by a social hour.

The organizers look forward to a lively conversation on the pressing need for communication and organizing among bisexuals, allies, and health care providers.  This event will be a unique opportunity to explore issues impacting a group that research shows to be similar in size to the gay and lesbian population, but has typically been less visible, misunderstood, and less often studied. Increasingly, as more information about sexual orientation is collected, more will be know about the health needs of bisexuals, as well as the programs and strategies to meet those needs. The discussion will help the  advocacy efforts underway to support and nurture a bisexual health agenda and increased Bi visibility and acceptance in the Chicago LG_T community.

Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 7:00 pm – 9:30
Center on Halsted - Hoover Leppen Theatre - Third Floor
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Program begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.

Welcome
Speakers – Presentations

• Bi History and Biphobia -  Paige Listerud
• Bi Women’s Health - Wendy Bostwick, PhD, MPH
• Bi and Transgender, Birthright - Karen McReady 
• Queer Identity - Elliot M. Scott 
• Bisexual Media &  Bi Pop Culture in Entertainment - Adrienne Williams
• Bi Men’s Health, Recovery - Ed Negron

Panel Q&A
Social/Networking Time

More info on speakers/program.

Who's That Queer? [Karl Heinrich Ulrichs]

Brought to you by Pistol Pete

Karl Heinrich Ulrichs - the first modern theorist of homosexuality - is seen today as a pioneer of modern lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movements.


Ulrichs was born in Aurich (Kingdom of Hannover), Germany in 1825. Using the pseudonym Numa Numantius he published in 1864-1865 five booklets under the collective title Forschungen über das Rathsel der mannmännlichen Liebe (Researches on the Riddle of Male-Male Love). They set forth a biological theory of homosexuality, the so-called third sex theory, which he summed up in the Latin phrase anima muliebris virili corpore inclusa (a female psyche confined in a male body).

Using his real name in his next booklet, Ulrichs described his appearance at a Congress of German Jurists in Munich, where on August 29, 1867, he urged repealing the anti-homosexual laws. He was shouted down and not allowed to finish, but this was the first time that a self-acknowledged Urning/homosexual spoke out publicly for his cause. Thus Ulrichs was not only the first theorist of homosexuality, but also the first homosexual to 'come out' publicly.

Ulrichs's series of twelve booklets continued until 1879. His goal was to free people like himself from the legal, religious, and social condemnation of homosexual acts as unnatural, and for this he invented a new terminology that would refer to the nature of the individual and not to the acts performed.

Twice imprisoned for his public protests against the invasion and annexation of Hannover by Prussia in 1866, Ulrichs fought not only for the equal rights of homosexuals, but also for the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as for the rights of women, including unwed mothers and their children.

But his one-man campaign against the legal oppression of homosexuals was unsuccessful. Indeed, the harsh Prussian anti-homosexual law was extended to the unified Germany in 1872.

Ulrichs left Germany in 1880 for voluntary exile in Italy, where he devoted the last years of his life to promoting Latin as an international language through the publication of a little Latin journal (Alaudae) written entirely by himself. He died on July 14, 1895 in Aquila, Italy.

Ulrichs's original biological theory of homosexuality has since been abandoned, but for more than a century some form of biological determinism has prevailed, both in the popular mind and in scientific circles; it has been adopted by both homosexual liberationists and their enemies.

Ulrichs will be best remembered for his courageous stand for the equal rights of all and, as Magnus Hirschfeld wrote, 'as one of the first and noblest of those who have striven with courage and strength in this field to help truth and charity gain their rightful place'.

Read the rest at Gay for Today.

Health Care Reform - It's a Win!

If you're not totally jazzed about health care reform, perhaps you should be. The insurance industry has been allowed to openly and legally discriminate against people with HIV and other chronic illnesses but that's coming to an end. The new Patient's Bill of Rights goes into effect on September 23, 2010, making health insurance fairer for every insured American, including those with HIV.

This is only the beginning of the march to health care equality. Allow us to tell you what you've won, America:

• No more coverage bans for sick kids: HIV rates are increasing among youth and particularly youth of color but insurance companies won't be able to deny them coverage under their parent's insurance plan just because they are sick.

• Your policy can't be unfairly canceled: Remember when you applied for your health insurance but forgot to disclose that you fractured your thumb in the eighth grade? Your plan could have canceled your policy for this omission. This disgusting insurance practice ends tomorrow.

• No lifetime limits on health care spending: A cap of $1 million for health care services might sound pretty generous, but not to someone who's been living with HIV/AIDS for 20 years. Right now, one-third of Americans have policies with lifetime caps - but not after tomorrow.

In addition, starting September 23, you'll have the right to appeal insurance company decisions, choose any doctor who is in your plan, get free access to prevention and wellness services, and more. Great stuff? Yup. And there's more to come between now and 2014, when the new law is fully implemented.

Check out this snazzy video for more info on health care reform!

Are your friends making you fat and getting you to sleep less?

via New York Times, by Natasha Singer

If our relationships contribute to behaviors that erode our health, can social networks be harnessed to improve it?   

Read it.

Woof Wednesday