'LGBT' Transforming into Alphabet Soup?

via Huffpost Gay voices, by Chris Tina

LGBTQIAAP: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, allies, and panseuxal

Really? Are we trying to communicate a message or create alphabet soup?

As a newbie to the LGBT community, I felt it was my responsibility to learn the history and understand how we came to be where we are and how I can help move us forward.

These are the majority of acronyms and definitions (based on GLAAD's glossary of terms), even with some disagreement within our community:

•Lesbian: a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay, or as gay women.

•Gay: the adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex (e.g., a gay man, gay people).

•Bisexual: an individual who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to men and women.

•Transgender: an umbrella adjective for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include, but is not limited to, transsexuals, cross-dressers, and other gender-variant people.

Transgender people may identify as female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF). Transgender people may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.

•Queer: traditionally a pejorative term, "queer" has been appropriated by some LGBT people to describe themselves. However, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBT community and should be avoided unless quoting or describing someone who self-identifies that way.

•Questioning: the adjective used to describe people who are unsure of their sexual orientation.

•Intersex: the adjective used to describe a person whose biological sex is ambiguous. There are many genetic, hormonal, or anatomical variations that make a person's sex ambiguous (e.g., Klinefelter syndrome). The term "intersex" is not interchangeable with or a synonym for "transgender."

•Asexual: an individual who is not physically, romantically, or emotionally attracted to others.

•Ally: a person who is not lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, or pansexual but who supports the LGBT(QQIAAP) community.

•Pansexual: a person who is attracted to others without taking gender or biological sex into account.

Even in our own community, we are not clear on all the acronyms that represent us. If I, as a person in the LGBT community, am having a hard time understanding and knowing all the acronyms sprouting up every other month, how can we honestly expect mainstream America to understand?

Our message is supposed to about unity to obtain equality, although we cannot even communicate a clear and consistent message.

I believe that we are doing ourselves a disservice by expanding our acronym for every micro group instead of projecting a simple and understandable message of equality for all.


Read the rest

Transtastic! Feast of Fun podcasts LifeLube forum on Trans-Body Politics - LISTEN

[one of LifeLube's best forums, ever!]

via Feast of Fun

Today we present our live podcast with LifeLube from the Center on Halsted in Chicago, Illinois: Trans-Body Politics, The Original T-Party. The forum was held last week - May 19.

Join us for an extraordinary conversation with three groundbreaking people involved in the forefront of the trans rights movement-

Actor Alexandra Billings- the first trans woman to play a trans woman on television, you’ve seen her on such TV shows as ER, Greys Ananotmy and Bones.

Author and activist Jamison Green, a policy specialist on the staff of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at the University of California.,

And Lara Brooks, who for over nine years has worked at Chicago’s Broadway Youth Center with street-based young people, many of which identify as trans.
Come feel the love and dive into our version of the state of the union of the trans rights movement and what it means for everyone.

Plus- live questions from you, the audience in person.

NOTE: Here’s a link to Jamison Green’s survey on Respectful Language mentioned during the taping of the show. Check out the huge list of terms used in medical literature to describe trans. Some of my favorite are: “gender gifted, genderforked, transbian, tranny and two-spirit.” We prefer to use “transtastic.” Read more about the study’s 10 year history here.

Click for the podcast.

The Lancet: Health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations

Many health practitioners are not well informed about how to care for LGBT populations...

The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9773, Page 1211, 9 April 2011

The past 20 years have seen dramatically increased visibility of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) in US society. This diverse and vibrant group are now active and welcome members of many communities across the country and are well recognised and praised for being a major force in the positive global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Substantial achievements to advance their health status, such as the established partnership between LGBT organisations and foundations or corporations to access funding to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic, have been achieved. Yet, there is still a great deal to learn. Basic demographic data are lacking for LGBT populations in the USA. Many health practitioners are not well informed about how to care for LGBT populations, or about what constitutes healthy development of LGBT adolescents, and they do not understand enough about the development of sexual orientation, diverse gender identities, LGBT families, or the effect of stigma and discrimination on health.

To develop a more complete picture of the health status of people who are LGBT and to identify research gaps, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. [Click here for free online version of report.] Using a life-course perspective, the report examines the health status of these populations in three stages: childhood and adolescence, early and middle adulthood, and later adulthood. The IOM finds that, although these populations share the full range of health risks with the rest of society, they are also exposed to a unique yet poorly understood set of additional threats. For instance, compared with their heterosexual peers, members of the LGBT community are at increased risk of suicide, depression, harassment, and victimisation, and they may have higher rates of smoking and alcohol use. It is worth noting that for teenage lesbian and bisexual girls, pregnancy rates may be higher than those of heterosexual girls. Girls may deliberately attempt to get pregnant in an effort to define and strengthen an identity for themselves. In early and middle adulthood, lesbians and bisexual women may also be at higher risk for breast cancer and for obesity, while men who have sex with men, especially those who are HIV-positive, are at increased risk for anal cancer. Meanwhile, in some studies, lesbians were significantly more likely than heterosexual women to receive a diagnosis of heart disease.

In later adulthood, LGBT are less likely to have a partner or children to provide them with health and social care, resulting in their greater dependence on friends, caregivers, and LGBT organisations. There has been clinical concern about rates of diabetes, ovarian disease, and stroke among transgender older people potentially as a result of long-term hormone treatments. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS remains a crucial health issue for gay or bisexual men, transgender women, and LGBT who inject drugs. Additionally, people who are LGBT face barriers to equitable health services in the USA, such as difficulty in obtaining health insurance, fear of discrimination from providers, and a shortage of providers who are well trained in their health needs.

When addressing health issues for people who are LGBT, researchers are confronted with many challenges, one of which is a lack of systematically or accurately collected data. The LGBT community make up a sometimes hidden minority of the population and it is hard to recruit sufficient numbers to studies to yield meaningful results. Moreover, the LGBT acronym does not represent a homogeneous group, and it can be difficult to define and measure sexual orientation and gender identity. Additionally, some LGBT individuals are reluctant to disclose details about themselves and take part in research, because research topics may be sensitive and can be perceived as intruding on privacy.

The availability of high-quality evidence is central to improvement of knowledge. The report calls for a research agenda to collect data, examine appropriate methodology, train researchers, and develop policy on research participation, provided that privacy concerns can be satisfactorily addressed. It also emphasises several priority research areas—demography, social influences, health-care inequalities, and intervention research.

The IOM report is groundbreaking. Not only does it review the LGBT community's health needs comprehensively, but it also brings a sea change in establishing educational and research guidance for LGBT health. Actions in response to the report are already underway, such as integration of LGBT health education into medical school curricula. The full participation of the LGBT community in their health and wellbeing is crucial. Above all, scientific and clinical engagement is essential to improve awareness and understanding of LGBT health issues, and to incorporate them into mainstream health care.

[Free online version of report.]

40 Lessons of 40

via Damon L. Jacobs, openly gay psychotherapist in Manhattan, and author of  "Absolutely Should-less: The Secret To Living The Stress-Free Life You Deserve."
Aging.  We are all going to do it no matter who we are, where we live, or what we believe.  Yet I have found there is much intense fear and shame in the gay community around the most human thing we can possibly do.  

 

I have started writing the "40 Lessons of 40" series here to assist people of any age to realize that getting older can bring empowerment, fun, and freedom, if they learn how to apply certain tools. 

I am thrilled to be turning 40-years-old on April 25th. These are lessons I have learned in forty years that helped me to live, to laugh, to love, and to cope with loss.  I hope they help you to see that the true fountain of youth is the satisfaction and inspiration you get from growing older.

Some sample lessons:

• Don't Condemn What You Don't Understand 
• Sleep Is Important...But Losing A Night Won't Kill You 
• Do What Scares You 
• There Are Two Kinds Of People In The World... 
• Keep The Drama Onscreen
• There Is No Universal Consensus of "Sexy"
• It Is Insane To Argue With The Weather
• There Are Billions Of Dollars Invested In Me Feeling Scared And Sad About Turning 40

VIDEO: Poet Yolo Akili Asks, "Are You the Kind of Man You Want?"

Would you date yourself? 


 Are you masculine enough?

Do you find yourself worthy? An object of your own lust?

Thanks to Rod 2.0 for putting this on the LifeLube radar.

Gordon Roque Makes it Official

There is a brother among you...

It Does Get Better - But Not Because of YOU

"When you grow up, you little depressed gay teenagers, when you grow up you can deal with people like me. I'll judge you. Don't worry. You don't have to have the homophobes judge you, because we will."

The Last to Leave the Closet?

by Stephanie Chen, via CNN  

"It's either you're in the closet or out of the closet, and it's not that simple," David Malebranche, a physician and professor of medicine at Emory University, says about the common perception of bisexuals.

Excerpt:

Ben Pierce, a 22-year-old recent college graduate living in Massachusetts who identifies as bisexual, can understand why bisexuals are hesitant to come forward. He likens being bisexual today to being biracial in the 1960s, a period when racism and discrimination were widespread. A person who was mixed race often couldn't feel comfortable among either racial group, Pierce explained.

"You're caught in between these two very different groups of straight people and gay people, and neither one really accepts you," he said.

Read the whole thing.


[Chicago hosted the 2009 Bisexual Health Summit as part of the 2009 National LGBTI Health Summit. Learn more about that event.]

Gay Men's Health Summit - Deadline for Proposals May 1

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
NATIONAL GAY MEN’S HEALTH SUMMIT 2010

Creating a Brighter Future: The Next Decade of Gay Men’s Health
August 25-30, 2010
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

DEADLINE MAY 1, 2010 - THIS SATURDAY

You are invited to submit a proposal for presentation at the 2010 Gay Men’s Health Summit. The theme of this year’s summit is the next decade of gay men’s health in the broad context of wellness, with all its challenges and opportunities.

What are the Summits?

The National Gay Men’s Health Summits create space for gay, bi & trans men and allies to come together to explore and promote health. We are seeking greater understanding of what health means. The Summits create space to bring your whole self; your whole queer, sexy, radical, critical, fun-loving, healthy self.

What the Summits are and are Not

The Summits are not academic meetings. They are not professional development conferences. They are experiential and personal. Your name badge will have your name on it, that’s it.

The Workshops
The National Gay Men’s Health Summit is eager to turn your ideas into living breathing sessions. You will get 60 or 90 minutes, a room and some chairs (and a projector or flip chart – see below). After that, it’s up to you. We will ask you for five pieces of information regarding your session proposal – the title, the content, the format, who you are, and how Summit attendees can reach you.

Content

We encourage you to think broadly in terms of your proposal. Please let us know if there is something you would like to experience at the Summit that you are not able or ready to present.  We may try to recruit someone who can.

Format

Formats with a substantial, experiential component are highly encouraged – no talking heads with slides, no program evaluation or program description sessions. We encourage you to use one of the following formats, or to make up your own.

Think tank – put an idea on the table and let everyone wrestle with it. This often works well with “small group” breakout sessions.

Caucus – get a bunch of like-minded (and maybe some not so like minded) guys together to share experiences and build connections.

Fish Bowl – gather a few people who have thought deeply about an issue to share brief, prepared remarks, and riff off of one another, with some time for audience reflection.

Physical experience – Yoga, dance or some other kind of shared participatory physical experience that may or may not have any “talking” part to it.

Performance – A staged event. A short play, dance performance, visual display, or literary reading, with time for audience reflection.

Writing group – Share a piece of writing with other attendees for critique and discussion.

Educational – A presentation of research or information. The most popular workshops are those that promote interaction among attendees. You are encouraged to be creative in structuring your presentation if this format is selected.

Who you are

Tell the audience a bit about yourself to create desire for attendance at your session. Make it short. Five to ten words works best. We will cut you off after 40. We will remove any academic credentials or professional affiliations from your description. Make it personal and compelling: the goal is to attract people to your session.

Contact info

Include a method for attendees to reach you, preferably by e-mail and/or twitter, or if you prefer, a blog page, or social networking site, or even a telephone number or mailing address.

Submit here.

Friday is for Faeries

every single friday, we salute the radical faeries with a lovely photo collage - mark it in lipstick

Chicago LGBT seniors program awarded $475,000 grant

via ChicagoPride.com

Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), a program of Center on Halsted serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) older adults and seniors, received nearly a half a million dollars in federal funding on Tuesday.

The one-year $475,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will fund special projects designed to enhance the lives of LGBT older adults through the 12-year-old SAGE program. This is the third largest federal grant awarded to an LGBT aging program in the United States according to Serena Worthington, Senior Director of Public Programs at Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted.

Read the rest.

Friday is for Faeries

Every Friday

Friday is for Faeries

Every Friday

 

Queer Hopes and Goals for 2010

For the third year in a row artist and writer Ted Kerr's last Queermonton column of the season is a collage of hopes, wishes, goals and resolutions submitted by members of the queer community.

Read previous years: 2009 , 2008

 

In 2010…

I resolve not to forget where I came from and hope that the memory will not stop me from going where I want. 

I will remember that the New Year will be that of construction. I won't second-guess myself so much; I will eat like a champion. I will Internet less, human contact more.

My personal goal is to create more life-affirming art, to lose 30 pounds (one does not need to be the biggest bear in the world), to live more honestly, less in my head, trust myself, to be as couture, colorful, and layered as my drawings and to construct a solid working class discourse that allows for autonomous voices to emerge from a discourse that previously talked down to those people.

My wish is that the queer community would stop fighting itself and focus on combating heteronormativity and hate. For the first ten years of this era, we have dealt with much conflict and turmoil, I only wish 2010 will bring us peace of mind and equality for allI would love to see compassion, creativity, and a strong sense of community flourish in place of blind consumption and unrestrained capitalism. As Alberta moves to the right LGBTQ people must get involved and VOTE. It would be nice to have meaningful relationship that lasts more than three months. 2010 will be all about friends, lovers, art, good cocktails, peace and finding a cure for HIV.

I want more images of queers lying down on the street to resist tanks in the Pride parade, more of the Samarasekera Response Team, more radical queer politics (less talk of gay marriage), more inventive use of public space (less retreat from it), and more civic-mindedness (less individualism).

I want empowered promiscuity, a chance to fuck my enemies, better time management skills, more time spent outside, Bill 44 to be repealed, Gender Reassignment Surgery funding to be reinstated, to get elected, to tease an aerie-faerie aristocratic chitter-chatter out of the bourgeoisie corporate discourse of contemporary consumer culture, to be very busy, to focus focus focus on my work, to keep standing, walking and then running (stopping only to help and breathe), to fully embrace my journey, continue to be proactive in my life and the greater queer community, to affect and seek positive change, to learn how to be more sexually expressive, liberal and how to better communicate, to make some noise, join a parade, and cause some tumult for a good cause, to explore and discover why we need art, why we continue to destroy ourselves (and hug everyone who understands), I want to see the legalization of same-sex marriage in California, I would like to graduate and continue my education in hopes of becoming a prominent gay broadcaster in Canada, to have more passionate, engaging and fun sex with my spouse, to embrace a more holistic view of health and get back into cooking and church. I want a new underground / above ground home for queer kids (of all ages) to dance to mid 90s hip-hop, R&B and Lady Gaga.

I want another year as good as 2009 was. I want to heal.

I hope to see more public displays of dissent and outrage in response to terrible decisions and policies in Alberta. The Crash has already happened in many places around the world, I hope next year The Crash happens here and then we'll all have to start community gardens and learn how to can. One can only hope, and work towards educating the populace on why they need to be angry and afraid of Section 9 of Bill 44. I love the way Edmonton’s queer community has galvanized this past year, my sincere hope for 2010 is that we build on this momentum - Queer Summit anyone? hope all Canadians may express themselves freely and openly by DANCING THEIR ASSES OFFF through out the next year.

I hope love becomes a greater part in peoples' lives, that we learn to not only love each other more, but ourselves as well.

I hope for the return of that certain someone that stole my heart from Toronto- he had to run for his life from his homeland because of his lifestyle. I hope that the lives of queers living in developing countries with homophobic policies are made significantly better in 2010. (I don't live there and can't know what "better" would look like, so that's all I'll say). I hope we continue to infuse queer mainstream with the diverse queer voices of different cultures around the world, to be proud of our heritages and to let our histories empower our voices. I hope my parents will hear about their son doing something queer and wonderful and will come to show their support. I hope my father will accept me when I confront him about my 8-year secret of being gay. I hope to be a part of a parent support group for school aged children that have gay/lesbian parents and are subjected to bullying. I hope people become kinder and less fearful and that ’80s techno pop makes a comeback. I hope we survive the bureaucratic nonsense of the Australian immigration department.

I hope 2010 will bring authentic healing to our community, that we'll be good to each other, supportive of each other, and become more of who we are truly meant to be. I hope I feel less hopeless a year from now than I do today- pleasant surprises would be welcome.

I feel ready to begin.

Friday is for Faeries

Friday is for Faeries

Friday is for Faeries

Friday is for Faeries