I'm From Driftwood

I was reading the profiles of 40 under 40 on Advocate.com. In addition to our own senator (and GSP friend) Jolie Justus, another profile also caught my eye. Creator and editor of I’m From Driftwood, Nathan Manske has made a place for sharing true stories of gay life. This quote from their website sums up the need for this type of outlet.

To the gay teens struggling to come out and deal with their sexuality, who to this day still attempt suicide 4 times more than straight kids, it says “you are not alone.” Other people have dealt with similar situations, families, communities and churches, and have overcome and are now living happy lives.
It can happen for you, too. It gets soooo much better, I promise. Hang in there, kiddo.

And to the people who don’t support equal rights, it says we’re not all that different afterall. We all have stories and problems and loves and lives just like everyone else. So maybe we should all be treated like everyone else, too.

Every day there is a new story, a different life reveled. So whether you’re part of the LGBT community, or struggling to come out, or an ally, this website is for you. Check it out at http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/

After 160 Years of Service, St. Vincent’s Will Close

“Every doorway you looked in there was a young man lying in the bed, very, very ill. It felt like a war hospital. It was very, very affecting, very powerful. I spent a lot of time in those rooms.”

- Cynthia O’Neal, Co-founder of Friends in Deed, AIDS Services Agency

Since the early days of the AIDS epidemic, St. Vincent’s found itself on the frontlines. From the start of the epidemic to 1995 more New Yorkers were affected by HIV/AIDS then the number of U.S. deaths in the Vietnam War. Many of the affected passed through the halls of St. Vincent’s. Every bed was filled and patients died in hallways waiting for a room.

On 12th Street in New York City, this hospital experienced a huge culture clash between the gay community and the Catholic run hospital. Catholic leaders fought public-health initiatives such as safer sex practices and members of the gay community felt angry toward the dicta of the Church. However, as AIDS cases began to account for most of the admissions, St. Vincent’s found its way. Soon the funds followed, assisting St. Vincent’s in providing extraordinary service to those affected by AIDS.

Today, St. Vincent’s is getting ready to close its doors. Currently, $700 million dollars in debt and continuing to lose $10 million each month, there is no way out but closure. With new medications that make living with HIV a chronic situation, the drop in admissions contributed to the financial instability of the hospital.

For many, the closing of the hospital will be bittersweet. Sarah Schulman, writer and activist, was present when her friend, David Feinburg, died painfully at St. Vincent’s. Schulman remarks, “Boy, I don’t have any happy memories of St. Vincent’s. But I’m glad it was there.”

Adapted from www.nymag.com

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s “Super Lawyer Rising Star” John Nechman!

That’s right, you immigration/civil rights law groupies, John Nechman is coming to town! This Friday, John Nechman will be presenting on HIV and the Law at Shook, Hardy and Bacon (see www.gsp-kc.org for more details).

A founding partner at Katine and Nechman L.L.P., he has been named twice by Texas Monthly Magazine as a “Super Lawyer Rising Star” As a adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law and University of Houston Law Center, he teaches courses on “Sexual Orientation and the Law” and “HIV and the Law.” His experience as an immigration lawyer has led to serving on the board of several well known non-profits, including Immigration Equality and the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association. Nechman has been the recipient of many awards including, the 2004 Stonewall Law Award for Excellence in Advocacy, the Human Rights Campaign’s 2005 Political Equality Award, the 2007 State Bar of Texas’s Judge Norman Black Award and the 2007 Outsmart Magazine Statue of Liberty Award.

We are excited to host the HIV and the Law seminar. Hopefully, Mr. Nechman will wear his cape during his talk.

Are We Stupid?

“Treatment is popular – voters smile on compassionate politicians who give out life-saving drugs, while frowning on politicians who give out condoms or clean needles that would make those drugs unnecessary.” Quote from Elizabeth Pisani’s book The Wisdom of Whores

This quote made me think about another quote from one of my all-time favorite shows, The West Wing. The following exchange is between CJ Cregg, press secretary and Charlie Young, personal aide to the president. Charlie has just disclosed to a member of the press that the president does not care for green beans and CJ is worried about offending green bean farmers, which Charlie thinks is ridiculous.

CJ Cregg: “Everybody’s stupid in an election year, Charlie.”

Charlie Young: “No, everybody gets treated stupid in an election year, CJ.”

Here’s the thing. Elections often have the distinct odor of a homecoming court crowning. For all intents and purposes, an election shows us who was the most popular in a certain area at a certain time. It also makes sense that if people want to keep the job they were elected to do, they do a lot to stay popular, much like the king and queen from homecoming that wants a run at prom royalty. They do not create and maintain programs that are unpopular with voters. So my question is; are needle exchange programs and a handing out condoms really that unpopular? Or are we getting treated election year stupid?

One point of the book The Wisdom of Whores points out (and other research I’ve read) is that sometimes people have to gradually move to safety. Not everyone has the ability to quit drugs cold turkey or will stop having high-risk sex. For example, people that inject drugs often have a decreased ability to monitor their own safety. Needle exchange programs assist in reducing the risk of disease and can be a source of information for users. Some needle exchange programs help users transition into recovery programs.
Likewise, handing out safer sex kits can be used as a way to educate high risk populations about proper prevention techniques and testing information.

Preventing disease is preferable to treating it. The two pronged approach of treatment and prevention needs to be maintained to better serve our communities and those infected with HIV (and other preventable diseases). Let’s make health a priority (and popular) with our politicians and our communities.