A&U April 2013 by A&U: America's AIDS Magazine

Reservoirs of Hope: Can We Force HIV Out of Hiding? • Pam Grier Dines Out

APRIL 2013 • ISSUE 222 • AmERIcA’S AIDS mAgAzInE

Workout Regimen Trainer Victor Tort Helps Those Living with HIV/AIDS Stay in Shape

Hype & Headlines Patricia Nell Warren Examines Media Coverage of the “Cure”

plus Meantime Men • Actor Anthony Brandon Wong

Gloria Gaynor Faith & Healing $3.95 USA • $4.95 CANADA

What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. It combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects: t Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. t Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain. t You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

t Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking STRIBILD, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. STRIBILD is not approved for the treatment of HBV. Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you: t Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), triazolam, oral midazolam, rifampin or the herb St. John’s wort. t For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages. t Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, or the medicine adefovir (Hepsera®). What are the other possible side effects of STRIBILD? Serious side effects of STRIBILD may also include: t New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with STRIBILD. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD. t Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. t Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines. t Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking STRIBILD. The most common side effects of STRIBILD include nausea and diarrhea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? t All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. t All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. t If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc). t If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. t If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. t If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in STRIBILD can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

I started my personal revolution Talk to your healthcare provider about starting treatment. STRIBILD is a complete HIV-1 treatment in 1 pill, once a day.

Ask if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right for you.

Patient Information STRIBILDTM (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets #SJFG TVNNBSZ PG GVMM 1SFTDSJCJOH *OGPSNBUJPO 'PS NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO QMFBTF TFF UIF GVMM 1SFTDSJCJOH *OGPSNBUJPO JODMVEJOH 1BUJFOU *OGPSNBUJPO What is STRIBILD? t STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. 453*#*-% JT B DPNQMFUF SFHJNFO BOE TIPVME OPU CF VTFE XJUI PUIFS )*7 NFEJDJOFT t STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. :PV NVTU TUBZ PO DPOUJOVPVT )*7 UIFSBQZ UP DPOUSPM )*7 JOGFDUJPO BOE EFDSFBTF )*7 SFMBUFE JMMOFTTFT t Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. %P OPU TIBSF PS SFVTF OFFEMFT JOKFDUJPO FRVJQNFOU PS QFSTPOBM JUFNT UIBU DBO IBWF CMPPE PS CPEZ þ VJET PO UIFN %P OPU IBWF TFY XJUIPVU QSPUFDUJPO "MXBZT QSBDUJDF TBGFS TFY CZ VTJOH B MBUFY PS QPMZVSFUIBOF DPOEPN UP MPXFS UIF DIBODF PG TFYVBM DPOUBDU XJUI TFNFO WBHJOBM TFDSFUJPOT PS CMPPE What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). -BDUJD BDJEPTJT DBO IBQQFO JO TPNF QFPQMF XIP UBLF 453*#*-% PS TJNJMBS OVDMFPTJEF BOBMPHT NFEJDJOFT -BDUJD BDJEPTJT JT B TFSJPVT NFEJDBM FNFSHFODZ UIBU DBO MFBE UP EFBUI -BDUJD BDJEPTJT DBO CF IBSE UP JEFOUJGZ FBSMZ CFDBVTF UIF TZNQUPNT DPVME TFFN MJLF TZNQUPNT PG PUIFS IFBMUI QSPCMFNT Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: t GFFM WFSZ XFBL PS UJSFE t IBWF VOVTVBM OPU OPSNBM NVTDMF QBJO t IBWF USPVCMF CSFBUIJOH t IBWF TUPNBDI QBJO XJUI OBVTFB PS WPNJUJOH t GFFM DPME FTQFDJBMMZ JO ZPVS BSNT BOE MFHT t GFFM EJ[[Z PS MJHIUIFBEFE t IBWF B GBTU PS JSSFHVMBS IFBSUCFBU 2. Severe liver problems. 4FWFSF MJWFS QSPCMFNT DBO IBQQFO JO QFPQMF XIP UBLF 453*#*-% *O TPNF DBTFT UIFTF MJWFS QSPCMFNT DBO MFBE UP EFBUI :PVS MJWFS NBZ CFDPNF MBSHF IFQBUPNFHBMZ BOE ZPV NBZ EFWFMPQ GBU JO ZPVS MJWFS TUFBUPTJT Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: t ZPVS TLJO PS UIF XIJUF QBSU PG ZPVS FZFT UVSOT ZFMMPX KBVOEJDF

t EBSL iUFB DPMPSFEw VSJOF t MJHIU DPMPSFE CPXFM NPWFNFOUT TUPPMT t MPTT PG BQQFUJUF GPS TFWFSBM EBZT PS MPOHFS t OBVTFB t TUPNBDI QBJO You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. 3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. *G ZPV IBWF IFQBUJUJT # WJSVT )#7 JOGFDUJPO BOE UBLF 453*#*-% ZPVS )#7 NBZ HFU XPSTF þ BSF VQ JG ZPV TUPQ UBLJOH 453*#*-% " iþ BSF VQw JT XIFO ZPVS )#7 JOGFDUJPO TVEEFOMZ SFUVSOT JO B XPSTF XBZ UIBO CFGPSF t %P OPU SVO PVU PG 453*#*-% 3Fý MM ZPVS QSFTDSJQUJPO PS UBML UP ZPVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS CFGPSF ZPVS 453*#*-% JT BMM HPOF

t %P OPU TUPQ UBLJOH 453*#*-% XJUIPVU ý STU UBMLJOH UP ZPVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS t *G ZPV TUPQ UBLJOH 453*#*-% ZPVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS XJMM OFFE UP DIFDL ZPVS IFBMUI PGUFO BOE EP CMPPE UFTUT SFHVMBSMZ GPS TFWFSBM NPOUIT UP DIFDL ZPVS )#7 JOGFDUJPO 5FMM ZPVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS BCPVU BOZ OFX PS VOVTVBM TZNQUPNT ZPV NBZ IBWF BGUFS ZPV TUPQ UBLJOH 453*#*-% Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: t BEFGPWJS )FQTFSB®

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STRIBILD is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old. What are the possible side effects of STRIBILD? STRIBILD may cause the following serious side effects: t 4FF i8IBU JT UIF NPTU JNQPSUBOU JOGPSNBUJPO * TIPVME LOPX about STRIBILD?” t /FX PS XPSTF LJEOFZ QSPCMFNT JODMVEJOH LJEOFZ GBJMVSF :PVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS TIPVME EP CMPPE BOE VSJOF UFTUT UP DIFDL ZPVS LJEOFZT CFGPSF ZPV TUBSU BOE XIJMF ZPV BSF UBLJOH 453*#*-% :PVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS NBZ UFMM ZPV UP TUPQ UBLJOH 453*#*-% JG ZPV EFWFMPQ OFX PS XPSTF LJEOFZ QSPCMFNT t #POF QSPCMFNT DBO IBQQFO JO TPNF QFPQMF XIP UBLF 453*#*-% #POF QSPCMFNT JODMVEF CPOF QBJO TPGUFOJOH PS UIJOOJOH XIJDI NBZ MFBE UP GSBDUVSFT :PVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS NBZ OFFE UP EP UFTUT UP DIFDL ZPVS CPOFT t Changes in body fat DBO IBQQFO JO QFPQMF XIP UBLF )*7 NFEJDJOF 5IFTF DIBOHFT NBZ JODMVEF JODSFBTFE BNPVOU PG GBU JO UIF VQQFS CBDL BOE OFDL iCVGGBMP IVNQw CSFBTU BOE BSPVOE UIF NJEEMF PG ZPVS CPEZ USVOL -PTT PG GBU GSPN UIF MFHT BSNT BOE GBDF NBZ BMTP IBQQFO 5IF FYBDU DBVTF BOE MPOH UFSN IFBMUI FGGFDUT PG UIFTF DPOEJUJPOT BSF OPU LOPXO t Changes in your immune system *NNVOF 3FDPOTUJUVUJPO 4ZOESPNF DBO IBQQFO XIFO ZPV TUBSU UBLJOH )*7 NFEJDJOFT :PVS JNNVOF TZTUFN NBZ HFU TUSPOHFS BOE CFHJO UP ý HIU JOGFDUJPOT UIBU IBWF CFFO IJEEFO JO ZPVS CPEZ GPS B MPOH UJNF 5FMM ZPVS IFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS SJHIU BXBZ JG ZPV TUBSU IBWJOH BOZ OFX TZNQUPNT BGUFS TUBSUJOH ZPVS )*7 NFEJDJOF

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c o n t e n t s April 2013 40 Cover Singer & Author Gloria Gaynor Talks with A&U’s Dann Dulin About the Importance of Faith in Finding Life’s Purpose and Keeping Prevention Efforts Alive in the Fight Against AIDS

Features

Departments

26 Gallery

Frontdesk

Artist Curtis Carman Creates

Mailbox

Outside of the Box

NewsBreak

Ruby’s Rap

28 Life’s Banquet

Ruby raps with Paul Gauthier

With Dining Out for Life, Actress Pam Grier Sets a Place at the

26 viewfinder

Table for Everyone

Just*in Time

20 Left Field

30 X Homophobia

by Patricia Nell Warren

Advocates in Los Angeles Fight to Destigmatize HIV/AIDS

24 Poetry 32 Transformer

by Melissa Fry Beasley

Anthony Brandon Wong Merges lifeguide

Acting & AIDS Activism

46 Treatment Horizons 36 Fitness 4 Poz

48 Hep Talk

Fitness Trainer Victor Tort Helps

The Culture of AIDS

HIVers Find Their Form &

Lifelines

The Scene

Rebound into Health cover photo by Stephen Churchill Downes

( A&U frontdesk )

Taking Chances A m E R I c A’ S A I D S m A g A z I n E

pril brings in spring. Daffodils are pushing through the soil, the days are longer, the robins are returning to the trees outside my kitchen window. But it seems that Congress has gotten a bit of the winter chills. In its newest round of grim-and-bear-it budget cuts, the folks we elect to go to Washington are disenfranchising the very people who they purportedly represent. On the one hand, it was nice to see their commitment for global health by passing a continuing resolution that increases funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The bill mandates that the United States will add $1.65 billion for the fight against these three serious diseases. The bill also provides $4.07 billion to fund the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). While this is all well and good for those receiving the aid as well as for our nation’s PR image, it does nothing for the already strapped ADAPs around the country. Back are the waiting lists for Americans trying to receive HIV drugs. And back is the slashing of prevention budgets. Because Congress couldn’t see the logic in funding our own needs, right here at home, the AIDS epidemic will continue to wreak havoc on our communities. So the $35 million in emergency ADAP funds and the $10 million for Ryan White Part C Providers won’t be guaranteed. According to some estimates, nearly 10,000 Americans living with HIV will be removed from ADAP rolls and therefore lose access to the free medicine that they need to fight the virus in their bodies. So while we’re expanding our role in fighting AIDS and other life-threatening diseases in the Third World, we’re allowing for thousands of Americans to fall through the cracks. While $45 million might not seem like a lot of money, it is a lifeline for Americans who can’t skip one single dose of their lifesaving medication. Today’s politicians aren’t very good in making the right cuts. For every man or woman with HIV who doesn’t

receive their necessary ARV therapy, that’s an extra $100,000 in added hospitalizations—due to failing health and opportunistic infections. Multiply that by 10,000 Americans who fall into this category, and you’re looking at an extra $1 billion dollars in unnecessary medical costs. Finding the money to fight AIDS in the poorest parts of the world is very noble, but cutting funding to the 10,000 most vulnerable Americans is ignoble. Endangering ADAP by not approving $35 million in badly needed emergency drug assistance funding is sheer lunacy. And homophobic. And racist. It goes to show how much easier it is to spend money on a good cause when those in need are 5,000 miles away; but when it comes to helping those in your own backyard, forget about it. One might argue that Americans with HIV are fully cared for. But this is not the case. Over half of MSMs don’t know about their status. Shouldn’t they? Shouldn’t there be more funding for prevention and outreach to the MSM community, which, according to the CDC, accounts for sixty percent of all new infections? Most of those living with HIV/AIDS that I know simply want a chance at health. I am certain they will find value in this month’s interview with Victor Tort, who develops fitness programs for HIVers. They will be eager to read about Pam Grier’s advocacy for nutrition. And surely they will fall in love with this month’s cover diva, Gloria Gaynor, who knows a thing or two about how to overcome the challenges in one’s life. She didn’t just sing the greatest of all dance-disco classics, “I Will Survive,” she lived it. Empowered by her faith, she found her life’s purpose and is now planning to open a center for healing, learning, and recreation for families. If those living with HIV/AIDS, especially those who rely on ADAP, have a fair chance at health, they know they have a fair chance at discovering or continuing their life’s purpose. “I Will Survive” should never be a question but a declaration.

David Waggoner

issue 222 vol. 22 no. 4 April 2013 editorial offices: (518) 426-9010 fax: (518) 436-5354

Editor in Chief & Publisher David Waggoner Managing Editor: Michael Needle Senior Editor: Dann Dulin Editors at Large: Chip Alfred, Sean Black Special Projects Editor: Lester Strong Literary Editor: Brent Calderwood Consulting Editor: Nick Steele Copy Editor: Maureen Hunter Contributing Editors: Sarah Churchill Downes, Reed Massengill, Kelly McQuain, Lesléa Newman, Robert E. Penn Contributing Writers: Noël Alumit, V. Anderson, Annie Buckley, Larry Buhl, Ruby Comer, Robert Dunbar, Nancy Ellegate, Diane Goettel, Sherri Lewis, Angela Leroux-Lindsey, Suzy Martin, Alina Oswald, Dale Reynolds, Elizabeth Rodgers, Mariel Selbovitz, Patricia Nell Warren, Jeannie Wraight Art Director: Timothy J. Haines Design Director: Mark Crescent Contributing Photographers: Jordan Ancel, Davidd Batalon, Mark Bennington, Tom Bianchi, Sean Black, Adam Bouska, Brian Bowen Smith, Tim Courtney, Stephen Churchill Downes, Greg Gorman, Francis Hills, Renée Jacobs, Tom McGovern, Annie Tritt National Advertising Director: Harold Burdick, Jr. Sales & Marketing: David L. Bonitatibus Advertising Sales Office: (518) 426-9010 National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Subscription Info: (518) 426-9010 Circulation Manager: Robert Schelepanow Bookkeeper: Richard Garcia Board of Directors President: David Waggoner Vice President: Harold Burdick, Jr. Secretary: Richard Garcia Founding Board Members: Mark S. Labrecque, 1961–1992, Christopher Hewitt, 1946–2004, Mark Galbraith, 1962–2011 In Memoriam: Bill Jacobson, 1939–2005 Rhomylly B. Forbes, 1963–2011 Chris Companik, 1957–2012 A&U (ISSN 1074-0872) is published by Art & Understanding, Inc., 25 Monroe St., Suite 205, Albany, NY 12210-2743, USA. For A&U advertising information please call 518-426-9010; for subscriptions and address changes please call 518-426-9010; for letters to the editor and unsolicited manuscripts write A&U Magazine, 25 Monroe Street, Albany, New York 12210; fax 518-436-5354; or e-mail: mailbox@aumag.org. All unsolicited manuscripts that do not have a S.A.S.E. cannot be returned and will not be acknowledged. ©2013 Art & Understanding, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A&U may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. A&U and the graphic representations thereof are the registered trademarks of Art & Understanding, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Individual Subscription rates: $24.95 (12 issues). Institutional rates: $80.00 (12 issues). For subscriptions outside the USA and possessions, $30.95/Canada, $49.95/international, payable in advance in U.S. currency. First North American serial rights revert to contributors upon publication. A&U retains the right to anthologize work in further issues, as well as in microform or reprinting on the Internet within the context of each issue. Statements of writers, artists and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Readers note: subjects and contributors to A&U are both HIV-positive and HIV-negative. In the absence of a specific statement herein concerning the serostatus of any individual mentioned in, or contributing material to, this publication, no inference is made with respect thereto and none should be implied. Letters written to A&U or its contributors are assumed intended for publication. Art & Understanding, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for unsolicited submissions and does not guarantee the return thereof. POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to A&U Magazine, 25 Monroe Street, Suite 205, Albany NY 12210-2743, USA

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the stigma Saturday

M May ay 4, 2 2013 013 Gateway Village

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MANY LIVES. ONE R ROAD. OAD. O AD. W WALK ALK T TOGETHER. OGETHER.

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Letters to the Editor

A&U mailbox

“Kylie is truly amazing, especially all her work for AIDS and with amfAR. I love what Kylie has to say: ‘You really have to go into battle—there’s not many other words that we can use because we really are fighting, fighting cancer, fighting AIDS. I take a lot of pride knowing that people are watching me and drawing inspiration from my story and finding some strength in that.’”

photo by William Baker

Lucky Star Lucky, lucky, lucky, indeed, to have an interview with Kylie Minogue in your magazine [cover story, “Finest Feelings,” by Sean Black, February 2013]. I bet everyone who reads the cover story is doing “The Loco-Motion”: I have loved this song since Little Eva did it back in the sixties. Kylie is truly amazing, especially all her work for AIDS and with amfAR. I love what Kylie has to say: “You really have to go into battle—there’s not many other words that we can use because we really are fighting, fighting cancer, fighting AIDS. I take a lot of pride knowing that people are watching me and drawing inspiration from my story and finding some strength in that.” Yes, Kylie, I do find a lot of strength in your personal fight against cancer. —Loretta Pincus Palm Springs, California I really think that Kylie Minogue is one of the best singers in the world. I really APRIL 2013

• a&u

don’t understand why she has not been a bigger star in America. She has had many hits in other countries. I did not know that she had a bout with cancer. Maybe this is why she is so committed to fighting AIDS. Doing her best to fight one disease, while fighting another disease through her words and deeds. Sometimes you have to suffer to help other people who are suffering. —Trudy Starling Hilo, Hawaii

Pictures at an Exhibition Edo Zollo has definitely shown us through his photography the real diversity of people living their lives in spite of being HIV-positive [Gallery, February 2013]. And these people are living normal lives, they are carrying on, doing the normal things that everyone does in life. Whether young or old, men or women, black or white, gay or straight, Edo gives us the real perspective. This is the kind of exhibit I would go to if it were in the U.S. —Mark Landry Hutchinson, Kansas

Queen of Hearts Boy, Gina Ravera could not have said it better: “I view the war against HIV/AIDS as the Civil Rights movement of my day” [“Closeup,” by Dann Dulin, February 2013]. The fight against AIDS is everyone’s fight. It is truly horrific that so many African Americans are testing positive for HIV. Latino/Latinas are also vulnerable. To think that “AIDS is the leading cause of death for AfricanAmerican women ages twenty-five to thirty-four” is a clarion call for greater action. I’m glad Gina has stepped forward to help out young women. For me, Gina is the “Queen” of Project Reina. —Melinda Vosvera San Juan, Puerto Rico

Send e-mail to: mailbox@aumag.org Send letters to: Mailbox, A&U, 25 Monroe Street, Suite 205, Albany, NY 12210 Or click on “Mailbox” on our Web site’s home page: www.aumag.org All correspondence requires name, address, and daytime phone number for confirmation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

The

one

for me

Patient model. Pill shown is not actual size.

What is COMPLERA? ®

COMPLERA is a prescription HIV medicine that is used as a complete regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV medicines before and who have an amount of HIV in their blood (this is called “viral load”) that is no more than 100,000 copies/mL. COMPLERA contains 3 medicines – rilpivirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. It is not known if COMPLERA is safe and effective in children under the age of 18 years. COMPLERA® does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking COMPLERA. Avoid doing things that can spread HIV-1 to others: always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids; never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them, do not share personal items that may contain bodily fluids. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information you should know about COMPLERA? COMPLERA® can cause serious side effects: t Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold, especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. t Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain. t You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. t Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking COMPLERA, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take COMPLERA? Do not take COMPLERA if you have ever taken other anti-HIV medicines. COMPLERA may change the effect of other medicines and may cause serious side effects. Your healthcare provider may change your other medicines or change their doses. Do not take COMPLERA if you also take these medicines: t anti-seizure medicines: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek) t anti-tuberculosis medicines: rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin) and rifapentine (Priftin) t proton pump inhibitors for stomach or intestinal problems: esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo), lansoprazole (Prevacid), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole sodium (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex) t more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate t St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) If you are taking COMPLERA you should not take other HIV medicines or other medicines containing tenofovir (Viread, Truvada, Stribild or Atripla); other medicines containing emtricitabine or lamivudine (Emtriva, Combivir, Epivir, Epivir-HBV, Epzicom, Trizivir, Atripla, Stribild or Truvada); rilpivirine (Edurant) or adefovir (Hepsera). In addition, tell your healthcare provider if you are taking the following medications because they may interfere with how COMPLERA works and may cause side effects: t certain antacid medicines containing aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate (examples: Rolaids, TUMS). These medicines must be taken at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after COMPLERA. t medicines to block stomach acid including cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine HCL (Zantac). These medicines must be taken at least 12 hours before or 4 hours after COMPLERA. t any of these medicines: clarithromycin (Biaxin); erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral) methadone (Dolophine); posaconazole (Noxifil), telithromycin (Ketek) or voriconazole (Vfend). t medicines that are eliminated by the kidneys like acyclovir (Zovirax), cidofovir (Vistide), ganciclovir (Cytovene IV, Vitrasert), valacyclovir (Valtrex) and valganciclovir (Valcyte).

COMPLERA.

A complete HIV treatment in only 1 pill a day. COMPLERA is for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood.

Ask your healthcare provider if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the one for you.

These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take COMPLERA. Tell your healthcare provider about all prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements you are taking or plan to take.

The most common side effects reported with COMPLERA are trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, and depression. Some side effects also reported include vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles) and pain.

Before taking COMPLERA, tell your healthcare provider if you: liverproblems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection, or have abnormal liver tests t Have kidney problems t Have ever had a mental health problem t Have bone problems t Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child t Are breastfeeding: Women with HIV should not breastfeed because they can pass HIV through their milk to the baby. Also, COMPLERA may pass through breast milk and could cause harm to the baby

This is not a complete list of side effects. Tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you notice any side effects while taking COMPLERA, and call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects.

t Have

COMPLERA can cause additional serious side effects: or worsening kidney problems, including kidney failure. If you have had kidney problems, or take other medicines that may cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do regular blood tests. t Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless, feeling anxious or restless, have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself. t Changes in liver enzymes: People who have had hepatitis B or C, or who have had changes in their liver function tests in the past may have an increased risk for liver problems while taking COMPLERA. Some people without prior liver disease may also be at risk. Your healthcare provider may need to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA. t Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do additional tests to check your bones. t Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV medicine. t Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having new symptoms after starting COMPLERA. t New

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Additional Information about taking COMPLERA: t Always take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. t Take COMPLERA with a meal. Taking COMPLERA with a meal is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. (A protein drink does not replace a meal). Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA and see your healthcare provider regularly. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

Learn more at www.COMPLERA.com

Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information

COMPLERA (kom-PLEH-rah) (emtricitabine, rilpivirine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information including Patient Information. What is COMPLERA? t

COMPLERA is a prescription HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) medicine that is used to treat HIV-1 in adults – who have never taken HIV medicines before, and – who have an amount of HIV in their blood (this is called ‘viral load’) that is no more than 100,000 copies/mL. Your healthcare provider will measure your viral load.

(HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)). t

COMPLERA contains 3 medicines – rilpivirine, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate – combined in one tablet. It is a complete regimen to treat HIV-1 infection and should not be used with other HIV medicines.

It is not known if COMPLERA is safe and effective in children under the age of 18 years old.

COMPLERA does not cure HIV infection or AIDS. You must stay on continuous therapy to control HIV infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about how to prevent passing HIV to other people. Do not share or re-use needles or other injection equipment, and do not share personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them, like toothbrushes and razor blades. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal fluids or blood.

Who should not take COMPLERA? Do not take COMPLERA if: t your HIV infection has been previously treated with HIV medicines. t

you are taking any of the following medicines: – anti-seizure medicines: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal); phenobarbital (Luminal); phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek) – anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) medicines: rifabutin (Mycobutin); rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin); rifapentine (Priftin) – proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medicine for certain stomach or intestinal problems: esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo); lansoprazole (Prevacid); dexlansoprazole (Dexilant); omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid); pantoprazole sodium (Protonix); rabeprazole (Aciphex) – more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate – St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

If you take COMPLERA, you should not take: – Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla, Stribild, Truvada, Viread)

What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA? COMPLERA can cause serious side effects, including: t Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take COMPLERA or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: – feel very weak or tired – have unusual (not normal) muscle pain – have trouble breathing – have stomach pain with nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) or vomiting – feel cold, especially in your arms and legs

– Other medicines that contain emtricitabine or lamivudine (Combivir, Emtriva, Epivir or Epivir-HBV, Epzicom, Trizivir, Atripla, Truvada, Stribild) – rilpivirine (Edurant) – adefovir (Hepsera) What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? Before you take COMPLERA, tell your healthcare provider if you: t have or had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection, kidney problems, mental health problem or bone problems t

– feel dizzy or lightheaded Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take COMPLERA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems:

– your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) – dark “tea-colored” urine – light-colored bowel movements (stools)

are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. You should not breastfeed if you have HIV because of the risk of passing HIV to your baby. Do not breastfeed if you are taking COMPLERA. At least two of the medicines contained in COMPLERA can be passed to your baby in your breast milk. We do not know whether this could harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

– loss of appetite for several days or longer

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

– nausea

– stomach pain t

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child. Pregnancy Registry. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

– have a fast or irregular heartbeat t

Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take COMPLERA, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking COMPLERA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV, so you must discuss your HBV with your healthcare provider. – Do not let your COMPLERA run out. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your COMPLERA is all gone. – Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider. – If you stop taking COMPLERA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking COMPLERA.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time.

COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works, and may cause serious side effects. If you take certain medicines with COMPLERA, the amount of COMPLERA in your body may be too low and it may not work to help control your HIV infection. The HIV virus in your body may become resistant to COMPLERA or other HIV medicines that are like it.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take: t an antacid medicine that contains aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. If you take an antacid during treatment with COMPLERA, take the antacid at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. t

a medicine to block the acid in your stomach, including cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine hydrochloride (Zantac). If you take one of these medicines during treatment with COMPLERA, take the acid blocker at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. any of these medicines (if taken by mouth or injection): – clarithromycin (Biaxin) – erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone) – fluconazole (Diflucan) – itraconazole (Sporanox) – ketoconazole (Nizoral) – methadone (Dolophine) – posaconazole (Noxafil) – telithromycin (Ketek) – voriconazole (Vfend)

medicines that are eliminated by the kidney, including acyclovir (Zovirax), cidofovir (Vistide), ganciclovir (Cytovene IV, Vitrasert), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and valganciclovir (Valcyte)

The most common side effects of COMPLERA include: t

trouble sleeping (insomnia)

abnormal dreams

headache

dizziness

diarrhea

nausea

rash

tiredness

depression

Additional common side effects include: t

vomiting

stomach pain or discomfort

skin discoloration (small spots or freckles)

pain

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of COMPLERA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

What are the possible side effects of COMPLERA?

How should I take COMPLERA?

COMPLERA can cause serious side effects, including: t See “What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?”

Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA.

Take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.

Always take COMPLERA with a meal. Taking COMPLERA with a meal is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink does not replace a meal.

Do not change your dose or stop taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider. See your healthcare provider regularly while taking COMPLERA.

If you miss a dose of COMPLERA within 12 hours of the time you usually take it, take your dose of COMPLERA with a meal as soon as possible. Then, take your next dose of COMPLERA at the regularly scheduled time. If you miss a dose of COMPLERA by more than 12 hours of the time you usually take it, wait and then take the next dose of COMPLERA at the regularly scheduled time.

Do not take more than your prescribed dose to make up for a missed dose.

New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure, can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your kidneys before starting treatment with COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems in the past or need to take another medicine that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do blood tests to check your kidneys during your treatment with COMPLERA. Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: – feeling sad or hopeless – feeling anxious or restless – have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself

Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with COMPLERA. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with COMPLERA in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA.

Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do additional tests to check your bones.

Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the main part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long term health effect of these conditions are not known.

Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having new symptoms after starting your HIV medicine.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about COMPLERA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about COMPLERA that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.COMPLERA.com Issued: January 2013

COMPLERA, the COMPLERA Logo, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD, and VISTIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. ©2013 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. CPAC0023 03/13

B NewsBreak N HEADLINES Bee Plus Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine have found that a toxin in bee venom called melittin can destroy HIV and at the same time leave surrounding cells unharmed. According to a recent article in Antiviral Therapy, nanoparticles containing the bee venom toxin work by poking holes in the viral envelope of HIV and other viruses, as well. In this laboratory study, the nanoparticles were given protective bumpers through which HIV can pass and make contact with the toxin while normal cells bounce off and do not attach. Attacking a vital part of the virus’s structure theoretically means there is little chance that HIV could adapt to this new interaction and develop a way to circumvent it. Researchers suggest that the discovery is an important step in developing a preventative vaginal gel against HIV infection as well as possibly treating already existing infections. Bee venom has also been studied for its anti-cancer properties with some success.

Dr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General during the early days of the AIDS pandemic, died in February at the age of ninety-six. A native of Brooklyn, Charles Everett Koop graduated from Dartmouth College, and later Cornell University Medical College in Manhattan; he completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Soon after, he held the position of surgeon in chief of Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, until his appointment as Surgeon General thirty-five years later. Though conservatives expected Dr. Koop to wave an anti-abortion flag once appointed, he refrained from injecting his personal and moral views on abortion into public health policy, citing the fact that abortions were medically sound procedures. His tenure as Surgeon General and director of the Public Health Service extended from 1981, when he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, to 1989. As a health advocate and policymaker, Dr. Koop was a vigilant crusader to make the public aware about the dangers of smoking, most notably in a television media campaign and a national speaking tour. His efforts helped change views about such practices as advertising to children and helped energize states to pass laws restricting smoking in public places and helped smokers quit—the number of Americans who smoked dropped from thirty-three to twenty-six percent over the course of his term of appointment. AIDS awareness was also an essential part of his educational efforts. While the Reagan administration famously dismissed the urgency of the epidemic, Dr. Koop encouraged a more potent federal response—one that was repeatedly hobbled by the administration’s homophobia and sex panic, which stigmatized the disease, slowed awareness and education, and increased the death rate. In 1986, five years into the epidemic, President Reagan finally requested that Dr. Koop write an official report on AIDS. Dr. Koop consulted with a wide range of organizations and experts to compile the report, which went through seventeen drafts. Then, knowing he had to face the micromanaging tendencies and political resistance of cabinet members overseeing his work, Dr. Koop played a psychological trick when presenting his first AIDS report for committee review in 1986. He knew the report would be printed as a brochure on cheap paper as two to three million copies were envisioned for distribution to the American public. “But, I also ordered one thousand copies printed on the best quality glossy stock, with a cover in the royal blue of the public health service, its seal in shining silver....I figured that if the Domestic Policy Council were handed a pamphlet shrieking expensive paper and printing, they might be disinclined to make changes because of the cost of reprinting,” he wrote in a published remembrance. He also reviewed the report cursorily with the committee members and collected the numbered reports at the end of the meeting. His plan worked; no changes were made! Even though he advocated for abstinence and monogamy in the report, he was urged by administration insiders to remove all of his references to condoms, which he had suggested be used if needed, in an “updated” report. In the end, he refused and his vision prevailed. Twenty million copies of a seven-page brochure based on the report were printed, both in English and Spanish versions, and distributed to Americans via mail. He is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, and his second wife, Cora Hogue. (His first wife, Elizabeth Flanagan, died in 2007).

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APRIL 2013

photo courtesy Ian Jopson

In Memoriam

Paul Gauthier

ello mates. I…love…cruising! The seafaring kind, not the flirtation kind, though that can be stimulating as well. I’m presently in the South Pacific aboard Holland-America’s Volendam sailing from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia. Today we are at sea and I’m sitting on deck reading Sachi Parker’s juicy “Mommie Dearest” tome, Lucky Me, about her mother Shirley MacLaine. Oola-la! Being aboard this mid-size ship for over a week now, I must say that, compared to the many other cruises I’ve taken, it’s a knot or two above others in the way of personal touches. The Old World charm of this cruiser trumps the dispassionate elaborate monstrosities they are building today. The Volendam has laundromats (yes!), the elevator carpet is changed daily and it’s imprinted with the day of the week (if you’ve cruised you know how easy it is to forget), and, after every evening meal, the head chef greets each table, inquiring if they are enjoying the food. They also have the group “Friends of Dorothy,” which is a daily mixer for LGBTs. HollandAmerica is involved with several charities, and, a couple of days ago, even held a breast cancer 5K walk around the deck. They are globally known for their community giving, focusing on organizations that support the environment, health, the

arts, or maritime causes. Just recently, the Volendam donated 200 blankets to the Auckland City Mission. This morning at breakfast in the Lido, I met another humanitarian, Paul Gauthier, from Toronto. This gentleman retired after a nearly forty-year stint as an In-Charge Flight Paul Gauthier with two friends he met in Port Vila, Vanuatu Attendant, the last seven years flying with Air Canada. Early on, Paul stepped up a scapegoat. to the “bow” to help others in the AIDS I knew Gaëtan and he was a great, funny epidemic, having lost over twenty friends person, full of life and always smiling. and many more acquaintances, including a partner to the disease. Recently he’s had In the pictures I’ve seen of him he certainly his own serious health issues, but with his had a beaming smile. You said you were lively, uplifting personality, one would involved at the beginning of AIDS. never know. I trained as a peer support volunteer While my beau, Rudy, plays volleyball, with the AIDS Committee of Toronto in which was organized by the ship’s 1985. The following year, along with two extremely competent “lifestylist,” Jeremy other bowlers, we organized the first BowlHales, Paul and I lie back on the deck a-Thon for AIDS. Being involved in my chairs, reading, relaxing, and relating. union [Canadian Airline Flight Attendants’ Association, CALFAA] and trained in HIV/AIDS, I was appointed co-chair of our Ruby Comer: Do you happen to remember union’s new AIDS Education Committee. how you first heard about the pandemic? Paul Gauthier: I read Three cheers for your union! about a “gay plague” while It was then suggested I make a presenliving in Toronto. I was tation to the Ontario Federation of Labour involved in my union and [OFL] for the development of a policy on Patient Zero was a flight attendant who was represent- education and prevention of discrimination in the workplace, a motion that was ed by my union. carried unanimously. The OFL invited me to speak to different unions on the issue. Oh, yes, of course, Gaëtan Through this involvement, I was also Dugas, who allegedly asked to be a speaker at the Ontario Minbrought HIV to the contiistry of Health’s OPEPA [Ontario Public nent—which was total continued on page 54 nonsense. He was just

The Volendam

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ruby illustration & ship photo by Davidd Batalon; photo courtesy Paul Gauthier

by Ruby Comer

Bringing hear hearts together ts to gether since 1998

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Justin B. Terry-Smith has been fighting the good fight since 1999. He’s garnered recognition and awards for his work, but he’s more concerned about looking for new ways to transform society for the better than resting on his laurels. He started up in gay rights and HIV activism in 2005, published an HIV-themed children’s book, I Have A Secret (Creative House Press) in 2011, and created his own award-winning video blog called, “Justin’s HIV Journal”: justinshivjournal.blogspot.com. Now, with this column, Justin has found a way to give voice to the issues that people write to him about. Visit his main Web site at

I am struggling because I recently found out that my boyfriend tested positive for HIV during our relationship. It has been six months to date since this happened & I am still dealing with the situation mentally. When I first got the news I was getting tested every two weeks and about two months ago I have limited it to once a month. All of my tests have been negative, but, for some reason, I am dealing with anxiety issues to the max. I feel like every symptom is there and I’m having it. I don’t understand why I can’t move on from this. Getting tested should be helping me but it just takes me back to the same place I was when I first got the news. Maybe you can give me some words of wisdom and encouragement that will help me to move past this & move on. Oh, and now I’m terrified to have sex. I don’t sleep around I was always in a relationship so I don’t understand why me…so maybe you can help. —Monique Let me start out by saying that you have to stay strong. It is very hard getting out of this stage. The not knowing can be very tough to get through, but you can get through this and you will get through this. Whether or not the test ever comes back positive or remains negative, you will be okay. HIV most of the time

will take longer than two months to show up in any blood test. I don’t know what symptoms you might have but I’m going to guess that you are questioning just about everything that might be happening to your body right now. The key is to stay calm, and don’t worry until there is something to worry about. Also, you must feel very betrayed right now—that I understand—but we must put attention where it would benefit everyone and that is on the virus. We need to blame the virus and not others. I suggest therapy as well, because it does truly help you move forward. Yes, there might be a time period where you are afraid to have sex with anyone, but in time that might pass. A lot of people have the misconception that HIV only infects people who are promiscuous which is NOT the case. People in “monogamous” relationships can be infected with HIV as well. Stay strong, Monique, be calm and keep in mind this motto that has always helped me get through life: Worry about the things you have control over and do not worry about the things you do not. Be brave, baby. Hugs and kisses! Justin— Justin, I think I could learn a lot from you. I seldom disclose my status to anyone, including a few that I’ve had

“close encounters” with. I’m in fear of doing so. Although, the few times that I have told my partners about it, they replied, “Don't worry, I have it to.” Unfortunately, the disease affects more than we give it credit for.... Back to me—I’m afraid of being alienated by my family and friends. I’ve lived with this for twelve years now, so you think I would be comfortable with it. Anything that you have to share with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Justin. —Chad I understand about only disclosing to those who you are intimate with. Fear is the ultimate enemy. In the 1980s–90s and even now people are afraid of losing their jobs, friends, family, and their very lives if they disclose their status. I’ve always been the kind of guy to stand up for what I believe in even if that means losing people I love. I would start small by telling someone who you know. The more you tell people the easier it gets. I’m not saying, shout it from the rooftops, but maybe we should start with a whisper. When you throw the tiniest pebble in a pond, it makes ripples. But those ripples expand throughout the pond. If they have a problem with it remember it is those people who have the problem and not you. SMOOTCHIES ◊

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Hi Justin,

Christopher (left) has lived with HIV since 2011.

Get the facts. Get tested. Get involved. www.cdc.gov/ActAgainstAIDS www.cdc.gov/ActAgainstAIDS

viewﬁnder

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“Cures”—Rushing to Judgment by Patricia

Nell Warren WHAT’S AT STAKE WHEN MEDIA COVERAGE

ildly excited stories about “AIDS cures” are popping up all over the news. I was intrigued to see how many headlines appeared to reveal a shared bias. As NPR ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos has said, “Headlines are prominent and designed to capture your attention.” But some of these “cure” headlines seemed to go beyond that—to suggest that the “AIDS cure” was scientifically proven, when in fact, the following article discussed whether any conclusive proof has actually happened. The crux of one story was earlier-than-usual ARV treatment, and whether or not the earlier treatment had fortuitously resulted in a “cure.” In the 3/15 Huffington Post, a headline announced breathlessly, “14 ADULTS ‘FUNCTIONALLY CURED’ OF HIV, STUDY SAYS.” The quotes around “functionally cured” could be interpreted as suggesting that the scientific paper on this study made that statement. But the paper being cited—published by its French researchers in PLOS Pathogens—did not actually describe those fourteen adults as “functionally cured.” The researchers used the word “remission” to describe the fourteen’s possible status. Lead scientist Asier Saez-Cirion emphasized this in an interview with the BBC News. He said, “They still have HIV, it is not eradication of HIV. It is a kind of remission of the infection.” The PLOS Pathogens paper concluded on a cautious note, saying: “Our results show that early and prolonged ART may allow some individuals with a rather unfavorable background to achieve long-term infection control and may have important

implications in the search for a functional HIV cure.” “May have” is far from a proven cure. In her Huff Post article about the fourteen cases, author Amanda L. Chan went

on to mention the now-famous case of the Mississippi baby girl, who was treated not only early but more aggressively than babies usually are. Chan stated flatly that the girl “was ‘functionally cured’ of HIV.” Yet, farther down in her article, she quoted Dr. Mark Siedner of Harvard Medical School, who had told the Wall Street Journal: “We know she was exposed to HIV, had HIV in her blood, and that at least some cells in her blood were found with sleeping virus—though we will likely never know if those cells were from the child or maternal cells that had been transmitted during pregnancy or birth. Was the

baby infected with HIV and, thus, cured?...It seems more likely that her treatment prevented her, after exposure to HIV, from being infected.” In other words, Dr. Siedner is saying the baby girl may not be “cured.” In the actual bodies of living things, remission and cure may have a shade of grey connecting them. But we humans also have to deal with words and definitions when we talk about these things. In Dorland’s Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers, one of the definitions of “cure” is: “successful treatment of a disease or a wound.” The American Heritage Medical Dictionary adds the following definition of cure: “Restoration of health; recovery from disease.” In short—if treatment is truly successful, and health is truly restored, then the disease or wound goes away and doesn’t come back. Remission, however, is defined as: “a disappearance of a disease as a result of treatment. Complete remission means that all disease is gone. Partial remission means that the disease is significantly improved by treatment, but residual traces of the disease are still present.” Indeed, remission can end, with a deadly return of active disease. Many Americans are familiar with hearing about remission, especially in the case of leukemias, when the disease may temporarily respond to treatment and go inactive for a while, but then wakes up and progresses again. Similar “cure” headlines popped up on Web sites of CNN, ABC News, Fox News, NPR, MSNBC—indicating a rare agreement among conservative and liberal news media about this one thing, namely the baby girl’s “cure.” CNN took the cake with

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illustration by Timothy J. Haines

MISSES THE HARD FACTS?

the pop media as much as the science how media, both major and independent, media. Pop can handily shop their mesdeal with AIDS news. Why is this imporsage to the American populace, whether tant? Because these “cures” are alleged to it’s getting them to accept the alleged value be the result of ARV drugs already in the of male circumcision in prevention, or the marketplace. These drugs are often expenimportance of treating the poor in developsive, and—far from curing—some have ing countries—even as treatment in the side effects that are toxic, even sometimes U.S. gets harder for the poor to access. lethal, to individuals being treated. Yet And just on general principles, the public already a new phalanx of studies is being now and then needs to hear good news discussed as a result of the fourteen story about “a cure for AIDS.” and the little-girl story—all of which will justify more research spending in a Most Americans don’t read those peertime when reviewed science journals. So even the most huge budget cuts have accurate of science reporting is lost on them. loomed over researchers. In addition, more Most Americans don’t read those peermileage can be gotten out of existing drugs reviewed science journals. So even the without start-from-scratch development. most accurate of science reporting is lost Many decades ago, there was a time on them. Most people get their informawhen the only way for medical research to tion about medical advances from thirtymove forward was via publication by peersecond bytes on TV or Internet news reviewed medical journals. Ethics were services or “shares” on Facebook. Indeed, usually tight enough to keep everybody with their ever-shorter attention span, from rushing to judgment. But today, that most people will likely remember only the is all changing. Some radical and mischieTODDLER CURED OF HIV headline. vous new research, like that being done by They won’t remember the rest of the artiskeptical Greek scientist Dr. John Ioannicle that hazarded any of the pesky quesdis, has shown how uncomfortably unrelitions. And that is surely what scientists, able the peer-reviewed system can be. corporations, NGOs, and government Worse, rushing research to judgment in agencies with a vested interest in “early-asthe pop news has become part of the possible ARV treatment” are counting way to get FDA approval. on—that the public will stand still for With AIDS, that trend was already bigger AIDS research budgets. put in place in the 1980s, when the Indeed, I wonder how many Congresspublic was clamoring for the first treatmembers have those sunny “cure” headment to be approved. Business Weekly senior writer Bruce Nussbaum noticed lines burned into their brains as they vote. that a strategic use of media frenzies helped to get AZT into clinical trials Further reading: and into the marketplace. He wrote about it in his revealing 1990 book Huffington Post piece by Amanda L. Chan: Good Intentions, as he described how www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/15/14-adultscancer researcher Sam Broder helped cured-of-hiv-functionally-cure-_n_2884201.html drag AZT off the bonepile where it had languished as a dud for cancer cures. PLOS Pathogens article: Broder, said Nussbaum, was the first www.plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F scientist to figure out “that AIDS 10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1003211 would be the most politicized disease in the history of the United States, and Author of fiction bestsellers and provocative comthat the press would play a key role.” mentary, Patricia Nell Warren has her writings Today, what would the AIDS indusarchived at www.patricianellwarren.com. Reach try do without the press? They need her by e-mail at patriciawarren@aol.com.

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photo by Stephen Churchill Downes

its tabloidy headline: RESEARCHERS: TODDLER CURED OF HIV. Some major print publications followed suit. In USA Today, the headline read, DOCTORS REPORT FIRST CURE OF HIV IN A CHILD. The article’s first sentence goes on to read, “For the first time, doctors are reporting that they have cured a child of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.” However, deeper into the article, the paper covers its bases somewhat by admitting that what happened with her (whatever it was) may or may not benefit mothers and babies elsewhere. The doctor who treated the child, Hannah Gay, was quoted as saying, “I’m sort of holding my breath that this child’s virus doesn’t come back in the future.” If her virus comes back, it’s not a cure—it’s a remission coming to an end. Even the Wall Street Journal went for a baldly affirmative headline: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HIV CURE OF BABY. The phrase could be interpreted as saying that the cure is a fact, though there may be questions about it. Only in the body of the article did the WSJ delve into real issues, with some scientists saying that a lot of research has to be done before anybody knows anything for sure about such cases. This explosion of “cure stories”—and the real-life distance between “cure” and “remission”—puts a glaring spotlight on

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poetry

Two Poems To My Beloved Aunt and Friend

Emerging Voices

Something mysterious that came out of nowhere wouldn’t leave us alone, this thing we would not believe in. You cannot pass through such things without pause. We watched as you went dying and singing, your strength exhausted by the unrelenting struggle. Wearing grace and pain proudly; while you cupped your hands around the live coal of life, delaying your good-bye for as long as you could.

For a Time My Mother My mother spent the summer locked away in a strange place. Root wrapped and holding but we could not be certain for how long. She wasn’t so unique in her occasional ineptitude. She used to walk barefoot from town to town searching, until she had turned every corner and run into herself. Just like a dog can smell fear, She could sense the indifference, confusion of memory and imagination. She remembered humble beginnings among dirt and stone but we are never the same person twice. She was buried in loss, leaving only quiet desperation. Staring in dumb silence, we expected that past predicted the future. So many elusive and subtle masters enslave us. Preserve your illusion because only the dead speak truth in this place. We are all beggars, each in our own way, always an incompleteness somewhere. Remember that nature is well suited for weakness, And our skeletons aren’t to be distinguished from our ancestors. —Melissa Fry Beasley

Melissa Fry Beasley is a Cherokee poet, advocate, and activist from Oklahoma. You can find her work in print and on-line. Of her poems, she says: “I recently lost my beloved aunt to AIDS. I wanted to share the poems that came out of that time. The second poem is about my mother’s reaction to losing her sister.”

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Defying Conformity With His Unconventional Artistry, Curtis Carman Makes a Statement and Makes Us Laugh by Chip Alfred

urtis Carman is a man of many talents—a sculptor, performance artist, photographer, and drag queen. He’s innovative, entertaining, and unpredictable. An internationally exhibited artist who found his calling later in life, Carman’s work and philosophy are as individual as he is. “Life is not one size fits all; normal is a setting on a clothes dryer,” he explains. “Appearances are deceiving; the personal is political; and perception is just that.” Born into a “straight, white, Catholic” community in a small New England town, Carman was always a visual person, but according to his family, art was something to be appreciated and enjoyed. It wasn’t something you would support yourself doing. At first, he tried his hand at painting. “I was just trying to make pictures that looked like other pictures,” he admits. Diagnosed with HIV in 1995, he started to find his creative voice the following year— after he became seriously ill. “My viral load was off the charts and an opportunistic infection had left me quite debilitated,” he recalls. A long recuperation was followed by a lot of introspection, soul searching and unanswered questions. “My life has changed. What am I going to do with my time?” Encouraged by legendary artist and cultural icon Jack Doroshow (aka Flawless Sabrina), his partner for more than twentyfive years, Carman enrolled at Hunter College, where he ultimately earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. Going back to school

in his mid-forties was “a blessing to me and a curse to some of the faculty, because you don’t accept everything as a given.” The first work Carman presented in sculpture class was A Day in the Life. It’s

hypodermic needle aims to define AIDS as something other than just a gay disease. The coins signify Carman’s concern about the economic ramifications of AIDS and the financial stress he endured due to his life-threatening illness. The red ribbon is a symbol of caring. “When I was creating this work for class, I wanted to say loudly, albeit figuratively, that ‘I have AIDS.’ I also wanted to put on display the extraordinary hurdles that had to be overcome every single day of dealing with HIV,” he declares. “It merely represented one single day of dealing with the horrible circumstance I was faced with. And, I wanted it to be crystal clear, hence the container.” For his classmates, Carman’s intended message was anything but clear; nor was the piece a welcome

Giving Body, 2004, collage, 10 by 8 inches

literally a transparent box filled with the forces that impacted his journey learning to live with HIV. The medications displayed in the sculpture represent one day’s dosage of HIV medicine. The condoms are there as a reminder to the artist who came of age in the era of “free love” that “safe sex” was the new phrase to live by. The

source of discussion. He was glad he documented the work, but after his perspective on his HIV status changed, he destroyed the piece. “It became too difficult to look at any more.” As time passed, “I had consciously chosen to move from ‘having AIDS’ to ‘being HIV-positive.’ I commuted a ‘death sentence’ to a fulfilling life. It wasn’t accomplished in a day, a week, or a year, but in

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A&U Gallery an attitude.” Carman’s attitude is affected by his health issues and infused with his over-the-top comical drag persona, Curtsy. “My experiences as a drag queen active in gay culture and the effect of AIDS on my life influence my outlook on life, art, and the cosmos.” Curtsy has an exuberant lust for life with a humor all her own. “Moments when I’m most inspired are when I put together a look and I just giggle,” Carman says. “First and foremost, I want people to see my work and smile.” In Drag Queen Spaceship, an installation he designed in college, “I sought to make a colorful environment that would be a ‘world of my own making’ and could house numerous elements of conceptual drag art.” But for Carman, any work of art he creates isn’t finished without one essential element. “The viewer is what completes the work—their takeaway is the greater part.” Observing a man intently gazing at Drag Queen Spaceship, he asked the viewer what captured his attention. When he received the simple reply, “shiny things,” Carman concluded that the man’s child-like response acknowledged the mesmerizing effect of the piece and its ability to transport the viewer to another place and time. Utilizing recycled materials and found objects, Carman, fifty-four, describes himself as “a producer of conundrums and fanciful scenarios. Frivolity, wit, travesty, and drama are at play in my vision, setting a stage for freedom and individuality. I seek to entice the viewer into questioning the architecture of identity.” A series of collage and paint on canvas entitled “Big Hair/Sweet Beauty” exemplifies the artist’s whimsical approach to exploring the

way aspects of identity are constructed Recumbent Semi-nude, 2013, ink and and perceived. For those of us old gouache on paper, 4 by 6 inches enough to remember penny candy, the backdrop for the collection is reminiscent of a confection known as candy In one of the works, Fruit and Nut Dark dots or buttons. Symmetrical strips of Chocolate, the artist incorporates candy bar pastel “polka dollops” stuck to white strips of paper provide a parallel to the multitude wrappers and a big 1980s hairdo to make a statement about embracing our differof pills in Carman’s daily medication regiences as part of a spiritual quest. “I’ve men. “Pills of all different colors—this is continued on page 52 part of my life,” he says.

Drag Queen Spaceship (element #1), 2005, mixed media, 72 by 60 inches in diameter

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Actress Pam Grier Uses Her

Life’s

to Serve Up Compassion for Others by Dann Dulin

ith movie titles like Foxy Brown; Black Mama, White Mama; Hit Man; Sheba, Baby; and Tough Enough, how could their leading lady not be a heroine?! These are just some of Pam Grier’s trendsetting films. Her feisty characters were fearless and triumphed over crime. Think of her as Dirty Harry’s female counterpart. She was the first African-American female action star and her films exploded on to the scene in the seventies during the zeitgeist of “blaxploitation.” What an accomplishment for a gal who moved to Los Angeles from Denver and was “discovered” while working as a switchboard operator for American International Pictures! In 1997, for Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, she was honored with both a Golden Globe as well as a Screen Actor’s Guild nomination for Best Actress. In the mid2000s Pam was a cast regular on Showtime’s The L Word. She penned her memoir, Foxy: My Life in Three Acts, and, just last year, received the Legend Award at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards. Now based near Denver, she enjoys her country home and takes pride in her cooking, even serving up hot cakes—red velvet no less!— one time for Snoop Dogg. Pam has lost several dear friends to AIDS and has been a dedicated fundraiser over the years. This will be Pam’s third year serving as one of the spokespersons for Dining Out for Life, an annual fundraiser where restaurants across North America donate a portion of their profits that night to AIDS organizations in their city [see Lifelines, this issue]. Dining Out for Life estimates the fundraiser will raise about $4 million. This year the event takes place on Thursday, April 25, and Pam will break bread at Panzano in Denver’s Hotel Monaco with a very special date. In the past she’s dated such men as Richard Pryor, Freddie Prinze, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “This year, as always, I take my Mom as my date,” boasts Pam, adding that Subaru hosts the event.

Pam’s concern about the resurgence of HIV in many communities motivates her to act. “There’s such a lack of education, there’s a misperception that the epidemic is over and curable, but awareness and funds are declining,” she emphasizes. “You must dine out this night for the most satisfying meal you’ll have all year!” Dann Dulin: Pam, what started your connec-

tion with Dining Out for Life? Pam Grier: My dear friend from Subaru of America, Abana Jacobs, introduced me to Dining Out for Life when I was working on The L Word back in 2009. I, of course, know many people in my industry and outside who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. I feel fortunate to be able to dedicate time to help this worthy cause. Dining Out for Life is such a valuable HIV/AIDS fundraiser.

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photo courtesy Pam Grier

Trademark Take-Charge Attitude

Banquet

photo by Peter Lien

You are National Ambassador for the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, which has an outreach program that educates and empowers youth to protect their health. In 2011, they honored you by naming a garden after you. Your garden will not only grow flowers and beautify the area, but vegetables will also be grown that will help feed people in the community. Can you expound on this? Community gardens are so beneficial to low-income communities and I am still so deeply flattered and honored that the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum named me as a National Ambassador. Obesity is an epidemic that plagues the United States, specifically low-income minority populations. Government officials can preach startling statistics until they turn blue, but if healthy, low-cost produce and health education is not available, then how can they expect these populations to eat healthier while taking care of their families at the same time? The same holds true for HIV/AIDS—low income minority individuals, men and women alike, are suffering from the epidemic, but services, such as testing and prevention, are not easily accessible. Those who can’t afford healthcare are dependent on AIDS organizations, which is why participating in Dining Out for Life is so fabulous. During one day of dining, a part of your tab goes directly to your local organization, which, in turn, helps those in your area who need it most. There seems to be a connection between you, food, and organizations. Is there any significance to this? Food is life’s adhesive. It brings together people from different experiences and backgrounds, lifts our spirits, and fills not only our bellies, but our souls. Dining Out for APRIL 2013

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Ted Allen and Pam Grier dine out for life.

Life is such an easy way to support a great cause and it encourages people to go out together and try new restaurants that are so generously donating a percentage of their proceeds. For one night, we can all sit at the table and share laughter, stories and valuable conversations knowing we are doing good. What motivates you to help out? Helping others is the spice of life, baby! There have been individuals who have helped me throughout my acting career, from my beginnings in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls to the present. When you receive, it’s imperative to give back. Being completely selfish only takes you so far! I’ve experienced tough times in my life—from being sexually abused at the age of six to having stage IV cervical cancer—experiences that could have left me fearful and reclusive, but I’ve found that when you show goodwill towards others, animals included, then positive energy comes back to you. I like your philosophy. You bring up your 1988 cancer diagnosis when you were told that you had eighteen months to live. How did you deal with that tragic news and what did you learn from that experience? It was devastating, even surreal, if you will. Honestly, my farm home and horses in

Denver, Colorado, where I still live today, saved me. Clean water, the quietness really restored my health and strengthened my soul. Living away from congested cities, like Los Angeles, really helped me to live and eat clean. Cooking organic food gave me the proper nutrition to restore my body. The simple life can be so healing. Truthfully, most times I’d much rather be sitting at my bonfire under the stars than at some party in the Hills. Sounds so appealing, Pam. Many, including Quentin Tarantino, consider you the first female action star. How do you feel about that? It’s very flattering, and sometimes I’m not sure if I deserve it! I’ve had so many women, black and white alike, tell me how I have been an inspiration. Sure, we all don’t have to seek revenge in our everyday lives like Foxy Brown, but I think, for so many, seeing a woman take charge and kick ass for once like the boys is refreshing! To find participating restaurants in participating cities, log on to www.diningoutforlife.com. Follow Dining Out for Life on Twitter @DineOut4Life and on Facebook.com/DineOut4Life for updates. Dann Dulin is Senior Editor of A&U.

Homophobia

A LOS ANGELES PROTEST DEMANDS AN END TO HOMOPHOBIA, RACISM &

multicultural group of three dozen protesters gathered in the heart of one of Los Angeles’ oldest AfricanAmerican neighborhoods two months ago to commemorate National Black HIV/Awareness Day and demand an end to homophobia in the black community that, they say, contributes to the shockingly high rate of HIV infections among black men who have sex with men. The “X Homophobia” protest was held in the Leimert Park neighborhood of L.A. where less than three months earlier a billboard promoting safer sex among black men had been removed by the city of L.A. after a small but vociferous group of residents declared that it was an inappropriate backdrop for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The billboard featured two shirtless black men kissing, with the caption, “Our Love is Worth Protecting: We Get Tested.” The billboard was back, at least for the length of the protest, and its sponsors, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and In The Meantime Men’s Group, a black gay men’s wellness organization, vowed that the poster would be back permanently, not only in L.A.’s black neighborhoods, but in cities around the country. The mini-uproar over the image was a sign that the greater black community has a long way to go toward accepting and embracing its gay, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters, says Paul Scott, president of Los Angeles Black Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Pride.

Stepping up, and stepping out “To stop the spread of HIV among black men, it’s going to take our community to recognize we’ve always been here, and recognize us,” Scott tells A&U magazine. “They have to get over their visceral reaction when they see two black men embracing, like in the poster.” Scott, a black, gay man with HIV, says gay-identified black men say it’s often internalized self-hatred that keeps his fellow gay black men hidden. “A lot of us have been so demoralized and filled with shame that we’re afraid to be who we really are. In 2013 black gay people have to step into our own. Only then can we begin to reverse the spread of HIV. We’re furthering our own

oppression by staying invisible. “We need to be more visible and demand our place at the black table as gay people. We want to feel safe in our own neighborhoods as black gay people. We tried to assimilate in the black world. They know we’re there but as long as we shut up they don’t attack us. When a black gay man comes out and says he’s proud, that’s a mortal sin. It scares them.” African Americans represent fourteen percent of the U.S. population but account for forty-four percent of new HIV infections, according to the CDC. Young, black men who have sex with men—many don’t identify with the labels of gay or bisexual—are at highest risk for infection. Those are statistics that should alarm everyone in the wider black community, but instead are mainly discussed quietly among HIV advocates and healthcare specialists, says Rev. Russel Thornhill, Co-Pastor of Unity Fellowship of Christ Church. Thornhill, who is black, says that the black community doesn’t have the luxury “to dismiss our gay black and lesbian and transgender or anyone in this community.” Thornhill underscores what AIDS advocates have been saying for years, that closeted behavior and “down-low” sex, fueled by shame and fear of discovery, is the fuel that accelerates the HIV infection rate for black men. “When black gay men feel ostracized by their community, and when they do not feel supported and put out by their church

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photos by Mary Bell for AIDS Healthcare Foundation

HIV IN THE NAME OF CIVIL RIGHTS by Larry Buhl

and families, then they will go underground, and be more likely to have unsafe sex and be less likely to get tested.” Jeffrey King, executive director of In The Meantime, says that overcoming black homophobia—both internal and external—is the civil rights issue of our time. That kind of equation tends to make black heterosexual Americans bristle, particularly ones who remember the civil rights movement of the fifties, sixties, and seventies. But King and others say the connection to the modern civil rights movement must be emphasized in order to clarify the urgency of the situation. “Let’s be clear that homophobia is a killer,” King said at the protest. “We can no longer stand by silently while gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender black people are physically, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally abused.” King went on to say that black LGBT men, and men and women in the larger black communities, must fight to make the words of the Declaration of Independence a reality for them. “If in fact all men are created equal then this must apply to black man and the black same-genderloving man, as well. Dealing with this crisis demands the immediate attention of the black community as a whole. Unfortu-

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nately homophobia has impacted the ability to deal with this.” Spreading the word AHF and In The Meantime are in discussions with grass-roots LGBT black organizations throughout the country to increase awareness of HIV, reduce homophobia, and encourage HIV testing, not necessarily in that order. The success of the movement may depend on the outreach efforts throughout Southern California. King says their organization reaches out in locations they’ve identified as frequented by gay black men, to encourage free and anonymous HIV testing. And while the shirtless-men billboard may not be back up in Leimert Park, other billboards with life-affirming but slightly less provocative messages are going up in primarily AfricanAmerican areas throughout L.A. “It’s shocking that the city of Los Angeles took down a life-

affirming billboard because it was deemed inappropriate for being near a Christmas display,” says Michael Weinstein, president of AHF. Weinstein decries the silence in the black community after several recent anti-gay slurs by professional sports players, and insisted that homophobia, like racism, is a civil rights issue. “I think when you look at HIV and AIDS in the black community, the majority of those infections are among black gay men, there is a connection between that discriminatory language, devaluing lives and people devaluing their own lives and not feeling like they need to be safer. The lives of black gay men are devalued in the gay community. Segregation and discrimination is completely unacceptable.” Weinstein tells A&U he’s grown frustrated with “half-hearted attempts” to reduce HIV in the black community. “We never believe that anyone’s life is disposable. This is a nationwide problem and I hope we can expand upon this campaign and make a significant difference. We can spend thousands of dollars on research about why black gay men are at risk but all we have to do is go across the street, for example, and hear the bigoted attitudes of the school principal to know what we’re up against.” Larry Buhl is a radio news reporter, screenwriter, and novelist living in Los Angeles. His young adult novel, The Genius of Little Things, debuted in January 2013. His comic mystery novel, We’re Here to Help, will be available later in 2013.

TRANSFORMER AUSSIE ACTOR ANTHONY BRANDON WONG INSPIRES THROUGH HIS WORK AND THROUGH HIS ACTIVISM by Dann Dulin

up any familiar image, though you’ve probably seen him numerous times on the screen. But you see, it’s okay because that’s to his credit. He’s a character actor, a chameleon if you will, and his success depends on disappearing into diverse roles. Mr. Wong has played a smuggler (Flight of the Phoenix), Mao Tse-tung’s right

hand man, Chou En-Lai (Hemingway and Gellhorn), an Elvis impersonator (Guns, Girls and Gambling), a womanizer stockbroker (Floating Life), a hostage journalist (Haywire), and a ruthless business tycoon (in the mini-series, Samurai Girl). The multifaceted performer is also a cabaret singer, playwright, comedian, and

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photos by Simon Cardwell

nthony Brandon Wong wants to live in the year 2160. “In that era, all the prejudices that we’ve lived with are gone. They’re remnants of the past and have been relegated to ancient history. Students log on to their high-tech flubo computers with transfibulators, or whatever you want to call them, and they read about Proposition 8 or AIDS stigma and they’re laughing, going, ‘Oh my god, can you believe people did that?!’” He continues. “All the prejudices are nonissues. You’ve got an Asian-American lesbian who is the President of the United States, your television is covered with people from every race, and HIV has been cured.” How grand! Could he have insight into the world’s future? Well, in a way, Anthony has been to the future, having played the character of Ghost, a Zen Buddhist assassin, in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The year 2160, however, is a long way off for us. But that’s fine with him because Anthony likes to revel in the moment by volunteering for AIDS organizations, performing at fundraisers, and donating to charities. At this moment, it’s a summer afternoon in Anthony’s hometown of Sydney, Australia (winter in the U.S.A.), and he’s stationed in my top floor suite at The Cambridge Hotel located in the chic/edgy section of Surry Hills that has an all-embracing view of the city, including the iconic Sydney Opera House. Anthony’s name or face may not beam

a respected acting coach. He hints at taking time out from acting sometime this year to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music. “At the end of the day what we’re going to regret on our deathbed is not the fact that we didn’t put the washing out or that we didn’t check our e-mails,” he says. “What we’re going to regret is what we didn’t fulfill.” The man ascribes to new age philosophy. For many years he was a Louise Hay [A&U, April 2010] devotee and currently follows the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. He’s also an avid foodie and a passionate worldwide traveler. On the small screen, you may have freshly seen him in such red-hot shows as Hawaii Five-O, Glee, and NCIS. Anthony relishes immersing himself in challenging characters. His first love is the theater, and he’s been active in the HIV/AIDS community. Meld these collectively and you have this actor portraying the lover of an HIV-positive character—in three separate plays! In two of those projects he loses his lover to the disease. APRIL 2013

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“Some of the most fulfilling roles of my career have been playing those characters,” he emphasizes with a reverent undertone, sitting next to me on a burnt charcoal colored sofa, dressed in dark stonewashed jeans and a casual collared short-sleeve wheaten-colored shirt, untucked and unbuttoned several notches from the embroidered top. “It’s interesting how it’s impacted my work through the years.” The first role was in 1990’s Blood and Honour produced by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and it was one of the first Australian works in the theater to deal with the epidemic. In that play his partner is a news anchor who not only comes out on national television as a gay man but as an HIV-positive individual as well. The next year Anthony appeared in People Like Us, which had a cast of nineteen people who acted, sang, and danced. The third project was a short film, The Reunion, which was presented at the Sydney Film Festival. “While I was in Blood and Honour, Tim Conigrave and John Caleo came to see me.

Tim wrote this very touching memoir, Holding The Man (1995), which was about his relationship with John. They were high school sweethearts and were together for fifteen years. They both were HIV-positive,” he informs, adding, “they both have now passed.” Tim’s book was made into a successful play that was staged all across Australia and eventually made it to the West End. (It had a smaller run in America.) “Their legacy lives on in this play and people are always sobbing at this play. It’s just so beautifully written. So tender, it’s funny…it guts you,” he blurts, quickly pounding his fist gently into his stomach. “It’s become a classic in Australian literature and in the Australian theatrical world as well.” Anthony returns to his initial thought. “So Tim and John saw Blood and Honour, twice. After one performance, they were inspired to go home and stay up till the early hours and talk with each other about death. Both being HIV-positive, they had never discussed it. It was too painful

and Tim mentions [this experience] in Holding The Man—it was so profoundly satisfying [for me].” Anthony looks for projects that deal with tolerance and acceptance. Early in 2012, Anthony portrayed Dr. William Tam, the director of the Traditional Family Coali-

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photos by Simon Cardwell

losing a soul mate….” He takes a short swig from the bottled water he brought with him. “To me, you live for those moments as an actor. It’s an old cliché, but it’s so true, ‘If I can touch one person in my work, I’m happy.’ To know that it had that kind of effect on both of those men—

tion in San Francisco in Dustin Lance Black’s Australian reading of his play 8, about the overturning of California’s Proposition 8. “At one point I have to say what Dr. Tam said in real life, ‘Homosexuality is akin to pedophilia and child abuse.’ All of a sudden you hear this audible gasp come up from the audience. Then the lawyer character asks Tam, ‘Where did you learn that?’ He answers, ‘It’s in the Internet!’ And the idiocy of that comment brought the biggest laugh of the night. He doesn’t even use correct grammar!” Anthony racks through his thick, slicked-back hair a couple of times, briefly staring objectively out through the huge glass sliding doors onto the skyscrapers, reminiscing. “That was such a great project to be involved with. It was done with some of Australia’s most renowned actors—major TV and film and theatre actors—and it was fantastic to be on that stage with some legends. There was a week of rehearsal and everyone performed it for free.” “I always get very touched when you see people giving their time for a cause like that. It’s an honor to do something substantial like that as an actor,” he remarks firmly. “It’s fun to do blockbusters and action movies but when you get to tell a story about something profoundly important….” He nods his head in gratitude. “I live for those moments. It becomes bigger than yourself. If we’re not careful as actors we can become incredibly narcissistic. There’s so much to feed your ego in this business. So when you have a chance to do something that is not about you, it’s such a relief to forget yourself and give it over to something bigger. It’s always about something bigger, isn’t it?” Anthony leans toward spirituality, even embracing when we first meet. There’s a monk’s reverence, a gentleman’s instinct,

and a scientist’s keen focus about him, which radiates a balanced fervor. That’s what partly makes him successful at his craft. When Anthony first landed in Hollywood from Down Under he struggled in the acting business, even though he had worked steadily in Australia for many years. “I went to dinner one night with Judith Light [A&U, July 2007] and she said, ‘Find a cause. Then you’ll feel your life has meaning.’ I’m paraphrasing but that’s essentially what she said. Judith mentioned Project Angel Food and some other charities, and one day her husband, Robert Desiderio, took me down to Project Angel Food.” Anthony connected with the organization and volunteered. “It was wise advice,” he notes, looking back. Anthony has also been involved with Sydney’s AIDS Council of New South Wales (ACON), fundraisers like Hot in Hollywood Charity Event to benefit AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Real Medicine, and he’s helped sponsor his manager in a cancer research walk as well. The topic of charity work ensues and includes the AIDS/LifeCycle. Anthony says he’s thought about riding in the demanding seven-day journey but deduces, “I don’t know if my butt cheeks could stand it!” He howls, folding his leg under the other. “I kind of like my groin and not having one after that could be a bit difficult. I mean, you could lose it!…But it is a good cause.” Anthony first became aware of the epidemic in a bizarre fashion. “There were these appaaaalling fear-mongering television ads. They were of all these people who had HIV—children, women, pregnant women, men, people of all different races—that were bowling pins in a bowling alley. The Grim Reaper was the bowler and he threw the bowling ball down the alley and all the people would go flying!” balks a gobsmacked Anthony, his arm abruptly jolting toward the ceiling. “Horror music would pipe up and the voiceover would say [he mocks in a spooky, creepy voice], ‘Who’s next?’” He grabs his water bottle and holds it, resting it on the sofa. “It was really violent. These ads were so shocking that they became renowned around the world as a means of using shock tactics. The ad was so impressed into your subconscious. It was horrifying. Then it ended with, ‘Are…you…next?’ It was ignorant,” a APRIL 2013

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wearied Anthony states flatly. Being gay and Asian, Anthony is fully aware of his own community and its challenges. There are many different Asian cultures, he says, and he’s careful not to stereotype. “I think the subject of sex and sexuality is a difficult one to address in many Asian families, let alone bringing HIV/AIDS into that equation. Though I think over the years Asian families are dialoguing more,” he contends. “I remember reading a study of gay Asian men in terms of sex practices. I don’t know how true it is today, but it was quite an alarming study, where it said that many gay Asian men have low self esteem when it comes to finding a partner, which causes them to engage in unsafe sexual practices. ‘This guy will reject me if I use a condom,’ or ‘I’ll risk my life, or my partner’s life, because I’m so desperate for that boyfriend that I would engage in unsafe sex.’ This [kind of attitude] deeply concerns me….” The atmosphere becomes deathly silent. What would he advise to reach these people? He ponders a moment then proffers with self-assurance, “Have the producers of a television show which has a massive youth audience tackle an HIV/AIDS storyline. How about Glee or True Blood? That’s why Chris Colfer has been so powerful in Glee because he’s a role model for many gay youth,” he points out. “Having a character deal with their HIV could be profoundly powerful. Imagine if the Twilight films dealt with that; you’ve got that demographic captive audience.” He pauses, scoots back into the sofa, and extends his arm across the top. “I wonder if video game producers would dare raise that issue? I know most video games are about violence and aggression but it’d be interesting because they’re so heavily watched and played,” insists Anthony, who lent his voice to the ever-popular Enter The Matrix video game, recreating his character Ghost, spending fifteen months on the project, doing live action and animated scenes. He’s a die-hard sci-fi fan. Anthony recently looked at the epidemic from a new viewpoint. Several months ago he took a master acting class and was working on a scene from The Normal Heart. (“That play is such a fantastic piece of work! I’m so glad it got a revival on

Broadway and now it’s being made into a film, directed by Ryan Murphy. That’s going to be a corker. I hope it kicks-ass at the Oscars. I would love to be in that film! Ryan Murphy are you listening?!” Anthony ripples with laughter.) In doing research for his role Anthony revisited Reports from the Holocaust by Larry Kramer. “It just brought back to me what those men and women at that time…, ” he stops, his dancing chestnut eyes look off and he continues, “it was a holocaust…wasn’t it? The absolute fear of going to a doctor and them saying, ‘We don’t know anything so we don’t know what to tell you’—and the lack of support on all levels. It’s the loss of life like in World War II. People were ignoring what was going on and that happened at the beginning of this holocaust.” “Australians were relatively cushioned from it in terms of the full impact of how it was really decimating people in America. I don’t think we were getting the full media coverage of it over here,” he says. “There was a lot of blackout media coverage even over there. I mean the New York Times wasn’t mentioning it for the longest time. Like the Jewish holocaust in the Second World War, it took a while for the full reality of what was going on to seep out.” A passionate metaphysic and a dedicated positive thinker, Anthony perceives the AIDS epidemic from yet another angle. “It’s a teacher and a gift in the sense that it’s opened people’s consciousness to think about other groups who suffer. And it’s unified people as well. It’s also divided people too. It’s been a kick in the guts to complacency and to narrowmindedness and to hatred…which continues,” declares Anthony. “There’s also been an outpouring of compassion through the years and people have put their necks on the line to dedicate their lives to the cause, like Elizabeth Taylor. It’s opened hearts between gay and straight, particularly in the entertainment business.” He takes a sip of water then momentarily rests the bottle thoughtfully against his lips before concluding, “I think AIDS has been a powerful teacher.” To read the full interview, visit: www.aumag.org. Dann Dulin interviewed Rosanne Cash for the March issue.

Fitne

Personal Trainer Victor Tort Seeks to Change the World Through

4POZ

by Alina Oswald

Eleven years ago, in his native Puerto Rico, Tort created a program called Fitness4POZ catering to HIV/AIDS and cancer patients. “[I started to work] with this population because I had friends who’ve died from AIDS,” Tort explains. He noticed that, at the time, people were hesitant to offer these kinds of services to individuals infected with HIV. He also noticed that those living with the virus were only trying to do their best to survive and live a better life. Thus, he decided to help them do just that, through exercise. “Exercise is not a cure for HIV, but it helps patients have a better life. I help people live a better life,” Tort explains. He’s done it first in Puerto Rico, and for the past year and a half in San Francisco. Tort offers group, and also one-on-one sessions to patients in all stages of the disease—AIDS and/or cancer—and cus-

tomizes the programs to their specific needs. “People come to me because they want to start exercise programs,” Tort says. “First thing I do, I send them to [their] doctor, who then sends me a release form

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photo by Ricardo Matos/Ricky PhotoSport; portrait photo by Nicholas Smith/ www.facebook.com/pages/Nicholas-Smith-Photography

n apple a day keeps the doctor away, and so does regular exercise. Nowadays we hear and talk more and more about the importance of healthy living (and healthy eating habits), about decreasing the stress and increasing the time we spend exercising or doing some kind of physical activity. So one may wonder what kind of exercise or fitness program is best suited for individuals living with HIV/AIDS? “I love [this] question,” Victor Tort says when we speak on the phone, “because,” he adds laughing, “exercise is exercise— walking is walking, swimming is swimming. It all depends on [the individual’s physical] condition, on what kind of exercise they can or cannot do.” Victor Tort is a personal trainer specializing in creating functional training— physical exercises and fitness programs he creates for specific individuals, from CEOs and actors to special needs children and, in particular, those living with cancer and/or HIV/AIDS patients. Sports have been part of Tort’s life ever since his childhood. He’s played volleyball, baseball, and participated in triathlons. Then he started teaching spinning classes and, later on, became a personal trainer, developing his own exercise programs. He first taught these programs in different gyms, until opening a gym studio of his own.

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says. “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. Don’t do drugs. I exercise more than four to five times a day.” He encourages others to do the same, and works with clients who may want to improve their exercise routine as much as with those who haven’t done an hour of exercise in their lives. “They come to me and they want to run three miles from one day to another,” Tort comments about the latter. “But [they] need to take baby steps, because we don’t want to injure them. And that’s why I’m here.” Sometimes he literally takes baby steps with some of his clients, especially with the elderly. Sometimes he has to teach those who are sick or have been bedridden for too long of a time how to get out of the bed. “I start with the basics,” Tort explains. “I have a client who is sixty-eight years old. He has an elevator in the house because HIV attacked his hip. So he cannot get down to grab something from the floor. There are a lot of muscles that a regular person uses just to stand up. So I created a program to teach him how to go up and down the stairs.” Many individuals living with HIV/AIDS live very active lives, and are ready to try out extreme sports, like snowboarding, skiing, paddle boarding or surfing. “I think these sports can help people because they’re fun sports, but [people need to]

photo by Carlos Maldonado; portrait photo by Nicholas Smith/www.facebook.com/pages/Nicholas-Smith-Photography

for them to start exercise with me.” He further explains that this is necessary because patients may be taking a lot of medications, or they may have certain health conditions like high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Many of his clients don’t have much strength or motivation, because they are sick all the time. “People are on medications, and the medications don’t always allow them to do what they want to do,” Tort comments. “And, you know, while on medication, you’re gonna feel a lot of weakness, fatigue, you don’t have an appetite and you don’t want to eat. So you lose muscle. And when you lose muscle, you don’t have strength; you have a lot of pain in your body. [You get depressed.] Exercise can help.” One may start a fitness program using on-line videos or reading a book, or spend more money and hire a personal trainer. Most of Tort’s clients who are living with HIV/AIDS are also living on a limited budget. They may be on disability. Tort understands that and helps them by adjusting the exercise sessions accordingly. For example,

instead of the usual hour-anda-half long sessions, he offers shorter sessions, depending on what his clients can do or afford. In addition, Tort tapes the exercise sessions for his clients, so that they have the tape for themselves and continue to use it on their own. “The goal is to keep the exercise for the rest of your life,” Tort explains. “And it doesn’t mean that you have to exercise like crazy, [but] vary the kind of exercise [you do].” A gym is not required. Instead, he advises his clients to make small changes in their everyday life—take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk the dog or walk to the supermarket. “Today you can go for a walk,” Tort reiterates. “Tomorrow you go dance. One day do push-ups, the next day you do stretching. Make the exercise part of your life. Don’t do it for one to three months and then be done. Do something at least one or two days a week.” When it comes to healthy living, Tort doesn’t only talk to talk, but also walks the walk. “I try to be healthy in all ways,” he

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photo by Steve Fitzpatrick/www.stevefitzpatrick.com

Be a Victor!

Victor Tort’s Healthy Diet and Exercise Advice for People Living with HIV/AIDS:

practice,” Tort says. He further explains that extreme sports allow people to exercise and have fun in the same time, while offering

1. The first thing that you have to tell yourself is that you need to do something for yourself again to get better; once you have that attitude, your life will change. 2. Always talk to your doctor before starting any kind of exercise or fitness program, or diet program. 3. Eat a lot of vegetables, salads and fruits. 4. Drink water. 5. Don’t drink alcohol. 6. Don’t do drugs. 7. Eat a lot of fiber. 8. Never eat raw meat; meat has to be almost well done. 9. Eat four to five meals a day if you exercise: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; between breakfast and lunch have a snack; between lunch and dinner have another snack; a snack would be an apple, a banana, something you can digest and that can help your immune system (don’t get a cookie, don’t get a pastry, don’t get a piece of cake). 10. People who have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, in particular, should avoid all canned food because it has a lot of sodium. 11. Eat food that’s not fried or processed; it’s best to prepare food yourself. 12. Food portions are very important. 13. It is very important to get your protein, fiber, and water. 14. Be careful using powder products purchased from vitamin stores because some of the powder products are not approved by the FDA, and you don’t know how they may interact with your medications; always ask your doctor first. 15. Try to exercise three to five times a week, but if that’s not possible, do an hour or fifteen minutes, no matter what kind of exercise; the most important thing is to move your body. 16. Rest. 17. Try to control stress with meditation and/or yoga. 18. If you are in a lot of pain, don’t start working out with a P90X program (high impact exercises) because your body is going to hurt afterward. 19. You don’t need to have access to a gym to exercise; instead, make exercise part of your life by making small changes in your lifestyle—take a walk in the park, go up and down the stairs, play tennis, go dancing. 20. It is very important that you find an exercise that fits you: check out fitness training online videos, read a book on the subject, or visit Victor Tort’s Web site by logging on to: www.victortort.com.

them that adrenaline rush we all seek at times. But Tort points out that extreme sports are also very active sports; and those engaging in these kinds of sports can get hurt. Individuals living with cancer or HIV, or who have certain health conditions, take much longer to recover from their injuries. But it’s all worth it because, as Tort explains talking about surfing, “I’ve been the person who jumps on the board, and also the person who teaches others to stand up on the board. And I have seen their faces, their smiles. This is something you cannot buy, but only create.” When in Puerto Rico, Tort created a fitness program called Fitness for Surfers, which, in turn, gave him the opportunity to travel to different places—including Hawaii, Jamaica, and Europe— and learn about different lifestyles and people. The experience gave him the opportunity to teach people all over the world how to apply exercise in their lives. Because one of his friends in Puerto Rico had a child with special needs, Tort developed an exercise program for special needs children. “Special needs kids don’t have too many opportunities

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or places to exercise. This program is more to teach the parents how to work with [their] kids,” he explains. “I work with balls, teach them coordination and balance.” He also brought the children to the surf school, giving them the opportunity to touch the water and swim. A former competitive cycler, Victor Tort still considers cycling his passion. Living in San Francisco, he discovered the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and signed up for the Ride to End AIDS. “You have to ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, 545 miles,” Tort explains. “So I decided I’m not just gonna sign up, but sign up to raise $10,000 for [San Francisco] AIDS Foundation and help people with [their] medications.” Many friends, family members and clients have supported his cause and donated in his name—some five dollars, others $500. Tort explains that it doesn’t matter how much people donate, the message they send by doing that is the same. Getting emotional, he adds, “Thank you for helping me and…the people in treatment.…All those people I’ll never know, but [who] are very grateful for your donations.…And thank the [A&U] magazine for helping me help others.” Moving forward, Victor Tort wants to help people in San Francisco and across the country improve their lives through exercise. His main goal is to continue working with Fitness4POZ and provide fitness training for individuals living with HIV and cancer. He encourages them not to allow the disease to take over their lives or bodies. “Let’s change the world,” he adds. “That’s what I want.” Alina Oswald is a writer, photographer, and the author of Journeys Through Darkness: A Biography of AIDS. Contact her at www.alinaoswald.com.

g n i g a r u o Enc

Survival

Dance Club Diva Gloria Gaynor Faced the music and Shares Her Triumphs

by Dann Dulin

hills shudder over my entire body. This overpowering feeling starts instantly when I hear that iconic piano arpeggio to Gloria Gaynor’s seismic hit, “I Will Survive.” Recorded in 1978, it has never lost its popularity! You can hear the song in films, on TV, and on the stage. Just last year it was being belted out on Broadway in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. In 1980 it won a Grammy for Best Disco Song, in 2005 the song was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, and in 2012 “I Will Survive” was welcomed into the Grammy Hall of Fame. This powerhouse melody has become an anthem of encouragement and empowerment for any kind of survivor, which includes those living with HIV/AIDS as well. The lightning bolt-fused tune is timeless—and so is Gloria Gaynor, especially when it comes to her tireless efforts working with the HIV/AIDS community. “The first time I heard about AIDS I was asked to do a fundraiser,” Gloria says from her dreamy estate in New Jersey, an hour outside Manhattan. “That was the early eighties. When I was told what it was, I was horrified. Even today, after all these years, when I hear HIV or AIDS, I think, pain—emotional and psychological pain.” Gloria has participated in many benefits over the years, including New York’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, where she performed for his “One Mighty Weekend” in Paris. Gloria hasn’t stopped there.

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photographed exclusively for A&U by Stephen Churchill Downes

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She is also involved with charities for breast cancer, cerebral palsy, brain cancer, diabetes, arthritis, melanoma, children, and domestic violence. Reaching out to others is motivated by the need to help herself. “It gives meaning and purpose to my life. I don’t want to leave here thinking that all I did was breathe the air and take up space. I want to be of service to other people,” she explains, swaying her hand in front of her, as a gesture to invite them in. “None of us want to be misused. We want to be used because we want to be useful. Mama always told me, ‘If you give, God will see to it that you have enough to give.’ I do my own interpretation, ‘If you give of yourself to other people then other people will give to you.’” There’s a flash of lightning and a boisterous ripple of thunder as rain lightly beats on her bedroom skylight. She pauses for a moment, but doesn’t acknowledge the interruption, and shifts, resting her elbow, which props her hand against her face. “It’s really all about being a family—loving and sharing.” On this dreary, drizzly, warm day, Gloria sits on a stylish upholstered divan positioned at the end of her fluffy king size bed. She’s elegantly dressed in a white top, black dressy pants, a long sparkling silver sweater, and black sequin high heels. She looks sexy and stage-ready. Indeed, I’m waiting for her to burst into one of her many hits like “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Honey Bee,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “How High the Moon,” “Casanova Brown,” or “I Am What I Am.” Dancing to these hits and watching her perform through the years, being here in person with her, Gloria looks much younger than her years, more attractive, and slimmer. The “Queen of Disco,” still in demand, performs all around the globe six to eight months out of the year. But today she is holding court in her bedroom, a living space that could easily double for a two-room apartment in New York City. This is her sanctuary where she comes to recharge her batteries. On the wall above her bed hangs a large serene landscape and on the bed sits a mid-size white shaggy stuffed dog amid gold colored embroidered throw pillows. On another wall hangs a religious painting. An elaborate etched mirror is affixed to another wall, making the already sizeable bedroom even larger. Next to the bed on the nightstand is a humidifier and two books,

Armageddon and God: The Evidence. To complete the ambiance, in a separate cozy area of glass block windows there’s a fireplace and an alabaster white sofa on which rests a pillow stitched with the words, “The Angel Ball,” from a fundraiser for Denise Rich’s melanoma foundation. Although Gloria has not lost many people to AIDS, one friend, she says, who did succumb to the disease was Steve Rubell, co-owner of the legendary, glitterati-infused Studio 54, where Gloria used to perform. “He’s really the only one...,” she says, stopping abruptly. “Well, that’s not true. It’s been quite a while now, probably twenty years, since a friend of mine died. I’ve lost touch with her family now.” She cocks her head upward and ponders a moment. “And there’s a friend of mine that I haven’t heard from in years and I wonder if he’s HIV-positive? I wonder if he’s still around?” She then realizes that HIV has struck in her own family, too, one younger member and one older. A surprised look suddenly sweeps across her face when it dawns on her that she has lost quite a number of people to this disease. Disgusted that many people still think AIDS is a gay disease, Gloria raises her otherwise soft intoxicating voice, which borders on sensuous, and exclaims, “AIDS is not a gay disease!” She pauses. “I remember the first charity concert for AIDS I said those exact same words—‘AIDS is not a gay disease.’” She touches her dainty necklace and adjusts the diamond bracelet on her wrist. “AIDS is an equal opportunity disease. Everyone needs to be involved because everyone is involved,” she insists, returning to her usual whispery voice, stating it as an urgent wake up call. Without a beat she continues, “Especially with these [guys] on the…down-low.” She states the word as if it were arsenic and her

voice drops several decibels. “Okay? You think you’re exempt, but your honey is not who you think he is.” There’s a brief silence. She’s visibly appalled. So what does Gloria think can be done when a partner suspects? “Get a detective,” she says flatly with a surrendering chuckle and a shrug. “Anybody who knows [your partner is on the DL] is not going to tell you because they’re obviously in on it. Short of getting a detective I don’t know if there is anything you can do.” She tugs lightly at her lip. “It’s really, really sad when you have to physically protect yourself

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in the marriage bed. I mean, c’mon….” Her face sports a dour look. The subject sets off a discussion about Janet Jackson’s character, Jo, in the 2010 film, For Colored Girls. Jo’s husband goes on the DL and contracts HIV. “This movie is called ‘For Colored Girls,’” she points out, “but it’s not. It’s for everyone. People really need to see this movie. Tyler Perry did such a great job.” I tell Gloria that there’s a resemblance between her and actress Loretta Devine, who also appears in For Colored Girls. “I hate her...,” she says very seriously then cracks a APRIL 2013

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smile, snapping back with spirited assuredness, “Every time I see her I think, I could have done that! I could have played that role.” She breaks then concludes, “I could really not like her if she wasn’t so good!” Though Gloria may have a playful competition with another actor, she has performed on Broadway in Smoky Joe’s Café and in various shows that include Six Feet Under, The Wayans Brothers’ Show, That 70’s Show, and Will & Grace. Her appearance on Ally McBeal is sidesplitting hilarious. In the episode, Ally imagines Gloria Gaynor

singing “I Will Survive” in her bedroom and at one point Gloria is even in the shower with Ally. Decked out in shower cap and scrubbing her body with a loofah brush, she sings out, “Go on now, go walk out the door, just turn around now, ’cause you’re not welcome anymore!” This scene was Gloria’s idea. The script called for her to just stand in the bathroom with Ally. She told the producers, “This isn’t funny. It’s corny.” She suggested having herself in the shower and had them get a towel, so she could wrap herself in it, exposing only

her shoulders, along with a cap and brush. The producers went for it. She was right. This Grammy Award winner is always up for an adventure. (She proudly admitted that she’d like to skydive but can’t due to a bad back. Trivia: Gloria was in a back brace when she recorded “I Will Survive” because of a fall she suffered while performing on stage the previous night.) For several years she attended classes to earn a psychology degree and recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science. This will come in handy as she can then counsel at the Center for Teen Parents,

which she’s planning to open either in Newark, New Jersey, her hometown, or in Atlanta. “I call it a healing, learning, and recreational center. If you’re a teenager and a parent, you are hurting. You haven’t finished your education and you haven’t finished playing,” she says matter-of-factly. “The center would provide healing in the form of counseling, recreation, and a place for their children, whether a toddler, infant, or older. Somebody will care for them and there’ll be cameras to make sure they’re really being taken care of. There will be activities as well.

The center is for men, women, and families. “The main purpose is to teach these young fellows if you got her pregnant, that’s your family. Step up to the plate!” The center will also be partnered with other agencies that will provide education for HIV prevention, learning about health, and how to care for oneself. “These young people need to learn all this stuff,” she says with genuine zest. “I don’t want to leave them half prepared.” The many youths that are being infected today with HIV gravely upsets Gloria. “Most young people won’t listen to us [elders]. We are stupid and don’t know anything. It’s all a part of being a teen,” she defends. “What needs to be done to reach them is very easy,” she remarks, repeating with confidence, “It’s…very…easy! You just have to talk to the people that the kids are listening to.” This was an a-ha moment for this reporter. This makes perfect sense. “Talking to them won’t work, Dann, unless they’re listening,” she says. “Once the singers, TV personalities, those who they look up to talk HIV prevention, then they’ll take heed.” She calmly looks out through her glass-enclosed bedroom porch onto her spacious well-groomed one-acre landscape. The rain has let up. Gloria returns to the subject at hand and advises, “And the biggest thing the government can do is financially enable those who the young people are listening to. You need to put the ability into the hands of the people who are getting to the people that you want to get to.” Gloria’s sage advice will be an asset as a counselor at her own center. “This is what I want to do, as I’ve been counseling all my life. I was counseling my friends when I was fifteen yearsold!,” she giggles, tenderly twisting a ring on her finger. Gloria’s had her own highs and lows that were well documented in her 1997 autobiography, I Will Survive. (Her newest tome, How We Survived: Stories of Encour-

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agement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song, will be released later this year.) She writes, “I had had a lot of heartache and suffering, and I thought that I had made it through. What I didn’t know then, and so wasn’t able to tell anybody else, was how to survive, how to get better self-esteem.” The lady has battled drugs, weight, alcohol, divorce, and financial loss due to poor management. How has she survived? In one word, Christianity. “If you would have asked me if I was a Christian before 1984, I would have said yes,” clarifies Gloria, continuing, “but I wouldn’t have known Jesus had I fallen over him in the street. So I guess I wasn’t.” Her transformation came when she was at a party. “I was high on a number of different things at one time and I was lying on the floor and the Lord picked me up by the back of my neck and said…,” she abruptly halts then whispers, “‘That’s enough.’” After the drugs wore off Gloria said to her host, “Wow, that was some bad stuff. Where’d ya get that from?!” Gloria now laughs at herself having been caught in this odd situation years ago. The next day, after the drug binge, when Gloria was cold sober, that stirring sensation of revelation was not gone. She started to attend church and would just fall asleep during the services. That was not the answer. One day she came home, grabbed her bible, and sat down at the dining room table. “I said, ‘Okay, God, showdown. I don’t want to hear this from the lady upstairs, the man down the hall, the preacher, the priest, or the Rabbi. If you can talk to any of those people you can talk to me. I’m listening. Talk.’” She then asked aloud, “‘Who is this Jesus person? Do I need to know him to know you?…What?…What’s that?’” Gloria is sternly focused. She looks at me serenely and earnestly. “And He began to talk. The first thing He told me was to open the center of that bible, which I had never opened. In the center of the bible was ‘Harmonies of the Gospel.’ On one page was a list of prophecies of the forth-coming Messiah that would save mankind from his sins. On the other side, was a list of things that Christ had done to fulfill these prophecies. The one that really caught me said, ‘For behold a virgin will conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emanuel, meaning God With APRIL 2013

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Us.’ The words ‘God With Us’ hit me in my heart, so strong,” she relates with an emotional punch. “I said, Oh…My…God. Jesus was God in the flesh!” With her long nails, Gloria sensuously brushes her flowing shiny ebony hair out of her face. It’s almost a stage direction more than out of necessity. It’s evident that she is concerned with both outward and inward appearance—it’s a whole package and she’s worked hard at it. After her encounter with God, and from then on, Gloria began to read the bible at every opportunity. “Me and the Holy Spirit walked through that bible [together], that’s why my faith is immovable,” she exalts with gusto. “[And it’s because] I didn’t get it from the lady upstairs, and the man down the hall, and so on. It was two years with just me and God before I ever went to church.” Typically, when Gloria discovers some-

thing that works for her, she wants to share it. Case in point, after our interview, Gloria invites me to attend Sunday services with her at her church, The Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, where she’s been a member since 1988. This dynamic singer certainly remains undeterred in her conviction to reach out to others. For Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive” has become much more than just a legendary song; it’s a way of life. She’s survived…and has gone well beyond. See Gloria in bed at: www.DANNandKELLY.com. To gain more on Gaynor link to www.aumag.org. For more on photographer Stephen Churchill Downes, log on to www.scd11.com. Dann Dulin is Senior Editor of A&U. He interviewed Anna Deavere Smith for the March issue.

LifeGuide

treatment horizons

Hide and Seek by Chael

Needle

LED BY DR. DARIA HAZUDA, RESEARCHERS TACKLE HIV LATENCY WITH HDAC INHIBITORS

occur and, additionally, HIV would be vulnerable to antiretroviral therapy. Dr. Hazuda’s laboratory has so far found over 400 human genes whose activity is related to the maintenance of HIV latency and, in particular, the screening approach has identified histone deacetylases (HDACs) as viable targets. Dr. Hazuda, who, previous to our interview, delivered the Bernard Fields Lecture, entitled, “Antiretroviral Drug Discovery: HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors and Beyond,” at CROI 2013. There, she talked about moving drug discovery efforts in eradication forward, building on the established proof of concept that inducing latent HIV gene expression in suppressed patients with HDAC inhibitors, such as SAHA [suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, or Vorinostat (brand name Zolinza)], is possible. Last year at CROI, David Margolis, MD, presented study results of Zolinza, a rareblood cancer drug from Merck that was found to reactivate latent cells of eight HIV-1infected patients in vitro. In theory, Zolinza works by inhibiting HDAC, an enzyme that allows HIV to go dormant and escape surveillance. The single-dose study was replicated and extended by Sharon Lewin, MD, who led a multiple-dose study. The toxic effects of Zolinza and other HDAC inhibitors prevent them from

being repurposed as anti-HIV agents, but the HDAC-inhibition template they provide is promising. Notes Dr. Hazuda: “They weren’t designed to be used in a non-oncology setting and what you need in terms of the biochemical profile in a drug that’s going to be used to treat cancer is likely very different than what is necessary to induce HIV gene expression, so that’s why it’s particularly important to go back to the basic biochemistry to really understand that [and] so we can hopefully design molecules that are much better suited for the purpose that we want to use them for.” Dr. Hazuda is leading research that addresses these questions around the basic biochemistry of expression and eradication. “Even though you can induce expression of HIV in the latent reservoir, it appears that that is not sufficient to eliminate those cells. So one of the things that we have been focusing on is really twofold: “First, how do we understand how HDAC inhibitors work to increase HIV gene expression in order to increase their activity and dial out some of the toxicity and tolerability issues that all of the HDAC inhibitors that have been developed for oncology have. “Secondly, just as in the early days of therapy, trying to identify drugs that will work in combination with HDAC

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photo courtesy Merck

ith all the talk around viral suppression, it may seem odd at first to hear that researchers are looking for agents that reactivate HIV in the body, but not once you remember that HIV has the ability to go dormant. The virus hides out in stable cellular reservoirs, established early during acute infection. In these resting memory CD4+ T cells, the virus is beyond the radar of the immune system and beyond the reach of antiretrovirals and other biological processes that could eradicate it. This capacity means that antiretrovirals alone will not provide a “cure” for HIV. HIV latency occurs when the virus infects resting (non-activated) CD4+ T cells. While antiretroviral therapy has been shown to suppress the replication of HIV in T cells, it cannot affect the virus in latently infected cells, whose reservoirs are located throughout the body—the genital tract, bone marrow, lymphoid tissue, the brain, among other sites. Whether the virus infects activated T cells or cells that come to rest, the viral genome—the blueprint for replication—is integrated into the DNA of cells. So, the virus persists in a reversible, low-productive state, and it can “wake up” when the factors that effect productive infection are present. One approach that researchers have investigated has been to disrupt latency by disrupting the genomic conditions that maintain it in individuals who have been successfully treated with HAART. First, you need to find the genes that maintain latency. Part of the work of Daria Hazuda, PhD, World Wide Discovery Head of Antiviral and Infectious Disease Research at Merck Research Labs, has been to conduct small interfering RNA screenings to find human genes that maintain HIV latency and to disable them. If the genes are targeted and knocked out, latent HIV is expressed. If HIV is expressed, HIV-induced cell death could

LifeGuide inhibitors that will increase the amount of gene expression that we’re getting in cells. We hypothesize that one of the reasons we’re not seeing the elimination of those cells is that we’re not expressing enough HIV gene product. So we know that in the context of HIV replication, the expression of HIV proteins can be toxic to cells, so we think that in the context of latency we’re not expressing enough of these proteins to actually induce the cytopathic effects that normally occur during HIV replication to kill those cells. So that’s one of the ways in which we’re trying to approach the problem and I showed a little bit of data from our high-throughput screening efforts to specifically look for small molecules that will really enhance the immune activity that we’re getting with SAHA.” Dr. Hazuda, who deciphered the basic biochemistry of the HIV integrase, and whose lab discovered the mechanisms surrounding integrase inhibition and developed the first-in-class integrase inhibitor, knows well that these are still the “early days” of research. With enough tools in the toolbox, however, research can move toward in vivo or small pilot clinical trials to test hypotheses about expression and eradication. Says Dr. Hazuda: “Even if enhanced expression by itself doesn’t lead to elimination, enhanced expression certainly will be important when we start to think about combination approaches with respect to immune recognition—the more antigens that we can make these cells express, the more likely they’ll actually reveal themselves to the immune system. So I know there’s a lot of interest by many groups in terms of targeting these cells, and later enhancing the immune function or providing some other ways—antibody-directed approaches—that may be able to eliminate those cells. So, in either case, I think having more expression is going to be an important element of the eradication strategy.” More is needed to be known about latency, as well. “We can’t think of the latent reservoir as a uniform compartment. I think there are many different kinds of cells, kinds of T cells, in fact, that...are established in the underlying biology. It may be slightly different in each of these compartments. That’s another reason why combination approaches are APRIL 2013

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going to be critical because not only should we be looking at combinations that can increase the amount of expression but the breadth of activity we have across these different biological systems.” With recent talk of “functional cures,” cures that do not involve the complete eradication of HIV, the problem of latency would seem like an essential piece of the solution. Asked about the extent to which it is possible for someone infected with HIV to go off treatment if virus is cleared to a low enough level, Dr. Hazuda points to the proof of concept established by the VISCONTI cohort, which showed that fourteen individuals treated with antiretrovirals during the earliest stage of infection appear to be controlling the virus years after treatment interruption. “Are the patients who were treated early and treated for a long enough period of time and, apparently the people who have gone off therapy and successfully remain aviremic, the ones who had the smallest reservoirs?” posits Dr. Hazuda about the relationship about achieving a small enough reservoir and the possibility of going into a state of remission for a period of time without needing treatment. “It’s almost like thinking about it from an oncological perspective, where you can reduce the burden to a size that becomes manageable. Not that you’re truly cured, but you don’t have any untoward effects of having HIV, at least for long periods of time. So the VISCONTI cohort is the proof of concept that it may be possible to reach some threshold in patients that we’ll make that [sort of “cure”] happen.” Asked if the long-term goal that’s energizing the research field right now is the possibility of a functional cure, Dr. Hazuda says: “Yes, I think so. I think there have been a lot of things that have come together to make people become far more interested in pursuing these lines of research. One, therapy is highly effective. The second is that it’s going to take a very long time to develop an effective vaccine. And we have some hints that [a functional cure] may be possible—through the Berlin Patient, the VISCONTI cohort, the pediatric case [the baby in Mississippi who appears to have cleared the virus after post-natal antiretroviral therapy]. The much-touted “AIDS-free genera-

tion,” where individuals with HIV are on treatment but whose disease state does not progress to AIDS, will be effected through a combination of efforts. Says Dr. Hazuda: “I think if we’re really going to make an impact on the epidemic, globally, it really is going to take multiple approaches, so, yes, we have to make therapy as effective as possible for patients who have HIV and make sure that people who have HIV have access to those therapies. [We have to] destigmatize therapy so people feel that it’s not an issue getting diagnosed and being treated. We have to increase efforts in prevention research and, again, I think we have a wonderful proof of concept that was presented a couple of years ago that antiretrovirals actually do work as chemo-prevention but people have got to take them and that’s very difficult for people who don’t perceive themselves at risk. And [we need to think about] how can we improve the delivery of chemo-prevention so that we can increase adherence and make it much more effective. Then also think about whether or not [patients] may be able to have a functional cure, even if it’s only in a fraction of patients. “Whenever people talk about a functional cure, I always like to remind people what’s happened in the field of hepatitis C. If you look historically at hepatitis C, with the first interferon-based treatment regimen and the first hint that we would be successful in curing HCV, the success rates were less than ten percent. But it provided a glimpse, it provided the basis for believing that in fact if we could have more effective ways to intervene that we could actually increase [the success rate]. Now with the small pilot studies [for] the directacting antivirals, we’re getting eighty to ninety percent. It’s outstanding but it started out with those first small studies with that five to ten percent success rate.” The same promise may hold true for HDAC inhibitors’ possibility for inducing gene expression, says Dr. Hazuda. Now we need to invest in research to truly “understand why these things work, how they’re working in order to really improve them and make them more effective and less toxic.” Chael Needle wrote about non-melanoma skin cancer risks in the March issue.

LifeGuide

Invisible Disease ORGANIZATIONS SHINE A LIGHT ON HCV IN JAILS AND PRISONS

treating it. When there is funding for treatment, assuming an inmate has been tested, the facility will make a cost-benefit analysis to determine who gets the meds, according to Rich Feffer, a program coordinator who runs an outreach program for those in prisons and jails, at the Seattlebased Hepatitis Education Project. “They won’t treat those who will be released before treatment is through, and they generally won’t treat inmates unless the disease has progressed to the point where it’s already damaging the liver,” Feffer says. Through a grant from the state of Washington, the Project has been teaching classes on HCV prevention and treatment options for almost ten years. Washington is an anomaly in setting aside money for statewide education and outreach. There’s no national policy for testing and treatment of HCV in prisons, so the decisions are left to the states on how to deal with the problem—and, more often, individual counties and the public and private correctional facilities—creating a haphazard quilt of care, with huge holes. As a result, up to eighty percent of those with chronic HCV infection in prisons and jails are

undiagnosed, Feffer estimates. There’s no clear consensus on when to test in prisons, and whether to test, or on when to start treatment, or whether to start treatment, and in most cases, there’s little or no money for any of it. The Hepatitis Education Project and the Center for Health Justice are two of a dozen organizations that have joined to form a national network to find ways of increasing access and availability of HCV information for prisoners and families. The network is so new it doesn’t yet have a name. Feffer says that, though the network has the potential of sharing valuable information and maximizing limited resources, it won’t be enough to fully address the problem. For more information about these two organizations, visit: www.centerforhealthjustice.org and www.hepeducation.org. Larry Buhl is a radio news reporter, screenwriter, and novelist living in Los Angeles. His young adult novel, The Genius of Little Things, debuted in January 2013. His comic mystery novel, We’re Here to Help, will be available later in 2013.

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illustration by Timothy J. Haines

he percentage of people chronically infected with hepatitis C (HCV) in jails, prisons, and other correctional facilities is between fifteen and thirty percent, according to latest estimates—now more than ten years old—by the CDC. Why the wide window? Because testing among this population is sporadic, underscoring a larger problem: HCV, the silent killer, is doubly silent in prisons and jails where stigma about the disease, lack of education and outreach, and nonexistent national funding have driven the disease underground. Even if the true percentage of inmates carrying the hepatitis C virus is at the low end of the CDC range, it’s still more than five times higher than the rate of HCV in the general population. That’s a problem for the general population, too: When these prisoners are released, they will be carriers and can present an expensive burden on the healthcare system. “It’s a given that HCV in prisons and jails is widespread, but from the facilities’ point of view, there’s no point testing inmates, because if they’re positive, there’s no money to pay for treatment,” says Cajetan Luna, executive director of the Center for Health Justice, an organization that educates imprisoned people in the Los Angeles County Jail System about healthier lifestyle choices. Whereas HIV education and outreach is well-funded, thanks to national programs, the available money for similar HCV outreach, prevention and treatment is minuscule by comparison. “There’s no national program for hepatitis, no ADAP to get hep C drugs and treatment covered,” says Luna, whose organization piggybacks its HCV outreach efforts on its HIV program. Not only is money a problem in educating this population, it’s also a problem in

The Culture of AIDS [film] The ACT UP Diaries by Mateo Wilhelm Ebert Created by Mateo Wilhelm Ebert, a member of ACT UP NY, the ACT UP Diaries is a video compilation made from 1985–1992. It was a critical time in history; one whose impact would shape future generations and help ensure their survival. On the project’s Web page, Ebert states, “I use this channel as a mode of healing from very difficult memories. It is dedicated to the many lives lost to AIDS, and to my friends still struggling to survive. Let the courage and power of ACT UP shine a light on us all.” The past is not a place to leave behind. It is a treasure trove of hindsight, successes, and failures, all of which culminate into the one thing that we learn from more than anything else: experience. Hence, the importance of projects like the ACT UP Diaries. Sitting in the back row of my own high school history classes, I questioned why it was pertinent for me to know what happened ages ago. As it often is with youth, my focus then was on the now. That which came yesterday fell short compared to what was happening today. We live and learn. Flash forward, years later, to a chilly NYC street corner. I, along with other volunteers, were staffing an outreach table for the local LGBT center during a winter holiday street fair. We huddled together to cut the biting winds. One volunteer, a senior member of the community, possessed not only the warmest blanket, but tales of LGBT life past. He spoke of life preStonewall and what the world was like when you were different, when different, in many instances, was worthy of incarceration. I was regaled with stories that even in the dead of winter melted my heart and fueled the flames of purpose to further the causes of the community. It dawned on me that what I was doing on that blustery December day was not just for today. It was a continuation of my community’s struggle.

Like the work of activists before me, what I did that day and in the years to come, built upon the legacy of those who stood strong in the past, and would help secure a just future for those taking the reins after me. To look forward with purpose, I first looked backward with awe and thanks. As a younger person, I didn’t grasp historical significance. But after that December day, I carried with me the importance of knowing where I came from in order to reach my destinations. You can’t complete a societal journey unless you know where it began. The videos in this project focus on actions, protests and individual activists. In one video—Marta: Portrait of a Teen Activist—we briefly follow the quirky contributions of one dedicated activist. Ebert

shares this insight on Marta’s video: “We were demonstrating in Atlanta with ACT UP against the CDC and Anti-Sodomy Laws. Two things stand out: we were chased by gun-toting southern thugs, and (years later) some kids asked me how I added Marta into a shot with so many homophobes...that’s no computer generated effect kiddies. We were there.” Another portrayed is one you might have heard of: the late Keith Haring. It begins with a newsreel condemning “people who commit graffiti,” and goes on to say that they “often share two things in common, anonymity and a lack of talent.” The video progresses to depict Haring’s rise to fame; fame, I gleefully add, achieved via artistic expressions that spoke to and about the marginalized LGBT community and the struggles of HIV and AIDS. The ACT UP Diaries represent your

roots; they are chapters in a larger story that every generation should be told. They are a glimpse into experiences that changed the course of history and humanity. These were not just any activists; these were people fighting for their survival…and yours. The films are wrought with visions of civil disobedience, arrests, loud calls for the world and the powers that be to hear; protestor’s hands bound with signature police force plastic ties, bellowing messages of forceful hope until the heavy doors of police vans silenced their sounds. There are images that remind you that history repeats itself. The opposition toting signs reading “gay is sad” and “God did not make you gay.” These are misguided sentiments we still must rage against today, more than thirty years later. Those who fought for us gripped signs depicting images side by side of religious and political leaders and condoms, urging you to “know your scumbags.” There were posters inciting people to “lick sodomy laws” along with images of queer oral activities. It wasn’t a time, nor could it have been, for the sake of so many lives, to coax one into cautious conversation. It was a time to tell it like it was; and if the truth was shocking, then all the more reason for people to hear it. You will do yourself a disservice by only experiencing the ACT UP Diaries with your eyes and not your heart and your mind. I urge you: Take a step into the past, to a time that shaped your present. Where you come from is paramount as you plot your course. Take this bit of history, and rage against the possibility that this history ever repeat itself. —Rob Zukowski To watch the ACT UP Diaries, log on to http://vimeo.com/channels/theactupdiaries. Rob Zukowski, a New York native, has spent twenty-five years in LGBT activism, both personally and professionally. He is a published writer and photographer and is currently pursuing a degree and licensing in complementary and alternative medicine.

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2013

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Guerra in a prepared statement: “I am a creature of expression through fashion and through my advocacy work. Dining Out for Life is our opportunity to celebrate friends, food, and being truly fabulous in helping others.” He added: “I was so afraid of the backlash and how people were going to react [about my HIV-positive status,] because I hadn’t talked about it for ten years, but there was this outpouring of love and support from the community at large. I really felt like it was my responsibility to continue this conversation on HIV/AIDS and that is why I have become an advocate for the cause.” The T-shirts, priced at $25, will go on sale April 1 on the Subaru and Dining Out Web sites. To find participating restaurants in participating cities, log on to www.diningoutforlife.com. For updates, follow Dining Out for Life on Twitter @DineOut4Life and on Facebook.com/DineOut4Life.

Dining Out for Life has never gone out of fashion. Throughout North America, some 3,000 restaurants will open their doors on April 25 and give diners an opportunity to raise funds for AIDS-related services. A generous percentage of the proceeds from the day’s take will be donated to the designated AIDS service organization in that city. So if you live in or near Albany, New York, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Vancouver Island in Canada, or any of the other sixty-plus cities, you have the chance to raise an estimated $4 million simply by picking up a knife and fork (or spoon if you are just in the mood for dessert). This year, Project Runway All-Stars winner and fashion designer Mondo Guerra [A&U, January 2013] has teamed up with Dining Out for Life International hosted by Subaru, a longtime supporter of AIDS causes, and created a limited edition T-shirt to benefit the event, debuting it at a Valentine’s Day event in Philadelphia. Says

Gallery continued from page 27

always thought of one’s identity as a multifaceted jewel to be celebrated for its glow and allowed to sparkle.” These days Carman is still creating and exhibiting his art—imbued with his irreverent countercultural approach. In the future, he would like to see his work more broadly accepted, and he envisions branching out into writing fiction—possibly moral fables. He’s also become more delicate communicating his message about the concept of identity. “You never know what people are going to say or think when they see you all dressed up [in drag]. It makes you think about who you really are because you have this mask, this disguise.” When asked how he imagines himself going down in history, the eclectic artist replies in true Curtis Carman form, “as a knucklehead who cares.”

Fruit and Nut Dark Chocolate (from “Big Hair/Sweet Beauty” series), 2012, collage and paint on canvas, 11 by 14 inches

For more information about Curtis Carman, visit www.visualaids.org/artists/detail/curtis-carman. Chip Alfred, Editor at Large of A&U, is a nationally published freelance journalist based in Philadelphia.

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photo by Michael Schwartz

A Calendar of Events

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Ruby’s Rap continued from page 16

I am impressed, Paul. I am also proud to say that my union was the first in North America, if not in the world, to file a grievance of discrimination because of HIV/AIDS in the workplace. While the grievor passed away during the process, the arbitrator first ruled that the grievance still “lived” because of my union’s policy, and the arbitrator ruled in our favor. In short, a captain had kicked a flight attendant off the aircraft because he had heard that the attendant had AIDS and he was afraid of being infected. The arbitrator’s view was that as a highly trained professional, the pilot, under Canada’s labor laws, had the right to remove himself from the workplace if he feared for his safety. Furthermore, with all the evidence we presented, the arbitrator ruled there was no danger for infection in the workplace. Hear, hear. You mentioned at breakfast that you had a partner who died of AIDS. Can you elaborate? Bill was my first big love. That was 1968 and, over the years [after we parted], we became close friends. I visited him in Australia where he had moved and as time went on, we became each other’s soul mates. He told me in the midnineties that he had been diagnosed HIVpositive a few years before. In October 2001, he was not feeling his best and when I returned to Cairns in March 2002, his health began deteriorating. My employer granted me a leave of absence for four weeks and Bill passed away just twenty-six hours after I left his side, when I was back in Canada. How heart-wrenching, Paul.

Paul and I part, and I join Rudy at the Wajang Theatre for some spirited afternoon bingo. Afterwards we head to The GreenHouse Spa for some steam and Jacuzzi, and then we stretch out on the ever-cozy heated ceramic loungers that mold to your body (they’re heavenly!), as we peer out the floor-to-ceiling windows and watch the dramatic sunset over the calm waters. We then gussie up and meet up with Paul for dinner at Le Cirque. Yes,

a branch of the famous, and infamous, restaurant is on board! [We sit in the elegant dining room sipping wine, snacking on caviar, smoked salmon, and pâté de foie gras.] What’s your overall take on AIDS? It’s a medical issue—a chronic, manageable disease. Nothing else. And have you been tested? I didn’t get tested until the early nineties. I guess I was scared about the possible results. I always—yes, 100 percent of the time!— believed in safer sexual activities and never participated in unprotected sexual penetration activities. The test results were negative, a status I still maintain to this day. There must have been a guardian angel watching over me. I still sometimes have guilty feelings over it, though. [I lap up the remains of my orgasmic Butternut squash soup with huckleberries. Yum!] Paul, you told me that in 1996 you were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Yes. I opted for radiation therapy in early 1997. In September 2003, I was told that I needed more treatments, as my PSA levels

were climbing. I was accepted for a study treatment called photo-dynamic treatment (PDT), which consisted of ultra-violet fiber optic lights being inserted around the tumors, the injection of a drug activated when the lights were turned on. The results showed positive results, but a year and a half later, as my PSA levels were going up again in 2006, I was accepted as the first person to be retreated. Unfortunately, that did not work and so in January 2007 I started hormonal therapy. This procedure is not easy to accept, as this was chemical castration, but I would rather watch flowers grow than push them up! [He giggles, his eyebrow arches, and he shoots a wide grin.] I have been on this treatment ever since, which consists of an injection every twelve weeks. Oh, Paul, you’ve been through the mill. Are you still active in the Toronto AIDS community? I resigned as chair of the Committee in 1995 and have not been involved at all except as a regular donor to Casey House’s home care program, an AIDS hospice. So it seems you are enjoying your retirement. [The waiter brings our dessert, the chocolate soufflé, which is eighty-five percent chocolate. It’s a lava flow of chocolate.] To celebrate my retirement, a friend and I went on a twenty-eight day cruise from Vancouver to Auckland. I also travel to Australia twice a year as I consider it my second home. I’ve done three Panama Canal cruises, one around the Caribbean, and a Mediterranean cruise with a friend and former co-worker. Later this year a long-time friend and I are doing a twenty-one day cruise from England to the Baltic and the Norwegian fjords. How awesomely wonderful! After spending my working life at 35,000 feet, Ruby, I have now learned the pleasures of cruising—on a ship that is! [He flashes that infectious grin once again…] Ruby Comer is an independent journalist from the Midwest who is happy to call Hollywood her home away from home. Reach her by e-mail at MsRubyComer@aol.com.

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photo courtesy Paul Gauthier

Education Panel on AIDS] about HIV/AIDS in the workplace. As such, I was invited to speak to different groups, from medical students to healthcare workers in the correctional system. I was always accompanied, at my request, by a professional healthcare worker—doctor or nurse—well-versed in the issue.

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Academy of Friends’ annual Academy Awards Night Gala was the cat’s meow. Its 33rd Annual Gala “Boas, Bowties & Bubbly” welcomed 700 guests to Terra Gallery on February 24 to celebrate film’s biggest night and raise funds for Bay Area organizations that provide direct care services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS and prevention education services. With a Roaring 20s theme, the fun and classy benefit was a stunning success thanks in part to 200 volunteers and an exciting evening that included raffles, a silent auction, and a post-broadcast entertainment and dance party. Guests enjoyed the Oscar broadcast on multiple large screens as well as delectable food and wine (and of course champagne) from some of the Bay Area’s finest establishments. RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Latrice Royale and Pandora Boxx donated their time and fabulousness to the event. And San Francisco’s own drag celebrity Daft-Nee Gesundheit served as emcee. Academy of Friends raises awareness and funds all year round. Having just concluded an on-line auction during the month of March, Academy of Friends is looking forward to its next event, the 2013 Check Presentation and Awards, which will take place on May 9 at CLIFT. The non-profit will distribute raised funds to its 2013 beneficiaries: AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP), Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center (API), Larkin Street Youth Services, Maitri Compassionate Care, Mission Neighborhood Health Center, and Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS). Clockwise from top left: Academy of Friends Board of Directors; Pandora Boxx; Joy Bianchi, owner of Helpers House of Couture and advocate and fundraiser for those living with mental disabilities, and Alan Morrell, general manager of Nordstrom, the event’s presenting sponsor; guests donned bow ties and boas, and some even dazzled as flappers; Donna Sachet and Richard Sablatura

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photo 1 & 5 by Joseph Driste (www.josephdriste.com); photo 2 by Steven Underhill (www.stevenunderhill.com; photo 3 & 4 by Scott Saraceno (www.scottsaraceno.com)

Academy of Friends

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Learn today how HIV treatment may help. Starting treatment early may help you live a longer, healthier life. Treatment guidelines issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommend starting HIV medicines for all people with HIV, regardless of their CD4 count. Talk with your healthcare provider about your treatment options and all the factors you need to consider before starting HIV medicines. Sign up for a free eNewsletter to receive healthy living tips, information on HIV treatment, a list of events in your area, and more. Register at TREATHIVNOW.COM. ÂŠ 2013 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UN15658 02/13