October 2013

Advocacy 101: How Can You Help in the Fight for a Cure? • Singer Melissa Manchester

OCTOBER 2013 • ISSUE 228 • AMERICA’S AIDS MAGA-

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Chip Alfred Talks to Gay Men About Living & Loving with HIV/AIDS

HOME TO HARLEM Greater Than AIDS & Alicia Keys Help Empower Others in the Fight Against AIDS

Rita Moreno Celebrates the Art of Thriving as an Artist & Advocate

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: • 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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: • 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.

• For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages.

• 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: • 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. • 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.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

• 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? • 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.

• 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.

• If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc).

• If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. • 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. • 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 it’s right for you.

Patient Information STRIBILDTM (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.

What is STRIBILD? • STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

• STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

• Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

• Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider • If you stop taking STRIBILD, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking STRIBILD Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: • adefovir (Hepsera®) • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • oral midazolam

What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?

• pimozide (Orap®)

STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take STRIBILD 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 or vomiting • feel cold, especially in your arms and legs • feel dizzy or lightheaded • have a fast or irregular heartbeat 2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take STRIBILD. 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) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain 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. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take STRIBILD, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking STRIBILD. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.

• Do not run out of STRIBILD. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your STRIBILD is all gone

• sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems

• rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort Do not take STRIBILD if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla®, Complera®, Viread®, Truvada®) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine, lamivudine, or ritonavir (Combivir®, Emtriva®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Kaletra®, Norvir®, Trizivir®) 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: • See “What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking STRIBILD. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

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

• Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known.

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 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 right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

The most common side effects of STRIBILD include: • Nausea • Diarrhea 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 STRIBILD. For more information, ask your healthcare provider.

• Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B infection • 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. – 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 with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

• If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take STRIBILD. - You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

- Two of the medicines in STRIBILD can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in STRIBILD can pass into your breast milk.

- Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about 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.

• Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: - Hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc) - Antacid medicines that contains aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD - Medicines to treat depression, organ transplant rejection, or high blood pressure - amiodarone (Cordarone®, Pacerone®) - atorvastatin (Lipitor®, Caduet®) - bepridil hydrochloric (Vascor®, Bepadin®) - bosentan (Tracleer®) - buspirone - carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegreto®) - clarithromycin (Biaxin®, Prevpac®) - clonazepam (Klonopin®) - clorazepate (Gen-xene®, Tranxene®) - colchicine (Colcrys®) - medicines that contain dexamethasone - diazepam (Valium®)

- digoxin (Lanoxin®) - disopyramide (Norpace®) - estazolam - ethosuximide (Zarontin®) - flecainide (Tambocor®) - flurazepam - fluticasone (Flovent®, Flonase®, Flovent® Diskus, Flovent® HFA, Veramyst®) - itraconazole (Sporanox®) - ketoconazole (Nizoral®) - lidocaine (Xylocaine®) - mexiletine - oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) - perphenazine - phenobarbital (Luminal®) - phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) - propafenone (Rythmol®) - quinidine (Neudexta®) - rifabutin (Mycobutin®) - rifapentine (Priftin®) - risperidone (Risperdal®, Risperdal Consta®) - salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol when taken in combination with fluticasone (Advair Diskus®, Advair HFA®) - sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or vardenafil (Levitra®, Staxyn®), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). If you get dizzy or faint (low blood pressure), have vision changes or have an erection that last longer than 4 hours, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away.

- tadalafil (Adcirca®), for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension - telithromycin (Ketek®) - thioridazine - voriconazole (Vfend®) - warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) - zolpidem (Ambien®, Edlular®, Intermezzo®, Zolpimist®) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider.

Keep STRIBILD and all medicines out of reach of children.

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

Issued: August 2012

COMPLERA, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, the STRIBILD Logo, TRUVADA, and VIREAD 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. QC14549 02/13

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AIDS WALK

LOS ANGELES OCT. 13, 2013 A fundraising walk starting and ending in West Hollywood Benefiting

and more than 20 other L.A. County AIDS service organizations.

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AIDS Walk Founder/Producer: Craig R. Miller. Š MZA Events, 2013

c o n t e n t s October 2013

38 Cover Award-Winning Actress & Author Rita Moreno Shares with A&U’s Dann Dulin Why We Can Never Stop Being Creative in Raising Awareness About HIV/AIDS

Departments

Features 26 Gallery Healing Properties: Artist Ronnie Queenan Works from a Palette of Self-Reflection & Soul Searching 30 Angels of Harlem Alicia Keys & Other Advocates Empower Communities Hard-Hit

by HIV/AIDS to Link to Testing and Care 34 Circle of Life Knights of the Roundtable: A&U’s Chip Alfred Leads a Vital Discussion About the Experiences of Men Living with HIV & Finding Support 24 Fiction The Dream Team

by Evelyn Deshane cover & inside photos by Duane Cramer

6

Frontdesk

8

Mailbox

9

NewsBreak

16

Ruby’s Rap Ruby raps with Melissa Manchester

viewfinder 18

Just*in Time

19

First Generation

lifeguide 48

Destination: Cure

50

Hep Talk

52

The Culture of AIDS

54

Lifelines

56

The Scene

A&U Frontdesk

October Surprise

O

rdinarily the months leading up to the holidays are stressful for me: trying to figure out which grandkids (I’ve got five of them) have been naughty and nice starts with how well they share their Halloween candy. (They always do share.)

Sharing treatment breakthroughs in the world of HIV should be as generous as my grandkids. In the recent past, a few scientists acted as if they were mortal enemies of each other, rather than combatants of the same virus. But this year there has been more cooperation than ever before: Witness Tivicay’s approval as a cutting-edge therapy, which couldn’t have come about without the cooperation between the pharma giants GSK and Pfizer in an initiative called ViiV Healthcare. This high-level scientific cooperation, with a pipeline of new and exciting antiretrovirals, is what will be needed.

Gilead Sciences was the first pharmaceutical company to sign an agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool to improve access to HIV treatment in developing countries, thus drastically reducing the cost of first-class antiretrovirals, and thus eliminating a death sentence for millions in such countries as Kenya and South Africa, where infection rates have fallen by as much as forty percent. So, excellent first-line-of-defense AIDS drugs are getting to the people who need them the most. This hallmark of vision that both ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences are demonstrating gives me great hope that HIV will become a manageable infection for everyone by the end of this decade.

While it’s wonderful that billions are being thrown at the virus, wouldn’t it benefit everyone to prevent new infections? The only way that will occur is to put a spotlight back on HIV/AIDS and those populations that are most vulnerable—young men and women—and to foster true cooperation. In this month’s issue, for instance, Chip Alfred leads a roundtable discussion that gives voice to young men living with HIV in Philadelphia, all of whom are participants in the same support group. And Sean Black covers a recent event in Harlem where Alicia Keys and other advocates brought a message of community empowerment as a tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. And don’t miss this month’s cover story by

A M E R I C A’ S A I D S M A G A Z I N E issue 228 vol. 22 no. 10 October 2013 editorial offices: (518) 426-9010 fax: (518) 436-5354

Dann Dulin, who interviews Emmy-Grammy-Oscar-Tony winner and humanitarian Rita Moreno. At eighty-one years young, Ms. Moreno opens our hearts and hopefully our minds to realize what needs to be done to reduce the disproportionately high infection rates in the Latino community. As one of the first bold-name AIDS activists, Moreno has always been outspoken in her views and suggests we tap into that primary model of cooperation—the family—to stay on top of our health. “When people take risks during sex, they’re not only taking a chance with their lives, they’re obviously not thinking about those in their lives who love them.…Maybe there needs to be a campaign with mothers….”

At the other end of the spectrum, what is most surprising this fall is how the U.S. government has resisted cooperation. At press time it looks like we’re facing a potential government shutdown. Neither party is solely to blame. What will happen to the FDA? Will new drug applications (NDAs) be put on hold? There’s at least one HIV drug and several hepatitis drugs that aren’t going to get approved (right away) if there aren’t scientists to convene. It’s too early to know what will happen, but it’s safe to say that cooperation among members of Congress isn’t there, and so the appropriations needed to run the FDA aren’t being authorized.

Maybe Congress should look at Big Pharma and community advocates to find out how alliances get things done rather than bickering, and fake filibustering. NDAs should not be held up because a bunch of elected millionaires are derelict in their duties. Enough said: dysfunction junction doesn’t get us anywhere. Who knows, maybe too many male members of Congress have taken too much Viagra. Enough testosterone, already!

But seriously, folks, the American way of life is not served by pettiness. This country was founded on vision. And right now it would truly surprise me if the leadership comes from our elected officials. Now is the time to ask your representative to represent you. Write ’em a letter. You’d be surprised how quickly you’ll get a response!

DAVID WAGGONER

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, Nancy Ellegate, LaMont “Montee” Evans, Diane Goettel, Sally Hessney, Angela Leroux-Lindsey, Sherri Lewis, Alina Oswald, Dale Reynolds, Elizabeth Rodgers, Mariel Selbovitz, Justin B. Terry-Smith, Patricia Nell Warren, Chuck Willman, Jeannie Wraight Art Director: Timothy J. Haines Contributing Photographers: Jordan Ancel, Davidd Batalon, Mark Bennington, Tom Bianchi, Sean Black, Adam Bouska, Brian Bowen Smith, Fred Brashear, Jr., Tim Courtney, Stephen Churchill Downes, Greg Gorman, Francis Hills, Renée Jacobs, Tom McGovern, Nancy Perry, 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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www.lgbtHistoryMonth.com

DANCE FOR LIFE PU 4/C

A&U Mailbox

“Miss Universe Olivia Culpo made a very intelligent statement in your magazine: ‘With my title I’m able to influence people and inform them what the truth is behind HIV and AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS are normal and they’re like any other person. It’s just getting people to understand that.

You can break through any stigma.

All it takes is awareness, and the more people we get involved, the greater an impact we can have.’”

Olivia Culpo is one of the best looking Miss Universe’s that I have ever seen on that program [cover story, “Crowning Glory,” by Chip Alfred, August 2013]. She is also very bright.

She made a very intelligent statement in your magazine: “With my title I’m able to influence people and inform them what the truth is behind HIV and AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS are normal and they’re like any other person. It’s just getting people to understand that. You can break through any stigma. All it takes is awareness, and the more people we get involved, the greater an impact we can have.” Boy, what a smart woman.

—Barry Ledger New Bedford, Massachusetts I can’t believe that we still have these stupid pageants that treat women as a piece of meat. That is all that these shows are. Since women’s lib came along you would have thought that this kind of thing would have been over with many decades ago. I am proud to be a feminist. Of course men are behind

8

these contests—Donald Trump, in this case. Need I say more?

—Stephanie Panowicz Council Bluffs, Iowa

Hot Read I have never seen your publication before and therefore was unaware of your Summer Reading Issue [“A Growing Legacy,” edited by Brent Calderwood, August 2013]. I found all the different pieces interesting and very erudite. You got some really good writers contributing to your magazine.

I especially found “Like Taking Blood from a Baby” very funny and sad at times. Yes, those were the early days of AIDS in New York. And I know where Bellevue Hospital is. I go by there all the time. I am looking to future editions of the Summer Reading Issue.

—Mel Hershonheimer New York, New York

Pictorial Parade It is so very important to document the history of gay men [Gallery, August 2013]. So much has happened

with gay liberation and then the whole history of AIDS. As the writers of the book, Positive Pictures: A Gay History, state, “This book exists because we wanted to know how we got where we are.” This is very important. Just documenting the whole history of AIDS and how it affected gay men is momentous in itself. The visual aspect makes the past come alive in a different way than words on a page alone. What a wonderful book; I recommend it for all who want to know the whole story.

—Bernard Wolfe, Sterling Heights, Michigan 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 Tweet Us @au_magazine Facebook: http://on.fb.me/AUFANPAGE All correspondence requires name, address, and daytime phone number for confirmation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

photo by Fadil Berisha

Universal Appeal

NEWSBREAK Grand Central Noir The constellations on the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal form a proscenium arch over the star-crossed characters in a new anthology devoted to noir.

Grand Central Noir (Metropolitan Crime) is a collection of fifteen crime stories by emerging and established writers, such as Matt Hilton, Charles Salzberg, Marcelle Thiebaux, Richie Narvaez, and Seamus Scanlon, among others, including the anthology’s co-editor, Terrence P. McCauley. Some pay homage to classic noir conventions, and some serve up new idioms—but all of the stories circle back to the enduring themes of revenge, betrayal, and love on the run, with characters who are more often than not too wise, too late, and destined to fill their personal scrapbooks with could-have-beens.

With the help of another editor who forewent credit, McCauley compiled the stories that make up Grand Central Noir, no doubt drawing on his New York City roots (he’s a native of the Bronx, now living upstate) but also his deep appreciation for the crime genre. He won a Stalker Award just this year and TruTV’s Search for the Next Great Crime Writer contest in 2008, whose winning manuscript, Prohibition (Airship 27), was published last summer. The Slow Burn (Noir Nation Books) and anthologized short stories are among McCauley’s other ventures into the literary landscape of detection and dark dealings. Traveling to Bouchercon 2013 (a mystery/crime writer’s convention) last month, he appeared on a panel devoted to hard-boiled/noir/pulp writing.

While the characters who populate Grand Central Noir are bound by ethical knots, the editors, writers and supporters of the anthology are clearly not. All proceeds from the anthology will go directly to God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD), a New York City-based non-profit that provides meal delivery and other nutrition services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other life-altering illnesses in the New York tri-state area.

A&U recently caught up with Terrence P. McCauley to delve into dishes best served cold and dishes lovingly prepared and individually tailored by the kind folks at God’s Love We Deliver.

A&U: In your introduction, you explain that you selected GLWD to introduce a note of hope amid these tales of New York City crime.

What’s your understanding of “noir” and how does GLWD fit with this?

Terrence P. McCauley: My understanding of noir—also seen as pulp in some circles—is a story that tells the tale of something gone wrong and how the protagonist responds to it. It’s not always about bad things happening to good people. In the case of many of the stories in Grand Central Noir, it’s also bad things happening to bad people. In either instance, it’s the duty of the writer of such stories to make sure the reader is invested enough in the protagonist to care about what happens to him or her. To make the reader care about a character they might not otherwise want to know.

That’s why GLWD seemed to be the perfect organization to benefit from this kind of anthology—because it cares for those we tend to overlook. The people in need. The people we choose not to think about because thinking about them leads us to ponder our own mortality. Since Grand Central was a place for the homeless and the sick to find shelter throughout the eighties and nineties, we wanted to pay homage to that part of the terminal’s past during its centennial celebration. GLWD and its volunteers work very hard to treat those in need with dignity and respect and we wanted to help bring attention to GLWD’s mission in some small way.

Is this the key to surviving in New York City—finding balance between the despair and the hope?

As a proud Bronxite, I’ve learned the importance of balance in all things. To not let achievement go to my head or failure break my heart. If I hear the word “no,” I ask “why” and, if I can, try to make the changes necessary to turn a “no” into a “yes.” A lot of people tend to give up when a roadblock is dropped in their path. I was lucky enough to be taught from an early age that obstacles are meant to be overcome and I credit my Bronx upbringing with teaching me that. Hope is important, but working for what you want will put you in a better position to achieve it.

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

9

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: • 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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: • anti-seizure medicines: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek) • anti-tuberculosis medicines: rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin) and rifapentine (Priftin) • proton pump inhibitors for stomach or intestinal problems: esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo), lansoprazole (Prevacid), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), omeprazole (Prilosec), 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 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: • 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. • 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. • any of these medicines: clarithromycin (Biaxin); erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral) methadone (Dolophine); posaconazole (Noxafil), telithromycin (Ketek) or voriconazole (Vfend).

• 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 it’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: liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection, or have abnormal liver tests • Have kidney problems • Have ever had a mental health problem • Have bone problems • Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child • 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. • 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.

• 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. • 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: • Always take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.

• Take COMPLERA with food. Taking COMPLERA with food is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. (A protein drink does not replace food. If your healthcare provider stops COMPLERA, make certain you understand how to take your new medicine and whether you need to take your new medicine with 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? •

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)).

•

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: • your HIV infection has been previously treated with HIV medicines.

•

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: • Build-up of an 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: • have or had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection, kidney problems, mental health problem or bone problems •

– 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 •

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 •

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.

BS page 1

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.

PALIO Date: 7.26.13 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 9731_pgitvd_standard_updtd_gab_A&U.indd • Trim: 8.125” x 10.5” • Bleed: 8.25” x 10.75” • Live: 7.625” x 10”

A&U

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take: 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.

•

•

•

trouble sleeping (insomnia)

•

abnormal dreams

•

headache

•

dizziness

•

diarrhea

•

nausea

•

rash

any of these medicines (if taken by mouth or injection):

•

– clarithromycin (Biaxin)

tiredness

•

depression

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.

– erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone)

Additional common side effects include:

– fluconazole (Diflucan)

•

vomiting

– itraconazole (Sporanox)

•

stomach pain or discomfort

– ketoconazole (Nizoral)

•

skin discoloration (small spots or freckles)

•

pain

– methadone (Dolophine) – posaconazole (Noxafil) – telithromycin (Ketek) – voriconazole (Vfend) •

The most common side effects of COMPLERA include: •

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

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

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

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).

How should I take 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 food. Taking COMPLERA with food is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink is not a substitute for food. If your healthcare provider decides to stop COMPLERA and you are switched to new medicines to treat HIV that includes rilpivirine tablets, the rilpivirine tablets should be taken only with 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 food 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.

– 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.

BS page 2

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: June 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. CPAC0041 07/13

PALIO Date: 7.26.13 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 9731_pgitvd_standard_updtd_gab_A&U.indd • Trim: 8.125” x 10.5” • Bleed: 8.25” x 10.75” • Live: 7.625” x 10”

A&U

NewsBreak

How did you end up pairing noir, instead of other crime genres, with this setting, Grand Central Terminal?

Noir/pulp is a genre that can include many wonderful stories. If we’d called it Grand Central Mysteries, we would’ve limited ourselves to “whodunits.” Instead, we chose noir because we wanted to attract writers who may want to submit mysteries, but also stories of suspense, crime, and intrigue. Given the thousands of people who go through the terminal every day (and who have traveled through the building every day in its hundred-year history), we thought noir/pulp was the right genre for the kind of anthology we wanted.

What’s your sense of where New York City is at in the fight against HIV/AIDS? I think New York City has certainly come a long way from the early days in its fight against HIV/AIDS, back when St. Vincent’s was one of the only hospitals who would take such patients.

But I also think advances in treatment and medicine have caused a certain amount of complacency to settle into the general psyche about HIV/AIDS. I’d like to see a renewed effort to educate people about the disease and discuss ways to cut down on the risk of contracting it. I would also like to see people become more generous in donating time and money to groups like GLWD. Many people think our tax dollars should be enough to provide for the sick and needy.

Unfortunately, after seeing what has happened after disasters like [Hurricane] Sandy, Katrina and the like, we see that government agencies can’t do it all. It’s up to non-profits like GLWD to make sure people in need are treated with dignity and respect and aren’t just a name in a database or a stat on a spreadsheet.

To purchase Grand Central Noir, log on to: www.amazon.com. Or link through Terrence P. McCauley’s blog: http://terrencemccauley. blogspot.com/. For more information about God’s Love We Deliver, log on to: www.glwd.org.

The sixteenth annual Postcards from the Edge benefit is not taking place until January 17–19, 2014, but organizers at Visual AIDS are already putting the call out to artists and art-lovers alike.

As Visual AIDS’ first annual benefit event every year, Postcards from the Edge gives artists a chance to contribute an original postcard-sized work of art and it gives the public a chance to purchase a mini-masterpiece for only $85. Part of the fun is that attendees do not know who created what—the artist’s identity is revealed after purchase.

Since 1998, Visual AIDS has raised nearly $650,000 to support its services, which include producing contemporary art programs that promote AIDS awareness and support artists living with HIV. The New York City-based non-profit also preserves the work of artists with HIV/AIDS and the artistic contributions of the AIDS movement. Over the years, emerging and established artists have donated over 16,000 postcard-sized works. Some of the more well-known artists who have participated include Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman, Leon Golub, Sol LeWitt, Glenn Ligon, Barbara Kruger, Frank Moore, Elizabeth Murray, Nancy Spero, Yoko Ono, Tom Wesselmann, among others. Last year, attendees were wowed by the work of Ed Ruscha, Kara Walker, John Baldessari, Ann Hamilton, Bill Viola, Marilyn Minter, Arturo Herrera, Catherine Opie, Lawrence Weiner, Kiki Smith, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kay Rosen, Jim Hodges, Mary Heilman, Tony Feher, Jack Pierson, Julie Mehretu, William Wegman, Fred Wilson, Dana Schutz, Kerry James Marshall, and Barbara Takenaga, among others. A&U’s own Sean Black participated last year, as well.

The event will be held at host gallery Luhring Augustine, located at 531 West 24th Street in New York City. A preview party held on Friday, January 17, from 5–8 p.m., will raffle off for attendees first pick of any postcard that evening and include a silent auction of art and VIP passes allowing the highest bidder to bypass the line on Saturday morning. The two-day Benefit Sale of postcard-sized art begins on Saturday, January 18, (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and continues through Sunday, January 19, from noon–4 p.m. If someone purchases four postcards, he or she receives a fifth one for free. On Sunday, in addition to the four-for-five deal, anyone who purchases two will receive a third for free.

If you are an artist who is interested in submitting work or need more information about attending the preview party and/or the benefit sale, log on to: www.VisualAIDS.org.

14

photos by Steven Rosen

Postcards from the Edge

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

Bringing hearts together since 1998

P zMatch.c m HIV+ Owned Since 1998

MELISSA MANCHESTER with Chip. Boy, that hunk was steamy!

Before amfAR was established and even before Rock Hudson’s death, which finally brought the epidemic to light, Melissa was there to help. In 1984 she appeared at A Night to Remember at the Metropolitan Opera House, which was the first major AIDS fundraiser in New York. Since then she has determinedly given of her time to numerous AIDS organizations, and she continues to do so.

Melissa has other charitable interests as well. In 2008, all proceeds from her song, “The Power of Ribbons,” went to breast cancer research, and she works with women in prison through a program called Prison Of Peace. This rock-pop pro is also a professor at USC. Melissa and I meet up at Marmalade Café in Sherman Oaks in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, while she takes a break from recording her new album with the working title, You Gotta Love the Life. Melissa orders water with lemon, a beet salad, and a cappuccino. I have a veggie burger with all the trimmings on gluten-free bread, and chamomile tea.

Ruby Comer: My gosh, you started volunteering in 1984, just a few years after the first case of AIDS was reported!

Melissa Manchester: I was singing in the clubs in New York and realized that people were just dying left and right.

I was living down in Greenwich Village then and I do recall those grim days. Before we get too far I have to tell you that I loved your song, “I Know Who I Am,” in the film For Colored Girls. [She beams with gratitude.] What comes to mind when you think of HIV/AIDS?

16

The Plague of my generation.

That’s a fact; a wretched one indeed. What impact has the epidemic had on you?

Well, I first heard about the epidemic when I was told that a lovely young friend of mine died from AIDS. He was full of love, laughter, and light, and then suddenly that light was extinguished. Since then I’ve lost several dear friends. [She takes a sip of java.] In the early days, I saw how ignorance compounded the ravages of the disease when parents and clergy turned against people who were already suffering.

That certainly was the Christian thing to do, right?! [I shake my head in revulsion.]

You’ve been active in the community for years; why do you care?

I care because I have been given many blessings in my life, among them being told that my music helped people through hard times. If my music or performances continued on page 54

ruby illustration by Davidd Batalon; photo by David Zaugh

D

on’t cry out loud through the eyes of love, because you should only hear how she talks about you when my boyfriend’s back at midnight blue, so come in from the rain whenever I call you friend.

Can’t make this out? A little confused?

Poor lambies. I was trying to cleverly stitch together some of the hits of the legendary singer-songwriter, Melissa Manchester!

Good heavens, when Ms. M. ignites those pipes, her radiant, crystal-clear voice evokes passionate shockwaves all over my body. I never tire of listening to Melissa’s magic. And when she serenades with “La Vie en Rose,” it rivals the original songbird herself, Edith Piaf. Have a tissue ready….

When I was growing up in the Midwest and later at college in Boston, Melissa’s songs released a swath of memories and emotions in me. I discoed to her tunes, sang them in the shower, and even smooched on a frat couch listening to her love songs. By cracky, when I hear “Midnight Blue” today, it instantly zooms me back to BU necking and petting madly

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

Did You Know?

Your organization can receive FREE copies of A&U to distribute to your clients!

To make sure your clients don’t miss another insightful, thought-provoking issue of A&U, call

518-426-9010

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 www.justinbsmith.com. He welcomes your questions at jsmithco98@hotmail.com.

I was recently diagnosed with HIV and I have been dealing with it pretty well but there are still times— at least once or twice a day—when I feel insecure or down about the situation. I have basically come to terms with the fact that I have HIV and the fact that I made a mistake. I’ve been looking for validation that I can live a long life with medication and taking care of myself. I read so many things on-line looking for answers, some of them encouraging and making sense and some that speak gloom and doom and make me feel like, even though I’m taking medicine, AIDS is coming and my time is short.

I refuse to listen to anything that speaks that kind of negativity, but it’s not always that easy being strong, considering this is still new and I have really no one to talk to or relate to about this.

Another thing, Justin, is that I am afraid I’ll never find a soul mate.

I felt inspired watching your videos on YouTube and discovering that you have a husband, but I feel like it was hard finding a guy that acts right without HIV in the picture let alone when it is (LOL). It really gets to me sometimes. I know you are busy and have a lot going on yourself, but if you find time soon to respond you will hopefully let me know how silly I’m being (LOL). I would appreciate

18

it and thank you for everything you are doing to encourage those dealing with this and for being so brave.

God bless you—hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely, James You aren’t being silly. I honestly think you are doing the right thing.

I think that taking out the negativity in your life is a very important thing, not only because you are living with HIV, but because you are living.

I’ve had to cut close friends out of my life because of the negativity they brought or bring into my life and I will continue to do so. It is very important that HIV-infected people do this, because a big part of being infected with HIV is mental. Keeping positive about living can affect how your body will deal with HIV and other infections.

Taking your HIV medications is a big part of the physical part of it. Continue to take your medications!

Trust me, I have a lot of friends who denied they had HIV and refused medication even after their positive diagnosis. They have since passed and some continue to pass away. I think of Josh, Leon, Rodney, Patrick and many others who didn’t even make it to their twenties, so heed my warning and take your meds.

As for love, that is a different conversation, so let’s talk about it,

shall we? Okay, this is a big concern to a lot of HIV-positive people. In my opinion I would always try to be open in the beginning, because if they have an issue with me being positive then I’m glad I found out in the beginning so I don’t waste my time; if all they see is HIV when they look at me then what is the point of even going on a second date? You will find your soul mate—just keep that positivity going.

Justin: I’m doing great. Thank you so much for getting back to me and following up to see if I am okay. I was going through a bit of a culture shock when I found out but I’m healthy and loving life. I do struggle with trying to date and find someone and also feel a little insecure about talking about my status with anyone because people judge. Any suggestions?

James My suggestion is: “Fuck ’em!”

Anyone who is going to judge you because you have HIV can kiss my black, gay, author, activist, married, parenting HIV-positive ass. You will always have HIV (unless there is a cure) whether or not you decide to speak openly about it with anyone.

The choice is ultimately yours, but the more you speak openly about it, the more comfortable you will be. ◊

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

photo by Don Harris © Don Harris Photographics, LLC. all rights reserved

Justin,

viewfinder

Another Opening, Another Sore!

A

fter my last column there’s both good and bad news; NO cancer and all tests were negative for any “major problem.” Yay! However, all of the testing I endured left us with nothing but question marks over our heads. So back to square one. And I got the usual: “This could be just HIV/ AIDS-related, and you’ll have to live with the (pains, migraines, whatever…).” I am lucky. I know it could have been worse. But that ordeal made me remember another incident involving my doctor—and others—a year ago that I’d like to share.

One day I woke up and it looked as if someone had taken a pinhead, dipped it in red and purple paint, and tapped the paint along every single vein of my entire body.

Everywhere! I looked like one of those posters you see in medical offices which show the human bloodstream—only my body was turned inside out. I made an appointment immediately, trying to remain calm. But this time, though it felt like hot wax was flowing through my veins, I tried to relax and took some time to do some research of my own.

My doctor is quite well-known. He serves on several city, county, and state Boards, along with teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Medicine, and overseeing some of the training at the University Medical Center here in Vegas. Most of the time he has a gaggle of interns trying to keep up with him in the clinics he runs. He’s good, but expects his patients to participate.

So I get to his office, and I’m situated in an exam room, told to put on a gown so he could examine whatever was going on. Fortunately we have the same sense of humor, so I decided to surprise him by tossing the paper robe, standing spread-eaOCTOBER 2013 • A&U

gle in all my naked glory as I heard him (and the interns with him that day) outside my room briefly discussing my case. Then I watched the door knob turn.

My doctor started to laugh so hard, I thought he’d wet himself. He knew what I was up to, and knew I wasn’t in my frequent state of terror and panic. On those

visits, we often played our favorite game, “Let’s-Stump-the-Interns,” with a pop quiz.

He was laughing so hard he had to cover his face with the computer tablet permanently attached to his hand. The interns (three young, handsome men, and two young, terribly embarrassed women) were in their pressed lab coats, stethoscopes draped around their necks, all with bright red faces.

Dr. C. finally lowered the tablet from his face. “What the hell has happened to you this time?” All of the interns were doing their best to avoid looking at me, standing back against the door.

Used to other people examining me, and already having done some research on-line about the condition, I started off: “So, who wants to come up first, take a look and give me your best guess as to what’s going on here?” No one moved.

“You,” I pointed to the cutest male intern.

“C’mon up, take a look.” He shyly stepped forward...“You need to touch me; feel the markings all over me.” He looked terrified. “You have already been taught that you won’t get AIDS by touching someone with it, right?” He blushed, then began to lightly move his fingers along my “painted” veins. “Very good,” I said. “Now, what’s your guess?” Just a shrug.

I did this with every intern while my doctor looked on, plugging information into his computer. No one guessed correctly. “What I have is a condition called ‘petechiæ’ (pet-eek-ia). It occurs when the veins actually begin bleeding from the inside. It does burn, and can often be a side effect from several medications, but there are other causes.”

Then I dressed, my doctor impressed and smiling.

Why am I telling you this? We have tools and resources right at our own fingertips (WebMD, Wikipedia, among others) that can provide valuable information on a strange condition or illness that may scare us at first. But we don’t have to panic. That doesn’t mean we don’t need to seek medical attention. But we must be able to trust our doctors/health professionals enough to be completely honest. And they must listen to us. We also have to trust our own instincts and experiences.

My bout of petechiæ went away after a steroid Rx and a complete “medication vacation” (except for my Xanax and Vicodin!). Instead of panicking, I dug around for information, found what I believed was wrong just by searching on my computer, and made my case.

And this time I was right!

Chuck Willman has had poetry, essays, fiction, and erotica published or forthcoming in anthologies, journals, magazines, and e-books.

Find some of his work on JMS-Books.com and Amazon.com.

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illustration by Timothy J. Haines

sometimes patients do know best.

Get

engaged!

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Join

Amplify the voice of PLWH in DC and around the country by joining the Pozitively Health Coalition at www.HealthHIV.org.

Engage Help us understand the needs of PLWH by taking the Pozitively Healthy survey at www.HealthHIV.org.

Connect E-mail or call Pozitively Healthy Staff: Joseph Jefferson: Joseph@HealthHIV.org Julio Fonseca: Julio@HealthHIV.org 202-232-6749 Facebook.com/PozitivelyHealthy @HealthHIV YouTube.com/HealthHIV

is a project of

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

Announcing

A new national coalition for people living with HIV and their allies advocating for HIV positive communities

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities Are you concerned how health care reform will affect you?

Do you want to empower PLWH to make pozitively healthy decisions?

Join

Would you like to become a better informed consumer?

today!

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

A National Coalition Advancing Health & Healthcare Access for HIV Positive Communities

EMPOWERMENT through EDUCATION and ADVOCACY Empowered consumers are healthier consumers.

Empowered consumers engage in a dialogue with their providers about their health goals and treatment plans.

Consumer education helps PLWH recognize high quality, stigma-free health care and empowers them to take full advantage of health care reform.

Educated consumers can effectively advocate for equitable treatment throughout the health care system.

Effective advocacy by educated and empowered consumers helps ensure that competent, affordable, and effective health services and treatment are more accessible.

‘‘

Pozitively Empowering I am a 53-year-old Black gay man who has been HIV-positive for the past 25 years. I am dedicated to working with and advocating for youth, so that they may not have to endure the pain and hardships I have experienced. My involvement with Pozitively Healthy allows me to work with a diverse group of individuals on a personal, meaningful, and shared cause. I treasure the opportunity to be a positive influence and to help empower all HIV consumers.

My passion for helping others has led me to join a number of advocacy groups, as well as found Brothers Reaching Others, Inc. (BRO), which provides resources, educates clients, empowers individuals, develops skills, engages others, and disseminates information to disenfranchised and impoverished communities.

ʼʼ

Edward Jackson, CEO, Brothers Reaching Others, Anniston, Alabama

Pozitively Healthy National Steering Committee

Brandon Aversano George Washington University Washington, DC

David Brakebill Florida Keys HIV Community Planning Key West, FL

Stephen Bailous Metropolitan Washington Regional Ryan White Planning Council Washington, DC

Robert Caldwell The Tauri Group, Biowatch Systems Program Office Washington, DC

Judi Billings Targetted Alliances Puyallup, WA

Andrew Espinosa Midwest AIDS Training + Education Center Chicago, IL Mark Fischer Values in Action Washington, DC

PJ Gouldmann Greater Baltimore HIV Health Services Planning Council Baltimore, MD Andrew Hartman Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities Washington, DC Angel Hernandez Orocovis, PR Edward Jackson Brothers Reaching Others, Inc. Anniston, AL

leads to ACCESS to better care and improved health.

‘‘

Pozitively Educating and Advocating My involvement with Pozitively Healthy is rooted in understanding the history of the HIV movement, and my desire to diminish the emotional and social suffering PLWH experience due to ignorance and judgment. I see stigma as one of the largest barriers to testing and treatment. We need to change the way HIV is understood in public discourse; HIV is a virus and a public health issue. My long-term vision for Pozitively Healthy is to one day look back at the victory over stigma and judgment and see an enlightened and accepting society that recognizes HIV as a medical issue as opposed to a moral one.

ʼʼ

Ann Stuart Thacker, Executive Director, AIDSNET, Bethlehem, PA

‘‘

Pozitively Improving Access to Better Health As a gay man born during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, I never would have guessed that nearly 30 years later that stigma, barriers to quality heath care, and undue suffering would still exist for so many members of my community. Heroic efforts and huge advancements in science have been made; however, we have seen little progress in addressing not only the stigma of being HIV-positive, but also the legal and emotional ramifications of intolerance and misinformation. It is because of this uphill battle for PLWH that I have chosen to advocate on behalf of myself, my friends, and my community by joining Pozitively Healthy. It is because of those men and women who fought during the early days that I’m able to now lend my voice in support for those will come after me.

Bryce Romero, Consumer Marketing Assistant, Human Rights Campaign

ʼʼ

Pozitively Healthy advocates and educates so that the HIV community is and remains Pozitively Healthy

Angel Lozada Pittsburgh, PA Randal Lucero National Quality Center, Consumer Advisory Committee New Mexico Aging & Long-Term Services Department’s HIV/AIDS Advocacy Network Albuquerque, NM Oliver Martin, III National United Church of Christ HIV and AIDS Network Green Bay, WI

Eric Martinez Positive Mind & Body Support Group Net Vero Beach, FL Butch McKay Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, Inc. (OASIS), Fort Walton Beach, Florida Mark Peterson Michigan Positive Action Coalition (MI-POZ) Detroit, MI

Bryce Romero Human Rights Campaign Washington, DC

Ann Stuart Thacker AIDSNET Bethlehem, PA

David Sheon Whitecoat Strategies, LLC Washington, DC

Tim Vincent California STD/HIV Prevention Training Center Oakland, CA

John Tenorio Pueblo Community Health Center EIS Program Canton City, CO

David Waggoner A&U, America’s AIDS Magazine Albany, NY Channing Wayne Larkin Street Youth Services San Francisco, CA

Fiction

the Dream Team

by Evelyn Deshane

M

M

agic Johnson changed everything. He was that new rookie kid who took everyone by storm, and then made it onto the Dream Team for the Olympics, completely living up to his name. Though Darius and I were too young to remember when it all happened, we found the old VHS tapes that his older brother had made of the games and watched those again and again. Darius lived with us then, since his mom was still pretty screwed up. We would watch and talk basketball when we couldn’t play it because the courts were taken over by gangs. Though he was really my cousin, we had always felt like brothers.

We knew the Dream Team the best.

We had a poster of the entire team in our bedroom and we would lie on our bed and look at their faces, pretending to be one of them. We’d pick either Michael Jordan or Larry Bird and especially Magic Johnson.

Then, when we realized why Magic wasn’t playing basketball anymore, we stopped picking him as much.

I learned more about why Magic stopped playing basketball when I got older and understood the meaning behind a few more words. But even though he had AIDS, Magic never really stopped being important. He did for us what Freddie Mercury did for the skinny white men at those parades. AIDS was the gay cancer back then, but at least they gave it a name.

They gave it a face. I know there have been books about it now, about the Castro and how it got the gays out of the ghetto. But we’re still in the ghetto, we don’t have a flag (not really, not like that) and we don’t have voices and names and icons. We just have silence.

Magic gave us something to identify with. He was straight and had sex with women, and yet this thing still happened to him. There were other ways to get AIDS, and that was what I found so scary.

I mean, it’s like our bodies start to turn against us. As if we didn’t get that enough already with the skin we had on our backs and histories behind us. But Magic could

24

be playing a game, be An All Star Player, and even be on the Dream Team, and no one knew. No one had a clue and he never looked sick. When he did realize he had HIV, he took the disease and tried to establish a new Dream Team, full of drug cocktails and doctors. He tried to do something important with it, so we weren’t left behind.

The only other person I knew about that talked about this type of stuff was Jamaica Kincaid. When my sister went off to college and tried to be smart, she decided to read all of Kincaid’s books. She talked about My Brother so much at the dinner table one night I couldn’t stand it. But I stole it out of her backpack when she was asleep and read it when I had the Xbox on all night to cover any sounds. The brother in the book had AIDS, and, for a while, you thought he was like Magic. He was straight, had sex with too many women, and like the invisible destructive force that AIDS was, it made him suddenly sick. But then Kincaid realized that her brother was gay. Power to him, I guess. I don’t get as hung up about that kind of thing as I used to, though I never finished the book after that point. I knew how it was going to end, anyway, and Kincaid’s descriptions were too good to keep reading.

Darius and I don’t really watch basketball anymore. The teams aren’t good like they used to be and he moved out of my bedroom when his mom got back from rehab. We still hang out, but Darius wants to fight with the guys across the street instead. Though I wanted to back down that one night and go home, he’s my brother, so I stayed with him.

As blood spilled on the pavement, I thought about a basketball court and I tried to get us out of there and back to my sister, who knew how to stitch wounds.

Now Darius wants all sorts of competition.

“How many girls can you sleep with, Markus?” he’s asked it again and again, reminding me of the new rules to our game.

“How many did you before that? And no condoms, remember, because condoms are for pussies and all these girls are on the pill anyway that they can get from the clinic.”

I suck at lying and he knows me too

well for that. So when we talk, I needed conquests. I went out and got girls, because like he said, it’s actually kind of easy if you knew what to say. It’s like remembering a plan for a game, only there was no VHS I could watch later on to review my moves and there was no record whatsoever other than my mind.

So I check my mouth in the bathroom for sores, just in case, and I don’t go to the clinic unless I’ll have a scar afterwards. I’ve got to be dying to be seen at the clinic alone.

But that’s the thing with AIDS. You can be dying and not know. Be utterly and completely normal. Just be a man and dying for it. And man, I’ve seen enough death where I live.

Then there’s Magic Johnson. When my sister was home for a weekend, she was trying to watch The Daily Show and pretending to be smart again. But suddenly, she started to shout, “MARKUS! Markus!

Come quickly, it’s Magic!”

I walked into our living room and saw her swooning at this large man, still not looking sick, in a big business suit. I sat down and tried to listen, wondering if he was playing again, but only heard him talk about OraQuick instead. It was a test for AIDS that you could take at home. A test away from the prying eyes of everyone else and one you didn’t even have to pay for if you went to this website. Like a dream, Magic told us in the living room that he was still working away at his personal cause. He had found a way for others to know if they were sick, but not lose anything in the process. He understood.

He knew the rules of the game, and like always, he had found a way to make the best shot.

When my sister went to sleep that night, I stole her laptop and I ordered the test for myself. Now, I’m locked in a bathroom around the corner and down a block, away from anyone I know. I’m blending into the walls as I wait for that stick to turn.

Everything will change when I know for sure. But everything’s already changed, really, thanks to Magic. I watch myself in the mirror as the seconds flick by and I envision what member of the Dream Team I’ll be this time around.

Evelyn Deshane’s work has appeared in The Fieldstone Review, Hyacinth Noir, and Absynthe Magazine. She holds a Master’s in Public Texts from Trent University and is currently pursuing a PhD. She lives in Waterloo, Canada. “The Dream Team” was first runner-up for fiction in A&U’s 2013 Christopher Hewitt Award literary contest.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

LouisvilleAIDSWalk 5K Run and Pet Walk

Sunday, October 13, 2013 @Waterfront Park

Donate, Register and Learn More:

www.louisvilleaidswalk.org (502) 938-WALK

National AIDS Memorial Quilt • Kid’s Activities • Pet Activities Food • Beverages • Entertainment and More!

HOPE

will never be

silent!

On a Journey of Self-Acceptance, Artist Ronnie Queenan Uses Paint & Brush to Create Healing Art & Talk About HIV/AIDS

by Alina Oswald

E

ver since he was a kid, Self-Portrait, 2007, reproducRonnie Queenan has tion image, 30 by 40 inches admired other people’s art. At the age of fifteen, he became interested in abstract—then called modern— ed by a lot of art. Yet, he never desired to be an artist openness and a himself. Not until he took an art healing lot of landscapes class and picked up the brush for the defined by flat first time. lines. “If you look “Let me just say that before,” Queenan at a landscape, tells me on the phone, explaining his beit seems perfect coming an artist, “I was an accountant for [from afar],” he twenty years. I was diagnosed with AIDS explains. “But get in 1994 [and] went through a five-year closer to it and depression. I was in a really dark place. you [start noticing Someone had suggested this art class its] imperfections. for [people living with HIV/AIDS], and I think it’s the I took [it]. That’s when I realized what I same for people. was supposed to do, ’cause I was making I used to look at money [as an accountant] but I was misera- [people] and see them as being perfect, beble.” Today he calls his HIV “a blessing cause I wanted to be perfect. But everybody in disguise,” because had it not been for has flaws. It’s like God meant us to be imthe diagnosis and, in turn, that art healing perfect,” he adds. “I embrace imperfection class, he’d probably still be doing accountbecause nothing is perfect.” ing and be miserable.

He also found inspiration in the works Today Ronnie Queenan continues to of abstract expressionist painters like Mark heal, while creating art. What he finds Rothko and Hans Hofmann. When he intriguing about his own artwork is that it moved to Houston, Texas, he discovered is not perfect. In fact, a recurring theme Rothko’s color field paintings and was in his artwork deals with imperfections— drawn to their simplicity. And he startof people and nature. The artist recalls ed experimenting with bright colors in discovering nature’s imperfections while his own work, only to realize that bright growing up in Lubbock, Texas, surroundcolors were working in harmony, as if they

26

matched together, “like begging to be with each other,” he says.

For Queenan, colors have personalities and meanings—white is for purity, black for strength. He uses rich orange tones in Fragments of Consciousness to recreate the desolated, imperfect landscapes of his childhood place, and vibrant red tones in Discord, to paint rusty, discarded beer bottle caps.

Art is like music, he says, possessing the healing, spiritual power to take him to a place where he can be creative. He listens to all kinds of music, especially classical and jazz, while creating art that evokes a A&U • OCTOBER 2013

A&U Gallery

Solitude, 2009, mixed media, 36 by 24 inches

full palette of feelings and emotions, familiar to the artist, and also to the audience.

Solitude captures the artist at work, when he wants to be alone with his work. He points out that solitude is not to be confused with loneliness, which is the feeling one has when longing for someone or something.

This brings up the subject of loneliness as related to an HIV/AIDS diagnosis, especially in the years preceding the advent of lifesaving medications, and also as related to schisms between people of different serostatuses, and even disconnects among those living with HIV/AIDS who were experiencing different stages of the disease.

“I think there is still a stigma even today, with people [living] with HIV, with dating or even being friends with people,” Queenan comments about loneliness.

“When getting older, that’s when loneliness comes in, because you feel isolated from other people. In the African-American community people still have that stigma. We still really don’t talk about this among each other.” He pauses, and then reiterates, “Stigma is still there. I kinda think that [it] goes back to educating people about HIV.” The artist wholeheartedly believes that the more people come out about their status, the more information about HIV/ AIDS is posted on-line, in books and magazines, the easier it is for others to come out. “That’s what happened to me,” he confesses. “I always felt so alone in this, because the friends I had weren’t positive.

I’ve seen people embracing it, and now OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

I’m able to do it, [too] because, honestly, I kinda stayed in the background. It’s a matter of being able to dialogue about it,” he adds, “but it’s still rough, because nobody wants to be the elephant in the room.”

The process of coming full-circle and accepting himself for who he really is has been a long one. Painting made it possible.

Queenan’s art subtly reveals the artist’s story. Each piece tells a chapter of the story in a striking visual language that makes viewers pause and take a closer look.

Walking in Faith captures the first (scary) steps one takes in faith, and, with

that, toward healing and self-acceptance.

Forgive is about the ability to forgive unconditionally. Life’s Challenges offers a look at the challenges a lot of people, and particularly men, go through, related to health, depression, self-esteem, addiction, or money. Revelation is inspired by an “aha” moment in Queenan’s life, when he realized he couldn’t wait for someone else to tell him how to live his life. And I’m OK talks about hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles that were placed in the artist’s life. Created in response to his diagnosis with Stage IV cancer in 2010,

27

A&U Gallery Opposite page: My Story, 2012, mixed media, 16 by 20 inches Right: Social Consciousness III, 2006, acrylic, 16 by 14 inches I’m OK captures his attitude that, despite the HIV, AIDS and cancer, he is still ok.

My Story inspired him to start writing a memoir, which he says, is going to be “his truth.”

One of his most remarkable bodies of work is his mask series of self-portraits.

Maybe because self-portraits are themselves windows into the artist’s soul, like chapters of a memoir written in paint. As I find out, the mask series of self-portraits is also Queenan’s favorite body of work.

“Everybody wears masks,” he comments, talking more in-depth about it. “For years I wore different masks, because for years I was trying to be somebody I wasn’t.”

Then there are pieces inspired by HIV/ AIDS. The artist created Social Consciousness III: We All Have AIDS, because, he explains, “everybody on the planet knows somebody infected or affected by AIDS.” Election ’08: Yes We Can was inspired

by Obama’s first Presidential election.

“In that piece I was hoping that people in power could do more for people living with HIV.” Election ’08: Yes We Can takes our conversation to the subject of an AIDS-free generation, to Obama’s initiative to end AIDS. I have to wonder what the artist thinks about the idea that we may find ourselves at the beginning of the end of AIDS. “I hate to be pessimistic,” Queenan answers, “but I don’t think it will be happening in my lifetime.” While he

agrees that we’ve come a long way and made strides in finding new treatments and medications, he also mentions the staggering numbers of HIV infections in the African-American community.

“I think that more people are getting infected with HIV, especially the younger generation, part of it because [they] never saw people dropping dead like flies. I think they say ‘I’ll get some medicine and I’ll be ok.’” He pauses for a moment, as if reflecting on that last sentence. “I think young African-American men don’t really see [HIV/AIDS] as a [possible] death sentence, and are not educated what the downfall of it is,” he adds. “They don’t take preventive measures. So I don’t think that we need to get comfortable that AIDS is over.”

When I inquire about what he thinks we should do to open their eyes, Queenan sighs. “Boy, that’s a hard question,” he finally says. “I mean, they got all kinds of materials [available]. With PIs people know that they would live long, pretty normal lives. We need something to get people’s attention.”

How to get young people’s attention and change the way they perceive the thirty-something-year-old pandemic is another question, one that Queenan doesn’t think he can answer. And yet, if Life Challenges, 2009, mixed media, 24 by 36 inches

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

we look closely, we may find that he has been answering this question all along using his brush to tell the story of AIDS as seen through his own eyes, using his paintings to connect with people and help them understand, and also educate them about the disease.

There is no one particular painting through which he teaches about HIV/ AIDS; rather, his entire body of work accomplishes this. There is no one piece he considers his favorite. “If I have to pick a favorite,” he finally says, “it’s Awaken. That’s when I awoke to life. I came to full self-acceptance on every level. It took me up to now to totally be where I am now. But I’m comfortable with who I am now.”

Painting has allowed Ronnie Queenan to go within himself and do the inner work that had to be done in order to become comfortable with his own person.

The process has helped him come full circle and accept himself for who he is.

“I think no matter how old you are,” he comments, “it’s good to really find out what you enjoy in life, and express yourself with it. That would be good advice for everybody, to find what you like in life and explore it more.”

For more information about Ronnie Queenan, log on to: www.thequeenancollection.com or on Visual AIDS’ Web site: www.visualaids.org.

Alina Oswald is a writer, photographer, and the author of Journeys Through Darkness: A Biography of AIDS. Contact her at www.alinaoswald.com.

29

ANGELS OF HARLEM

Singer Alicia Keys & U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel , Along with Community Luminaries, Spread Their Wings of Hope to Address the High Rates of HIV/AIDS in Their Harlem Hometown and Beyond Text & Photos by Sean Black

O

n August 22, Harlem Hospital Center opened its doors to local residents with the purpose of sparking frank and urgent dialogue about the alarming rates of HIV infection, the harmful stigma surrounding the disease, and the disproportionate impact it is having on black and Latino communities in Harlem, as well as in other urban neighborhoods and cities across America. Presented by Greater Than AIDS in partnership with its national EMPOWERED campaign, the townhall-style event gathered over 400 individuals, comprised mostly of its target audience—concerned and enthusiastic, young people of color.

Joining voices with the fourteen-time Grammy Award-winning artist and advocate Alicia Keys and the Honorable Charles Rangel (DNY) were Harlem Hospital’s executive director, Denise Soares, former NBA All-star, Minister Vin Baker of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, president and CEO of CARE USA, Dr. Helene Gayle [A&U, April 2007], Def Jam Recordings hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, and EMPOWERED ambassador Stephanie Brown. Distinguished guest Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference and national NAACP board member, also spoke.

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“Because you are here, you recognize the importance of what we are trying to overcome,” opened Congressman Charles Rangel as he addressed media in a preliminary briefing. Representative Rangel is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and represents New York’s 13th District. Committed to the fight against AIDS, he recently introduced the Communities United with Religious Leaders for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS (CURE) Act. The Act would authorize the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to provide grants to health agencies, as well as community and faith-based organizations for education, outreach, research, and testing activities related to HIV/AIDS prevention.

According to the CDC and reported in the “Findings” section of the Act, “racial and ethnic minorities accounted for almost 71 percent of the newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection and that although Blacks are only 14 percent of the United States population, they account for [nearly] half (44 percent) of all new HIV infection cases in 2010. They are 8 times more likely to have HIV than Whites.” Greater Than AIDS pointed to local data derived A&U • OCTOBER 2013

“Each individual is powerful.”

—Russell Simmons, stressing that you don’t need to be a celebrity to fight AIDS.

Opposite page: Rep. Charles Rangel listens as Alicia Keys speaks at Harlem Hospital Center.

Top (left to right): Rep. Rangel; Minister Vin Baker of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and former NBA All-star; Keys; Stephanie Brown, Greater Than AIDS ambassador; Russell Simmons Bottom: Stephanie Brown spoke about living with HIV: “With stigma and all of the negativity that I was given, it [fueled] me to go out and to educate...I refuse to live my life as a secret and I shouldn’t be ashamed of my status.”

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

Top: Encouraging others to do the same, Keys took a rapid HIV test, administered by Vanessa Austin, Public Health Educator in HIV/ AIDS Services at Harlem Hospital Center.

Bottom: Sylvia White, Chief of Staff at Harlem Hospital Center, joins hands with members of her team to pray for the health of their patients and for a successful community event.

from a 2011 report that the rate of HIV diagnosis per 100,000 population in Harlem was four to five times higher as compared to the nation overall.

“The statistics are unbelieveable and so many of us say ‘No! Not me!’ Yes! You too! Me too!..

All of us!” rallies a vibrant and passionate Keys. “We definitely can’t be ignorant. It’s unacceptable. Doing our part to further this dialogue is so important and crucial for us to arrive at an AIDS-free generation.”

Keys, who helped to create the EMPOWERED Campaign with Greater Than AIDS is now leading its Community Grants program, administered by AIDS United to award grants of up to $25,000 to community-level projects that focus on women and HIV. Committed to this fight for many years, she is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child

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Alive, a non-profit organization that provides AIDS treatment, food, and other support to children and families affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa and India.

“Life is not over and all the same dreams that a person has can be achieved. There are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation…that if we are diagnosed life is over. At one point that may have been the case, but now this is a treatable and a preventable disease,” shares Keys.

Unfortunately, while growing up, HIV was not part of artist and activist Stephanie Brown’s household conversations nor the conversations amongst her friends.

“Being fifteen and deciding to step into that world of maturity to have sex—my biggest fear was pregnancy.” Brown, who found out seven years ago that she had contracted HIV through unprotected sex, continues, “I wish, at that age, I would’ve gotten the message

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

that STDs were still real and relevant. Had I known that, I would have probably educated myself more. So, if you want to step into this world of maturity the best thing [for you] is to have the tools to prepare yourself for the real world of sex.”

Continuing the openness and candor in the discussion, Moderator Jeannine Amber, senior writer at Essence Magazine, turned to Dr. Helene Gayle and posed a question on the topic of sexual orientation, a subject that is being discussed with less reticence among many faithbased organizations.

“The stigma around same-sex relationships is something that we have to break through,” warns Dr. Gayle. “We have to accept people with a range of sexual behaviors and we have to be able to make sure that we Top: Recreation in Harlem (detail) by Georgette Seabrooke, 1937. are not stigmatizing people because stigma drives people Seabrooke’s colorful WPA mural depicting community life in Harlem underground; driving them away from information, driv- was created during the Great Depression of the 1930s and greets visitors ing them away from health services.” today entering the Harlem Hospital Center’s Mural Pavilion.

Poignantly addressing this issue as well, in a caveat to Minister Baker’s redoubled commitment to the youth of Bottom: Minister Vin Baker his ministry, Ms. Keys affirms, “We tend to be really, really judgmental of each other and we need to stop being like HIV testings in a successful effort to encourage attendees to find out that. How can you be yourself if you are afraid that, by telling your their HIV status. Sylvia White, Chief of Staff for Harlem Hospital family or your best friend that you might be gay, or that you might Center, happily confirmed with A&U that all of the forty-nine confibe positive...they aren’t going to love you anymore and not help you dential rapid HIV tests offered that day were non-reactive (negative) through this process. Why would anyone tell anyone if that is the for the virus. treatment they are going to get? Disowned? Treated negatively and wrong?...If we could just start loving each other and accepting each To learn more about EMPOWERED log on to: www.greaterthan.org/ other for who we are?” campaign/empowered.

Following the ninety-minute community conversation, Ms. Keys, Sean Black is an Editor at Large at A&U. Congressman Rangel, and Dr. Gayle all participated in confidential

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

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C

c r i

Y

L i f f e o le In a Telling Roundtable Discussion, Six Young Men Open Up About Living with HIV & Finding Strength in One Another

by Chip Alfred

photographed exclusively for A&U by Tara Lessard

ou’ve probably heard the facts.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are most heavily affected by HIV infection, and the situation isn’t getting better.

According to the CDC, between 2008 and 2010 the number of new infections among MSM increased twelve percent, with a twenty-two-percent rise among MSM age thirteen to twenty-four. Now you’re probably wondering why.

Seeking answers to this question and more, I recruited interview subjects from Philadelphia’s Mazzoni LGBT Health Center (and one of the nation’s oldest ASOs). In a very candid and

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enlightening conversation, this is what six twenty-somethings from Mazzoni’s “Living with HIV/AIDS” support group had to say. First, here’s some background on the guys, pictured (left to right) in the photo above: David Dominguez is a twenty-eightyear-old bartender from Philadelphia.

Ryan Ruggiero is a twenty-six-year-old flight attendant from Philadelphia.

Colin Rossi is a thirty-year-old graduate student from Bordentown, New Jersey.

Geo Webster is a twenty-five-year-old artist and model from Philadelphia.

Adam Straga is a twenty-five-year-old banker from Collingswood, New Jersey.

Amir Simon is a twenty-one-year-old college student from Philadelphia.

A&U: Several of you seemed eager to be interviewed for this article. Why? Colin: Doing this kind of thing helps me cope. I think the only way to address something people don’t understand is to be honest and forthright about it.

Ryan: Our generation and even the younger generation are naïve about how it can happen. I’m not a whore.

I wasn’t in a bathhouse. I wasn’t in a sling. I want them to know the real story. I guess I trusted the wrong person.

I trust people.

Geo: I’m not fully comfortable yet with it. Putting myself out there will give an in for other kids who aren’t really cool with it or even with just being gay.

Adam: I thought that I could give more of the not-so-bright side of things as opposed to some of the people who were so excited to do it and are totally okay with being positive. I’m not so much.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

Tell us about your life before you were diagnosed.

Amir: I knew about HIV but I was kind of oblivious—like it’s not going to happen to me. I thought I was being careful. I trusted the wrong person and that was my downfall.

Geo: My high school didn’t really educate us on HIV. It was more just a basic “sex ed” class. I dated someone who was positive, and I didn’t know much. We did

Take us back to the day you learned you were HIV-positive.

Amir: A friend called me randomly and said, “Let’s get tested.” The thought hadn’t crossed my mind I might come back positive. I just remember my whole body went numb and everything was moving in slow motion.

David: I was just in shock. I called a good friend who was positive and he dropped everything and came over. I didn’t ask him one question. He didn’t ask me how I was feeling. That day I didn’t need to

news and I could not believe what he had just said. I called the guy I had just broken up with because after a while we didn’t use protection. We got retested together and he was negative and I was positive. He held me and we cried right there. It was just the most horrifying thing ever…thinking that my life was over. I had contracted it beforehand and I didn’t know. Then I learned more about it.

Colin: I had to get some routine blood work done. I sat down with the doctor and

practice safe sex, but there’s always that time when you’re out drinking and you get too wasted and things happen—and things happened.

Adam: I didn’t have much information about it. In school we never learned it. They didn’t really talk about the consequences.

Colin: It wasn’t like it was a complete unknown. It was just not on my radar in a tiny suburban town. It was never anything I even thought would find its way to me.

talk about it. I didn’t need to do anything.

Ryan: [Being diabetic], I had a full workup done every three months. My doctor told me [the test results] and I just stared at her. I didn’t hear a thing she said. It was like one of those weird movies where you’re sitting in a room and everything is just stopped. I called my best friend and he said, “I’m coming to get you.” When I heard his voice I just lost it.

Adam: My family doctor told me the

he said, “You also came back positive for HIV.” I didn’t even react. It was like my whole body just stopped. I’m thinking he basically told me, “Your life is over.” I got in the car and I just broke. I couldn’t stop myself from crying.

Geo: I tested with a friend to support him. I didn’t expect a role reversal; my friend came out negative, I came out positive. It was a busy night in the city and I didn’t see anyone. I just kept walking

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

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in circles. I cried for a good three hours.

Then I said to myself, “My life isn’t over.

This isn’t the end of it. I’m just going to move on.”

How have things changed since then?

Adam: My mom said it’s her worst nightmare come true. She said, “Don’t be drinking from any of our glasses.” I had to

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take her to my doctor and he educated her, but we never talk about it. She’s never asked me how I’m doing. That is probably the hardest part.

Colin: I’ve been really lucky with the response to me. My sister showed up with a three ring binder with information about all these different resources and places for me.

She wanted to create a handbook for me so

that I could survive it. She is incredible.

Amir: Growing up in the city I witnessed a lot of stigma about being gay and a lot of stigma for people who have HIV. My dad told me that it was wrong to be gay. Now he is more accepting, but he doesn’t know [that I’m HIV-positive]. I feel that he’s going to break down and that’s going to cause me to break down. I don’t think I can handle that A&U • OCTOBER 2013

right now.

David: When I first found out, there was a giant thought bubble that just had a plus sign above my head.

I did tell two of my cousins. One of them couldn’t look me in the eye. She just fell apart. I’m like, “You don’t get to fall apart.

That’s what I get to do.” In Philly with the machismo of the Spanish culture, it would be fine if I was sleeping with women and I was HIV-positive. The gay thing is worse.

What’s the most difficult challenge you face today?

Adam: My biggest challenge is dating and disclosing. I struggle with when to tell somebody. A lot of people I tell really don’t feel comfortable with somebody who is positive. It almost makes me not want to date.

David: It was the dating thing for a while, but now I just don’t care. I met one person who I thought was amazing. When I told him my status, he freaked out. Now I’m starting to meet people that are positive influences in my life.

Colin: I feel like there was a lot that I wanted to do, a lot of things I wanted to try.

And I don’t want to take risks anymore.

I’m so worried about being able to take care of myself.

Has your HIV status transformed you for the better in some way?

Geo: It’s been motivation to get where I want to be in life. I have the support of friends now more than before, and my family is a big support.

Amir: It’s forced me to become more OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

comfortable in my skin, and I met this group of wonderful guys.

Adam: I came to this group and poured my heart out and the overwhelming support from everybody was just amazing. That really helped me cope and helped me meet friends. The group has helped me be a happier, healthier person.

What about your hopes and dreams? Are they different now?

Colin: I’ve always wanted to be a dad and when this first happened I was terrified that it wasn’t going to happen. As I get more at peace with myself, being with my niece has put that spark back.

David: I’ve always wanted to own a restaurant. When I found out I was positive I said, “What is there to lose? Why not just go for what I want?” It’s more of a stepping stone to do the things I’ve dreamed about.

Ryan: My ultimate dream is to brand myself, be a household name like Nate Berkus, and write my memoir. It’s called Coffee, Tea or Me? Memoirs of a Jewish Flight Attendant.

Each of these young men has a different story to tell, yet they all share something that’s been vital to their well-being—the support group. “This group has definitely helped save me,” Colin says. And not only do they find comfort and companionship there, they empower themselves by helping the “newbies” who join them.

“I don’t always come to the group because I need help anymore,” Adam chimes in.

“I come to help be supportive for other people as well.”

Liza Linder, MSW, LCSW, founder and facilitator of the group, says in the seven years she’s been leading the sessions, she’s never seen a bunch of guys bond like this one. She also emphasizes the importance of always maintaining a sense of humor.

“We do much more laughing than crying.”

But there’s one thing that’s forbidden in Linder’s group. Nobody is allowed to say, ‘I am HIV.’ “If you’re going to think and say, ‘I’m HIV,’ she explains, “you’re going to think that’s all you are…It should not define you.”

“Young MSM are still where we’re seeing a lot of new infections,” states Andrew Goodman, MD, Mazzoni’s assistant medical director. “It’s sort of that adolescent developing brain that can know something on the one hand, but when it

actually happens to you as an individual it’s a very different thing.” He acknowledges that “a lot of the thoughts about HIV have changed. Among the young men, that prevention message is getting out there, but translating that message into actual change in behavior doesn’t seem to be something that’s happening.”

So why isn’t it? Goodman surmises that the fear-driven campaigns of the past may have resonated more effectively—albeit to a different generation. “Some of that fear is not there anymore.” When treating atrisk patients, he emphasizes that medical professionals have to choose their words carefully. “How you frame your prevention messages, how you use stigma is so important. If you go too far, you will create shame. People won’t talk to you, come in, get screening, or get treatment.”

For those already receiving treatment and learning to live with HIV, Colin offers this advice: “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but if you stop, if you get scared you’re nowhere but in the dark.

You just have to keep moving forward.”

For more information about Mazzoni Center, visit www.mazzonicenter.org.

To find HIV/AIDS support groups or other resources in your community, call the CDC twenty-four hour hotline, 1-800-232-4636, or go to www.thebody.com/index/hotlines.html.

Tara Lessard offers creative photography in the tri-state area, radical or refined with rapid delivery and competitive pricing. She can be reached at 267-614-1778 or www.freedomgphotography.com.

Chip Alfred, an A&U Editor at Large, interviewed Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo for the August cover story.

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This Is

for You The Indomitable Oscar-Winning Triple Threat, Rita Moreno , Plays the Rabble-Rouser to Raise Money for Community Causes & Gives Birth to a Promising Campaign

by Dann Dulin Photographed Exclusively for A&U by Duane Cramer

R

ita Moreno is a trailblazer. The feminine, feisty, sexy, and headstrong entertainer has nabbed an Oscar, Emmy (two of them), Grammy, and Tony—and became the first Latina to be honored with all four. Early next year the Screen Actors Guild will bestow on her their Life Achievement Award. She broke ground by stepping forward early in the AIDS crisis when other celebrities would not. Even before amfAR was established in 1985, Rita appeared at the first Los Angeles AIDS benefit at the Hollywood Bowl.

“I’ve known AIDS forever and forever. I’ve done AIDS benefits…forever,” Rita states pragmatically, having lost so many friends to this disease and now almost desensitized to the pain.

“We did a Hollywood Bowl fundraiser—and what a show! My daughter Fernanda, who was sixteen at the time, danced with me. To show you how early this was, the press showed up and

38

exclaimed, ‘Why are you doing this??!’ The implication being that this could be bad publicity. I answered, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’” Rita continues. “During rehearsal, on the day of the performance, Irving, my conductor, was having problems with the timing of both bands while they played my song, ‘Strike Up The Band,’ which was to coincide with the Bowl fireworks.

One was a gay band and the other a lesbian band. Once it was synchronized and they worked it out, Irving said, ‘Okay now.

Is everybody straight?’ Everybody started howling and carrying on!” Rita laughs, recalling the memory. “That benefit was just a wonderful, wonderful evening. The audience loved the show. It was the first show I ever did where I just said whatever was on my mind.”

Indeed, Rosita Dolores Alverio (her birth name) has always been outspoken and straightforward in her public life. This A&U • OCTOBER 2013

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

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A&U • OCTOBER 2013

devotion to the truth is readily apparent in her autobiography, Rita Moreno: A Memoir, which was released this past spring. At eighty-one, she has many tales to share and freely reveals many of them during our interview today to this eager captive reporter. Rita is an engaging raconteur.

Currently on a book signing tour, Rita has a stopover in Los Angeles and we gather in a banquet room of The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, prior to her photo shoot for A&U. In a couple of weeks she’ll be back in her comfy, cozy Berkeley home, her favorite place to be. Fernanda, her daughter, and two grandsons are just fifteen minutes away.

Rita sports a flowing silky ensemble of Copenhagen blue pants, aqua-colored blouse, and a bright vivid floral vest. Her pixy platinum-grey hair is coiffed and becoming, her skin is peachy youthful, and her face glows. Rita is shapely and stays fit by taking long walks.

She could easily pass for a woman half her age.

Friendly and upbeat, she exudes a calm centeredness, which makes me feel as though I’m schmoozing over the back fence with a longtime neighbor. She is so eloquent and so darn disarming, that at this bare banquet table, it’s easy to forget that Rita is an icon, a star of magnitude. And what a résumé!

On the big screen she shined in such immortal films as Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story (Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), The King and I, The Ritz, Summer and Smoke, and Carnal Knowledge. On TV, to name a few, she’s appeared in The Rockford Files (Emmy Award), Father Knows Best, The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls, Oz, and Ugly OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

Betty. Rita’s jolting comic scream, “Hey you guu-uuysss…!,” at the beginning of the beloved and popular ’70s kids’ television show The Electric Company, (co-starring Morgan Freeman) woke up a generation of tail-end Baby Boomers and early Gen X-ers.

In 2009, Ms. Moreno was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. In 2011, at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, she performed Life Without Makeup, an intimate one-woman show recounting her flashy career that

combined singing, dancing, and exposing raw personal stories. The scuttlebutt is that it may land on Broadway. Recently, Rita co-starred with Fran Drescher on TV Land’s Happily Divorced, and her newest film, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, will be released next year. Gena Rowlands, Cheyenne Jackson, Jacki Weaver, and Julian Sands co-star.

Of all her many films, The Ritz is Rita’s favorite. If you’re a certain age, how could you not remember the outrageousness and prominence of this film? “I love The Ritz!” she roars, her hands flatly spread and pressed onto the table. “The character [Googie Gomez] was my invention. I love her! She still makes me laugh.” Googie is a third-rate lounge singer with a heavy Puerto Rican accent (Rita is proud of her Puerto Rican heritage). In the film—based on the Broadway play, in which Rita originated the role—Googie horribly performs at a gay bathhouse, botching the song, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” with two scantily clad boy dancers in tow.

“Whenever I perform at AIDS benefits, I do that number with some dancers, and the audience goes bananas!

I’ve even thought up more tricks that can go wrong during her performance.

She now wears long gloves and a big, blingy cheesy-looking ring,” chortles Rita. “At one point she takes off her gloves and one of them gets stuck on the ring. So for the rest of the number there’s this long opera glove hanging off her ring.

Every time she waves her arms, it’s flapping.” She mimes the movement, her arm gliding through the air. “At the end of the song, when the boys lift her up on their shoulders she’s singing, ‘Every-ting cumming up row-ses ford me and ford jew’ and the glove is hanging right in the front of the dancer’s face!” This wacky, hilarious sequence from the film can be found on YouTube.

A hotel waiter enters and brings Rita some hot Earl Grey tea. She thanks him in Spanish and, after he departs, she dabs her brew with a bit of milk

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and honey.

I inquire about her motivation for volunteering. “Oh, gosh, when it’s something as [far-reaching] as AIDS I want to get involved,” she remarks genuinely, citing Larry Kramer as a role model. “I address Latinos saying, ‘You must stop eating fatty foods because you’re going to get diabetes and diabetes brings on heart problems.’ It’s a public service. It’s caring for the community.

It’s called being in service. You can’t have a complete life unless you give some of it to service the community.”

In addition to her work on behalf of the HIV/AIDS community, Rita is committed to such causes as equality, breast cancer, and hunger. After winning the Oscar for West Side Story in the early sixties, she became politicized. During the Civil Rights Movement she joined the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech (this year marked its fiftieth anniversary).

Before that she demonstrated to “Ban the bomb.” Rita’s inspiration came from her then roommate. “She was a mature woman who was thirty-five compared to

my twenty-three. She was very smart, very political, and a lefty. She made me understand that there are other things in this world beside myself and encouraged me to find ways to help people whenever I can.”

Straight away Rita lunges into her fundraising techniques. “I found a brand new way that is pretty fabulous!” she says.

“The idea came to me years ago as I was doing an event. I thought, Why don’t I invite some people to my house for dinner and we’ll charge? I think the first time we made about $10,000. That’s a lot of money in one evening, with one event.”

“You can’t have a complete life unless you give some of it to service the community.”

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A&U • OCTOBER 2013

Case in point, in May, Rita spoke at an HIP Housing (Human Investment Project, Inc.) fundraiser in San Mateo County. Part of HIP’s mission is to create homes for the disadvantaged and for disabled people. She got up to the mic and said: “I would like to invite whoever wants to come to my house for dinner. I’m going to make drinks and cook dinner but it has to start at $5,000.

Although I’ll tell you right now, I’m not accepting $5,000!,” Rita proclaims with forceful determination, reliving the event. “We got it up to $12,000.”

She chuckles at her feat. “Then after I stepped away from the mic, somebody from the board came up to me and said, ‘I don’t suppose you’d do another dinner?’ I said, ‘Yeah, why not?!’ So I got up on the stage again and this time we got $11,000.” That evening she raised over $25,000 for HIP Housing. And just last month, Rita worked this identical magic to raise funds for yet another AIDS organization, too.

Rita recalls a luncheon that she and her friend, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, attended. The auction started at $4,000, but with her irrepressible approach, she hiked it up to $7,000.

“It’s a wonderful way to make bee-hunks of money!” she quips, taking a breath then counters, “…until I lose my mojo.”

She dons a low irritated voice, “‘What?

Dinner with Rita Moreno again??!’” Then she adds, “If it were Ashton Kutcher, they’d probably make $25,000!”

As the number of HIV infections continue to escalate in the Latino community as well as in the black community, the teen and twenty set, and women, Rita continues to offer her services, questioning the efficacy of the current HIV prevention campaigns. She has many friends who are HIV-positive, and, fortunately, in good health. At times, though, she gets pissed at them. “I get very angry with my friends who still do careless things.” Rita whispers, “I…just…don’t…get…that.”

She shoots a blank stare.

“And what I say to them is, ‘Obviously I value you more than you do yourself. As far as I’m concerned, you’re doing this to me and to those who love you. You’re not just alone in this for one quick ‘hot-ie’ experiOCTOBER 2013 • A&U

ence. You may be gone next year! What’s wrong with you?!’” she punctuates empathically. “And they do listen to me. I’m like the Mama.” She ponders a moment, touching her white wristwatch. “I guess it’s an addiction of a kind, like Anthony Weiner. Sometimes I feel terribly sorry for this man. It’s a sickness.

“But what I have to say to my friends may radiate a difference. People always forget about others when they make a reckless move. It’s like when I tried to do away with myself, a hundred years ago. I forgot…,” she sighs, dragging out the word in a sullen tone, “that there were people who would remain behind.

Heartbroken. Decimated.” In 1961, after a passionate and volatile eight-year affair with Marlon Brando, Rita swallowed some phenobarbitals in Marlon’s home.

As she writes in Rita Moreno: A Memoir, “I threw all the pills down my throat before I could change my mind, drained a glass of water, and said, ‘Well, there.

You see? That wasn’t so hard!’ I went to bed to die…I just desperately wanted to finally be at peace.”

At the time, Rita was so focused on her own needs, she failed to realize how her selfish act would affect those she loved. “Later, when I had to face my mother and my brother, Dennis, who was then sixteen, as they were standing there at the foot of the [hospital] bed…”

She doesn’t complete the sentence, visibly moved. “My mother was weeping and said, ‘Whhyyy?….Did I do something?’ ‘Did Marlon do something?’”

Rita is deep in thought. “And my little brother….that’s the one that still brings tears to my eyes because he just didn’t say anything. He said, ‘Nanny’ (he used to call me Nanny), ‘please don’t do that again.’ He was a baby. How could I abandon him like that?”

The room becomes still. Her heart-gripping story has an affecting impact. Rita’s thoughts are now spinning.

She ties it all together. “When people take risks during sex, they’re not only taking a chance with their lives, they’re obviously not thinking about those in their lives who love them.” As Rita speaks, her voice energizes, rising up a notch. “Maybe there needs to be a campaign with mothers….” Without warning, she lets out a gasp and shouts, “HEY! Let me get involved with you on this.

I’m a mother; we could do some public service announcements. Why don’t we think about a campaign where mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, anyone who is related to someone who’s HIV-positive,

and say…,” she stops, looking at my enthusiastic expression, and goes on. But wait.

For a brief, bizarre moment it’s as if I’m staring back directly into the face of the strong-willed Anita, the character she so fiercely portrayed in West Side Story.

“It’s such a great idea!” percolates Rita. “It’s such a different approach. I just thought of it this minute.” She coughs and clears her throat. “The relative can say, ‘Larry, it’s me your mom.

I want to tell you something. I love you with all my heart but I’m going to miss you terribly if you keep on doing…blah, blah, blah, blah….Did you think how we would feel without you?’”

We brainstorm and I cheer her on.

I feel like one of the Glee gang hanging with Mr. “Schue” to come up with a theme for Regionals, or even Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney planning a show in the barn. “We can do an amazing campaign!” raves Rita, with an encouraging smile. “We can do PSAs on television. That’s where it’s going to have the best effect, especially on popular TV shows that kids watch like The Big Bang Theory. We have to get lots of money so we can saturate the market….” Rita mulls over what she just said. “I can kick it off but we need to get some stars. In fact, it doesn’t have to be a parent or relative, we could get the stars to say, ‘I have a friend who I love dearly…. and this message is for you, Larry.’”

“What can we call it?” I ask. “How about, ‘This Is for You’? We’ll just use that as a working title.”

Rita’s publicist quietly strolls into the room and Rita shares her new inspiration. Still revved, Rita declares, “This campaign appeals to the gut…instantly.”

She snaps her fingers, gazes at me with her big beaming brown eyes that radiate exhilaration and concludes, “Let’s do it!”

For more on the photography of Duane Cramer, log on to: www.duanecramer.com.

Dann Dulin interviewed Scott Bakula for the June cover story.

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lifeguide

First Steps

you’d like to get involved in cure activism—where do you start?

Advocacy at your fingertips Here are some resources that can help you become familiar with various aspects of the search for a cure. Also listed below are some ideas of actions you can take right now.

Project Inform: Project Inform’s “HIV Cure Advocacy” section maintains numerous articles on HIV cure research, advocacy, and clinical trials.

Log on to: www.projectinform.org/ category/cure-advocacy.

TAG: Treatment Action Group’s “Cure-Related Research Resources” provides links to cure related publications, meetings, conferences and other resources. Visit: www.treatmentactiongroup.org/ cure.

NATAP: Search “HIV cure” in the National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project’s (NATAP) site search box for tons of valuable and informative articles.

Log on to: www.natap.org.

IAS: Learn about the global scientific agenda with the International AIDS Society’s “IAS Towards an HIV Cure” project.

Visit: http://bit.ly/15TOeqr.

First steps you can take Here are some simple things you can do right now to help advance us towards a cure.

AIDS Policy Project: Join the AIDS

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Policy Project in fighting for a cure.

Sign up to receive updates on reports, events, and ways to participate. Its report, “AIDS Cure Research for Everyone,” is an excellent beginner’s guide to understanding some of the issues around HIV cure funding. Find it here: http://bit.ly/1ee9wJv. To join, log on to: www.aidspolicyproject.org/ join_us.

AIDS Cure Day: The AIDS Policy Project has organized the first AIDS Cure Day which will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2013. You can help make this day a success and an annual event by participating and supporting this effort. The AIDS Policy Project has scheduled teach-ins and will help you to organize your own event.

Use this day to tell the world we need a cure. Mark the day by participating in scheduled events or organize one of your own. Share information on Facebook and other social media, grab a few friends and talk about the cure, have a discussion online or find another way to commemorate the day. Together we can make this a day the world’s attention will be on the need and struggle for a cure for HIV. For more information: www.aidspolicyproject.org/ aids_cure_day.

Regulations.gov: Regulations.gov is a Web site where you can give your opinion on the development of federal regulations and other related issues. Type “HIV Cure” into the search engine and it will give you a list of issues open for public comment. This is a great opportunity to tell the FDA or other governmental agencies your thoughts or bring up concerns you may have. Check back continuously to view new public comment options.

Visit: www.regulations.gov.

Researchmatch.org: Clinical trial participation is vital in cure studies.

Researchmatch.org is a Web site that matches people with studies they can participate in. Signing up is quick and simple. If an HIV cure study comes up that you may be right for, they will contact you. This could mean answering some questions or testing a new drug (if you, your doctor, and the study coordinator agree the study is a good match). You may have some unique qualification that

researchers need. Signing up does not mean that you are automatically agreeing to participate in any clinical trial or study.

Log on to: www.Researchmatch.org.

Literacy works!

Early drug development: Drugs in early stage development made by small biotech companies are often lost in the pipeline due to a lack of funding. Research these drugs, share information about them, and advocate for funding for clinical trials for these potential therapies. Novel drugs not financially supported by Big Pharma are much less likely to make it through clinical development but some of these drugs attack HIV in unique and powerful ways and may be potential functional cures. If you’re interested in treatment activism, consider focusing your efforts on preclinical/Phase I/early Phase II therapies. Specific drugs to support will be mentioned in future columns.

Write your Congressperson: E-mail or call your Congressional Representative and tell them to support efforts for a higher level of HIV cure funding. You can search for new bills for cure research at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas. php. To find contact information for your representative: http://www.house.gov/ representatives/.

Keep an eye on this column for more information, vital resources, events, and engaging discussions.

Jeannie Wraight is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of HIV and HCV Haven (www.hivhaven.com) and a blogger and writer for TheBody.com. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Health People, a community-based organization in the South Bronx and an advisor to TRW (Teach me to Read and Write), a community-based organization in Kampala, Uganda. She lives with her husband in the Bronx, New York.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

illustration by Timothy J. Haines

I

f you’d like to help in the fight to find a cure for HIV but aren’t sure how to go about it, this month’s edition of Destination: Cure is dedicated to you.

Together we can help end HIV through education, dedication, and action.

HIV cure activism and advocacy is relatively new. Presently most cure activists have long histories in AIDS treatment activism. But whether you have years of experience or would simply like to become involved, there are ways for all of us to help in the fight for an HIV cure by becoming involved in advocating for cure research, cure funding, or cure legislation and policy.

Unfortunately there is no road map to cure activism/advocacy. As you learn and become involved, the more opportunities to participate and take action will present themselves. But where to start?

SEPTEMBER 2013 • A&U

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lifeguide

HEP X does the porn industry have a

A

ctors who work for legitimate adult entertainment producers, who are mostly based in Los Angeles, now have to submit to monthly tests for hepatitis B and C as well as for Trichomoniasis vaginalis, a sexually transmitted infection of the urogenital tract.

The tests are administered by Adult Production Health & Safety Services (APHSS), which is run

by Free Speech Coalition (FSC), the adult entertainment (pornography) industry lobbying group. FSC keeps a database of performers who are “cleared” for work when they are up to date on every test.

The tests are voluntary, technically, but all legit adult entertainment directors and producers are expected to use only actors who have been cleared for all STDs. Every twenty-eight days, performers will be required to take blood tests for hepatitis B and C. Every performer panel (twenty-eight or fourteen days) will require a urine sample for Trichomoniasis, in addition to the regular monthly and twice-monthly tests for HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia.

The new protocols come at a time of increased scrutiny on the porn industry’s safety practices and increased confusion about performer “clearances.”

Until two years ago, basic sexual education used to be provided to every performer entering the adult industry by AIM (Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation).

Phlebotomists who took the actors’ blood gently suggested that they get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. But there was little testing for hepatitis unless specifically requested by a performer, and no obligation to share results. Since AIM closed its doors in 2011 due to bankruptcy, there is no one main testing site for all porn actors to go to, even though the test results are compiled by APHSS. These independent

50

testing centers typically obey HIPAA guidelines, and don’t give out medical results. All they say is whether or not a performer is approved for work, or not.

There have been a series of health scares in the legit adult entertainment industry of late. In August, a female adult performer claimed that a man she was scheduled to work with might have tested

positive for HCV, because a test from an outside-the-industry testing facility didn’t include any results for hepatitis. Also in August, a performer believed he possibly tested positive for syphilis and might have exposed fifteen others. He turned out to be negative, the Free Speech Coalition said, but the scare and its publicity was one more thing the porn industry didn’t need.

And the industry has been fighting attempts to mandate condom use. Last November an overwhelming majority of Los Angeles County voters approved a ballot measure, sponsored by five individuals affiliated with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, mandating condom use in every film produced in the county.

It is widely believed among adult-film producers that their audiences do not want to see condoms in straight porn, though condoms in gay porn have been commonplace for decades. FSC took the matter to court, but last month a federal judge denied the porn industry’s assertion that requiring adult film performers to wear condoms is unconstitutional.

Given the increased attention on health and safety of porn actors, the FSC may have been erring on the side of caution by mandating new testing. But the new protocols beg the question: Why hepatitis C? It isn’t an STD as much as a disease transmitted primarily through blood (although the CDC does recommend routine condom use to reduce the risk of transmission). While HCV can spread through sexual intercourse, it’s rare, and there’s no evidence that it is spread by oral sex.

Hepatitis B (HBV), on the other hand, makes sense. It is much easier to transmit sexually than HCV and up to 100 times easier to be spread sexually than HIV. HBV has been found in vaginal secretions, saliva, and semen. Oral sex and especially anal sex are potential transmission routes.

If actors’ safety is the goal it is not clear why the group chose to test for hepatitis B and C, but not for hepatitis A, which spreads via fecal-oral contact. If even a microscopic amount of feces laden with hepatitis A gets into the mouth, infection potentially can result. (The Free Speech Coalition declined to be quoted for this article.)

It would appear that, given the public scrutiny of its testing procedures, the porn industry doesn’t have a hepatitis problem as much as an image problem.

Still, industry insiders agree that all of these testing procedures are affecting an increasingly smaller percentage of porn performers. Porn production has been growing decentralized for the past decade, fueled by the Internet and cheap video cameras. And there is no condom use, and no testing of any disease, required in the growing, cheaper, “non-legit” porn video part of the industry.

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.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

illustration by Timothy J. Haines

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BOOKS

Clay Poems by David Groff Trio House Press

When I received this book in the mail I began by reading the three “praise” paragraphs on the back cover. Before even opening the book, I knew I was in for something pretty amazing, but I didn’t realize how powerful each poem would be.

Written by David Groff, who coedited the anthology Persistent Voices: Poetry

by Writers Lost to AIDS, Clay received the 2012 Louise Bogan Award and its judge, Michael Waters, has written, for example, “…the lover named Clay and the hosts (in all senses) made from clay, those who have perished and those who remain alive in this new century where the ‘disease has gone discreet’….”

And I loved the advice of poet Timothy Liu: “If you can, read this book in one sitting, ‘as if you were to die tomorrow.’ Then resume your living with renewed gusto.”

Clay is one of those very rare books of poetry with the ability—the power—to dissect the reader’s mind, scramble it up, and force you to re-think just about everything you thought you knew to be true about yourself and the world around you. And while important “lessons” are woven throughout the book—some making you laugh, some making you cry—the most powerful ones come near the end, right before you’re stitched up again and sent out to face the world.

I was pleasantly surprised to find these poems so brutally fresh and brave.

And I was also surprised that I automatically became brave enough to read them.

It was as if each poem in Clay was a sort of adventure, or a test: how far is the reader willing to go? I was taken right to an emotional edge at times, and would have to stop for a couple minutes. But I couldn’t put this book down. It was as if

52

it was speaking to me; somehow guiding me through both the hell and the rewards of this virus.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of poetry I’d highly recommend Clay. It’s a beautiful, wise, and profoundly comforting book.

—Chuck Willman

Virus Hunt The Search for the Origin of HIV

by Dorothy H. Crawford Oxford University Press Truth is, tracking down the AIDS pandemic to its origins can make for quite an interesting detective story, one in which experts and scientists become hunters, and AIDS and HIV become the hunted.

Joining the list of books on this subject, Virus Hunt stands out in that it tracks down the pandemic beyond its cradle, to

discover the origins of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In Virus Hunt, Scottish virologist Dorothy H. Crawford offers an engaging and informative read for fans of HIV/AIDS literature—professionals and lay readers alike. Armed with graphs, maps, and tables, and also with a vast reservoir of research data, Crawford meticulously evaluates and documents a series of scenarios, to piece together a detailed scientific, and also human, picture of HIV, to shed new light on the key moments defining the pandemic—the evolutionary tree of SIV and the exact type of SIV from which HIV, especially HIV-1, the most virulent strain, originated; the socioeconomic and political factors, and also human factors that, quite possibly, created the right environment for the first (few) HIV infections to explode into the AIDS pandemic that took over the world.

Virus Hunt is the result of Crawford’s investigative, scientific, and passionate work to find and document the origins of HIV, and trace its history back, from the first infections that surfaced in the U.S. in 1981 to the specific SIV group of simian immunodeficiency viruses that started it all. In Virus Hunt Crawford doesn’t only look at the history of HIV and AIDS, but also at its future and our chance of finding a solution. She predicts that those who are alive today won’t be around to know the final toll of the pandemic, “but by understanding where, how, when and why the virus evolved and spread among us, we can surely work to prevent the next one.”

—Alina Oswald Along with being a contributing writer for A&U, Chuck Willman has published widely in magazines and anthologies. For more information, send an e-mail to chuckpoz2@ gmail.com, and write “Bio Request” in the subject line.

Alina Oswald interviewed artist Ronnie Queenan for this month’s Gallery.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

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Lifelines

A Calendar of Events

above, Ballet Hispanico, and the José Limón Dance Foundation, Anaïs Haven, and Arch Dance Company, among others, will offer exciting performances at El Museo del Barrio on October 12. All proceeds will benefit the educational and support services of LCOA. Be sure to check out what is happening in your area by logging on to www.nlaad.org. For more information about Bailando Por Una Causa, log on to: www.bailandoporunacausa.org or www.bailasociety.com.

photo by Chasi Annexy

T

his year on October 15 and throughout the month, events dedicated to National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) will take up the cause of HIV/AIDS awareness among Latinos and Latino communities. Disproportionately affected by HIV, Latinos made up twenty percent of new HIV infections in the U.S., according to 2009 data, while composing only sixteen percent of the total population in the U.S. Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) have been especially hard-hit, accounting for eighty-one percent of new HIV infections among all Latino men.

The awareness day is organized by the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA) and the Hispanic Federation, among others, and helps make good on the NLAAD campaign’s year-round goal of building capacity for non-profits and health departments in order to reach out to Latino/Hispanic communities, promote HIV testing, and provide HIV prevention information and linkages to care.

More than 300 institutions in over 250 cities across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands will participate. In New York City, for example, Bailando Por Una Causa will take to the stage to offer audiences an evening of dance to benefit LCOA. BAILA Society (BASo), which is also presenting the event and is pictured

Ruby’s Rap continued from page 16

can be of service to anyone then I am doubly blessed.

Lovely…have you ever written an AIDSthemed song? I know back in 2004 you sang “When I Look Down That Road” to a character who had AIDS on General Hospital.

Not intentionally, but I sang a song I’d written called “Help Is on the Way” at an AIDS benefit recently.

Your son and daughter [Nathan, twenty-six, and Hannah, twenty-five] grew up in the thick of the epidemic; how did you handle HIV prevention at home?

My parents raised my sister and I surrounded by lots of gay friends who became our extended family. I’ve raised my kids the same way.

You have worked with many talented people; who in particular stands out the most?

Well, having Barbra Streisand not

54

Through Prison of Peace, Manchester works with women who are incarcerated. only sing a song I’d written for her at her wedding [“Just One Lifetime”], but then recording it so gorgeously was a standout experience for me.

Hot ziggity! [Melissa glances down at her plain small black wristwatch, then gently swallows some H2O.] Whom would you like to work with that you haven’t yet?

I would love to duet with Tony Bennett.

I can’t believe you and Tony have never sung together! That’s a match made in dreamland.

Any last thoughts before you dash off back to

the recording studio?

I can’t believe we’re still talking about AIDS. That said, the first known person cured of AIDS is on the planet. I pray for the day when that will be the norm and not the exception.

Get further in tune with Melissa Manchester on an episode of “In Bed with Dann & Kelly” at www.DANNandKELLY.com.

photo courtesy Melissa Manchester

Inspiring. And speaking of inspiration, who inspires you in the epidemic?

Dr. Mathilde Krim [A&U, December 2001].

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.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

OCTOBER 2013 • A&U

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photos by Steed Taylor

Steed Taylor Artist Steed Taylor has long been tying communities together with Concrete Celtic Knot for Joshua Tree, April, 2013 (installapublic art in the form of his Road Tattoos. Streets in Chicago, Washtion), concrete, mica, objects/ephemera supplied by the ington, D.C., and Hartford, Connecticut, among other cities, have been local community representing their hopes and aspirations graced with large-scale inkings of public space that interlace memorial for the town of Joshua Tree and invocation by local shaand ritual in a culturally specific knot design. mans Susan and David, 2 by 5 by 30 feet Recently, he was asked to create a signature piece for the new residency program, BoxoHOUSE, and the town where it’s located—Joshua Tree, a Mojave Desert town in southeastern California. BoxoHOUSE is the “research outpost” of BoxoPROJECTS, a New York City-based gallery that supports contemporary artists, energizing them to tap into a frontier spirit nurtured by independence and interdependence and participate in an ongoing conversation involving freedom, choice, and responsibility. BoxoHOUSE, where Taylor’s sculpture is on permanent display, creates a space for the “investigation and development of ideas related to place, community, and the environment.”

Taylor’s road tattoos are site-specific by incorporating commemorative voices in the form of names and other messages of local or community significance, and, similarly, the large-scale Celtic knot sculpture mixed concrete with objects donated by the local community to represent its members’ hopes and aspirations in the face of encroaching big-box store and casino development during a troubled housing market. Taylor also created a series of demon bowls as containers for the anxieties of both BoxoPROJECTS director Bernard Leibov and the community, and then symbolically buried the bowls at each of the property’s four corners over the course of a dedication ceremony led by Taylor with the help of guests.

For more information, log on to: www.boxoprojects.com.

A&U • OCTOBER 2013

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