SF Gay Men’s Chorus conductor Kathleen McGuire moves on.
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Health department launches mobile STD prevention application.
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Mistress of the chorus
– ut e s. in al ko nl on ec r o ers Ch rte p po nd Re , a a s re fied y A ssi Ba cla he ts, s t ar It’ s, w ne
STDs, there’s an app for that
see Arts
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BAYAREAREPORTER
Vol. 40
. No. 48 . 2 December 2010
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
efense Secretary Robert Gates sent mixed signals Tuesday in releasing the Pentagon’s long-awaited study about how to implement repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He said repeal “can and should be done,” but he urged Congress to consider the views of allmale combat units who expressed concern about negative conse- Defense Secretary Robert Gates quences. He said the concerns of those combat units were “not an insurmountable barrier” to repealing the ban on openly gay people in the mili-
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David Jensen leaves a note for his boyfriend, who died 20 years ago, but whose name was only recently inscribed into the Circle of Friends at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. As part of its World AIDS Day commemorations this year, the AIDS Grove held its first nighttime event Tuesday, November 30.
Looking at mortality, the number of AIDSrelated deaths worldwide decreased by about one-fifth, from 2.1 million in 2004 to 1.8 million in 2009. The total number of people living with HIV/AIDS increased slightly in the past year -
from 32.8 million to 33.3 million - but this is actually good news, reflecting the fact that more HIV positive people are living longer thanks to effective antiretroviral therapy.
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by Lisa Keen
espite the lack of major treatment breakthroughs, 2010 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in the history of the AIDS epidemic. Two key trials have recently provided the first evidence that biomedical prevention methods can help reduce new infections, the latest UNAIDS figures suggest that HIV incidence and death have finally started to decline, and a growing number of experts are even starting to talk about the prospect of a cure. To mark the 23rd commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1, UNAIDS released its latest global epidemiology report, revealing that new HIV infections have fallen by nearly 20 percent over the past decade, while the number of AIDS-related deaths have dropped by a similar percentage during the past five years. Looking at data from 182 countries, the authors estimated that some 2.6 million people were newly infected in 2009, compared with 3.1 million in 1999. More than 50 countries saw their infection rates stabilize or decrease. Four African countries with especially large local epidemics - Ethiopia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe - saw drops of more than 25 percent. But Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the AIDS epidemic is largely fueled by injection drug use, did not fare as well.
Rick Gerharter
Gay soldiers Turnaround seen in AIDS fight can be out, by Liz Highleyman says report D
Advocate Porn company’s ‘role models’ draw concerns of AIDS advocates Randy Allgaier T dies at 53
barebacking from pornography, and so I think it’s important to use this particular film as an edhe pornography company ucational opportunity.” Treasure Island Media is Kyriell Noon, executive direcpromoting a couple that tor of the Stop AIDS Project, includes an HIV-negative and an questioned calling Roscoe and HIV-positive partner having unMcGuire role models. He said he protected sex as “role models.” wouldn’t advise other sero-disThey are believed to be the first cordant couples to follow their sero-discordant barebacking couexample. ple to be advertised as porn stars. “Consenting adults have the According to a Treasure Isobligation and the right to make land statement, the acting couinformed decisions about their ple’s James Roscoe is HIV-posisexual health,” said Noon, adding tive, while Brad McGuire is HIVthat Treasure Island “should start negative. In a scene featuring a conversation about making inRoscoe and McGuire on a Treaformed decisions.” sure Island website, Roscoe is the Those discussions, said Noon, receptive anal sex partner or botshould include the possibility of tom. HIV infection. “The two are a real-life, longMorris wrote in his e-mail term, promiscuous, bareback that he’s committed “to the nocouple,” stated the company in a tion that porn can’t and shouldpress release. n’t be reduced to an ‘educational’ In the statement, which was Brad McGuire and James Roscoe are porn’s first sero-discordant couple. genre. The unendurable lonelidated October 27, Paul Morris, ness, boredom and anger that the studio’s owner, spoke of deyoung queer people experience molishing “the HIV-positive closet” and said, to the couple’s sex practices without any appar- can be dealt with only through the development “We know exactly what we’re doing and we will ent effort to educate people, especially young gay of a flourishing creative and inclusively positive not allow reactionary individuals and organiza- and bi men, about the risks. culture, not through a tighter control of expres“This is the first time a company has made it sion and honest information. … In good part tions to dictate our behavior. James and Brad are fitting role models for young gay men. They are clear they’re pairing up an HIV-positive and an due to the residual damage of ongoing and HIV-negative couple, and so it raises some in- pointless viral-panic, young queers are taught living their lives with honesty and integrity.” In written responses to e-mailed questions, teresting questions,” said Dana Van Gorder, ex- that as they grow up their futures will be limited: Morris told the Bay Area Reporter that coming ecutive director of the San Francisco-based Pro- they can look forward to being a strident safeout of the poz-closet “signals (for each man who ject Inform. living prude, an assimilationist hetero-normaHe said he’d like to see Treasure Island join tive married person, or a drag queen.” has had the experience) a shift in the nature of the struggle: the virus is a fact of life for the poz with prevention agencies to educate people Neither Roscoe nor McGuire responded to man, no more or less manageable than other about what they should know when considering interview requests e-mailed to them. chronic life-long factors. The real battle is against unprotected sex with a sero-discordant partner. Van Gorder does give Roscoe and McGuire There’s a “general absence of prevention mes- credit for knowing their status and disclosing it prejudice, ignorance and unfounded and useless saging,” said Van Gorder. “Gay men, and partic- to each other. He also noted that risk is lowered fear.” Porn showing sex without condoms, known ularly young gay men, are taking a lot of their when the bottom is positive. Transmission is also as barebacking, isn’t new. But there is concern cues about what is safe or not safe and what are page 8 about Treasure Island working to draw attention community norms as well around safe sex or
by Liz Highleyman IV and healthcare advocate Randy Allgaier passed away early Saturday morning, November 27, at Davies Medical Center in the Castro. A long-term HIV and hepatitis C survivor who also recently battled anal cancer, Mr. Allgaier died from complications of intestinal obstruction and organ failure. He was 53. Over the past two decades Mr. Randy Allgaier Allgaier played a key role in shaping public policy related to HIV/AIDS and, more recently, viral hepatitis, serving on nearly a dozen committees, councils, and boards. “Few people understood the intricacies of national HIV/AIDS policy better than Randy Allgaier,” stated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). “He dedicated his career to enhancing the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in every aspect, working quietly and tirelessly to shape national policy, increase funding, and improve systems of care.” Mr. Allgaier was born in September of 1957 in Ramsey, New Jersey, growing up
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Courtesy of Lee Hawn
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by Seth Hemmelgarn
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