News Briefs

by Myra Shays

Free Condoms by Mail from RIDOH

Due to COVID-19 precautions, many of RIDOH’s free condom distribution locations statewide are no longer accepting walkin traffic. RIDOH is making free condoms, lubricant, and dental dams available by mail to anyone in Rhode Island who fills out a brief survey. Those who order can expect to receive a small, discreet mailer with approximately 10-15 condoms, depending on their preferences. Rhode Islanders can order free condoms and other safe sex supplies by going to health.ri.gov/std and clicking on “Find Free Condoms by Mail” or ordering them by clicking on “Get Free Condoms By Mail” under the “Condoms” category on RIDOH’s RIghtTime sexual health app (righttimeapp.com).

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Sojourner House Offers Resources

by Sarah DeCataldo

The CDC reports that LGBTQ+ people experience domestic violence at higher rates than their straight and cisgender peers. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ victims are also less likely to disclose abuse for many reasons, including fear of being outed, fear of retaliation, and fear of not being believed by professionals. Sojourner House, recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI as a Safe Zone, offers programming and an environment that is not only welcoming to all, but also addresses the specific needs of and barriers experienced by LGBTQ+ community members. Services offered include emergency shelter, safe housing, clinical therapy, victim advocacy, free HIV testing, and support groups. A hotline and text line are available 24/7 and LGBTQ+ specific support groups and advocacy are currently offered virtually. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, please call Sojourner House at 401-765-3232 or visit www. sojournerri.org.

The Progress Channel Launches in Rhode Island

In September, The Progress Channel launched its flagship program The Progress Report with Dee Sage, which streams live on Tuesdays at 9pm. Sage says, “It’s about lifting voices that are silenced: Black and Brown voices, LGBTQIA+ voices, women’s voices, and others that major media companies do not highlight.” His guests have included RI Senate candidate Tiara Mack, Woonsocket councilman Alex Kithes, Woonsocket city council candidate Charmaine Webster, and RI State Senator Melissa Murray. Executive Producer Ken Barber said of their upcoming special election night (November 3) episode, “We want people to have a place to go to watch local reactions to the election, both on the national and state level.” To learn more, visit theprogresschannel. com, or contact info@theprogresschannel.com.

Homophobes on list of Possible Justices

On September 9, President Trump released a list of possible nominees to the Supreme Court, if vacancies were to occur. Then Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18. The list includes some of the most anti-LGBT activists sitting on the bench today, according to a statement from Lambda Legal, a major civil rights organization, which says these people have alarming conservative, anti-LGBT and anti-civil rights records, as reported in the Windy City Times. Though Trump has since said he would pick a woman, Appellate Judge Lawrence Van Dyke, who was deemed “not qualified” by the American Bar Association due to specific concerns about his inability to treat gay litigants fairly, made the list. Others are officials whose careers have been marked by hostility to civil rights, particularly those of LGBT people.

Science in Blood Donation Act of 2020

by Bradford Greer

Reps. Val Demmings (D-Fla.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) introduced the Science of Blood Donation Act of 2020, which would eliminate the discriminatory policy that currently bars blood donations from gay men. Based only on sexual orientation, the policy ignores the science of HIV testing accuracy, which has advanced significantly and been substantiated by immunologists and the Centers for Disease Control. The FDA’s original 1983 policy mandated that gay and bisexual men could not ever donate blood for fear of HIV transmission regardless of their HIV status. This did not apply to heterosexuals. Amended in 2015, gay and bisexual men were allowed to donate blood if they had abstained from sex with another man for one year. The FDA amended the policy again in April, requiring only three months of abstinence because of the blood shortage due to coronavirus.

In their press release, Rep. Quigley stated, “Our work will not be complete until FDA approves a non-discriminatory, science-based policy that properly addresses individual risk assessment, as we’ve seen countries across the world adopt. An arbitrary blanket ban, especially during a crisis, is simply unacceptable. This past year, awareness on this issue has continued to grow and this bill marks yet another important step in Congress’s fight for the full and equal treatment of all Americans.”

Bret Jacob Becomes Providence LGBTQIA+ Liaison

Mr. Gay RI 2019 Bret Jacob serves as the Deputy Director of Policy in Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration, and has now accepted the additional role of LGBTQIA+ Liaison, meaning he is a resource for community members. Jacobs said in a statement on September 25, “Even as Providence has maintained its perfect score on the HRC's Municipal Equality Index under his leadership, [Mayor Elorza] knows that there is still far more work to be done, and that racial and economic justice are necessary components of LGBTQIA+ equality.”