QNotes, November 15, 2019

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

1

2

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

inside this issue

Nov. 15-28, 2019 Vol 34 No 15

connect

feature

goqnotes.com

twitter.com/qnotescarolinas facebook.com/qnotescarolinas

23

contributors this issue

Kode Brown, Mykah Buff, Healthline, Kendra R. Johnson, Lainey Millen, Stanley Popovich, Chris Rudisill, Terri Schlichenmeyer, J. Wesley Thompson, Trinity, Rev. Debbie Warren

front page

Graphic Design by Chris Rudisill & Lainey Millen Photography: Personal Collections Mission:

The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBTQ and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBTQ life and social justice issues.

Pride Publishing & Typesetting, Inc., dba QNotes P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222 ph 704.531.9988 fx 704.531.1361 Publisher: Jim Yarbrough Sales: x201 adsales@goqnotes.com Nat’l Sales: Rivendell Media, ph 212.242.6863 Managing Editor: Jim Yarbrough, x201, editor@goqnotes.com Assoc. Editor: Lainey Millen, specialassignments@goqnotes.com Copy Editor: Maria Dominguez Production: Lainey Millen, x205, production@goqnotes.com Printed on recycled paper.

Material in qnotes is copyrighted by Pride Publishing & Typesetting © 2019 and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent of the editor or publisher.

Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial notations and are determined by editorial staff.

The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return. Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.

charlotteobserver.com/1166/ a local news partner of The Charlotte Observer

Life on the ‘DL’

news 6 LGBTQ Southerners Documented in New Research 6 Facility Launches LGBTQ Prospective Parents Family Initiative, Website 6 News Briefs 7 Endorsed Candidates Share Wins and Losses in 2019 General Election

life, positively Our annual HIV/AIDS and World AIDS Day issue is sponsored by Affinity Health Center, Rosedale Medical, Amity Medical Group and RAIN. See the stories and listings below for information on the evolution of HIV testing, living on the front line, Gilead lawsuit, ways to end the AIDS epidemic and feature on Mark Patton, as well as a host of resources.

5 9 10 12 14 15 16 18

Plan to End HIV Epidemic Federal Lawsuit Against Gilead Living on the Front Line AIDS Service Organizations World AIDS Day Events The Evolution of HIV Testing HIV Testing Sites Mark Patton: Living with HIV

a&e 22

25

Out in Print: ‘A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir’ Tell Trinity

life

ENC Strikes Out on New Course

North Carolina’s civil rights organization, Equality North Carolina, has begun to chart a new era in its work to fight for social justice and more.

PAGE 4

27 Mental Health: Finding The Source Of Your Fears

views 4 Political Voices: A New Era for Equality North Carolina 20 Spiritual Reflections: Reducing Stress, Finding Spirituality

events 26

Living Life on the ‘DL’

A North Carolina man shares his story of living between two worlds — one he shares with his wife and one that he shares with men as he lives on the “down low.”

PAGE 23

Fantasia Sketchbook Tour

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

3

views

A New Era for Equality North Carolina Political Voices

BY KENDRA R. JOHNSON, EQUALITY NORTH CAROLINA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

E

quality North Carolina has undergone you know it today, and we couldn’t be immense changes over the past year and prouder of the work of countless activists, a half. When I accepted the role of execuorganizers and community leaders over tive director in April of 2019, it was with an the years who brought this incarnation of intentional desire to shape the future of this ENC into fruition. organization and enable LGBTQ folks from Today, the work of Equality North all walks of life to truly see themselves in the Carolina spans several different areas. One future of the movement for equal rights and of our biggest initiatives continues to be enprotections. LGBTQ North Carolinians are dorsing and supporting political candidates members of every community in this state, who are committed to serving the most whether they are people of color, immigrants, vulnerable communities of North Carolina. women, working-class or people of faith, and In the November Municipal Elections, at all LGBTQ folks deserve to have their voices least 21 of our endorsed candidates won heard and their communities cared for. This their races across our state and, in doing intersectional approach to our work as we so, cemented powerful voices of equality head into the 2020 election cycle is at the within the halls of public office. heart of my vision for our organization.

We also support elected officials Through this new partnership with through our Out Electeds and Electeds qnotes, it is my desire to better connect for Equality programs, two groups made with the members of our communities up of LGBTQ elected officials and those living in all corners of North Carolina. In who identify as allies in the fight for equal Equality North Carolina and others took to the streets to fight for civil rights during a 2019 Moral March. this monthly column, we’ll provide updates rights and protections. These groups serve on the work of not only our organization but as coalition-building mechanisms for indiCarolina Foundation, with the goal of creating a more the big-picture issues facing LGBTQ North viduals committed to achieving full equality just and equitable world for folks facing threats to life Carolinians on the local, state and national levels. It may through their work for marginalized folks across our state. and safety from their government and communities. The sound cliché, but we are approaching the most monuThrough our Rural Youth Empowerment Fellowship, we organization’s primary focus was to offer legal services mentally significant election of our lifetimes next year, make the effort to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ youth to LGBTQ folks being prosecuted under the and everyone has a living in rural areas and provide emerging, young leaders Crimes Against Nature Law. It was a remarkrole to play in helping with the tools and mentorship to grow and develop. Over ably bold and brave move and today’s world shape America into a the course of a year, a cohort of RYE Fellows attend day-long looks radically different for many members country that truly cares leadership institutes in three different locations throughout of the LGBTQ community, at least in part due about — and takes care the state, attend major Equality North Carolina community to the work of these seven founders. of — its most marginalevents, participate in monthly video conferences and work Separately, in 1990 a group of folks ized populations. one-on-one with community mentors. They also complete founded the NC Pride PAC in the wake of This year, Equality a year-long project culminating in resources of rural LGBTQ LGBTQ mobilization surrounding the 1990 North Carolina celebratyouth. These materials can be found on our website.

Jesse Helms-Harvey ed its 40th anniversary, Of course, we engage in so many other Gantt race for U.S. making us the oldest areas of activism and public service, from lobSenate. This Political statewide organization bying to working with our business communiAction Committee in the country dedities to coaching the media on how to cover our sought to use that cated to LGBTQ rights. communities with compassion and care — and energy to affect I am so unbelievably you’ll get to hear all about it through this new Equality North Carolina Executive Director change at the state proud of that fact. Forty partnership with qnotes.

Kendra R. Johnson level. Since then, years ago when we I hope this reintroduction into the work of the group has been active in state were founded, the world looked remarkably different for Equality North Carolina has been helpful, and legislative races and other races of LGBTQ people. Our community was on the brink of the that you’ll join us for these monthly conversastatewide importance.

AIDS crisis — an epidemic that would wipe out a generations in the future as we map out the bigIn 2002, the Board agreed tion of leaders, creators, thinkers and innovators, many of picture issues for LGBTQ North Carolinians. The that it was time to form a parent them in the prime of their lives. Rights and protections for dire importance of this political moment cannot organization to link the PAC and LGBTQ folks were nonexistent. People of color had barely be understated. It’s on all of us to find a way to the Foundation and to manage achieved equal legal recognition under the eyes of the law. contribute to this movement and understand the group’s growing lobbying and In 1979, seven individuals with varying backgrounds our role in the fight for liberty and justice for advocacy work. This organizacame together to form the North Carolina Human Rights all those marginalized by power and privilege.

2019 Rye Fellows tion is Equality North Carolina as Fund, which would later become the Equality North Thank you for being on this journey with us. : :

4

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

news

A Plan to End the HIV Epidemic in Mecklenburg County Initiative Looks to Get to Zero

BY J. WESLEY THOMPSON | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Mecklenburg County received the North Carolina Association of County Commissioner’s 2019 Innovations Award for their PrEP Initiative.

I

n July 2012, the FDA approved Truvada as a prevention method for acquiring HIV. What is PrEP you may ask?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an HIV prevention strategy where HIV-negative individuals take anti-HIV medications before coming into contact with HIV to reduce their risk of becoming HIV positive.

The Truvada pill is a combination of two drugs that act against HIV. For PrEP, Truvada is taken once a day and it works to prevent HIV from establishing an infection inside the body. PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection through sex for men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender men and women, heterosexual men and women, as well as among people who inject drugs. It does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STI) or pregnancy. As a reminder, once an individual is HIV positive, currently there is no cure for HIV. Additionally, Descovy has not been approved for PrEP. Charlotte/Mecklenburg County is experiencing among the highest rates of new HIV infections in the U.S. The Charlotte Metropolitan area is ranked among the worst 25 percent of metropolitan areas in the nation for new HIV infections, and some members of the population (e.g., young black men MSM (YBMSM)) experience higher rates of HIV acquisition than any other population. YBMSM, women of color, and persons who inject drugs (PWID) are among those with the highest rates of new infections, but the epidemic impacts virtually all groups within Mecklenburg County.

The reasons for the high rates of new HIV infections are mainly due to stigmatization, disparities in access to healthcare and insufficient and inefficient HIV prevention interventions. PrEP is vastly under-utilized in the southeast U.S. and Mecklenburg County.

With growing concern among community members, public health and healthcare providers, discussions began about the need for a more aggressive and comprehensive community-wide approach to decreasing new HIV

infections in Mecklenburg County. In the Fall of 2017, encouraged by the renewed commitment of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), Mecklenburg County Public Health (MCPH), along with community members, HIV care providers, educators and members of the faithbased community, began a series of planning meetings to create plans for an aggressive, comprehensive, and effective community-level approach to decrease new HIV infections and to improve care for people living with HIV (PLWH). This collaboration led to the development of a plan to end the epidemic — the “Getting to Zero MeckCo.” plan from which the PrEP pilot was born. Its initial success led to its continuation and expansion under the name “the PrEP Initiative.”

The PrEP Initiative is intended to provide PrEP treatment to persons without healthcare coverage.

Experienced medical clinics provide care and the PrEP Initiative funded by MCPH, covers the cost of labs, office visits and treatments for sexually transmitted diseases/infections STD’s/STI’s. Gilead Pharmaceuticals provides PrEP at no charge for individuals enrolled in the PrEP Initiative.

The first client was enrolled in March 2018. To be eligible for inclusion in the PrEP Initiative, clients must be at risk for acquisition of HIV; their HIV status must be confirmed as negative at an initial screening visit; they must lack health insurance care coverage for PrEP; and they must be a Mecklenburg County resident. The client is also screened for sexually transmitted infections (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis B & C). All women take a pregnancy test. If a patient is HIV negative and eligible for the program, they are enrolled in the Truvada or Descovy patient assistance program through Gilead Pharmaceuticals.

Currently, there are seven clinical sites in Mecklenburg County participating in the PrEP Initiative. As of November 2019, almost 200 clients have been enrolled with zero new HIV cases among the clients receiving PrEP. On Nov. 6, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners presented Mecklenburg County with the

2019 Innovations Award for the PrEP Initiative. The PrEP Initiative reflects Mecklenburg County’s commitment to “use a truly exemplary innovative approach to end the HIV epidemic.” This approach has empowered the community to accept new ways to collaborate toward a common goal of reducing new HIV cases in Mecklenburg County.

For more information, contact one of the following partner providers: Amity Medical Group, Charlotte Community Health Center, The C.W. Williams Community Health Center, Inc., Eastowne Family Physicians, Quality Comprehensive Health Care Center and Rosedale Assistance & Opportunities (RAO). You may also visit mecknc.gov/prep.

Currently North Carolina has over 35,000 citizens living with HIV, with an additional estimated 5,000 unaware of their status. There were 1,218 new HIV cases in 2018.

In Mecklenburg County, there is an estimated 6,700 living with HIV and an additional 700 who are unaware of their diagnosis.

We now have pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV acquisition. We have post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for individuals possibly exposed to HIV within 72 hours and not on PrEP to prevent HIV acquisition. And we have treatment as prevention (TasP) which is part of the U=U initiative or Undetectable equals Untransmittable through intimate/sexual contact: this means for those individuals who are HIV positive and are serologically (by blood) undetectable, the risk of HIV transmission during intimate contact/sex is zero! With this triad of prevention, and the participation of providers, partner agencies, Public health, and especially members of the community, HIV infections and the epidemic are not only controllable but stoppable. : : J. Wesley Thompson, MHS, PA-C, AAHIVS, DFAAPA, is co-chair of the Mecklenburg’s Community HIV Planning Group and HIV medical director at Amity Medical Group.

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

5

BRIEFS

news LGBTQ Southerner’s documented in new research ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) and Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS) released “The Report of the 2019 Southern LGBTQ Health Survey,” which provided a groundbreaking look at the health and healthcare experiences of LGBTQ individuals in the southern U.S. “With 5,617 participants, the 2019 Southern LGBTQ Health Survey is one of the largest samples ever of LGBTQ Southerners talking specifically about their health, their bodies, and their lives,” stated Adam Polaski, CSE’s communication’s director.

The South is home to more than one third of LGBTQ Americans, but there has been limited research to date on LGBTQ Southerners’ specific experiences with health issues. Key findings of survey, available in English and Spanish in the full report and in the Executive Summary, include: • More than half of respondents in the total sample reported fair or poor mental health, and mental health ratings were even worse for individuals who are bisexual+, transgender, 18-24 years old, or those with lower incomes. Especially alarming are the high rates of suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviors, depression and anxiety.

• Respondents’ reported rates of living with HIV are more than 15 times higher than the national rate. Nearly a quarter of all black or African-American respondents (22 percent) said they are living with HIV, as did 13 percent of all gay male respondents. More than half of respondents in the total sample said they never or rarely get tested for HIV. • Respondents in more rural areas face significant health disparities. People who live in more rural areas rated their overall physical and mental health lower than respondents living in urban areas and reported less access to quality medical care; less comfort seeking medical care within their community; higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and self-harming behaviors; and lower rates of feeling that their health care needs are being met.

Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, CSE executive director, said, “The survey’s findings are both hopeful and heartbreaking and, above all, a call to action. Access to health care is a basic right, but you need to understand a community’s health care needs before you can meet them.

This survey provides a new breadth and depth of insight into LGBTQ Southerners’ health experiences, illuminating the acuity of need in people’s lives, the tremendous resilience of LGBTQ Southerners, and the many reasons to feel hopeful about what’s happening on the ground in the South. Now, armed with this new data, we must work harder than ever to accelerate change and build a South where LGBTQ people can finally access the health care they need in their hometowns.”

Kim Wagenaar, CEO of Western NC Community Health Services, added, “For 24 years, WNCCHS has been on the frontlines of providing care to transgender patients and people living with HIV, and the Southern LGBTQ Health Survey brings to life the stories we hear from patients every day. The Survey findings help move the conversation around health equity from the individual level to the regional and systems level and point toward the changes that we need to ensure that all LGBTQ people can get the care they need and deserve.”

Led by a team of LGBTQ Southerners, the Southern LGBTQ Health Survey was rooted in community-based research methods, including working with a team of Survey Ambassadors who spanned the region and who included a minister, a nightclub promoter, and grassroots leaders. The project is part of the Southern LGBTQ Health Initiative, a collaboration of CSE and WNCCHS to improve access to LGBTQ-friendly primary care, HIV care and support services across the South. In addition to community-based research, this initiative involves training primary care provides in affirming health care practices and providing direct funding to grassroots groups leading innovations in access to LGBTQ healthcare.

Authors and project leadership members of the survey included Chase Harless, MSW (principal investigator), Megan Nanney, M.S. (lead data analyst), Austin H. Johnson, Ph.D. (CSE research director), Beach-Ferrara, Polaski, Kayla Gore (lead survey ambassador) and Liz Williams (cover design and artist in residence at CSE).

Survey ambassadors included Ace Brooks, Anthony Curry, Rev. Debra J. Hopkins, Yasmyne Hunter, Taryn Jordan, Tamesha Prewitt, Cecilia Saenz Becerra, Estrella Sanchez, Nia Brooke Smith, Renae M. Taylor and Cortez Wright.

Community partners listed are AIDS Services Coalition, Asheville Gay Men’s Chorus, Beer City Sisters, Birmingham AIDS Outreach, Central Alabama Pride, El Centro Hispano, Community Estrella, Equality North Carolina, Gender Benders, ImpactOUT, Nelwat Ishkamewe, Latinos in the Deep South, Mississippi Rising Coalition, The Montrose Center, Dr. Amy Murphy-Nugen, North Carolina Asian Americans Together, The PAIGE Memphis, POZ-Empowerment, Queer Appalachia, Relationship Unleashed, South Carolina Equality, Transcend Charlotte, Transcend Memphis, Transform Houston and Twin Oaks Gathering.

Financial support was supplied by Laughing Gull Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Oak Foundation, Z. Smith Reynold Foundation, the Solidaire Network and the Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund, as well as by other personal contributions.

Access the full report and executive summary is available at southernequality.org/survey. A video is also available for viewing that can give a quick overview of the findings. It can be found at youtu.be/wlPRuqJI-cQ. info: bit.ly/32DbXQq. — Lainey Millen

Endorsed candidates share wins, losses in 2019 general election RALEIGH, N.C. — Across North Carolina, candidates for public office saw both wins and loses in the most recent general election.

Equality North Carolina’s (ENC) endorsed contenders were not alone in this respect. qnotes published both ENC’s picks as well as those by The Victory Fund in the last issue. ENC said it was “incredibly proud” of the endorsed candidates and their performance. Overall, 29 candidates in 14 cities won their races. (Note coding — D = district number; AL = at large); MA = mayor, AD = alderman, TC = town commissioner, TB = town board) Here are the results of the races in those municipal face-offs.

Charlotte City Council: Win — Larken Egleston (D1), Matt Newton (D5), Braxton Winston (AL) and Julie Eiselt (AL). Loss — Gina Navarette (D6).

Raleigh City Council: Win — David Cox (DB), Saige Martin (DD), Jonathan Melton (AL), Nicole Stewart (AL). Loss — Sam Hershey (DA), Grian Fitzsimmons (DB), Steff Mendell (DE), Russ Stephenson (AL), Carolina Sullivan (MA).

Durham City Council: Win — Jillian Johnson (AL), Javiera Caballero (AL), Charlie Reece, (AL), Steve Schewel (MA).

Cary City Council: WIn — Ya Liu (DD), Lori Bush (AL).

Carrboro Board of Aldermen: WIn — Damon Sells (AD), Susan Romaine (AD), Lydia Lavelle (MA). Loss — Steve Friedman (AD).

Chapel Hill City Council: Win — Michael Parker (AL), Amy Ryan (AL), Pam Hemminger (MA). Loss — Sue Hunter (AL), Renuka Soll (AL).

Davidson Board of Commissioners: Win — Jane Campbell (TC), Jim Fuller (TC).

Greenville City Council: John Landrine, Ward 2, disqualified.

High Point City Council: Loss — Joshua “Fox” Brown (AL).

Hillsborough Town Board: Win — Matt Hughes (TB), Mark Bell, (TB), Jenn Weaver (MA).

Huntersville Board of Commissioners: Win — Lance Munger (TC) Morrisville City Council: Win — Anne Sobotti (D1).

Salisbury Town Council: Win — Tamara Sheffield (TC), Al Heggins (TC). Loss — Ladale Benson (TC).

Wilmington Town Council: Loss — Kimberley Spader (TC).

LGBTQ candidates who won their races were: Jane Campbell, Matt Hughes, Damon Seils and Lydia Lavelle. info: equalitync.org.

— Lainey Millen

6

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

TRANS VOTER FORCED TO SHOW ID

Mecklenburg County Board of Elections officials who were working in the Cornelius Town Hall precinct in Cornelius, N.C. asked a transgender woman to show an ID prior to being allowed to vote in the recent general election held in early November, NewNowNext reported. The reason she was instructed to show an ID was that the chief judge said that the face did not match the person’s name. The woman asked not to be identified in the media to maintain her privacy. Elections Director Michael Dickerson commented that the voter should have never been asked to show an ID and shared that he plans to implement sensitivity training.

info: logo.to/32AJZ7U.

BAKKER CASTING COMPLETED

Carolinas Heritage USA founders Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker are the subjects of a new upcoming film titled “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Queerty reported. Casting for the leads go to Jessica Chastain (Tammy), Andrew Garfield (Jim), Vincent D’Onofrio (Jerry Falwell) and Gabriel Olds (Pat Robertson). Tammy has been a queer icon and has close ties to local LGBTQ individuals in the Charlotte area. After her divorce from Jim, she remarried and became an activist working for acceptance of LGBTQ people within Christianity and American society, Queerty added.

info: bit.ly/34O0Aqt.

METHODIST GROUP BISHOPS PLEDGE PROTECTION

The bishops of the Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church have pledged to protect LGBTQ and allied clergy, Reconciling Ministries Network reported. The Safe Harbor Declaration is an initiative that helps the church to move “forward with grace, not persecution.” The network is encouraging its churches to sign on in solidarity.

info: rmnetwork.org.

NEW UK ALLIANCE FORMED

A new organization was formed in London in October that will have as its work to “counteract the confusion between sex and gender.” The LGB Alliance agreed on a 20-point position statement that included such items as definitions, stances on gender identity and others, Redline reported.

info: bit.ly/2Qb6E8a.

TREVOR RELEASES NEW HANDBOOK

The Trevor Project released its “Coming Out: A Handbook for LGBTQ Young People” during LGBT History Month.

info: bit.ly/36QJmdI.

FREEDOM CENTER CONTINUES DECADE CELEBRATION

The Freedom Center of Social Justice is continuing its 10-year anniversary by engaging in Giving Tuesday with its FCSJ’s 10 Days of Giving from Nov. 24-Dec. 3 during which time it will share stories from community members on how involvement in the organization has impacted their lives. In other news, the center is hiring a sexual orientation and gender identity program coordinator.

Visit bit.ly/2rp3nYD to apply.

info: fcsj.org.

VIRGINIA SHIFTS BACK TO BLUE

In the recent elections held in early November, the Virginia House and Senate were taken back into control by Democrats for the first time in more

than two decades, the Progress Change Campaign Committee PAC reported. Now it is asking voters to pledge funds to help keep up the momentum in the 2020 election.

info: bit.ly/33AOdh9.

WAINWRIGHT MORPHS INTO A WOMAN

Pop artist Rufus Wainwright unveiled his most recent music video for “Trouble in Paradise” in which his appearance is changed through the application of makeup, wig and clothing into a woman. The inspiration for this came from Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue. The metamorphesis is a commentary on reality perception.

info: rufus.lnk.to/TiPMusicVideo.

‘ADOPTION’ PROGRAM LAUNCHED

ALFA is asking the community to become sponsors of its holiday adoption program.

Each year ALFA supports families affected by HIV/AIDS by providing holiday gifts to their children. They have received several applications for assistance this year and donations are encouraged. To sponsor a child contact Natasha Bunton, medical case manager supervisor at alfacms@alfaifno.org or call 828-322-1447 extension 226.

info: alfainfo.org.

‘CONSCIENCE’ RULE STRUCK DOWN

Reuters reported that a federal judge “voided a White House-backed rule making it easier for doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers to avoid performing abortions and other medical services on religious or moral grounds.”

info: reut.rs/2CA9VG4.

‘RU’ GAL NETS PARTY

RuPaul now has her own political party, thanks to a faux pas by Trump in a Tweet.

She now has her own “zip code” called Rupublican.

info: bit.ly/2X2tyA9.

Facility launches LGBTQ prospective parents family initiative, website PORTLAND, Ore. — ORM Fertility has announced the launch of Love Is Family, a new initiative dedicated to serving the specific needs of LGBTQ prospective parents. Acknowledging that everyone’s path to parenthood is uniquely their own, ORM Fertility is helping LGBTQ individuals and couples get specific information and resources they need to start their own journey.

The elevated commitment to the LGBTQ community includes a dedicated website –– loveisfamily.com –– which serves as a tool for sharing specific treatment options for LGTBQ prospective parents, including outlining the different fertility paths available. The website also announces free fertility seminars and consultations and is accompanied with a social community where former and prospective patients can share their fertility experiences.

“It’s paramount to us that we are an inclusive and truly welcoming clinic that is focused on helping all families grow,” said ORM Fertility’s Dr. Brandon J. Bankowski, M.D., M.Ph. “Love is love. Family is family. We witness this in the offices and hallways of our facilities. It’s a constant reminder that the work we do goes beyond good science and medicine.”

ORM Fertility patients Andrea and Liz had their first son through IUI at a clinic in Phoenix, Az., where, as a lesbian couple, they didn’t feel welcomed, understood or embraced. When they decided to expand their family, they found ORM Fertility, choosing to pursue reciprocal IVF to tie their family together. With reciprocal IVF, embryos were created via IVF using Liz’s eggs and the same sperm donor used for their son. Andrea underwent an embryo transfer and became pregnant with their daughter, Ophelia, whom they welcomed into the world in February 2017.

“One of the big reasons we decided to go with ORM is how welcoming they are to the LGBTQ community. With ORM, the entire experience is just so positive and comfortable, and we felt a lot of trust,” said Andrea.

Liz added, “It was just like we were any other couple coming in to seek services. They’re not just claiming to be inclusive; you get there, and you feel it. They actually truly are that way.”

For more than 30 years, ORM Fertility has been a key provider of fertility treatment, welcoming more than 9,000 babies into the world.

The facility offers prospective LGBTQ parents a wide variety of treatment options, including donor egg, gestational surrogacy, donor sperm, egg freezing, INVOCELL intervaginal culture device (IVC), intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), genetic testing and fertility preservation.

ORM Fertility has witnessed a 18 percent growth in new-patient appointments for the LGBTQ population over the last three years, seeing more than 1200 same-sex couples in that time. With patients coming from all parts of the world and is well-versed in the sometimes complex processes of helping LGBTQ intended parents navigate every step of their journey to parenthood, including assistance with legal paperwork, travel and hotel arrangements; working with foreign consulates; and helping manage the birth certificate and adoption process.

Headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, ORM Fertility has multiple clinics in Portland, Ore.; one in Bellevue, Wash.; an office in Tel-Aviv, Israel; an office in Shanghai, China; and staff located in the U.K. and Canada.

The launch of ORM Fertility’s Love Is Family initiative coincided with the Men Having Babies Conference, which took place Nov. 9-10 in New York City. info: loveisfamily.com.

— compiled by Lainey Millen

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

7

life,

positively

Affinity Health Center

Thank you to these organizations for sponsoring our Special World AIDS Day coverage.

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Patient Centered Medical Home

Affinity Health Center is a community health center dedicated to taking care of those who are most vulnerable in our community — individuals and families living in poverty and people who would otherwise be unable to afford healthcare or unwelcome in traditional healthcare settings. We take care of the whole person, recognizing that good health is not just about a doctor’s visit and a prescription. At Affinity, we want to be your healthcare home — the place where you get your medical care, your dental care, your behavioral health care, your medications, and education and support for being healthy — the place where you can expect compassionate care without worrying about how you’re going to pay for it or whether you will be accepted for who you are.

Affinity Health Center is a Patient Centered Medical Home that provides primary care for all ages, HIV specialty care, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV), PEP (postexposure prophylaxis for HIV), Hepatitis C treatment, contraceptive care, mental health counseling and dental care. All services are available on a sliding fee scale. We also accept Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance. Our on-site pharmacy, specializing in HIV, Hepatitis C, PrEP and PEP, offers discounted medications for uninsured patients.

Comprehensive services are available at our main site located at 455 Lakeshore Pky., Rock Hill, SC 29730. Primary care services are also available at our York and Clover sites. Women’s health services are available at our Fort Mill site. Visit affinityhealthcenter.org to learn more about our services and locations.

Our beginnings as Catawba Care, an AIDS Service organization, still show strong in our focus on HIV specialty care, case management, and peer services. We invest in prevention of HIV, Hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections by providing prevention education and screening. This includes one-on-one education, “Many Men Many Voices” groups for AfricanAmerican men who have sex with men, and group educational presentations throughout our service area, as well as free confidential walk-in HIV, Hepatitis C, and STD testing every Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Please join Affinity Health Center for our World AIDS Day event at Rock Grove AME Zion Church (1460 Margaret St., Rock Hill) on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 10:30 a.m. Please visit affinityhealthcenter.org to learn more about our commitment to care with compassion, dignity and respect for all people.

Red Ribbon Sponsor: Amity Medical Group

Rosedale Medical The Difference is in the Details

With World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, we always reflect on what we are doing for the HIV Community, how we are doing it, and how we can improve. Rosedale Medical is a private practice that offers a unique, comfortable, and comprehensive model to care that is not found everywhere. The difference is in the details.

Rosedale Medical is not just an “HIV Clinic.” We offer everything in a convenient, friendly, one-stop environment so that someone with HIV can be comfortable in their own skin; all the time being assured that they are getting the most holistic approach to their overall health. We have a staff of medical personnel in addition to our providers that share years of valuable experience that sets them apart from many other teams in the field.

We asked Laurie Youron, our director of Client Services and she said this about Rosedale.

“We offer a no judgment zone for those that may have felt that they have been let down before when they were accessing care.” That is so important for anybody in the world today, but especially for someone facing an HIV diagnosis in the South. This hits home to most of them.

Dee Dee Richardson, a patient advocate at Rosedale Medical says; “patients love it here because we meet them where they are.” So many of the patients we see are all struggling with some barrier to their care, whether it be food insecurity, addiction, lack of transportation, housing issues, mental health problems or family issues; the list goes on. Rosedale Medical now has a nonprofit in place, Dudley’s Place at Rosedale Medical, so that, hopefully, when a patient has a need that we can fill, it will help make their journey to better health easier.

Over and over we have been told that the staff at Rosedale Medical is what makes the difference to our patients. Our staff is as diverse as our patient base; coming from all backgrounds and situations, everyone of the staff has a story that helps them relate. Some of our staff are openly HIV positive, many know or have a positive family member, staff members have children in the LGBTQ community as well. Talking to Roseanne Sanders, the practice manager, we asked her what she felt sets her team apart from others. “Being a smaller, team-based staff and office we have more time to get to know the patients, their needs, and in turn it gives us more time to spend with them and help them meet their goals alongside their providers,” says Sanders. Roseanne also mentioned the fact that the staff is prepared to work as a team, and they understand that no one person can do everything. Therefore, she likes to initiate cross training on positions within the organization.

All in all, although we celebrate and honor World AIDS Day every year, the owner and Medical Director, Dr. Fred Cruickshank, has some alternative feelings about it. Cruickshank said, “it’s great for the community to recognize World AIDS Day, it brings great attention to the cause. However, everyday is World AIDS Day to me until we solve this health crisis.”

Amity Medical Group (AMG) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that proudly serves the Charlotte community in providing medical care and linkage to community services to serve your daily needs. With lead providers Dr. Richard Wynn, M.D. and J. Wesley Thompon, MHS, PA-C, AAHIVS, DFAAPA, AMG has partnered with Rx Clinic Pharmacy to establish an on-site pharmacy to further enhance their ability to serve all of the patients’ needs.

AMG providers include board certified family practice providers, HIV specialists, GLMA certified providers, WPATH certified transcare providers, PrEP specialists, diabetic specialists, and pharmacogenomic specialists.

In less than four years, AMG has grown to include a physician, multiple physician assistants and nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists and a staff of 20. Thousands of patients now receive comprehensive care at two locations, one in East Charlotte at 6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd., and the other in South Charlotte at 10508 Park Rd., Suite 130. AMG also accepts new patients daily.

AMG, in addition to its on-site pharmacy, also provides laboratory services, radiology, psychological counseling, medication management by clinical pharmacists, Medicare Annual Wellness visits and we are a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) where all your medical needs are coordinated by your primary care providers. We accept almost all medical insurances including Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, Ryan White, and we have a generous sliding fee scale that helps both with office visits, labs, radiology and prescriptions at our in-house pharmacy.

8

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

Supporting Sponsor: RAIN

RAIN envisions ending HIV in our community. Our mission is to empower persons living with HIV and those at risk to live fully and stigma free. RAIN serves youth, adults and seniors living with HIV and those at risk by providing medical case management, a specialized program for youth ages 13-24 called Empowering Positive Youth, on-site mental health counseling, health insurance benefits advocacy, early intervention services for those who have fallen out of care, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). The goal of all of RAIN’s programs is to reduce the number of new cases of HIV through prevention. Treatment as Prevention helps people living with HIV achieve viral suppression, thereby achieve U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). Primary prevention efforts (PrEP and PEP) focus on identifying and connecting people at risk for HIV. All programs are provided in English and Spanish.

life, positively

U.S. sues over PrEP Gilead Said to Be Infringing on Patents

BY CHRIS RUDISILL | QNOTES STAFF WRITER Americans are at risk for infection, and only about 270,000 are currently taking the drug. Gilead makes more than $3 billion a year on Truvada, according to The New York Times. The company has previously claimed that the government’s patent claims are invalid. : :

Get Tested!

The U.S. Department of Justice has filled a suit against Gilead Sciences, Inc. charging patent infringements.. (Photo Credit: magann via Adobe Stock)

A

ccording to a press release by the Department of Justice, Gilead Sciences, Inc. has infringed upon four U.S. patents in connection with the pharmaceutical company’s Truvada and Descovy, which are marketed to prevent HIV as part of the PrEP regimen.

In the press release, Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division says the “lawsuit demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protect the government’s intellectual property and hold accountable those who seek to unfairly gain from the government’s research without paying reasonable royalties as the law

requires.” The lawsuit claims that Gilead has received billions of dollars in revenue off HIV prevention regimens that were developed by Centers of Diseases Control and Prevention researchers and taxpayer contributions.

PrEP has dramatically shifted the rate of new HIV infections and is critical to the government’s efforts to end the HIV epidemic. The groundbreaking HIVprevention drug can be exorbitant and has caused a large amount of criticism for Gilead to date. Over a dozen lawsuits have been filed against the company for purposely delaying a safer, nextgeneration HIV drug to increase revenues

despite the alleged harmful side effects of Truvada and other antiviral medications.

In what became a viral confrontation, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) questioned Gilead’s CEO, Daniel O’Day, during a congressional hearing in May on why the drug cost $2,000 a month in the U.S., compared with $8 in Australia. Ocasio-Cortez charged that the patents were “owned by the public” and “we the people, developed this drug.”

Gilead has not formally responded to the lawsuit, but previously said it would donate enough Truvada annually to supply 200,000 uninsured Americans with the drug. An estimated 1 million

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

9

life, positively

Living on the Front Line

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS:

Being HIV Positive in Charlotte

info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

W

orking for HIV service organizations can often be difficult with long hours and days filled with emotions ranging from deep sadness to relief and hope. For those working in the field who are also HIV positive, the days can be filled with even more struggles.

What happens when you’re the one who needs support? What happens when you’re both client and social worker? What happens when the stigma you witness in your job is against people like you?

Advancements in medication and treatment have made living with HIV remarkably different than it was in the early days of the disease, but stigma and a host of other issues still exist. Bryce Curry, Chelsea Gulden and Dale Pierce all face those issues daily while working and living with HIV. “People like to stigmatize HIV as this thing that’s just for ‘this type of person’ and ‘this group’ who lives ‘this life’ and it’s not,” says Curry. Today, approximately 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, including people of all backgrounds, genders, races, sexual orientations and economic status.

Live or Die?

“It was a Monday” Pierce says as he remembers the date of Sept. 9, 1996 — the day he was diagnosed with HIV at the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

Pierce had been in an unhealthy relationship for 13 years and after a year break, the two men reconciled briefly before testing positive. “There weren’t a lot of supportive resources available in Charlotte at the time,” Pierce said, but he found Dr. Joseph Jemsek through some friends.

Jemsek had diagnosed the first case of the disease in North Carolina in 1983.

“Do you want to live or do you want to die?” That was the first question Dr. Jemsek asked the then 24-year-old Pierce. Pierce was started on a “cocktail” of medications, a practice that was not recommended by most doctors at the time. The first three months were tough.

Pierce had to leave his job because he was unable to work due to the side effects, but he followed Jemsek’s directions on how to survive. He never dropped below a 200 t-

BY CHRIS RUDISILL | QNOTES STAFF WRITER life over to this work,” said Pierce. Today, he is the executive director at Dudley’s Place, the new non-profit arm of the organization.

While medications have significantly cut the mortality rate of HIV positive individuals to the point where many, including Pierce, are more concerned about issues such as heart disease or diabetes, there are still issues that positive people face that others might not understand: isolation, depression, stigma and lack of education. “We have lost a lot, too many,” says Pierce with tears in his eyes. “Some of them get more personal than others, but the majority of them are still here now.

That’s what we need to look forward to.”

Stigma Shows Up

Dale Pierce turned his life over to the work of helping those with HIV/AIDS. cell count, a threshold that changes designation of the disease to AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

Pierce became undetectable during the Spring of 1997. For people living with HIV, effective treatment can be essential to a healthy future and it can also virtually eliminate the risk of transmitting HIV infection to others. It wasn’t until 2016 that the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) initiative was launched by the Prevention Access Campaign. People living with HIV can achieve an undetectable viral load by adhering to their HIV treatment regimen, and once an undetectable viral load is achieved and maintained, there is effectively no risk of transmitting HIV. After his health continued to improve, Pierce decided to leave his job running a cleaning business to work for Jemsek’s clinic. Being HIV positive in the 1990s was very different. For gay men who saw the worst of the disease, it’s difficult to get past the memory of AIDS in our community, and as Pierce mentions, learn to reconcile with the fact that HIV won’t prevent him from outliving his friends. “I still have this odd view on mortality sometimes,” says Pierce. “I just assume I’m going to die before everyone else,” but as he points out — he knows that those thoughts are irrational and self-imposed. He finds that the most important part of his work is talking about his status to help others deal with their own HIV. In 2006, he helped Dr. Frederick A. Cruickshank open Rosedale Infectious Diseases, now Rosedale Medical in Charlotte and Huntersville. “I turned my

After being diagnosed HIV positive in 2003, Chelsea Gulden started working at Metrolina AIDS Project (MAP) between her junior and senior years in college.

MAP later closed in 2010 and today she is the vice president of operations at RAIN in Charlotte. While at MAP, she noticed that there were other young people that weren’t being served the way that they needed to be and was motivated to create a new space that could more effectively serve their needs. “I healed myself through the work with my clients,” says Gulden.

“Creating that space for young people helped me just as much as it helped them.”

At the time of being diagnosed, Gulden was told that she could “optimistically live for twenty years.” She was pregnant and put on medication immediately, but after

Chelsea Gulden has spent her life since her diagnosis healing herself through her service to HIV/AIDS clients.

PrEP…

is it for you?

10

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

life, positively

Bryce Curry spends time working with HIV/AIDS youth through RAIN. the pregnancy, she went off her medication which was common at the time. Over the next few years, she would be on and off, but her viral load was never over 1,000, keeping her relatively healthy. HIV viral load tests assess the progression of HIV in the body. For most clinical tests today, an undetectable viral load means fewer than 50 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood. Gulden has been undetectable since 2015.

Gulden points out that while things have changed in certain communities, dangerous stigma still shows up in different ways, especially for women. “It’s really important to have positive people working in the field, and to help cultivate leaders because of stigma,” she says. A mother of three, she still experiences stigma with other parents and worries about the barriers that may be imposed on her children because of her status.

Status has become a more common part of a gay man’s vernacular, but when the disease doesn’t show up as openly in other communities, the result is often misinformation and a decrease in opportunities for conversation. Many in the straight community still see the disease in terms of sexuality. Gulden believes it will take “negative people to move the needle” on making a significant decline in HIV stigma.

A Bright(er) Future

Bryce Curry came out when he was 19 years old and within two years he had been diagnosed HIV positive. It was February 2018, just days before Valentine’s Day, and Curry was in a two-year relationship that he thought was monogamous. He was a student at North Carolina A&G State University in Greensboro and was tested at his campus infirmary. He remembers the quietness of the moment. “It was shock and then it was just quiet,” says Curry. After being linked to care near the university, Curry talked with his personal doctor at Atrium Healthcare in Charlotte about what options were available to him, especially on a student insurance plan.

Looking for a support group, Curry came across RAIN and signed up for its Empowering Positive Youth (EPY) program. Designed for youth and young adults ages 13 to 24 years old, EPY mentors clients while providing basic case management and social support. Topics can include navigating the healthcare system, moving from pediatric to adult healthcare, disclosure, healthy relationships, social support networks and empowerment.

“For a while I was mad at myself for being positive,” says Curry, “because I was mad at myself for trusting somebody with my body that way.” Today, he isn’t mad about it

anymore. He understands how his personal experience can help others. “If I wasn’t positive, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be a client at RAIN. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to work at RAIN, and I wouldn’t have been able to meet that client who really needed my help.”

Curry is a peer retention specialist at RAIN in Charlotte. His job entails finding HIV positive people who have been out of care for six months or more and getting them back in adherence with a medication regimen. He works with clients for a year before they move on to work directly with a medical case manager.

On average, there are 250 new cases of HIV in Mecklenburg County each year (based on data from 2013-2017 by AIDSVu, a project of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, Gilead Sciences, Inc. and the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University). There are over 6,600 people living with HIV in Mecklenburg County and people of color represent 77.5 percent of that number. Identified earlier this year as one of the 48 “hot spot” counties around the country with the highest rates of infection, a Mecklenburg County HIV Community Planning Group has identified three key strategies to achieve a continuous reduction in new cases of HIV: education and testing, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP).

“HIV makes life a little bit harder, but it doesn’t make it impossible. It doesn’t end your life. It’s not an end-all,” says Curry.

As a young man, he thinks about dating and how best to disclose his status. “I’ve definitely been turned away,” he says, but he still finds it important to tell people face-to-face. Curry’s status was undetectable within six months after his diagnoses, highlighting the advancement in HIV treatment and the importance of care. “I feel healthy; I feel great,” he says.

When asked what he would say to himself back in 2018 if he had the chance, he says that it’s important to remember that “everything is going to be fine. Everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to … there’s something waiting for you at the end of the tunnel.”

Pierce feels the same way. “It’s kind of like when you talk to someone at a funeral,” he explains. “I know you can’t get this now, but I need you to hear this and remember this. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to get better. Each day is going to get a little bit better.”

Share Your Story Are you living with HIV and want to share your story? Join the conversation on Twitter with #LivingPositive @goqnotes. : :

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Safe Sex

is the best form of prevention Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

11

life, positively

Carolinas AIDS service organizations and agencies

Providing a vital lifeline to increase quality of life for those affected by HIV/AIDS

T

he Carolinas has a variety of community organizations, resources and services for those living with HIV/AIDS or those seeking to get involved in HIV/ AIDS prevention, education and advocacy.

North Carolina ASHEVILLE Western North Carolina AIDS Project 554 Fairview Rd., Asheville, NC 28803 828-252-7489 wncap.org.

Established in 1986.

WNCAP provides case management, prevention and education programs, outreach, HIV testing and other services throughout Western North Carolina. In addition to its main office in Asheville, the group also has offices and a presence in Bryson City and Shelby.

CHARLOTTE

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Amity Medical Group East Charlotte 6010 E. W.T. Harris Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28215 704-208-4134 South Charlotte 10508 Park Rd., Suite 130 Charlotte, NC 28210 704-208-4134 amitymed.org.

Established in 2015.

Amity Medical Group provides fullservice, primary care medical treatment, as well as HIV/AIDS managed care under the direction of Dr. Richard Wynn and J. Wesley Thompson, MHS, PA, AAHIVS, DFAAPA. The practice also has an onsite pharmacy operating under the umbrella of Rx Clinic Pharmacy with Olivia Bentley, PharmD, CFts, AAHIVP as the director of clinical pharmacy services, provides free/confidential HIV testing, case management and prescribes HIV/ AIDS medications. Its offices are open to the community as a part of a collaborative effort

BY LAINEY MILLEN | QNOTES STAFF WRITER to provide care and access to agencies and services outside its doors.

Carolinas CARE Partnership 5855 Executive Center Dr., Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28212 704-531-2467 carolinascare.org.

Established in 1990 as Regional HIV/AIDS Consortium.

Carolinas CARE Partnership provides free HIV/STD testing and counseling, housing assistance, peer training, case management and other services, prevention and education.

Dudley’s Place at Rosedale Medical 103 Commerce Centre Drive, Suite 103 Huntersville, NC 28078 704-977-2972 rosedaleid.com.

Established in 2019.

Dudley’s Place at Rosedale Medical is a brand new HIV non-profit housed at Rosedale Medical. The mission is to enhance the overall care of Rosedale’s HIV population. Offering a wide range of services including mental health counseling, nutrition counseling, food and toiletries assistance, support groups, peer navigation, community education, free testing and transportation services.

House of Mercy P.O. Box 808 (304 McAuley Cir.), Belmont, NC 28012 704-825-4711 (administration) 704-825-3000 (residence) thehouseofmercy.org.

Established in 1991.

House of Mercy provides housing and compassionate care for persons living with AIDS. In addition to room and board, House of Mercy coordinates medical care and therapies plus a variety of supplemental services to enhance the physical, emotional and spiritual lives of its residents.

Mecklenburg County Department of Health 249 Billingsley Rd., Charlotte, NC 28211 704-336-6500 704-432-TEST (8378) bit.ly/2FpddQK. Provides testing, case management, awareness, education and other services at various locations, events and times throughout the county and year.

The PowerHouse Project 1416 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte, NC 28216

704-334-6076

facebook.com/ThePowerhouseProject/.

Established in 2005 under Quality Home Care Services umbrella.

The PowerHouse Project is a drop-in center and safe space for Black and Latino gay or bisexual men or men who have sex with men. The group offers a computer lab, weekly empowerment programs and workshops, retreats for men over 25 years old, social events, monthly discussion groups for men 18-29 years old and free and confidential HIV testing, which is always available during hours of operation. The PowerHouse Project is a program of Quality Home Care Services.

Quality Home Care Services 3552 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte, NC 28216 704-394-8968 qhcsnc.org.

Established in 1992.

Quality Home Care Services provides a variety of services for those living with HIV including case management, HIV/ AIDS prevention programs and testing, substance abuse treatment, communitybased rehabilitation services for those with mental development disabilities and other services.

RAIN 601 E. 5th Street, Suite 470, Charlotte, NC 28202 704-372-7246 carolinarain.org.

Established in 1992.

RAIN engages the community to transform lives and promote respect and dignity for all people touched by HIV through compassionate care, education and leadership development. Services include CARE Management, Peer2Peer support and outreach, support groups for youth, faithbased training, chaplain services and caring volunteers who provide practical support to persons living with HIV and AIDS. RAIN also provides HIV awareness and prevention education programs to thousands of people each year and is the only HIV nonprofit in the Charlotte metropolitan area providing direct client services.

RAO: Rosedale Assistance & Opportunities 321 W. 11th St., Charlotte, NC 28202 704-237-8793 raoassist.org.

Established in 2017.

RAO: Rosedale Assistance & Opportunities (RAO), is a non-profit committed to providing awareness, support,

Know Your Stats 12

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

life, positively and services for those living with HIV/ AIDS and other health disparities; along with providing prevention and education for those looking to protect their sexual health. Some of our services and programs include: PrEP program, support group for those living with HIV, and educational training for volunteers. We also provide housing assistance and toiletry pantry services for those in need with HIV. Rosedale Medical 103 Commerce Centre Dr., Suite 103, Huntersville, NC 28078 704-948-8582 rosedaleid.com.

Established in 2006.

Rosedale Medical is a full-service HIV/ infectious diseases clinic that offers a variety of medical services. Staff, under the direction of Dr. Frederick Cruickshank, work closely with medical case management organizations and engage in clinical trials, among other services. It houses a Walgreen’s Specialty Pharmacy to support the needs of its clients and patients.

EASTERN PiCASO (Pitt County AIDS Service Organization) 3219 Landmark St. Suite 1B, Greenville NC, 27834 252-830-1660 picaso.org.

Established in 1991.

Starting as a grassroots organization focused on supporting those living with HIV/AIDS, providing buddy programs, nutritional support and healthcare advocacy, the agency changed over the years to a case-management-focused agency working with long-term client support.

Currently, the group provides HIV testing, education and advocacy and emergency funding for those living with HIV/AIDS. TRIAD Positive Wellness Alliance 400 E. Center St., Lexington, NC 27292 336-248-4646 704 Brooktown Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336-722-0976 positivewellnessalliance.org.

Established in 1992.

Positive Wellness Alliance is a community-based organization that provides medical case management, financial assistance, life skills management classes, support groups and housing assistance.

It serves Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Rowan, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties.

Triad Health Project 801 Summit Ave., Greensboro, NC 27406 336-275-1654 620 W. English Rd., High Point, NC 27261 336-884-4116 triadhealthproject.com.

Established in 1986.

Triad Health Project provides case management and other client support services, HIV testing and prevention outreach, medical, social service and legal referrals, food pantry and nutritional resources and education, support groups and education, art and exercise programs.

TRIANGLE Alliance of AIDS Services – Carolina 1637 Old Louisburg Rd., Raleigh, NC 27604 919-834-2437 aas-c.org.

Established in 1999.

Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina provides case management, HIV/STD testing and counseling, emergency assistance for rent and utilities, transportation assistance, housing information and referrals, mental health, substance abuse and support group resources, referrals and programs.

Healing with CAARE (Case Management of AIDS and Addiction Through Resources and Education) 214 Broadway St., Durham, NC, 27701 919-683-5300 caare-inc.org.

Established in 1995.

Healing with CAARE’s mission is to provide effective prevention and case management services to at-risk persons and their families in Durham by referring health and social resources that can alleviate isolation yet foster independence; to empower the population with preventative health education, counseling, and testing by establishing and maintaining networks and utilizing resources that address the health and social needs of the community; and to provide decent housing that is affordable to low- to moderate-income people.

COASTAL New Hanover Regional Medical Center 2131 S. 17th St., Wilmington, NC 28401 910-662-9300 nhrmc.org/services/hiv-aids.

Established in 1967.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center

provides comprehensive care for patients of all ages and throughout each stage of HIV, from acute HIV to latency to AIDS. Satellite clinics are in Whiteville, N.C., Jacksonville, N.C. and Burgaw, N.C. WESTERN ALFA 1120 Fairgrove Church Rd. S.E., Suite 28, Hickory, NC 28602 828-322-1447 alfainfo.org.

Established in 1987.

ALFA, formerly known as AIDS Leadership Foothills Area-Alliance, has provided supportive services to those infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. ALFA currently provides supportive and medical case management, prevention education, and outreach to a nine-county service area.

ALFA’s service area consists of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Lincoln, Watauga and Wilkes Counties.

South Carolina Affinity Health Center 455 Lakeshore Pky., Rock Hill, SC 29730 803-909-6363 affinityhealthcenter.org.

Established in 1994 as Catawba Care Coalition.

Affinity Health Center, formerly known as Catawba Health Care, provides primary care and specialist referrals, nutritional counseling, counseling and mental healthcare/services, dental care, case management and support, HIV specialty care and HIV/STD testing. It serves York, Chester

and Lancaster Counties with satellites in Clover, Fort Mill and York, S.C.

Regional/Advocacy/Info AIDS Legal Project at Duke School of Law law.duke.edu/aidsproject/.

The AIDS Legal Project provides confidential legal representation to low-income HIV-infected clients with legal problems relating to their diagnosis. Legal assistance is provided by law students under the supervision of attorneys.

North Carolina AIDS Action Network P.O. Box 25044, Raleigh, NC, 27611-5044 919-576-0448 ncaan.org.

The North Carolina AIDS Action Network is a statewide advocacy organization fighting for the rights of people living with HIV/ AIDS, their loved ones and those at risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS in North Carolina.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services HIV/STD Prevention and Care bit.ly/2OBPAnm. [Ed. Note: qnotes has prepared this comprehensive list of ASOs, etc., for our readers. To that extent, organizations and agencies may have been omitted. If readers will email editor@goqnotes.com with other listings (must have full name, address, phone number and website), qnotes will be happy to add them to the compilation. List accuracy and integrity are vital. Please report any errors or changes that need to be made.]

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

Ask

Your Partner’s Stats

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

13

life, positively

World AIDS Day 2019 Events

Across the Carolinas Community Honors Those Lost and Those Living with HIV/AIDS

BY LAINEY MILLEN | QNOTES STAFF WRITER

P

aying respects to those who have been lost to HIV/AIDS is one way to honor their memories. In the Carolinas, a number of agencies and organizations have arranged for this to be done in a number of ways, be it a vigil, luncheon, exhibition or others. See the list below for an event or a way to show homage for individuals whose flame burnt out too soon.

North Carolina World AIDS Day 2019 Nov. 27-Dec. 2 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 4907 Garrett Rd, Durham, N.C. The church will display 24 panels from the Names Project Memorial Quilt and conducts its AIDS Quilt Worship Service on Dec. 1, 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. Additionally, the church is conducting food and toy drives during late November and early December for the Alliance of AIDS Services - Carolinas. The ASO will do HIV/STI testing in the music room on Dec. 2 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. eruuf.org. aas-c.org.

World AIDS Day 2019 Red Ribbon AIDS Memorial Quilt Presentation

Dec. 1 3-6 p.m.

Cameron Art Museum 3201 S. 17th St., Wilmington SEEDS of Healing will host its 2nd Annual Red Ribbon event in collaboration with the Frank Harr Foundation presenting 20 plus blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt throughout various locations in Wilmington for a two-week period in recognition of World AIDS Day. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Sabrina T. Cherry, assistant professor of Public Health Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and author of “My determination is to live: Narratives of AfricanAmerican Women Who Have Lived with HIV for 10 or More Years.” Entertainment will be provided by Marlom Mosby featuring Tarsha Murphy. Tickets start at $50. bit.ly/2CwnQwU. WNCAP World AIDS Day Luncheon ‘HIV & The Trans Experience’ Dec. 1 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel 115 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville WNCAP will host a free community luncheon in partnership with Tranzmission.

Featured speaker will be award-winner Tori

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

14

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

PrEP

every day!

Cooper, transgender HIV activist who will discuss her personal story. The event will feature a moment of remembrance for those lost to HIV/AIDS, several additional speakers, and the presentation of the Mark Doucet Volunteer of the Year Award. Seating is limited. RSVP to Michael Poandl at mpoandl@ wncap.org or 828-252-7489 ext. 313. wncap.org.

Day With(out) Art/World AIDS Day Dec. 2 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Davidson College Hamilton W. McKay Atrium, E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center 325 Concord Rd., Davidson To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Day With(out) Art, the Galleries partners with Davidson College Friends of the Art and Davidson College Health Education for “STILL BEGINNING: The 30th Annual Day With(out) Art,” a screening of seven newly commissioned videos by Visual AIDS NY. Additionally, as a memorial to lives lost to AIDS, sculptures on campus create a visual reminder of the art and creativity lost to the world due to the AIDS epidemic. bit.ly/2pLCP3z. davidsoncollegeartgalleries.org.

on hosting a table, contact Joyce Brooks at 704-973-9819. carolinarain.org.

South Carolina World AIDS Day Remembrance and Folding Service Dec. 1 6 p.m.

Davis Mission Chapel Spartanburg Methodist College 1000 Powell Mill Rd., Spartanburg, S.C. Join Piedmont Care as the organization remembers those whose lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS. Additional events scheduled for World AIDS Day include: AIDS Memorial Quilt Display, Nov. 18-Dec. 1, Ellis Hall Gallery; The Ryan White Legacy, Nov. 22, Gibbs Auditorium. Jeanne White-Ginder shares her personal story; HIV testing, Nov. 25. Free, confidential. Walk-ins welcome, appointments encouraged. 101 N. Pine St., Suite 200. Red Ribbon Coffee Talk, Nov. 26. Enjoy coffee and pick up red ribbons. Downtown Deli & Doughnuts, 147 E. Main St. piedmontcare.org.

World AIDS Day Talk Dec. 2 7-8 p.m.

Mars Hill University Belk Auditorium 100 Athletic St., Mars Hill Michael Harney of the Western NC AIDS Project provides information to students, faculty and staff about the current situation surrounding HIV/AIDS and STIs (or STDs). mhu.edu/event/world-aids-day-talk.

World AIDS Day Special Program ‘I Am Not This Person: Monologues from a Plague’ Dec. 1 6 p.m.

Anderson Arts Center 110 Federal St., Anderson, S.C. Theatre presentation showcasing the work by Beth Batson. Food and cash bar available. All proceeds benefit AID Upstate.

Admission, $20 donation and available online. For more information, email addys@ andersonarts.org. bit.ly/34PuMSe.

World AIDS Day Luncheon Dec. 5 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Uptown 401 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., Charlotte This annual event is hosted by RAIN and includes an awards ceremony. Doors open 11:30 a.m.; luncheon 12-1 p.m. For tickets and information, including details

[Ed. Note: qnotes has prepared this comprehensive list of World AIDS Day events for our readers. To that extent, organizations and agencies observances may have been omitted.

If readers will email editor@goqnotes.com with other listings (must have full name, address, phone number and website), qnotes will be happy to add them to the compilation. List accuracy and integrity are vital. Please report any errors or changes that need to be made.]

life, positively

Evolution of HIV testing

Advancements In HIV Testing Making It Possible to One Day Reach Zero New Infections

O

ver the years, there have been many advancements and improvements made in HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) testing. Early tests developed in the 1980s, such as the Western blot test, can take months for an infected individual to test positive.

The combination test (also known as the 4th generation test) used today, is now considered the recommended standard of testing by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The reason for the delay in detection using tests like the Western blot antibody test, is due to the somewhat lengthy amount of time it takes for an individual to accumulate sufficient antibodies to indicate a positive result. The detection window period for such tests is 90 days, whereas the combination test has a window period of only two weeks.

Another difference in these two types of tests is that the combination test, as its name suggests, tests for both HIV antibodies as well as antigens (foreign substances that activate the immune system) in the blood. The particular antigen that the test screens for is called p24, which is part of the virus itself and becomes present much sooner than antibodies; thus, greatly expanding the detection window period.

Telluss Good, lead community health educator for HIV and STI (sexuality transmitted infections) testing and prevention at Affinity Health Center (formerly Catawba Care Coalition) in Rock Hill, S.C., has been working in HIV testing and prevention since 2008 and says that advancements in testing, as well as strategies to address both positive and negative results, are bringing us closer to “getting to zero.”

“Getting to zero” is an initiative developed and coined by The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the leading advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The initiative aims to reach a point where there are zero new HIV infections and is anticipated to be achieved sometime between the years 2020 and 2030.

“We have a prevention strategy for negative results, and we have a prevention strategy for positive results,” says Good.

“Being that we’ve come this far in evolution in terms of testing, treatment and prevention, I feel we’re moving ever so close to not only getting to zero new infections, but also finding a cure for HIV altogether,” he says.

If an individual has a confirmed positive result, an HIV antiviral medication regimen is begun immediately — with the goal of lowering the individual’s viral

BY MYKAH BUFF | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR load to zero or undetectable. According to Good, when an individual has an undetectable viral load, “there is a zero percent chance for that individual to pass the virus to another person through sexual contact.”

In the case of a negative result, depending on the individual’s level of risk regarding his or her potential for HIV infection, a medication known as PrEP (preexposure prophylaxis) is often prescribed.

One of the most common forms of this type of medication is called Truvada and is taken once daily to prevent the infection of HIV when and if an individual is exposed to the virus.

With these two strategies for both positive and negative results, Good says that the UNAIDS vision of “getting to zero” is growing closer and closer every day.

He says when he first began working in the testing and prevention field, the standard for HIV testing was the OraQuick oral swab rapid test, which collected skin cells from inside the cheek to test for the presence of HIV antibodies.

The detection window period for this type of antibody test is similar to that of the Western blot test, in that it can potentially take up to 90 days for an infected individual to test positive.

“Back then, we would do a preliminary test using the OraQuick oral swab rapid test, then if the results were positive, we would perform the Western blot test to confirm the positive results,” says Good.

The unique thing about the OraQuick oral swab test is that it is a visual test with line indicators, very similar to a pregnancy test. And while this test was once the standard for HIV testing in a professional and medical capacity, it was made available for purchase in 2012 as an at-home, rapid HIV test.

Good says that he feels this sort of testing option has helped normalize HIV testing and has contributed to an increase in individuals getting tested, in general. He also says that the CDC has utilized social media to promote HIV testing and that their efforts have greatly impacted the number of individuals getting tested as well.

“The CDC has done a great job at campaigning for the importance of testing,” says Good.

Thanks to advancements in HIV testing developed by the CDC, the virus is now able to be detected much quicker, fostering better treatment outcomes as well as prevention.

“These advances and changes in testing have been developed by the CDC, and they’re always working on making improvements and coming up with new

ideas to advance and improve testing,” Good says. “A test we’ve just recently begun using is the Alere Determine test.”

The Alere Determine test is an innovative, rapid version of the combination test and is administered by collecting blood from a finger prick and putting the sample onto a collection pad. The test provides visual results with line indicators, much like the OraQuick oral swab test.

Good says there’s also another rapid HIV antibody test that’s primarily used for community testing events. The bioLytical Insti rapid test develops in just one minute and works similarly to the Alere Determine test by collecting a blood sample from a finger prick.

For individuals who have knowingly been exposed to HIV, there is an HIV RNA (ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid present in all living cells) test, which screens for the genetic material of the virus itself and has a detection window period of nine to 11 days. While this type of test provides for optimal early detection, it’s not administered in routine HIV testing as it is very expensive.

Due to both testing advancements, as well as HIV awareness growing more rapidly each year, Good says he’s noticed a significant increase in individuals coming in to get tested, but that there has also been an increase in positive results as well.

However, he says that more positive results aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

“When a person is aware of their status, they’re able to get the proper treatment to hopefully become undetectable, which as mentioned, makes it nearly impossible to transmit the virus to another person through sexual contact,” says Good.

As the CDC continues to develop both testing and prevention strategies, Good says he feels confident that one day soon there will not even be a need for HIV testing anymore.

“It’s an enlightenment to think that one day soon we will have a time where we’re not testing anyone for HIV anymore, and that those who do have the virus, will have a cure,” says Good. : :

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Sober Sex is safer sex

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

15

life, positively

Free HIV Testing Locations

Regular Testing Key in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS — Know Your Status

A

ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many individuals have never been tested for HIV. In addition, the CDC states that of the thousands of new HIV diagnoses every year, many are likely transmitted by those unaware that they are HIV-positive.

There are a number of free HIV testing sites across North Carolina and South Carolina. Many also offer testing for other STDs, as well as vaccines for hepatitis and HPV. Call for information on days, times and for information on all the services they offer. You can also visit gettested.cdc.gov to search for more testing sites in your area.

North Carolina CHARLOTTE Amity Medical Group 6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte 10508 Park Rd., Suite 130, Charlotte 704-208-4134 amitymed.org.

Carolinas Care Partnership 5855 Executive Dr., Ste. 101, Charlotte 704-531-2467 carolinascare.org.

Department of Infectious Disease Atrium Health Myers Park, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center 1350 S. Kings Dr., Charlotte Phone: 704-446-4490 bit.ly/34MZxHo.

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Lake Norman Community Health Clinic 14230 Hunters Rd., Huntersville 704-316-6611 lnchc.org.

Mecklenburg County Health Department Southeast Campus 249 Billingsley Rd., Charlotte Northwest Campus 2845 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte 704-336-6500 bit.ly/2qGKnkY. Novant Health Midtown Family Medicine (Fee based)

BY LAINEY MILLEN | QNOTES STAFF WRITER 335 N. Caswell Rd., Charlotte 704-384-7980 nhmidtownfamilymedicine.org.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Charlotte Health Center 700 S. Torrence St., Charlotte 704-536-7233 bit.ly/2GIKJzV.

CARRBORO University of North Carolina School of Medicine 301 Lloyd St., Carrboro 984-538-1031 unc.live/2PomrRU. CHAPEL HILL

RAIN 601 E. 5th St., Ste. 470, Charlotte 704-372-7246 carolinarain.org.

Piedmont Health Services Inc. 127 Kingston Dr., Chapel Hill 919-933-8494 piedmonthealth.org.

Rosedale Medical 103 Commerce Centre Dr., #103, Huntersville 704-948-8582 rosedaleid.com.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Chapel Hill Health Center 1765 Dobbins Dr., Chapel Hill 919-942-7762 bit.ly/350TSxB.

Quality Home Care Services Inc. 3552 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte 704-394-8968 qhcsnc.org.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Student Health Center 9530 Poplar Terrace Dr., Charlotte 704-687-7400 studenthealth.uncc.edu.

Urban Ministry Center 945 N. College St., Charlotte 704-347-0278 urbanministrycenter.org.

Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy 1500 E. 3rd St., Charlotte 704-526-4651 bit.ly/2zwQgVt. ASHEVILLE Buncombe County Department of Health 53 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville 828-250-6169 buncombecounty.org/Governing/Depts/Health.

Asheville VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Rd., Asheville 828-298-7911 asheville.va.gov.

Eligibility requirement: Only open to veterans.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Asheville Health Center 68 McDowell St., Asheville 828-252-7928 bit.ly/350TSxB. Western North Carolina AIDS Project 554 Fairview Rd., Asheville 828-252-7489 wncap.org.

Orange County Health Department Southern Human Services 2501 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill 919-245-2400 orangecountync.gov/health.

DURHAM Healing with CAARE Inc. 214 Broadway St., Durham 919-683-5300 caare-inc.org.

Durham County Health Department 414 E. Main St., Durham 919-560-7600 dconc.gov/publichealth.

Lincoln Community Health Center 1301 Fayetteville St., Durham 919-956-4000 lincolnchc.org.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Durham Health Center 105 Newsom St., Suite 101, Durham 919-286-2872 bit.ly/350TSxB. Samaritan Health Clinic 507 E. Knox St., Durham 3205 University Drive, Suite 107, Durham 919-407-8223 samaritanhealthcenter.org.

Triangle Empowerment Center 931 E. Main St., Ste. 1A, Durham 800-806-3558 triempowerment.org.

FAYETTEVILLE Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Fayetteville Health Center

Get Tested!

16

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

life, positively 4551 Yadkin Rd., Fayetteville 866-942-7762 bit.ly/350TSxB.

401 Taylor St., High Point 336-886-2437 piedmonthealthservices.org.

FUQUAY VARINA

HILLSBOROUGH

Wake County Human Services Millbrook Human Services Center 2809 E. Millbrook Rd., Raleigh 919-250-3950 bit.ly/2JWiz4A.

Hand of Hope Pregnancy Centers 607 N. Ennis St., Fuquay Varina 919-577-9050 yourchoicepregnancyclinic.com.

Orange County Health Department Whitted Human Services Center 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough 919-732-8181 orangecountync.gov/health.

Womens Center of Wake County Incorporated 112 Cox Ave., Raleigh 919-829-3711 wcwc.org.

RALEIGH

Your Choice Pregnancy 1701 Jones Franklin Rd., Raleigh 919-250-3950 yourchoicepregnancyclinic.com.

GREENSBORO Alcohol and Drug Services 301 E. Washington St., Ste. 101, Greensboro 336-333-6860, ext 250 adsyes.org/free-hiv-testing.

Guilford County Health Department 1100 E. Wendover Ave., Greensboro 336-641-3245 bit.ly/2T2TUzO. Nia Community Action Center Self Help Building 122 N. Elm St., Ste. 1000, Greensboro 336-617-7722 niacacinc.org.

Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency 1102 E. Market St., Greensboro 336-274-1507 piedmonthealthservices.org.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Greensboro Health Center 1704 Battleground Ave., Greensboro 336-373-0678 bit.ly/350TSxB. Triad Health Project 801 Summit Ave., Greensboro 336-275-1654 triadhealthproject.com.

GREENVILLE Pitt County AIDS Service Organization (PiCASO) 3219 Landmark St., Ste. 1B, Greenville 252-830-1660 bit.ly/2Nz4NIT..

HIGH POINT Guilford County Health Department 501 E. Green Dr., High Point 336-641-3245 bit.ly/2T2TUzO. Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency

Alliance of AIDS Services- Carolina 1637 Old Louisberg Rd., Raleigh 919-834-2437 aas-c.org.

1st Choice Pregnancy Solutions 4237 Louisburg Rd., Raleigh 919-554-8093 Gateway Campus, Hargett 554 E. Hargett St., Raleigh 919-250-3950 gatewaycampus.org.

Gateway Campus, Hillsborough 1306 Hillsborough St., Raleigh 919-250-3950 gatewaycampus.org.

Gateway Campus, Idlewood 3300 Idlewood Village Dr., Raleigh 919-250-3950 gatewaycampus.org.

LGBT Center of Raleigh 324 S. Harrington St., Raleigh 919-832-4484 lgbtcenterofraleigh.com.

WILMINGTON Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Wilmington Health Center 1925 Tradd Ct., Wilmington 910-762-5566 bit.ly/350TSxB. WINSTON-SALEM Forsyth County Department of Public Health 799 N. Highland Ave., Winston-Salem 336-703-3213 bit.ly/2RO7NA7.

Nia Community Action Center Incorporated 1001 S. Marshall St., Suite 238A, Winston-Salem 336-293-8408 niacacinc.org.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Winston-Salem Health Center 3000 Maplewood Ave., Suite 112, Winston-Salem 336-768-2980 bit.ly/350TSxB. Positive Wellness Alliance Winston-Salem Office 1001 S. Marshall St., Suite L7, Winston-Salem 336-772-0976 positivewellnessalliance.org.

South Carolina Affinity Health Center 455 Lakeshore Pky., Rock Hill 803-909-6363 affinityhealthcenter.org.

[Ed. Note: qnotes has prepared this comprehensive list of testing sites for our readers. To that extent, organizations and agencies may have been omitted. If readers will email editor@goqnotes.com with other listings (must have full name, address, phone number and website), qnotes will be happy to add them to the compilation. List accuracy and integrity are vital.

Please report any errors or changes that need to be made.]

Urban Ministries of Wake County Open Door Clinic 1390 Capital Blvd., Raleigh 919-832-0820 urbanmin.org.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Raleigh Health Center 100 S. Boylan Ave., Raleigh 919-833-7526 bit.ly/350TSxB. Wake County Human Services Division of Public Health and Clinics 10 Sunnybrook Rd., Clinic A, Raleigh 10 Sunnybrook Rd., Clinic E, Raleigh 919-250-4510 bit.ly/2JWiz4A.

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: info@amitymed.org

Schedule a check up

• PrEP • LGBTrans care • HIV Care • Primary Care • Diabetes Care

Phone: (704) 208-4134 EAST CHARLOTTE

6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd

SOUTH CHARLOTTE

10508 Park Rd. Suite 130

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

17

life

Actor Mark Patton: Living with HIV Is About ‘More Than Taking Medication’ ‘Nightmare On Elm Street 2’ Star Mark Patton Opens Up About Surviving The Real-Life Horrors That Inspired His New Documentary ‘Scream, Queen,’ How Sharing Stories Can Help Us Heal, And Why We Need To Rethink Our Approach To HIV Care.

BY HEALTHLINE | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

M

ark Patton may be best known for his role as Jesse Walsh in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge,” but to many fans he’s much more than the face of a character who once fought Freddy Krueger on the big screen.

He’s also a hero who’s faced down horrors of a different kind in the real world.

Today, Patton is not only celebrated as the horror genre’s first male “scream queen,” he’s also an outspoken advocate who works to raise awareness about HIV and LGBTQ causes in surprising places — at horror movie conventions.

However, the horror sequel that earned Patton his crown wasn’t always viewed as the cult classic it is today.

In fact, “Nightmare on Elm Street 2” (a film rife with gay subtext) was viewed very differently when it was released in 1985.

detailing his experiences.

Patton jumped at the chance, knowing what he’d shared was only the tip of the iceberg. But soon after they began filming, something unexpected happened.

“I began having panic attacks, really severe panic attacks,” Patton said, “My life had just gotten huge at that point and I knew I was carrying a lot of weight, but I’m a strong person and I’ve dealt with a lot in my life. This kind of shocked me and it was, quite frankly, a very scary thing.”

What Patton said he didn’t realize at the time was the “building of trauma” that was happening inside himself.

In addition to his busy schedule and the heavy subject matter he ‘Nightmare 2’ was a movie that was supposed addressed in front of auto launch Patton’s career to new heights — but it diences at conventions, ended up putting it 6 feet under instead.

Patton had also begun “What people don’t usually realize is that when opening up about the that movie was released, in 1985, Hollywood was most traumatic events in very homophobic and very AIDS-phobic… which his life for the documenmade them even more homophobic because tary he was filming. gay people were being blamed for the spread of This included how the disease. We were being [vilified],” Patton told one of the people Patton Healthline. “So, when this movie came out, with lost to AIDS at the height of the crisis was his blatant gay subtext, people started talking.” romantic partner, fellow actor Timothy Patrick Mark Patton revisits ‘Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge’ and his life’s While Patton was out to close friends in the Murphy. story with his documetnary ‘Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street.” (Inset) A 1980s, he worked to keep his sexuality a secret Murphy (who’s perhaps best known for younger Mark Patton from ‘Freddy’s Revenge.’ (Photo Credit: Mark Patton, Facebook) from the public. his role as Mickey Trotter on the TV series But his role in “Nightmare 2” had caused this “Dallas” from 1982–83) and Patton kept their aspect of his life to be intensely scrutinized, quickly relationship a secret from the general public, “Nightmare 2” (and homophobia) played in the demise of affecting the trajectory of his career. but shortly before he passed away, Murphy was outed by his career.

After a resume that included dozens of appearances a tabloid.

Patton said he initially found being able to address in commercials, guest-star roles on a number of popular He was photographed, near death, in his home, and the “dark side” of his Hollywood experience therapeutic, TV series, as well as parts in Broadway productions and 2 Patton said Murphy’s sexuality and battle with AIDS were and sharing his HIV status gave him a renewed sense of feature films, Patton decided to retire from acting. exploited to sell papers. purpose at fan events.

“I’d just had enough,” he said. “Friends all around us “What they did to him, it was awful. Just awful,” he said.

“It’s interesting because horror films — and I think this were dying of AIDS and all these people cared about was On December 6, 1988, at the age of 29, Murphy died is part of what draws a lot of gay fans to [the genre] — are whether or not I could tell people I was straight if somefrom AIDS-related causes. Patton had lost one of the most often about overcoming fear, right? Facing fears, your fear one in the press asked me about my sexuality. It was important people in his life, yet the phobic atmosphere of giving monsters power, that sort of thing,” Patton said. heartbreaking.” the time made it impossible for him to properly grieve.

“Watching a character face their fear, face something like “So, I walked away,” he said. “I had to.”

Even years later, trauma can impact mental and physiFreddy and survive, that can be a very powerful thing for a Believing his acting career was over, Patton eventually cal health lot of people.” moved to Mexico where he met and married his husband Kurt Oaklee, MA, MFT, founder of Oaklee Patton said he understands how advocates can help and the two of them opened an art store together in Psychotherapy in San Francisco, California, said Patton’s inspire people in similar ways.

Puerto Vallarta. reaction to sharing his trauma years later isn’t surprising He believes being able to put a human face to someBut 2 decades after Patton left Hollywood in his rearview and happens more often than many people realize. thing like HIV can be a profound way to fight stigma and mirror, he got a second shot at stardom when he was asked “There is a common misconception that once one squash irrational fears that continue to persist about the to appear in 2010’s “Never Sleep Again,” an expansive docu‘opens up’ and talks about past traumatic events, they will disease today. mentary on the entire “Nightmare on Elm Street” series. experience a sense of peace, freedom, and healing. That is “It’s almost like a spiritual experience at these convenIt was then he learned how the film that once killed his not necessarily the case,” Oaklee said. tions sometimes,” Patton said. “People will come up to me career because of its heavy gay subtext was now being em“People often keep emotionally dangerous memories and they’ll be crying and they’ll tell me all sorts of things braced for that very reason by a new generation of fans. and experiences locked away for a reason,” he added. “For like, ‘I’m HIV-positive too and you’re the first person I’ve some people, reliving these events can actually lead to told,’ or ‘I’m lesbian and nobody knows,’ or ‘I had an uncle re-traumatizing. This can bring some significant emotional who died from AIDS and my family never talked about it.’” suffering and a decline in mental and physical well-being.”

“And it’s like, you can see this weight that lifts off of Oaklee also pointed out that having to process trauma them because a door has opened and they feel like they Patton soon began making appearances at horror conwhile in the public eye adds additional stressors to an can finally talk to someone who isn’t going to judge them,” ventions, and seeing the potential impact he could have, already challenging task. he continued. made the decision to reveal he was living with HIV in 2013.

“Most people need to devote significant concentrated enAfter coming forward, Patton’s story and activism work He also spoke openly about why working as a closeted ergy and time to processing trauma. This necessity is limited, caught the attention of 2 filmmakers who approached the actor in the 1980s was something more frightening than if not impossible, for those in the public eye,” Oaklee said. actor about the possibility of filming a new documentary Freddy Krueger. And he was candid about the role that

Surviving an epidemic

A return to the spotlight and the rise of an advocate

18

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

“So, the trauma of losing a loved one is difficult enough. Not being able to openly process that trauma can hinder, or even halt, the grieving process,” he added.

After he began having panic attacks, Patton said he sought medical help — but rather than diagnose the totality of his mental and physical health at the time, the doctor simply wrote him a prescription for Ativan, a fast-acting benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety.

For the next couple of years, Patton said he used Ativan to treat his anxiety symptoms, and slowly over time had begun to take the drug more frequently without realizing it.

“Over the course of the years I’d been taking this drug, I’d become addicted to it and I had no idea,” he said.

Patton sought help immediately, but it took 4 months before he was able to completely detox from the medication. During that time, he experienced a number of withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, muscle cramps, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and a loss of memory.

Patton said his experience pulled into focus the need to raise awareness of the importance of both mental and physical health in long-term HIV care, especially for those who are older.

“Living though AIDS in the 80s, it really was like a war. That’s a metaphor that is absolutely applicable to my generation. I think many of us — who are lucky enough to still be alive — probably have post-traumatic stress disorder to some degree and may not even realize it,” Patton said.

“I mean, losing the number of people we did, all the death and even the guilt many people feel about living, being one of the few who survived. How could you live through that and not be affected?” he added.

Dr. Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, NYS licensed psychologist at Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services in Forest Hills, New York, agreed with Patton’s assessment. “[Experiences like Patton’s] could leave someone with posttraumatic stress disorder if they lost a person or multiple people close to them. If they were someone living with HIV

and were lucky enough to survive that time before advances in antiretrovirals, they will undoubtedly remember feeling ‘shame’ from having ‘that disease,’ and living in fear that people would see their medication or somehow find out,” she said.

Hafeez also pointed out the additional emotional and mental health stressors people with HIV would’ve endured in the 80s and early 90s.

“At that time, being discovered as HIVpositive could have led to job loss, being shunned by friends and family, being abandoned by significant others, and even having medical professionals unwilling to provide medical care. It was a horrific time for those who suffered from the disease and for those who lost people to it,” she said.

Helping usher in a new era of HIV awareness

Once Patton had fully recovered, he was able to finish production on the documentary he started, and on September 22, 2019 “Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street” had its official world premiere at Fantastic Fest — the largest film festival in the United States that specializes in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action movies from around the world.

“Reactions to the film have been overwhelmingly positive and I’m thrilled it’s finally out there, that people are getting to hear [my whole story] for the first time,” Patton said.

“It was really traumatic to go back and live all this stuff again, but I discovered things all along the way,” he said. “I think being able to finish this film has been a tremendous healing experience for me and today I’m happy to be able to say that I’m doing very well.”

While some individuals can experience an increase of anxiety symptoms in the retelling of traumatic events as Patton did initially, Oaklee said that once people are emotionally prepared, the exercise is often a healing one.

“Retelling our experiences can help the memory become less triggering. It also can reduce shame that we may have associated with the trauma. Just ‘coming out’ and talking about it can bring significant healing,” Oaklee explained.

Patton said it’s also been “rewarding” to see the positive impact sharing his story is having on others.

“I’m amazed at the number of young people who’ve come up to me after seeing the film and they say, ‘I had no idea it was that bad.’ They have almost no knowledge of the AIDS epidemic or what it was like for gay people at that time,” Patton said.

“So, if there’s one thing I hope younger people get out of this film, it’s ‘know your history.’ If you know your history, you can hopefully avoid traps and stop something like that from ever happening again.”

Patton also hopes that sharing what happened to him behind the camera while filming “Scream, Queen!” will help others realize that long-term HIV care is about “so much more than taking medication. It’s about taking care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally.” : : — Reprinted with permission.

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

19

views

Reducing Stress, Finding Spirituality Spiritual Reflections

BY REV. DEBBIE WARREN | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Finding ways to relieve stress and find one’s spiritual center is important in the current climate.

(Photo Credit: BenStudioPRO via Adobe Stock)

I

ran into a friend the other day, and we starting talking about the stress of living through the current political environment and the ongoing climate crisis. He told me that he had to stop living in all-consuming anger to prevent it taking a toll on his health and well-being.

Many of us would say we are living in one of the most challenging times we’ve ever experienced. The LGBTQ community, like many minority communities, is deeply challenged by political attitudes, especially with daily challenges we already encounter. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, these issues contribute to a significant source of stress individually and collectively.

How might we care for ourselves and others during this time? Like my friend modeled, it’s healthy to take breaks from political discussions, social media and news. We can set boundaries and limits on how we engage in these activities. It’s healthy to focus on our physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs. Experts say we need a minimum of one-half hour of downtime each day. Many of us need more. If we can be in nature during that downtime, it’s even better for us.

20

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

Finding a sense of purpose adds meaning, hope and optimism to our lives. Some find volunteering with non-profits, political candidates and groups working for change to be very fulfilling — they report that they feel less isolated and more energized.

Spiritual practices of meditation, creating art, mindfulness, reading and prayer refresh us with focus and peace. It’s important to ensure there’s time for these activities each week. This includes spending time with people who give us a sense of community — in effect, increasing our personal community.

What inspires you and brings joyfulness? Whom do you most admire? These questions can help us reconnect to the people and actions that are most important to us, help us grow and ground us during challenging times.

Feeling lighter and hopeful — both are possible to achieve. No reason to wait.

May all be healed, may all be comforted and may all be loved. : : Rev. Debbie Warren, an ordained Baptist minister, is the executive director for RAIN in Charlotte, N.C.

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

21

a&e

‘A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir’ Out in Print

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir”

by Edie Windsor with Joshua Lyon ©2019, St. Martin’s Press $27.99 274 pages

T

here’s a long line of people behind you.

Some are afraid to be seen, to speak up or to show up. Others don’t want to get involved, so they’re sitting this one out. One thing, though: they’re all watching to see what you do next because, as in the new memoir, “A Wild and Precious Life” by Edie Windsor with Joshua Lyon, someone’s got to be first.

There was never any doubt that little Edie Schlain was fiercely adored.

The youngest child of the family, Edie grew up wanting to be like her big sister, protected by her big brother, and the apple of her parents’ eyes. She admits that she was “spoiled” then, not in a bad way but just enough to give her the confidence and brass a child of the Depression might need.

She remembered the beginning of World War II, although not in the sense that most did: her recollections were of a houseful of boys, her brother’s friends, laughing and eating and gathering in her parents’ home before going off to war, and mourning when word arrived of those who’d never come home. Edie always liked

22

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

boys and as she matured, she bantered with her brother’s friends, although she occasionally thought it odd how much she liked watching other girls.

“The idea that anything physically intimate with a girl could happen simply did not exist,” she said.

But eventually, it did, with a tennis partner in college, then with a female roommate she loved before realizing that there was “no other available reality” than to fall into lockstep with other young women of the 1950s, settle down, and marry a nice man.

The marriage lasted six months.

At the end, Edie, who’d convinced her husband to adapt the surname “Windsor,” realized that she needed to tell him the truth. Pondering how to tell him, she immersed herself in Judy Garland “fantasy” musicals, and she planned: “Guess what, Judy? I’m a lesbian.”

“If you’re looking to read about Edie’s Supreme Court case, put this down…” says co-author Joshua Lyon in his preface. But

don’t be too hasty: “A Wild and Precious Life” has enough to offer, all by itself.

Indeed, though he still touches upon the fight that helped achieve marriage equality, Lyon says that Windsor “desperately wanted” readers to know about her pioneering work in computers and technology, which was a “core part of her identity” and of which she was enormously proud. In her words here, which Lyon indicates that she edited herself, Windsor also woos readers with breezy wit, racy love

stories and seemingly casual-not-casual, semi-nonchalant depictions of being a lesbian in the mid-twentieth-century, and what it was like living in the shadows but flirting hard with the light.

Early in this book, Lyon says he fretted about how to finish it after Windsor died, but he needn’t have worried. Though its ending feels a little rushed, “A Wild and Precious Life” flows perfectly and entertains delightfully, making it a book you’ll want in front of you. : :

life

Life on the Down Low One Man’s Story of ‘Living on the DL’

T

BY MYKAH BUFF | GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

he phenomenon of living “on the DL relationships with other men for a number (down-low)” is a topic that has become of years. For him, having sex with a man was quite common in recent decades. something that he kept extremely private, The phrase, according to Urban Dictionary and he says that he’s always carried a con(urbandictionary.com), is primarily used by stant worry about people finding out.

African-American men — who are indeed ho“I mostly sleep with men who are on the mosexual or bisexual — but portray themDL, too, because that way I know they value selves as being completely heterosexual. their discretion as much as I do,” Brown says.

While this phrase may be more com“I’ve always been scared to death that somemonly used among African-American men, one would find out about my secret. And if it it simply implies that an individual is in the were to ever get out that I was bisexual, my closet. Which, as we know, is something life would basically be over.” that transcends all races.

Brown says one of the reasons he’s been qnotes was able to sit down and talk with able to keep his secret for so long is because an individual who says he’s been living “on he doesn’t bear any attributes or characterthe DL” for as long as he can remember. istics that would give someone the indication At the gentleman’s request to remain an that he is gay. anonymous source, qnotes will refer to him Males who have obvious feminine characas Mr. Brown for the purpose of this story. teristics, or behave in a flamboyant manMr. Brown, a 36-year-old Africanner, are often the only type of men who are American male, says he “grew up in the ‘dirty perceived as being gay. However, individuals South’ — where being openly gay or bisexual living “on the DL,” and who are in fact homojust isn’t an option.” sexual or bisexual, often show no distinguish“I’ve been attracted to both men and ing traits that would lead someone to believe Living on the ‘DL” presents challenges both socially and emotionally for those who are engaged women for most of my life,” Brown says. they were anything but a straight man. in this secretive experience. (Photo Credit: Юрий Красильников via Adobe Stock) “But, unfortunately, I’m just not in a position “As long as you don’t act like a flaming where I can be out in the open about it.” queen, have an obvious switch in your walk “If you were a gay or bisexual man, you definitely didn’t Brown was raised in a very religious and conservative or use excessive hand gestures when you talk, no one talk about or tell anyone,” says Brown. “No one in their family that has zero tolerance for being gay or bisexual. really questions your sexuality,” says Brown. right mind would open up a can of worms like that.”

According to him, it is quite the norm for families in the Brown married his first spouse, a woman, at the age of South. see Down Low on 24 23. At that time, he had been actively engaging in sexual

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

23

life Down Low

continued from page 23

❝I’ve always been scared to death that someone would find out about my secret. And if it were to ever get out that I was bisexual, my life would basically be over.” ❞ — Mr. Brown

Brown says he isn’t proud of living the way he does and wishes he was able to be open about his sexual proclivities, but is just too frightened of the possible repercussions that he feels certain would follow.

“If I came out of the closet now, my entire life would be over,” says Brown.

“My wife would divorce me and try to take my kids away, my family would literally disown me and I would become a social outcast. And, I’m just not willing to give up my whole life just because I happen to be attracted to both sexes.”

When venturing out to find a male sex partner, Brown says he uses dating apps, such as Grindr and Jack’d, which are two of the most common dating apps for gay males.

However, he says he always deletes the app he’s using at the time after finding someone to have an encounter with.

24

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019

“I never keep apps on my phone,” says Brown. “I download them, and then after I meet up with someone, I delete the app from my phone.”

In order to maintain his anonymity, Brown always uses aliases and never displays images of himself while using dating apps.

One might think that not having an image of yourself would deter individuals from pursuing contact or responding to a message, but Brown says despite the fact he doesn’t display images of himself, he’s “never had a problem finding someone to hook up with.”

Brown says that he’s always felt conflicted about his attraction towards men and has tried to keep his feelings at bay.

“Every time I sleep with a man I feel guilty,” says Brown. “But, that doesn’t stop me from going back online and doing the same thing again when I get that itch.” : :

a&e

Oh No, Not Drag!

Tell Trinity

BY TRINITY | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dear Trinity, Recently, a guy I’ve been dating just told me he did drag. He’s so masculine. I never suspected it. I’m afraid that seeing him in drag will ruin my sexual attraction for him.

Help!

Sincerely, Drag Doubts, Minneapolis, MN Dear Drag Doubts, When someone does drag, they’re releasing/embracing their inner feminine qualities, leaving behind, in many cases, a more masculine man. Drag is also a form of art. So fear not the Van Gogh that lives within your new date. Your higher power obviously put you two together for a reason. So, darling, if you want this relationship to work, then ready or not you’ll have to watch him get dressed, dress him yourself or even more profoundly, do drag with him!

Big wet drag kisses! Trinity

completely unstressful to be a few minutes early compared to the high stress of being a few minutes late. When you want to grow up and play with the big players, then your word will have to become like a contract. Once you have INTEGRITY, sweetie, which means having your promise be better than a contract, then you’ll stop being late and stop making your boss wrong for keeping you to your word.

Oh, and you’ll suddenly find yourself with fewer bosses standing over you and more employees working under you! (Don’t be like the White Rabbit who was “late for

To Trinity, My boss is very picky about me being late.

I’m usually only five or 10 minutes late once in a while. How can I get my boss to be cooler about time?

Yours, Mr. Easy, San Antonio, TX

qonexions

Dearest Trinity, I want to go to the gym and start working out, but I’m so skinny. I feel like a fool in those places. Any advice!

Sincerely, Not Charles Atlas, Syracuse, NY Dearest Not Charles Atlas, We all have to start somewhere. A trainer, if you can afford it, always draws attention away from you and will get you started on the right foot. Also, if you’re overly eager to look the part, muscle tank tops and baggy plaid gym pants is not a good start. If you’re as skinny as you say, then shorts, a clean T-shirt and dark socks will do just fine for starters. Exercise on a regular basis is fabulous for one’s mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. If you work hard at it, you’ll be very surprised. However, honey, if five months goes by and you still don’t look like something changed, then I’ve got a great plastic surgeon on Fifth Avenue. You’ll love him, I do!

Fake it till you make it! Trinity Hello Trinity, It seems that most of my houseguests who stay for a few days seem to never show their appreciation, if you know what I mean. Not even a box of cookies! Is it wrong to expect gifts of appreciation from

To Mr. Easy, A few years ago I figured out that it’s

qomunity

an important date.” Rather, be the “early bird who catches the worm.” It also helps for not missing trains, planes and other scheduled services and events — or to time-honored Clarksville.)

XOXO! Trinity

a houseguest?

Yours, House Guest Horrors, Cleveland, OH Hello House Guest Horrors, According to ancient Greek and Hebraic traditions, it was wrong to expect gifts from an overnight guest but, for a second, third- or fourth-night guest it was also customary to receive gifts of appreciation. So, pumpkin, since I can’t find that chapter in my “Tales of Greek & Hebraic Hospitality Ethics,” here’s a poem I wrote, to post on your guest room mirror.

House guest Proverb When one’s door knocks becomes one night’s guest The door must you open and give no test.

When two nights pass and to stay is their will, Fruits and flowers, must they offer to fill your till!

When a third or fourth night still finds them a bed, A fancy dinner must they host else off with their head!

But when one week passes a guest no more, For compensation must be presented or show them to the door!

— Trinity With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama performed globally, and is now minister of sponsor, WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings, wigministries.org, Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation! Learn more at telltrinity.com.

Send emails to: trinity@telltrinity.com.

space starting at $22: call qnotes for details 704.531.9988

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

25

events November 15-24 Southern Christmas Show

The Park Expo & Conference Center 800 Briar Creek Rd., Charlotte 10 a.m.

Southern Christmas Show features Christmas decorations, clothing, toys, food and more. Tickets are available online. Free admission for kids under 5 southernchristmasshow.com.

November 16 The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra presents Frank and Ella

Westover Church 505 Muirs Chapel Rd., Greensboro 8 p.m.

Toney DeSare and Capathia Jenkins recreate the sound of two popular icons of 20th century music, accompanied by the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra with Tim Davies, guest conductor.

Tickets are available online and start at $40. greensborosymphony.org.

November 16 Extravaganza: Dream World

Elsewhere 606 South Elm St., Greensboro 8 p.m.

Music, art, clothes and food are available for this Extravaganza which takes place in a thrift store turned living museum. Costumes are highly encouraged. Tickets available online or during museum hours. goelsewhere.org.

November 19-December 1 ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

Knight Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 130 S. Tryon St., Charlotte 7:30p.m.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” is a classic murder mystery with a comedic twist, full of puns and mishaps along the way. blumenthalarts.org.

November 19 Know Your Rights Workshop : What’s at Stake for LGBTQ Youth

Equality Hub 1081 Reynolds Ave., North Charleston 7 p.m.

Learn about the Supreme Court’s LGBTQ cases, the legal rights of LGBTQ students and South Carolina NO PROMO HOMO Law. wrf.org.

November 20 Charlotte Black Pride and LGBTQIA Community Conversation: TDOR State of Emergency Johnson C. Smith University

26

qnotes

New Science Building 100 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte Black Pride and LGBTQIA Community Conversation are putting on a night of libation, remembrance and musical performances.

Dinner reception starts at 6:30 p.m. and program start at 7 p.m. facebook.com/CLTBlackPride.

November 20 Lessons Learned: Lunch and Learn

Nestlewood Realty 1111 Central Ave., Charlotte 11:30 a.m.

Have lunch with this seasoned panel of small business owners and learn the dos and don’ts of starting and sustaining a small business. clgbtcc.org.

November 20 Trans Day of Remembrance: Hope, Healing & Resilience

Time Out Youth 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte 6 p.m.

This event will provide a time of social reflections, personal storytelling, performances and recognition of those lost this past year.

Open to all ages. Free. timeoutyouth.org.

November 20 Jonathan Van Ness — Road to Beijing

Ovens Auditorium 2700 E. Independence, Charlotte 8 p.m.

Netflix’s “Queer Eye” Fab Five’s Jonathan Van Ness will hit the stage at Ovens for his stand-up comedy act. For those 18 plus.

Tickets are available online, through ticket providers. bit.ly/2NjojHQ. jonathanvanness.com.

November 21-23 ‘That Golden Girls Show: A Puppets Parody’

Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 130 S. Tryon St., Charlotte 7:30 p.m.

An evening of cheesecake, quickwitted put downs and St. Olaf stories. This parody play is base off the hit TV show “The Golden Girls.” blumenthalarts.org.

November 24 Hot Stuff Pop UP Market: Holiday Edition

Petra’s 1919 Commonwealth Ave., Charlotte 11:30 a.m.

Support the creative talents that the Queen City has to offer. This Pop Up Shop has plenty of unique handmade treasures for the holiday season. bit.ly/2pZfivq.

November 24 Friendsgiving Potluck

Nov. 15-28, 2019

November-December 2019 Submit your events: editor@goqnotes.com

Ascent Uptown Apartments 225 S. Poplar St., Apt. 2310, Charlotte 5-8 p.m.

Eat, drink and be thankful at this fall party just ahead of Thanksgiving. Plan to bring a dish to share or snacks (no chips), or a dessert, and/or your favorite alcoholic beverage(s) to share. Hosts will provide food options and a limited bar. Attendees are also welcome to bring a guest or their significant other. Complimentary valet onsite.

RSVP to charlottegaylist@gmail. com with a note in the email what dish will be brought, only to ensure the hosts don’t get multiples of the same item. bit.ly/2qAA597.

November 27 Tis the Season Spectacular

Downtown Salisbury 2 p.m.

The holiday parade will follow the route of Main St. through Spencer and Salisbury’s historic downtowns. Enjoy what Salisbury has to offer while cheering on the Salisbury Gay Pride Float. tistheseasonspectacular.com.

November 28 Trans Giving Holiday Potluck

LGBT Center of Raleigh 119 E. Hargett St., Raleigh 4 p.m.

Trans-giving is a free event for those who have nowhere to go.

The main course is provided by the LGBT Center of Raleigh. Participants are asked to bring side dishes or desserts. All members and friends are welcome to attend. lgbtcenterofraleigh.com.

November 28 Friendsgiving at North Star

North Star LGBTQ Community Center 930 Burke St., Winston-Salem 5-7 p.m.

Join the center for a potluck with friends on Thanksgiving Day. Bring a dish to share. RSVP and sign up on Facebook requested at bit. ly/32zIoiA. northstarlgbtcc.com.

December 1 ‘Hip Hop Nutcracker’

Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 130 North Tryon St., Charlotte 1 p.m./6:30 p.m.

Tchaikovsky’s classic score through hip hop choreography, with dancers, onstage DJ and an electric violinist bringing the traditional “Nutcracker” a new look. bit.ly/32w6Std.

December 5-22 ‘Camelot’

Burning Coal Theatre’s Murphy School Auditorium 224 Polk St., Raleigh Times Vary Burning Coal Theatre will perform

November 29: Fantasia Presents The Sketchbook Tour

North Carolina native Fantasia is back in concert with a new album and is bringing some special friends (Robyn Thicke, Tank and The Bonfyre) along with her. Tickets start at $59 and are available online. Bojangle’s Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte. 8 p.m. bit.ly/2MS6XCZ. the Lerner and Loewe classic musical “Camelot” based on the book “The Once and Future King.”

Tickets are available online or by phone at 919-834-4001. burningcoal.org.

December 6-7 One Voice: ‘Season to Remember’

Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte 234 N. Sharon Amity Rd., Charlotte 7:30 p.m.

Celebrating over 30 years of song, One Voice presents their annual Christmas show, “Season to Remember.” General admission/$25.

All welcome. onevoicechorus.com.

December 7 Twirl to the World

World Night Club 900 NC Music Factory Blvd., Charlotte 10 p.m.

The 11th Annual Twirl to the World holiday party and fundraiser, presented by Hearts Beat as One Foundation, brings in DJ Grind and Australian singer/ songwriter Zoë Badwi to entertain guests. The event benefits Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, Transcend Charlotte, Humane Society of Charlotte and Winter Awakening. Attendees are asked to contribute $25 and a new, unwrapped toy or book as admission or $40/without and $75/VIP. All funds raised supports these local charities. justwirl.com.

December 7 Tosco Music Holiday Party

McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square 345 N. College St., Charlotte 7:30 p.m.

A holiday evening featuring over

a dozen performers, plenty of Christmas classics, and traditional sing-alongs, as well as songs of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. bit.ly/32w6Std.

December 10 CLGBTCC Holiday Bash

Resident Culture Brewery 2101 Central Ave., Charlotte 6:30 p.m.

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, live music and social meet and greet. Free admission for members and $5 admission fee for non-members at the door. clgbtcc.org.

December 14 Holiday Wish Gala

Midtown Ballroom 1133 Metropolitan Ave., Charlotte 7 p.m.

The Holiday Wish Gala is a fundraising event that provides the opportunity for the LGBTQ community to raise funds specifically for non-profit organizations that do the most with the least.

This year’s benefactors are 360 Center for Youth Development and the LGBTQ Committee of the NC NAACP. Tickets are available online bit.ly/2WXTcGa.

December 15 Holiday Cantata and Bake Sale

Metropolitan Community Church of Charlotte 7121 Orr Rd., Charlotte 10:30 a.m.

Join Pastor Paul Whiting and the MCC congregation for their annual cantata and bake sale. Meet up with old friends and meet new ones. mymcccharlotte.org.

life

REGULAR EVENTS

Finding The Source Of Your Fears

CHARLOTTE LGBT CHAMBER

Regular business meetings, social events and other activities throughout the year. Days and times vary. info: clgbtcc.org.

HIV SUPPORT GROUP

Dudley’s Place at Rosedale Medical holds support groups for HIV positive individuals every other Tuesday at 6 p.m., Rosedale Medical, 103 Commerce Centre Dr., Suite 103, Huntersville. Call Dudley’s Place at 704-977-2972 for dates and more information or follow on Facebook and Instagram for updates. info: rosedaleid.com.

PFLAG CONCORD/KANNAPOLIS

Meets for monthly group support meetings, second Tuesday of each month, 7-9 p.m., Trinity United Church of Christ, 38 Church St. N., Concord. info: bit.ly/1pCFVBq.

PFLAG GASTON

Meets for monthly support meetings, third Thursday of each month, 7 p.m., St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 258 W. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia. info: pflaggaston.org.

PRIME TIMERS

Monthly meeting including dinner, speaker, games and more for gay men ages 21 and up, 5-7 p.m., Park Road Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 3900 Park Rd., Charlotte. info: primetimersww.com/charlotte/.

STONEWALL SPORTS

Regular team sports, meet-up, social and service events throughout the year. Days and times vary. info: stonewallcharlotte.leagueapps.com.

TRANS YOUTH GROUP

Time Out Youth Center hosts weekly discussion groups for transgender youth ages 13-20 each Thursday, 4:306 p.m., 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. info: timeoutyouth.org.

UPDATES/ADDITIONS?

Do you have a regular and reoccurring community event you’d like listed? A listing to update? Email us at editor@ goqnotes.com.

Mental Health: Self-Reflection Provides Key

A

BY STANLEY POPOVICH | GUEST WRITER

sure way to overcoming your fears and anxieties is in finding their source and being able to manage them. In dealing with any kinds of fears or anxieties, try to learn what is the real basis of your feelings. Knowing what is causing your anxieties can go a long way in finding the solution.

A person can find the source of his or her own fears by doing some self-evaluation and also by talking to a professional. Asking yourself questions such as: “Why am I afraid?” or “What is causing my anxiety?” will lead you in the right direction in finding the source of your fears. Give it some Figuring out what makes one fearful is the beginning point at which solutions can be used to deal with it. time and eventually you (Photo Credit: Stepan Popov via Adobe Stock) will find the answers you are looking for.

Once you find the true Sometimes we encounter a scary situation that gets us all source of your fears, the next step is to find the solutions that will upset. When encountering these events, always remember to get solve your problem. With the help of a professional, write down a all of the facts of the given situation. Gathering the facts can list of possible techniques and solutions that you think will manprevent us from relying on exaggerated and fearful assumptions. age your fear and anxieties. The next step is to apply the techBy focusing on the facts, a person can rely on what is reality and niques that you uncovered. Here is a brief list of some techniques what is not. you can use to help deal with your fears.

In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to A good way to manage your worry is to challenge your learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to negative thinking with positive statements and realistic improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your fearful or you have a lot of anxiety, and you decide to take a walk to help anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind that will maintain objectivity and common sense. yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk.

Be smart in how you deal with your fears and anxieties.

This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next Do not try to tackle everything all at once. When facing a current time around. or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, break Many people try to get rid of their anxieties and fears without the task into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller taking into consideration why they are afraid. The best way to get tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and rid of your fears is to find those techniques that will manage the increase your chances of success. true source of your fears. If you can do this, then you should be Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about able to overcome your fears and anxieties. : : how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opStan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear portunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods.” deal with your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you will For information, visit managingfear.com. have learned the skills to deal with your situation.

Nov. 15-28, 2019

qnotes

27

28

qnotes

Nov. 15-28, 2019