FH Out Front Blog

Continuing the Conversation on HIV/AIDS

As many of us have said countless times before, the conversation about HIV/AIDS needs to be restarted and refreshed. We all need to be thinking about ways to ensure we keep the dialogue going about prevention and protection, treatment and care. With infection rates climbing in many places (including D.C. where it has now been labeled an epidemic), we simply have no choice but to think about all of the ways in which we can leverage communications tools to share information and encourage efforts to fight HIV infections.

So it was great to read this morning about a new coalition of business leaders that has identified three target cities in the U.S. for a new campaign to “fight the spread of HIV and AIDS with better marketing, appearances by professional basketball players and financial donations to city health departments.”  The Washington Post carried the story on the front of its Metro section today and provided good detail about a story that gets far too little attention. 

According to the article, the three cities receiving the funding are Washington, D.C., New York City and Oakland, California. The companies involved are all members of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and include Pfizer, Nike, Nokia, the National Basketball Association and Facebook (among others). Very cool. I must say, however, that I hope this program does not become a one-shot deal. If the companies just write checks and issue press releases and then the campaign goes nowhere, then this announcement will amount to nothing more than bad PR. I really hope that the partners are committed to this campaign and will see it through, including remaining engaged in outreach and communication focused on making a positive impact.

The announcement could not have come at a better time. Saturday, June 27, 2009 is National HIV Testing Day – an annual observance that often seems to be overshadowed by other events and activities. 

What do you think? Is this kind of corporate engagement helpful? What else should we be doing to further the conversation about HIV/AIDS? Please share your thoughts below.

Ms. Greenlee Goes to Washington

Last September, Laura blogged about the aging LGBT community—specifically, that over the next 25 years, seven to 10 percent of Americans age 65 or older will be members of our community. At the time, Newsweek addressed the health/well-being reality of LGBT seniors: Gay seniors are twice as likely as straight seniors to live alone, 10 times less likely to have someone care for them when they are ill, and half as likely to have health insurance than heterosexuals.

 

Why am I bring this up? This month, President Obama announced the appointment of Kathy Greenlee to serve as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Assistant Secretary for the Administration on Aging—a long title which means that Greenlee will focus on aging issues on behalf of the administration. Greenlee has some impressive credentials – she has served as secretary of aging in Kansas since 2006 and previously served as Kansas' long-term care ombudsman, assistant secretary of aging and a general counsel at the Kansas Insurance Department. She also was chief of staff and chief of operations for former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who recently became the secretary of health and human services.

Another great aspect of Greenlee? She is an out lesbian. This of course means we not only have another representative in the upper echelon of U.S. policy-making, but we also have someone at the top who will focus on our growing LGBT aging population.

My hope is that Greenlee, with her seasoned experience with the healthcare and health insurance sectors, will combine her passion for aging issues with her demonstrated commitment to our community (through her participation in Equality Kansas) to develop aging programs and services that are specifically tailored to the needs of our LGBT boomers and elders. From corporate America to the halls of the White House, this segment of our LGBT population, and our aging population, is one that needs our attention now so that we have the systems and resources in place to provide the help when we need it.

Welcome to Washington, Kathy. Readers—what LGBT aging issues would you like to see Ms. Greenlee address during her first year in office? Let’s hear them! 

 

(Photo courtesy of Kansas Department on Aging)

Re:Post - Thank You for Being a Friend

As you may know, actress Bea Arthur died over the weekend. Much of the LGBT media and blogosphere coverage of Arthur's death referenced her fan base in the gay community. Arthur's star turn as Dorothy on The Golden Girls, her history-making role as Maude in the sitcom of the same name and her Broadway, film and other TV work endeared her to millions of fans. 

It's not always obvious why some people become gay icons or why some television programs resonate so strongly with different LGBT communities. Our very own Peter Klaus examined this issue more than a year ago right here on the Out Front Blog. In Bea Arthur's honor, we thought we'd run Peter's post again to give a useful perspective on that question. In this Re:Post, we present Peter's original post from January 4, 2008:

I’ve often wondered exactly why the classic TV sitcom The Golden Girls is a stereotypical favorite of LGBT community and what that communicates about this specific audience. I started thinking about this again when I stayed at a gay friend’s apartment (he’s in his late twenties) in NYC on New Year’s Eve and tripped over a stack of The Golden Girls DVDs the size of a loaf of bread (must have been every season).

Certainly, the razor wit of the dialogue, inclusion of LGBT-sensitive plot lines (according to Wikipedia, the show’s original pilot episode even featured a gay character named Coco who was the girls’ cook…who knew?), and the larger-than-life characters are key draws.

However, I think I have a more fundamental answer to the question after reading the results of a new study focusing on the behavior of older LGB adults.

Some of the study’s key findings are featured on 365Gay.com. It was conducted by Arnold H. Grossman and Eliza Dragowski of New York University, and Anthony D'Augelli of Pennsylvania State University and was published in the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services.

The research finds that older LGB adults have a “history of caregiving” during times of illness and that social networks in this population often develop to fill unique support gaps, such as estrangement from biological families (based on homophobia or being closeted) or the inability to access health coverage through partner benefit plans.

Despite increased debate and discussion about gay adoption during the past several years, the fact remains that the majority of LGBT folks do not have children. Even though not all children may end up supporting their parents when they fall ill, I believe there is still a general societal assumption that children are obligated to support their parents when they reach an age when they can no longer care for themselves. 

Well, where does that leave most in the LGBT community? I know I’ve personally thought about this particular concern: “Who’s going to care for me if I become ill when I’m in my twilight years? Who is going to care for me and about me during that time?”

V-Day Greetings

It’s not the card one might be expecting in mid-February.  This 365gay.com clip gets a first-person reaction to an anonymous e-card system from inSPOT that is used to notify sexual partners of potential exposure to a pull-down menu of STDs, including HIV.

We notified you about this new online tool last fall. Reactions have ranged from calling the service pioneering and useful  to incredibly impersonal and cowardly.  In Itay Hod’s 365gay report this week, the public’s descriptors ranged from “goofy” and “hysterical” to “Oh my God” and “intense.”

As some say, this may be a cowardly way to notify someone, but at least it eases a barrier that often can hamper notification.

That said, there is no research yet to show if what percentage of partners who are notified of exposure then seek testing themselves.  However, at least public reception to this online communications tool is notable.  Since their debut last fall, inSPOT e-cards have been translated into Spanish and French – and oddly enough, into Romanian.

Familial Acceptance Fights Depression, Suicide

A recent study by San Francisco State University, whose findings will appear in January’s edition of the American Academy of Pediatrics journal, has established for the first time a link between serious LGBT youth health problems and their family’s rejection or other specific negative reactions to the youth’s sexual orientation. While the general results seemed somewhat intuitive as I read over the study’s media coverage today, the harsh realities of the findings and dialogue on this issue were somewhat unsettling.

Director of the Family Acceptance Project Dr. Caitlin Ryan and her team found that LGBT young people who had experienced greater rejection by their families were:

• 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide
• 6 times more likely to become depressed
• 3.4 times more likely to use drugs
• 3.4 times more likely to engage in unprotected sex

Those numbers give pause when considered in context with the fact that more and more LGBT individuals today are coming out at earlier ages. And despite the growing number of LGBT role models and discussion of top LGBT issues at the national and local levels, conversations on the health of LGBT teens before, during and after their coming out are largely relegated to the occasional media story or study issued around the time of an LGBT teen’s death.

World AIDS Day

Today, people across the globe recommit themselves to a worldwide challenge — fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Today, we celebrate the lives saved by prevention and treatment. Today, we remember the need to do more.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Twenty years of working to target populations in need and spread awareness, educate, and change behaviors. It will come to no one’s surprise that WAD will dominate any and all of today’s media coverage. And as individuals, communities, organizations, and corporations all share the news of today’s importance, the staggering number of those affected, and the need for prevention, we must ask ourselves — do our efforts matter?

According to the CDC, 33 million people around the world are living with HIV with nearly 7,500 new infections occurring each day. In the U.S. alone, there are 1.1 million people living with HIV, and approximately one in five persons living with HIV in the U.S. is unaware of his or her infection.
Communicating to audiences that truly need the information must to be of the utmost priority. This seems to be one of the greatest hurdles in prevention and treatment. Social stigmas and political obstacles stand in the way of critical HIV/AIDS education in countries across the globe, including the U.S. Earlier this year, the CDC released figures stating that though fewer people are dying from AIDS, HIV infections are on the rise, specifically for gay and bisexual men in the U.S. HIV also takes a disproportionate toll on people of color, severely impacting African Americans, followed by Hispanics/Latinos. However, how are these communities being targeted for education, prevention, and treatment? We have not seen progress in the black community as AIDS remains the leading cause of death among black women and second-leading cause of death in black men 35-44. In September, Ivette discussed the challenges the Hispanic community faces and the need for an education campaign. And Michael’s first blog shared that “less than 1 percent of the $699 million reported global prevention spending targets men who have sex with men.”

We’ve previously discussed these obstacles (see Ben’s blog around AIDS 2008).  And, like my colleagues I agree that the answer is no, these communities are not targeted effectively. There are voices that remain unheard, communities that still suffer, and too many lives affected. We, as individuals and as nation, need to take a leadership position against social stigma, racism, heterosexism, and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS to truly make a difference and change lives. We need to communicate to these audiences in an authentic and impactful way. Do our efforts really matter? For me, the answer is yes, but we can do more. There are millions of people around the world that need prevention and treatment education. We simply need to touch them.

STD: Sometimes Tough to Discuss

Last week’s HIV scare in a suburban St. Louis high school brought to the national forefront the continuing stigma associated with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Within hearing the news that up to 50 students might possibly have come in contact with the virus, high school relationships were immediately strained or ended, nearby sports rivals withdrew from events, and an entire community was engulfed in fear. As I read and watched, disheartened by the news, I wondered how much of the scare was the result of the lack of open communication about STDs and HIV in America.

Think about it – when was the last time you had a discussion about STDs? While an uncomfortable topic, the fact that there are 19 million new sexually transmitted disease cases diagnosed each year in the United States means you quite possibly could have to face the issue sooner than later. Communication about STDs can become even tougher when you realize you have contracted one and need to inform your partners. For many in major markets, discussing possible infection has taken a new, less confrontational form – e-cards.

Last week, four-year-old inSPOT, the first online STD partner notification system using electronic postcards, released an evaluation of the service on the Public Library of Science (PLOS) Medicine forum that received strong pick-up from Reuters, CNN and U.S. News & World Report.

inSPOT initially began in San Francisco, a project of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS), in response to high demand from gay men and men who sleep with men regarding a local syphilis outbreak. Focus group research found that many of these men were not telling casual sex partners of their STD status because there was no easy, convenient and anonymous way.

inSPOT has since grown into a site with contractual agreements with 10 major cities, such as New York and Chicago, and countries such as Canada and Romania, with more than 750 site visitors daily. Recipients can select from six types of e-cards to send their message either anonymously or with a personal message, many times from the testing centers that originally diagnose the infection. The e-cards also provide disease and testing center information to the recipients.

Since it began, the focus has expanded to include all sexually active individuals and more than 30,000 people have sent more than 49,500 e-cards. In 2006 and 2007, the 23,594 e-cards sent were distributed as follows: 15.4% for gonorrhea; 14.9% for syphilis; 11.6% for Chlamydia; 48.8% for “Other” (cervicitis, crabs, scabies, hepatitis A, B, C, etc.); and 9.3% for HIV. ISIS has reportedly received fewer than 10 reports in total from individuals who received the cards in error.

When my boyfriend shared the article with me, I initially balked – how could someone so carelessly shoot off an e-card to let former sexual partners know that they may be infected with an STD requiring medical attention for quite possibly an infection that is ultimately fatal?

Looking deeper into the articles and exploring on inSPOT’s site, two positions are quite clear, as summarized by the quotes below:

“By notifying them – even if it’s done anonymously, even distantly, even with an e-card – the benefits of getting someone diagnosed and treated outweigh the concerns of insensitivity.” – Jeffrey D. Klausner, director of STD Prevention and Control Services, San Francisco (CNN.com)

“It’s such an impersonal way to discuss a highly intimate experience. It seems to me to reinforce that people can continue to be irresponsible and they don’t have any consequences.” – Gail Wyatt, clinical psychologist and psychiatry professor, University of California—Los Angeles, (U.S. News and World Report)

Those in favor of the site and its services note public health organizations’ inability to notify all infected individuals’ health partners as practiced in previous decades. The site also offers another channel to disclose this crucial information for those who would find it impossible to do so in person. Also, with the rise of popular online hookup sites like ManHunt.com, those recently diagnosed with STDs may only be able to connect with their previous partners via online communications.

Those against the site highlight the insensitivity with which personal and possibly life-changing information is shared, while also noting the site’s effect of trivializing the consequences of unsafe sex practices and multiple partners.

In the end, the goal is to communicate information to ensure the health of the public and those possibly infected. Because anonymous online hookup sites and certain people’s inability to have these difficult conversations are present today and will likely remain in the future, I believe inSPOT is providing a communication channel that enhances public health, despite its noted and valid shortcomings.

What do you think about e-cards disclosing the possibility that you might have an STD or HIV? Is it a form of responsible communication or a cheap way out? What messages on sexual health and practice is the site communicating? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 

Where will you be when you are 65? 70? 75?

We all hope you will not be aging alone. Recently I read an article on Boston.com about gay aging issues (“Gay Elders Distinctive Challenges Get Closer Look”). According to the article, an estimated 2.5 million gay seniors living and aging alone in America is a reality. It’s a scary statistic, isn’t it? We tend not to think much about it, as gays we like to think we are always young. And youth and good looks is what is celebrated, not an aging gay population.

                  

So where does that leave the older gay population? As Laura Nguyen pointed out in her recent post “Booming New Ad Campaign”, a recent Newsweek article highlights some alarming statistics about the aging gay boomer population. Among them, over the next 25 years, the number of Americans age 65 or older will increase by 12 to 20 percent. Out of those seniors, seven to 10 percent are predicted to be members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community. This is truly an invisible population to many.

Why? Many of these persons never came out to family, friends or coworkers. They remain caught in limbo between the straight world and the gay world. Now that they are aging they don’t know where they fit. And they are afraid of bias and anti-gay treatment at senior centers or from the health care system. If they are alone, as many are, the problems escalate. Who to call with medical issues? Who can they turn to for financial advice or assistance? Their vulnerability is enormous.

   

For those gay couples who are aging, they face a different set of challenges. Lack of rights for same sex couples rises to the top of the list. You better be armed with the appropriate legal forms if you want to get in and see your partner in the hospital. Or if need to make some major medical decisions, you’ll need more forms! Recently, AARP decided to tackle the issue (full disclosure: they are a Fleishman-Hillard client, although none of our team works with them). The largest advocacy group in the world for persons over 50 years old, is going to focus on gay and lesbian aging at a conference organized by SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) and sponsored by AARP this month. This is a huge deal! AARP sponsoring an event that features workshops on a variety of issues related to the older GLBT audience – a first! Are you over 50? YOU should sign up for AARP today and show your support.

                   

Issues of aging and the struggles are difficult for us all. For a generation that many of us don’t know, it can be devastating. How can you help? Find out more by checking out AARP, SAGE and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. They are all working to help support our elderly gay friends who face unique challenges we never imagined.

   

Designing Your Destiny

Recently my colleagues Michael Murphy and Ivette Lopez posted on HIV communications and HIV testing awareness, for the public at large and the Hispanic LGBT population. While communications is an essential component for educating and maintaining the spread of the virus, it plays a completely different yet equally vital role for those living with HIV and the associated stigmas. With a 2006 Center for Disease Control study reporting that more than 440,000 people are infected with HIV in the United States, many individuals daily must combat personal and professional stigmas with few organizations and resources available to them, and even fewer HIV-positive role models.

I recently saw through our friends at Queerty that former Project Runway contestant Jack Mackenroth, who we’ve covered here before, has developed Living Positive By Design, a national HIV and AIDS education campaign that is partnering with local HIV/AIDS organizations across the country. Having lived with HIV for nearly 20 years, Jack Mackenroth quickly rose to be a leading HIV-positive public figure though his appearance on Project Runway, where he openly discussed his positive status and his personal management of the disease.

So just how do Jack and Living Positive By Design intend to make progress for those living with HIV and AIDS? Thoughtful conversation. He is planning to speak about his “experiences living with HIV for nearly 20 years, addressing the stigma still associated with the disease and highlighting the importance for people living with HIV to have a positive outlook on life while effectively managing their disease.”

Living Positive By Design will kick off this Saturday, Sept. 20 in Ft. Lauderdale at the 2008 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), which is sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC). The campaign will make subsequent stops over the next few months in  Houston, New York, San Francisco and Atlanta. For more details and video from Jack, visit the Living Positive By Design MySpace page.

Thoughtful conversations and open dialogues – the power of communication is a necessity in the efforts to educate others about HIV and testing, while simultaneously championing those already living with the virus ability to manage their disease and be a normal, productive member of society. This same belief in communications as a change agent is what drives our work for our clients and the Out Front Blog. We look forward to seeing the results of Jack’s efforts, as he continues to use his life to educate and communicate for those living and managing HIV like him.

Hispanic Males in NYC with Higher Rates of HIV – Education Through MarComm

The latest reports on HIV statistics in NYC are alarming – you may have already read the details in Michael’s blog yesterday. According to the CDC, the number of people in the Big Apple with the HIV virus is triple that of the national rate. The most affected are African Americans and gay males. According to the same article from EFE, a Spanish-language news wire service, about 77% of the rising numbers of those infected are credited to minorities. Hispanics account for 32% of the total new HIV cases, a number that is double that than the Anglo community.

We are in the business of communicating with a goal in mind. That goal is often times to educate and change behaviors. A lot of the work that I have done in regards to Hispanic communications has involved teaching Hispanics how to assimilate to the American way of life. In my last blog I mentioned that many hospitals in Latin American countries are not equipped with the proper tools and education to take care of HIV patients, and many of them turn away HIV+ patients. Discrimination against those infected by the HIV virus still exists in some Latin American counties – despite the fact that gay marriage or civil unions are legal. If I were a recent U.S. immigrant from a Latin American country with HIV, I would be very inclined to keep quiet about my condition.  If people in Latin America lose their jobs for being HIV, I could fear that I may be deported if I contracted the virus in America. 

Challenging scenarios like this one often times set the stage for the best and most successful communications campaigns. Through professional communicators’ work with trusted community based and advocacy organizations, riling up media reporters, and working with celebrities (whether local, national or international), we would be able to effectively help teach Hispanics in NYC – and across the country – to no longer be afraid of getting tested and facing the results (whether positive or negative), practice safe sex and get medical help if needed.

Although the Hispanic media market in NYC is not as robust as general market (Miami takes numero uno), it is a very important and active market for Hispanics. NYC is home to a plethora of Hispanic sub-cultures from Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuba, Ecuadorian – the list grows - and community organizations for each one.  NYC is also home to many Hispanic LGBT organizations such as Las Buenas Amigas, Latino Gay Men in New York, and in fact, the Hispanic AIDS Forum which has been making progress in reaching and educating Latinos in NYC. (Click here for an overview of their work in Queens during Pride.) Now is the perfect time to engage the community and kick this campaign into gear – as September marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month. Latinos can embrace their heritage but also assimilate to the realities of living today in the United States, including HIV testing and awareness.

The United States offers its citizens – and residents – so much support that it can be hard to believe to a newcomer. The Hispanic community in NYC (and indeed throughout the U.S.) needs a more robust surge of education and awareness campaign that will allow them to feel safe enough to get the help they need, remain self-aware, and in the end, decrease the number of individuals infected by the HIV virus.

HIV in NYC: Show Me the Money

Welcome to my first blog posting on the Out Front Blog! And, actually my first blog posting ever…. I am an incredibly slow adapter to new technology, but have been reading this blog for a while and I am honored to contribute my two cents into the public domain about important issues in gay and lesbian communications and marketing. If you would like a refund on those two cents after reading, please let me know….

Back to the topic at hand, or on screen if you will. Last month, my colleague Ben Finzel posted a revealing look into the AIDS 2008 conference on August 12 and CDC’s announcement showing that HIV infection rates are rising among gay and bisexual men in the U.S. AP coverage of the announcement reported that “less than 1 percent of the $699 million reported global prevention spending targets men who have sex with men.”

Fast forward two weeks in August, and the New York City health department announced  that New York City residents are contracting the virus that causes AIDS at three times the national rate. According to department officials, almost 4,800 New Yorkers were infected with HIV in 2006, which represents 72 in every 100,000 residents, compared to a national rate of 23 per 100,000. Assistant health commissioner Dr. Monica Sweeney told the AP that these figures underscore the continued need to promote HIV testing and prevention. Completely agree that this needs to happen, but how can it happen when funding for non-profits, state health departments, and other community-based health organizations continues to dwindle as economic reality sets in and monetary support shifts to another cause or issue? We often assume that these organizations can carry the entire burden of communicating the preventive and treatment messages. While they are extremely effective at impacting perception and actions in their immediate communities, staff and resources are typically limited and there is only so much each organization can achieve in this important communications and awareness battle. Having worked with state and local health organizations on public health campaigns, I can absolutely testify that funding allocated for any health issue, whether it is HIV, cancer, or obesity, is sadly only a drop in the bucket for what needs to happen.

I’m not the only one who sees the need for increased funding for this cause. On September 3, The New York Times editorial board published its own assessment of the real numbers on H.I.V. in the U.S. and in New York. The editorial recognizes that the city’s department of health “distributes tens of millions of condoms annually, provides a needle-exchange program for intravenous drug users, tries hard to identify new cases and urges the sex partners of infected patients to get tested. But more is clearly needed.”

Clearly, indeed. Where can this funding come from? With our wallets targeted for so many different issues and causes (especially in this election cycle), perhaps the first step in funding solutions needs to come from the private sector.  Some of the big pharma companies have stepped forward to partner with governments and non-governmental organizations to develop a series of initiatives to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in the U.S. and abroad. I’m certain other companies are doing the same with this cause, but more, including those outside of the healthcare sector, should consider HIV-related funding a top priority for community and philanthropic initiatives.

Another step? Dedicated national network time devoted to the cause. On Friday, September 5, the three big networks (NBC, ABC, CBS) came together to devote one hour of primetime coverage to a joint initiative to raise awareness on cancer, called “Stand Up to Cancer.” I watched this. Having relatives who continue to pass away from this disease, it was both emotional and informative, encouraging the 10.4 million individuals who watched to contribute any way possible. The one hour of television raised over $100 million dollars. That works out to 10 dollars for everyone who watched. Cancer is an equally important issue and this was a great way to raise awareness, but what bothered me about this effort was the constant branding by each of the networks that devoting an hour of television, without commercials, was “historic.” Should this be the case? Should these networks not devote an hour each month to important causes, like cancer and HIV? Imagine the power of an evening on television dedicated to HIV awareness, with channels like Bravo, LOGO, here!-TV, and all of our LGBT-friendly media outlets expanding and tailoring their own promotion of the event.  Imagine the difference that could make.

Imagine is all we can do until we can increase funding to empower the New York City health department and the countless national, regional, and local coalitions dedicated to eradicating HIV from our communities. If this means I need to host a telethon next to my dear friends Katie Couric, Brian Williams, and Charles Gibson, I say bring it. HIV is ready for its close-up.

If You Don't Talk to Us, How Will You Reach Us?

AIDS 2008, the annual international AIDS conference (held this year in Mexico City, for the first time) wrapped up last week. U.S. press coverage of the conference has focused largely on the Centers for Disease Control announcement on the day before the conference started that more people in the U.S. are HIV positive than previously believed. Much of that press coverage has been critical of the CDC for its prevention outreach programs. Advocate.com this week is running an interesting AP story on the conference that elaborates one of the most obvious, yet underreported, problems: only a tiny fraction of the prevention and education money for HIV/AIDS outreach globally is focused on the gay community. 

While HIV/AIDS cases worldwide affect large numbers of both straight and gay people, nearly all of the prevention funding goes to programs focused on heterosexuals. In fact, the AP story reported that “less than 1 percent of the $669 million reported in global prevention spending targets men who have sex with men.” 

The CDC’s latest figures also show that HIV infection rates are rising among gay and bisexual men in the U.S. That’s true in other countries as well. In many countries (including our own), social norms or political interference in health education prevent direct outreach to these audiences. This kind of outreach discrimination is making it harder to get safe sex messages and resources to many of the very people who need them most – and is likely helping foster the increase in infection rates in several countries. As Craig McClure, executive director of the International AIDS Society told the AP: “It’s very difficult to provide services to men who have sex with men in countries that don’t acknowledge they exist or criminalize them if they do exist.” The article goes on to provide damning information about the dramatic rise in HIV infection among gay and bisexual men in numerous countries across the globe.

This is a communications problem with an obvious solution: target the information to the people who need it. And that means gay and bisexual men in addition to straight men and women. The challenge is two-fold: figuring out how to do that in countries where societal pressures make that difficult; and finding the political will to make it happen.

It’s not enough to say “we’re fighting HIV/AIDS” if we’re not talking to all of the audiences affected by it. It’s not enough to say “we’re doing all we can” if we’re not even acknowledging the existence of some members of the audience.

And that brings us home, to the U.S. Just days before the CDC announcement, the Black AIDS Institute made headlines with the release of their report that concluded that “AIDS in America today is a black disease” (as Institute chief Phil Wilson told CNN). Citing 2006 CDC statistics, Wilson said that 50% of the nearly 1 million Americans living with HIV are black.  As Wilson (who is gay and HIV positive) pointed out, funding for HIV/AIDS education and outreach in this country is not keeping pace with the threat and Black Americans are often left out of the outreach equation. Again, the communities that need prevention education aren’t getting it. 

We’ve written here before about “prevention fatigue” and the dangers of complacency about HIV/AIDS in our community (and others). But that’s only part of the problem. If the powers that be aren’t providing the leadership to even talk to us, the problem will continue to get worse. The answer is at once both simple and exceedingly difficult: drop the politics and focus the message on where the need is. If you don’t talk to us, how will you reach us?

A Generation of Ages

Last Tuesday, Ben discussed the obstacles gayby boomers experience in the realms of financial protection and partnerships. As I read his blog, I couldn’t help but recall the numerous senior communities specifically geared toward the LGBT audience, including the Advocate’s recent issue highlighting Mexico as a key retirement destination or Olivia’s specific marketing to lesbian seniors. According to a report entitled, Out and Aging: The MetLife Study of Gay and Lesbian Boomers, LGBT boomers are afraid they won’t be able to take care of themselves (74%), question if they will be financially stable and prepared to throughout their retirement, and fearful of the discrimination they will face as they age. The list is endless — social security, taxes, healthcare, and estate planning but the solutions are slowly rising to the surface as we continue this ongoing dialogue.

According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, there is a total of 3 million LGBT senior citizens in the U.S., and this number is estimated to increase to 4 million by 2030. Today, as more and more pivotal and powerful icons of the gay and lesbian movement mature, there are concerns regarding healthcare, social services, and a maintained and inclusive community specifically impacting the LGBT population. The Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign estimates that more than 23 percent of same sex couples include partner a partner who is 55 or older, and 12 percent include one who is 65 or older.

Recognizing this need for education and communication surrounding LGBT, the 2008 Aging in America Conference, sponsored by the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging, will host workshops geared toward LGBT concerns for such boomers. The conferences takes place March 26-30 in Washington D.C.

Support from such national organizations and associations, in additional to education resources and sessions to create advocates and ambassadors for the LGBT senior community is essential. Additionally, it’s important to arm LGBT boomers and their allies with the tools to be advocates. These issues of health, finances, and culturally inclusive communities are key to ensuring our LGBT community, as a whole, maintains a commitment to stability and growth spanning from youth through seniors.

Utilizing LGBT organizations to provide a resource for LGBT seniors is crucial to fostering a supportive community. These seniors have been pivotal to the growth of the LGBT community, granting us millennials with the opportunities to be out and open about who we are. Our generation of millienials receives such negative perceptions of our disconnect to the world, yet high expectations for our self-fulfilling aspirations. Coming from a culture of embraced tradition and a heavy emphasis on respect for elders, it’s difficult for me to not raise the issue of LGBT seniors. So often, I take advantage of the privileges I currently have because of the fight that these individuals worked so diligently to give me — give us. As they mature, we must remember that they are at a higher risk of  marginalization and exclusion, in addition to financial and legal hardships. Perhaps it’s time for us to return the favor. Last week, Ben posed the question, “Who will lead that conversation?” For many of us, our reply is “It’s not our problem,” but it is … it’s our community’s problem. Regardless of age or generation gaps, this is a problem that we can collectively work to resolve.

The Letter T

As a society and as an LGBT community, I don't think we communicate clearly enough about transgender issues... even at the most basic level.

I think it's even tough for those who one would assume know how to handle and discuss the topic the best.

In fact, The Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) only Transgender board member, Donna Rose, resigned from her post last year over the language the organization chose to use with respect to its stance on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. There is certainly continuing dialogue on this issue between HRC and the transgender community (as Rich pointed out yesterday) but that's not the focus of this blog post.

Having said that, I was up late one night several weeks ago and stumbled upon an interesting documentary on TV about transgender men and women. After watching the program, it really got me thinking about just how complex the transgender issue is. A number of the transgender men and women in the documentary had blue collar jobs. I thought to myself, "You know, I work in a white collar atmosphere that is rather liberal compared to many industries and even we don't often discuss transgender issues." This aspect of the documentary inspired me to do some research into how corporations attempt to communicate with employees who are transgender. 

Having remembered that Ms. Rose had relinquished her board membership at HRC, I began my search on HRC.org.  I wanted to see what types of resources are offered by the largest LGBT organization. I imagine HRC would be the first stop for most corporations who want to learn more about transgender issues.

I discovered that HRC.org maintains a particularly robust section dedicated to transgender issues in the workplace. The page is entitled "Resources for Transgender Employees."

The language describing this section of the HRC Web site reads:

"Transgender employees can present unique workplace challenges. Transitioning employees – those who are moving outside the socially accepted standards of dress, physiology and/or behavior of their birth gender – often cannot avoid challenging community standards about what is gender-appropriate self-identification, appearance or expression. Furthermore, little legal protection exists for workplace gender non-conformity."

There is even a video series, specifically developed for corporate leaders, that features Donna Rose discussing transgender issues. It's great to see that her innovative work is still being promoted at heralded by HRC even though she decided to remove herself from the board. The introduction to the video series features Joe Solmonese, President of HRC, as well as Bob Berman, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President at Eastman Kodak. The video featured on HRC.org was actually captured at Donna's presentation to staff at Eastman Kodak.

You can watch the introduction to the video series by clicking here or visit this page on HRC.org to watch all of the video installments.

I highly recommend watching these videos if you want to learn more about transgender issues from an employee and workplace perspective. I learned a lot from watching them.

The transgender community needs the support of its LGB brothers and sisters. We owe it to the transgender community to understand and care about their challenges. They may be a minority within the LGBT community but the essence of our collective struggle for understanding is embedded within the complexity of their particular challenge, in my opinion.

The truth is that no one in the LGBT community will ever truly achieve equality until the day that gender identity, sexual orientation, and every combination of the two is respected by society at large.

At the end of the day, sexual orientation and gender identity may not be the exact same issue.

However, it's important to remember that our LGBT minority status is ultimately based on the fact that our individual sexual identities don't fit into the "norm" as determined by society.

Some LGB members of our community may believe that gender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation:

"I know what my sex is and I know what my sexual orientation is.  What does gender identity have to do with me?"

I think that view is too simplistic.

In reality, gender identity and sexual orientation are, in my view, inextricably woven together from a cultural and communications perspective.

That's why stereotypes exist, right? 

"All gay men act effeminate and all lesbians act butch."

Those stereotypes exist because of our society's long held views on gender identity (what is male and what is female) as it relates to sexual orientation.

Therefore, it seems logical to me that learning how to communicate effectively about transgender issues is a necessary and important step in our entire community's struggle for equality. We have to appreciate and tackle both intertwined issues -- gender identity and sexual orientation -- if we all hope to advance.

photo credit

Can We Talk?

Media coverage about baby boomers continues to consume public attention, but as we’ve noted before, coverage about gayby boomers still lags behind. The flap over Tom Brokaw’s seeming omission of gay people from his book "Boom!" is but the latest example of this trend. 

In fact, gayby boomers share many of the same concerns about aging and the second half of their lives as their straight boomer counterparts. What’s different are the solutions. We don’t have the same legal protections for our partnerships and that means we can’t make the same assumptions about aging. We also don’t have the same financial protections in the tax code and we must develop custom solutions to ensure our financial futures. 

Our friends at Community Marketing Inc. have just released the results of a new survey they conducted among 40+ LGBT people – "Gay and Graying: Concerns for the Future." Their topline finding:

“More than 70% of lesbian and gay and respondents over age 40 reported concerns about losing the ability to care for themselves in a recent study conducted by Community Marketing, Inc. The majority also feared becoming sick or disabled, being dependent on others, and outliving their savings.”

Such a Drag …

How many of your friends are smokers? Out of those friends, how many of them are LGBT? In my last blog entry, I discussed the overwhelming inclination within LGBT individuals to fit in, fit into a world that isn’t ready to accept them, and fit into a community that hasn’t fully accepted itself. There ar e many of us out there, those who have dealt with the trials and tribulations of uncertainty with our sexual identity, strained and sometimes forced growth, and acceptance — of ourselves. So where do we turn — we turn to our neighbor and ask, “Do you have a light?”

Tobacco-use is a major public health issue in the LGBT community, showing one of the highest smoking rates out of all disproportionately affected populations. The LGBT community is approximately 40-70 percent more likely to smoke than heterosexuals. According to the American Legacy Foundation, research indicates that up to half of LGBT adults smoke, and LGBT youth tobacco use rates are on the rise (59 percent compared to 35 percent of straight teens (CDC)).

So what are the factors that contribute to why the LGBT community have drastically higher rates of smoking?

• Self-esteem issues
• Need for peer acceptance
• Need for rebellion and liberation
• Depression
• Struggle with sexuality

To the tobacco industry, this brand loyal audience was the ideal market. In 1992, the first tobacco ad surfaced in a gay publication, Genre, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for gay men. The ad campaign stemmed from Philip Morris. Despite the controversy that unfolded, their efforts were unwavering. In 1994, Philip Morris debuted Parliament as the first tobacco brand to advertise in LGBT media. The ad, featuring two women and one man, ran in OUT magazine. This gay-vague representation continued for three years with various Parliament ads for gays and lesbians.

Despite federal attempts to reduce smoking rates, numbers have leveled off in the past 10 years, while marketing and advertising of tobacco products to the LGBT community continues. In 2005, American Spirit Cigarettes unveiled an advertisement with political innuendos surrounding gay marriage. Click here to view the ad. Though the ad does not blatantly state the gay and lesbian target, the message and audience are clear.

“This is a community already ravaged by addictions", said Hal Offen, president of the Coalition of Lavender-Americans on Smoking and Health (CLASH), an organization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual tobacco control professionals. "We don't need the Marlboro Man to help pull the trigger."

According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use kills at least 30,000 gays and lesbians each year in the United States. We need to recognize this life-threatening, yet preventable public health issue in our community. For more information about smoking cessation and prevention, check out these sites:

• American Lung Association
• Gay American Smoke Out
• National LGBT Tobacco Control Network
• National Coalition for LGBT Health

Common Sense On Staph

After last week’s post when I expressed concern over the absence of public health information on the new strain of staph that was reported to be disproportionately affecting gay men and the frenzied reaction of the media who were swift to make wildly sensationalist comparisons with HIV/AIDS, I thought it would be useful to provide an update on what has happened since.

This story which originated from a limited study published by a group of scientists in the Annals of Internal Medicine spread rapidly across the globe via the print and online news media. Much of the reports simply replicated the language of the press release – including the title – Sexually-active gay men vulnerable to new, highly infectious bacteria – leading to headlines such as “the new HIV” in one London tabloid and a degree of hysteria in the gay population.

Since then there have been developments which have done something to improve the situation and inject a dose of common sense into the issue, which remains a serious public health concern. 

Firstly, the researchers who conducted the study have apologized for the language used in the initial statement about the findings.

In a new statement on their website, the University of California at San Francisco's (UCSF) Department of Public Affairs states they "regret that our recent news report about an important population-based study on MRSA USA300 with public health implications contained some information that could be interpreted as misleading."

It goes on to say “We deplore negative targeting of specific populations in association with MRSA infections or other public health concerns, and we will be working to ensure that accurate information about the research is disseminated to the health community and the general public.”

Let’s hope the university and researchers learn from the experience and avoid using inflammatory language including Dr Binh Diep’s comments that “Once this reaches the general population, it will be truly unstoppable.”

Dr Diep has said he regretted not being more thorough in communicating his research to reporters. He said that the term “general population” was part of medical jargon used in the report, which did not translate well. “ It’s really meant to be used to mean all inclusive, including the men-who-have-sex-with-men population,” he said. I think perhaps the damage has already been done and this effort at contrition will do little to repair the public perceptions of this strain of the infection and who is actually at risk.

Secondly, the CDC released a statement, which although not covered extensively in the media, does at least provide sensible, credible advice on steps to take in order to avoid infection.

What are the lessons here for communications?

1. The medical research community needs to be extremely careful with the precision of the language used in any statements, particularly where this relates to possible conditions affecting the gay and lesbian population given the tendency of media (and extreme religious bigots as we have seen this week) to unquestioningly republish this without further investigation into the context or interviewing other specialists on the issue – and to sadly make comparisons with HIV/AIDS.

2. The media needs to take more responsibility when reporting this type of public health development and avoid blatant sensationalism. Yes the researchers used inappropriate and potentially misleading language but it should have been up to journalists to examine this further, to point out that this was a small-scale and limited, and to include the perspectives of other experts in the field (as some news organizations did including the BBC) to gain a bigger picture to these results.

3. The public health authorities and NGOs need to be quicker off the mark with practical advice and guidance to avoid an information vacuum. In a world of 24 hour media and importantly the unprecedented speed of often unchecked news in the blogosphere it is more vital now than ever to be on hand to offer a voice of reason into the debate.

Staph Infection: More Information and Less Hysteria

There have been reports in the media and on blogs around the world this week of new strain of staph, highly resistant to antibiotics reportedly spreading among gay men in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Some of the headlines have been sensationalist, labeling this newly strain of an increasingly common infection as “the new HIV” whereas others – notably those I have read in the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times – have been more considered, and based on the factual evidence available.

Unfortunately there is a distinct lack of factual evidence available. The story is out there based on the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine titled "Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant, Community-Associated, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone USA300 in Men Who Have Sex with Men."

I have no doubt that this is a credible medical study but it is one study and does not provide all the answers in terms of why this new strain of the MRSA infection has affected and is being spread in the gay community.

The study itself says in the section “What were the limitations of the study?”:

Not many multidrug-resistant MRSA infections were found. As a result, the researchers' estimates of infection risk were not very precise. Also, because the researchers did not actually interview study participants, they could not really say what caused the infections.

It suggests that this may be due to those who are HIV positive being more at risk due to weaken immune systems, heavy use of antibiotics, and hints that the type of sexuality activity (where the skin-to-skin contact occurs) between gay men may put them at greater risk of contracting the infection.

At the same time the study does not declare this to be a sexually transmitted disease and states that it can be transferred through non-sexual close contact.

This makes it similar to other forms of MRSA which have been identified outside hospitals, and have led to outbreaks in schools, gyms, and other public places where there is close contact between people.

The problem here is clearly a plenty of information out there about the symptoms and effects, but not about how it is transmitted and what steps to take to prevent infection.

This information vacuum is a breeding ground for fear, panic, stereotypes and prejudice – and as we have seen in the media inaccurate comparisons with HIV/AIDS.

This is not HIV/AIDS. The bacteria has been identified by the medical profession and it is generally, although not always, treatable. It is actually more contagious than HIV/AIDS as it can be spread via casual contact and is not simply the result of “promiscuous” behavior by gay men as many media reports have claimed.

We have seen outbreaks of new forms of MRSA before and there has never been a comparison made with HIV/AIDS. It is only because this strain has been identified in one study as being prevalent, although not confined to, the gay population that this lazy comparison has been made.

What is needed is both responsible reporting by the media, and clear guidance from healthcare communicators about the facts of the new infection.

Of course we must take this extremely seriously as a community and should by no means downplay it in any way. It is a dangerous condition that is difficult to treat but we must operate on the facts and not speculation or hysteria at this stage.

Out Front Medicine

Consumer news coverage in January typically focuses on “new year” stories such as weight loss and other “life changing” practices. There are always lots of stories about diet and exercise and ways to stay healthy and avoid the flu or other illnesses that can send you to the doctor for treatment.

Even though I tune a lot of the “same story, different year” coverage out, I try to pay attention to the ways in which the media generally address these issues without considering the unique healthcare needs of the LGBT community. The media talks a lot about competing political proposals for future changes to our health care delivery system, but a lot less (if at all) about what can and should be done now to make whole health healthcare possible for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. 

For example, lots of stories suggest consulting your doctor or other healthcare professional before embarking on a new diet and exercise plan or asking for help to figure out how best to quit smoking or drop that extra weight. But what if you’re not out to your doctor? What if your doctor has no idea that you’re a member of the LGBT community? Does it matter? 

Yes. A lot.

Thank You for Being a Friend...

I’ve often wondered exactly why the classic TV sitcom The Golden Girls is a stereotypical favorite of LGBT community and what that communicates about this specific audience. I started thinking about this again when I stayed at a gay friend’s apartment (he’s in his late twenties) in NYC on New Year’s Eve and tripped over a stack of The Golden Girls DVDs the size of a loaf of bread (must have been every season).

Certainly, the razor wit of the dialogue, inclusion of LGBT-sensitive plot lines (according to Wikipedia, the show’s original pilot episode even featured a gay character named Coco who was the girls’ cook…who knew?), and the larger-than-life characters are key draws.

However, I think I have a more fundamental answer to the question after reading the results of a new study focusing on the behavior of older LGB adults.

Some of the study’s key findings are featured on 365Gay.com. It was conducted by Arnold H. Grossman and Eliza Dragowski of New York University, and Anthony D'Augelli of Pennsylvania State University and was published in the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services.

The research finds that older LGB adults have a “history of caregiving” during times of illness and that social networks in this population often develop to fill unique support gaps, such as estrangement from biological families (based on homophobia or being closeted) or the inability to access health coverage through partner benefit plans.

Despite increased debate and discussion about gay adoption during the past several years, the fact remains that the majority of LGBT folks do not have children. Even though not all children may end up supporting their parents when they fall ill, I believe there is still a general societal assumption that children are obligated to support their parents when they reach an age when they can no longer care for themselves. 

Well, where does that leave most in the LGBT community? I know I’ve personally thought about this particular concern: “Who’s going to care for me if I become ill when I’m in my twilight years? Who is going to care for me and about me during that time?”

Who knows? Maybe I will have children someday? Maybe my partner will be around when I fall ill (guess I should find one first... +smile+)? Or, maybe my younger siblings will help me?

I still don’t know the answer to that question and I don’t think many other LGBT people do either. And maybe it’s the inability to answer this question that provides insight into why The Golden Girls continues to be a community favorite despite the fact that the show stopped airing new episodes in 1992.

I think the show, despite featuring four straight characters, communicates a message of hope to the LGBT population. Point blank, we deal with a unique set of challenges, assumptions, and fears with respect to becoming senior citizens.   

Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia provide one model of how it is possible to survive life’s twists and turns outside of traditional support structures. The show exemplifies that chosen families can be just as important and meaningful as biological families.

This reality of LGBT life has already impacted Fleishman-Hillard’s Out Front team. In fact, we’ve already worked on a couple of LGBT-specific real estate projects that were developed, at least in part, to appeal to those seeking to become park of an extended, supportive community.

What about you? Can you envision yourself living with three of your best friends when you get older? Are you already doing it? Or do you have another story altogether? We’d love to hear about it…so drop us a comment.

[photo credit via flickr]

SAGE Advice: Q&A with Michael Adams

Regular readers have probably figured out by now that I think one of the most fascinating gay and lesbian communications challenges is communicating about retirement and aging issues. Reaching “gayby boomers” and other gays and lesbians on these issues requires real insight and understanding of our community and the varied audiences it comprises.  Increasingly, it’s an essential element of many communications programs, particularly as our community ages alongside the general population. 

With that in mind, it gives me great pleasure to add Michael Adams, executive director of SAGE, to our list of Q&A conversations. Michael runs the “the world's oldest and largest non-profit agency dedicated to serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender senior citizens.”

SAGE’s mission is summed up in its name: Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders. In the past thirty years of its existence, the organization has been responsible for many firsts that support this mission:

• The nation's first Friendly Visiting program for homebound and frail GLBT elders
• The nation's first GLBT Senior Drop-In Center
• The country's first support group for GLBT seniors with HIV
• The first national conferences devoted to GLBT aging concerns
• The nation's first program dedicated to caregiving services for GLBT seniors

The organization is increasingly recognized as a leader on aging and retirement issues in our community. We recently asked Michael for some “SAGE advice” on these issues and his viewpoints on several trends in the marketplace. Our Q&A follows below.

Out & Healthy: Healthcare and Our Community

Our friends at the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce are teaming up with HRC and Aetna to present “Out & Healthy: The National Health Conference on LGBT Healthcare Delivery and Opportunities. This first-ever conference takes place here in Washington, D.C. at the end of the week. 

I’m particularly interested in this conference because it addresses a topic that gets far too little attention both in our community and among the marketers and medical professionals who comprise the healthcare establishment.

According to figures provided by NGLCC, “at least 2 million gays are approaching or have already reached retirement age. By 2020, some 5.7 million, or 25% of the gay community, will be 50 or older.”  While those numbers may be small in comparison to the population of the U.S., they represent a huge, underserved market in our community.

The Rise of the Gayby Boomer, Again

It’s great to see renewed media attention for issues relating to aging in our community. As I’ve written before, I’m fascinated by the communications challenges of outreach to gays and lesbians regarding complex social issues relating to the “second fifty years” of our lives. The challenges of “aging in place” and finding appropriate, respectful care for elderly gays and lesbians are many and it’s long past time that we address these issues from a communications standpoint. The New York Times story Patricia referred to in her post yesterday is a good start, and I hope we’ll see much more in-depth coverage not just of the challenges, but the ways in which our community is addressing them.

But the issue is about much more than so-called “elderly” gays and lesbians. The “gayby boomer” audience includes literally millions of gay men and lesbians over 50 (or approaching 50) who are now thinking about retirement and the next stages of their lives.

Give Me a Sign - Communicating with the LGBT Deaf Community

For those readers who don't know, I am a classically trained professional actor in addition to my full-time career in strategic communications. Most recently, I played a sadistic teacher in the HBO show The Wire, which is filmed in Baltimore. 

Shortly before my role on The Wire,  I was asked by my friend, filmmaker/producer/actor Rick Hammerly, to play a small supporting role in his independent short film, Signage.

Signage explores the issue of aging in the LGBT community as well as the interactions between the hearing and non-hearing. Participating in the film got me thinking about the challenges all communicators face when trying to reach the deaf community... and for the purposes of the Out Front Blog, the LGBT deaf community.  Being on set while filming Signage and not knowing American Sign Language (ASL), I experienced a visceral feeling of frustration. As a professional communicator, I pride myself on the ability to express myself in a clear, concise manner. When we weren't shooting, it was tough trying to communicate clearly and concisely with the deaf actors.

With only facial expressions and body gestures in my communications arsenal, I began to wonder...

Do those who are deaf interpret messages in the same way that I do considering the innate differences in how we receive information? Should there be a greater emphasis on the visual when sound isn't part of the communications process? Does radio, as a channel, have any impact at all on the deaf community? If a deaf person is interested in the Sirius radio show OutQ, for example, is there a mechanism for them to enjoy the content?  Why don't I know the answers to these questions already?

I write this post today because Signage is being shown tonight at DC's Landmark E Street Cinema as part of the DC Shorts Film Festival... AND because I don't have the answers to many of my questions about best practices when communicating with the deaf community (and the LGBT deaf community in particular). More on that a little bit later in the post...

Signage has been praised by audiences and and critics across the country (and internationally) and has already won numerous awards, including:

*BEST LGBT SHORT FILM (Jury Award) - 2007 Cleveland International Film Festival

*BEST GAY DRAMATIC SHORT (Jury Award) - 2007 Q Cinema: Fort Worth’s International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

*BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM (Audience Award) - 2007 DC Independent Film Festival

*FINALIST - 2007 Inaugural Iris Prize - International Gay & Lesbian Short Film Prize (the largest award ever offered for LGBT short film which will to be awarded October '08 in Cardiff, Wales)

The film has also been licensed to MTV's LOGO Channel where it will begin airing in October 2008 and can be streamed and voted for on LOGOonline.com as part of The Click List: Best in Short Film.

If any Out Front readers have the opportunity to check it out -- click here to visit the film's MySpace.com page and get an up-to-date listing of the film festivals that will be showing Signage -- I'd love to hear your feedback. As one would be expected, the film is subtitled as well.

In researching how to best communicate with the LGBT deaf community as a hearing person, I learned about The Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf (RAD). RAD is the largest LGBT deaf organization and has chapters across the country, such as the Capital Metropolitan Rainbow Alliance in Washington, DC.

Other organizations that provide useful information about the LGBT deaf community include the National Deaf Queer Resource Center and the Gay and Lesbian Association of the Deaf, East and West chapters.

I personally believe this issue -- communicating effectively with the LGBT deaf community -- is one that requires more dialogue and research.  Please share with us any of your thoughts or experiences on this topic... those of us at the Out Front Blog (all of whom are hearing) want to learn more. We must not forget that there is a wide range of diversity within the LGBT community itself and we must always consider this fact during the communications planning process.

Not Available In All Markets

Condom advertising is a perennial pariah on broadcast television and a New York Times story yesterday about a new ad campaign from condom brand Trojan is a depressing reminder of that fact. According to the article, Trojan has had a difficult time placing their new “evolve” television ad in one of their planned local test markets, despite success with some national networks. Apparently, while both ABC and NBC accepted the ads as part of their national advertising blocks in those markets, local affiliates for those networks in Pittsburgh blocked it citing the nature of the product being advertised. Ironically, ABC and NBC television viewers in Pittsburgh will still see the ad on their local affiliates during the national advertising blocks cleared by the networks. And all of the local affiliates in the other test market, Seattle, cleared the ad for airing.

According to the Times, both CBS and Fox blocked the ad for national use, with CBS saying it was not “appropriate” and Fox reportedly objecting to the idea that condoms prevent pregnancy. I’m a staunch defender of freedom of the press, but the situation described in the New York Times story smacks of hypocrisy.

Happy July 4th

As usual, we're not posting original content on a holiday. However, it occurred to us that just skipping a day might not be necessary, particularly when we have so much content to share that newer readers might not be familiar with and that regular readers might want to revisit. So, here are links to some of my favorite posts by members our blogging team. Enjoy!

Eddy: Maybe It’s Time To Bring Back the Tombstones of the 1980s

Steve: Locker Room Welcome Mat

Patricia: Are Canadian and Quebecker Women Still Living in the Closet?

Rich: Philadelphia: City of Brotherly (and Gay) Love

Jon: Honest Communication About Gay Health is Supremely Important

Peter: DC Gay Pride – Corporations Come Out

Mark: Perspective on World AIDS Day – the Communications Challenge

Speak to Me

I’d like to pose a question that might seem blasphemous coming from a blogger: can interacting through the digital filter of the online world really provide a strong connection to another person?

A couple of months ago, I would have been hard-pressed to say an unequivocal yes. I suppose I felt no matter how you sliced it, the Internet could never feel truly personal – not like sharing a meal or taking a walk with someone.

But since recording my first podcast with casting director, Lisa Hamil, and my second one with Marjorie J. Hill, CEO of GMHC, I must admit to a change of perspective. No, I don’t think podcasting can replace face-to-face communication, but it does bring life to online communication through the human voice – complete with personality, inflection, emotion.

For example, Dr. Hill’s warmth, directness and dedication to the cause came through so clearly. Listening to the podcast from home, I felt like she and I were chatting over coffee (the interview took place by phone). Based on the responses from listeners, many of whom provided detailed and thought-provoking feedback, I’m hopeful others felt this same kind of connection. I also appreciate all the comments posted – each of which helped raise money for this vital AIDS service organization.

If video killed the radio star, will bloggers yield to the same fate at the hands of podcasters? It’s doubtful. After all, movies, TV and radio are popular but books still sell. If I had to venture a guess, though, I’d say audio and video podcasting are the rising stars of online media. Too bad I have to break the news to you in writing.

Communications Driving Dollars: One Not-For-Profit’s Perspective

Guaranteeing a steady – if not a growing – stream of revenue is an essential component of any successful not-for-profit. And while not-for-profits cultivate gifts from corporations, foundations and governmental bodies, many also rely heavily on the generosity of scores of individual donors. Reaching these donors, however, provides both a challenge and an opportunity.

The challenge includes identifying potential donors and communicating how their dollars will impact an organization’s mission. The more efficient the identification process and the more clear and compelling the communication, the greater the likelihood of raising funds. The opportunity lies in the sheer number of individuals who give and the power of their money in aggregate. In 2005, Americans gave more than $260 billion to charity, according to the Giving USA Foundation.

GMHC – also known as Gay Men’s Health Crisis – is the nationally-recognized AIDS service organization founded 25 years ago by five gay men in response to the unfolding epidemic first called GRID (gay-related immune deficiency), then later AIDS. And while GMHC continues to serve gay men, it also supports diverse populations, including many heterosexual women, reflecting how the landscape of the epidemic has changed in the U.S.

How does an organization with a heritage of serving gay men communicate to a wide audience of donors, especially as HIV/AIDS becomes more prevalent among heterosexuals and people of color? And how does it continue to keep donors motivated 25 years after AIDS first presented and in the face of competition from many other worthwhile causes? For answers to these and other questions, check out my podcast with Marjorie J. Hill, Ph.D., GMHC’s chief executive officer.

Readers: I will donate $1 for every legitimate comment we receive about the podcast in the two weeks following this posting, up to $250. Fleishman-Hillard will match me dollar for dollar. So please share your thoughts and feedback. Thank you! – Jon Garbo

Counting Sheep

No doubt research plays a fundamental role in advancing our understanding of science and nature, and publicizing findings is an essential way to communicate broadly, and in lay terms, the value of the work. But what happens when researchers veer into the controversial world of analyzing the underpinnings of sexuality and are not careful about every word they use to describe their work?

Enter Dr. Charles Roselli of the Oregon Health and Science University, who had set out years ago to learn why roughly one in 10 rams prefer sex with other rams. As part of his research, the homosexual rams were killed so the doctor could study their brain structures. Roselli reportedly was interested in understanding the mechanisms behind homosexuality in sheep and thought his work could one day help breeders best choose which sheep to breed. But in a press release, the doctor was quoted talking about the broader implications of the research that could include humans.

Predictably, activists got wind of the research and things started to heat up. The press took interest. Openly-lesbian tennis star Martina Navratilova cried foul. Bloggers blogged.  Then, to accompany a story published late last month, the New York Times ran a photo of three (presumably gay) sheep on its cover. The photo was the second largest one besides the above-the-fold shot of President Bush and Karl Rove. Talk about publicity.

The Times story’s focus, incidentally, was the storm of bad publicity that arose from what was characterized as the rather benign work of a legitimate researcher. “The story of the gay sheep became a textbook example,” the Times wrote, “of the distortion and vituperation that can result when science meets the global news cycle.” Holy sheep!

On the one hand, we have a story of a researcher who wants to understand sexuality in sheep. On the other, we have a community of activists who see no value in killing sheep for such research, and others who fear the work could lead us down a path to “curing” humans of same-sex orientation.

Who’s right? It’s hard to say. Perhaps the doctor has the best intentions and yet his work will end up being a catalyst for finding a “cure.” I can tell you that a Google search for “cure for homosexuality” identified 23,800 results, some of which were downright scary. It seems one too many people are happy to ruminate about the day when some simple medical application will guarantee the production of exclusively heterosexual children.

If the doctor could do it all over again, I bet he would have been clearer about the specific purpose of the research from the get-go and not so cavalier about the human implications of studying gay sheep. Unfortunately, science by its nature is sometimes hard to translate to the public. This means that science surrounding a controversial topic must be even more carefully communicated so it doesn’t give the wrong impressions.

 

The LGBT Community's Second Life: Transforming the Virtual World

Second Life...do you have one? What is your avatar's name? Okay...wait, let's back up. I promise this is worth describing and will be a BIG DEAL to the LGBT community.  :-)

As described by Wikipedia, Second Life (www.SecondLife.com) is a privately owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Francisco-based firm Linden Lab. Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, and the cyber punk literary movement. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse (or metaphysical universe) described in the novel Snow Crash, a user-defined world of general use in which people can interact, play, have sex, do business, and otherwise communicate.

Think The Sims but not a game. Not a game, indeed. Just a few weeks ago, the first virtual millionaire was announced in Second Life. Anshe Chung (the Second Life name of "real life" person Ailin Graef) is a real-estate magnate in the digitally simulated world and her "holdings" are legally convertible into genuine U.S. currency worth more than $1 million.

Still scratching your head? There is no better way to understand Second Life than to download the program and check it out. Simply visit www.SecondLife.com and follow the instructions (and be sure to use a high-speed connection).

The LGBT audience has always been a pioneering community in the online environment and Second Life is no exception. There are thriving LGBT tribes in Second Life and even researchers and academics are diving in to learn more about the impact of the virtual space on LGBT communities. One such effort is entitled, "Gay Neighborhoods on the Cyberspatial Frontier: Interview and Focus Group Rubrics."

In another example, Anthropologist Tom Boellstorff, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine, has studied a variety of LGBT issues and is now researching Second Life.

He describes his research of the virtual world in this way:

"As these virtual worlds grow, what aspects of their associated cybersocialities will be intelligible using the tools of currently existing social theory, and what aspects will require new theorizations of everything from gender, household, and identity to choice, creativity, and inequality? In pursuit of such questions, I am currently engaging in ethnographic research in one virtual world, Second Life (www.SecondLife.com). In this virtual world, my avatar (Tom Bukowski) has an office, "Ethnographia," which you can visit within Second Life (it is located in Dowden). As Tom Bukowski, I study cybersociality in Second Life using participant observation, interviews, focus groups, and the analysis of texts ranging from newsletters to blogs."

I'll be the first to admit that getting started in Second Life can be a bit challenging but if you have any familiarity whatsoever with video games (including Pong, for those of you feeling particularly intimidated), you shouldn't have too much of a problem. When first entering Second Life, you will be dumped into a "training area" of sorts where you can read up on all the basics and practice building the look of your avatar (the visualized version of yourself in Second Life) and become familiar with the program's interface.

This may seem like science fiction but getting familiar today will enable you to participate in all the exciting experimentation which is unfolding in this ever expanding digi-world. In fact, as of today, there are officially two million residents according to the Second Life blog.

p.s. If any Out Front blog readers want to communicate with me in Second Life, my avatar's name is PeterMike Harpoon. That's me in the graphic above, attending a virtual art and sculpture show (click on the thumbnail graphic to increase its size).

HIV: Giving – and Getting – the Message

GMHC, the nationally recognized AIDS service organization that was first in the fight against HIV, opened its doors in 1981 as gay men battled an unknown disease that was swiftly taking their lives. To mark World AIDS Day 25 years later, the organization’s new chief executive officer, Marjorie J. Hill, Ph.D., sat down with FH OutFront to talk about HIV and AIDS in the LGBT community and how to get out the messages that can ultimately save lives.

FH OutFront: Twenty-five years have passed since your organization opened its doors under the name Gay Men’s Health Crisis. How would you describe the landscape of HIV/AIDS among gay men today – and are you pleased or disappointed with the outcome?

Dr. Hill: Twenty-five years into the epidemic, gay men are still challenged by stigma, discrimination, fear and denial. We are light years away from the early 1980’s with respect to medications and HIV testing. Back then the disease was a certain death sentence, but now individuals with HIV can have a long, productive and relatively healthy existence. But the homophobia that is blatant in many communities has not changed to the degree that GMHC would have liked. Here in the US, one million people are living with HIV, and 25 percent who are infected don’t know it. There are still people who are too afraid to get tested. The challenge with homophobia is that it isolates people and makes them less than equal. Things are better than in 1981, but HIV/AIDS still remains a major health and social justice concern.

FH OutFront: HIV prevention efforts are a matter of educating the public and persuading them to behave in certain ways. What are your main takeaways with respect to best communicating with the LGBT community?

Dr. Hill: We’ve learned from our 25 years of experience that preaching to people, particularly about sexual practices, is not very helpful. We promote self-esteem, positive self-identification, and security in oneself, one’s culture and abilities. The more a person feels good about herself or himself, the more she or he can do things that are positive and healthy – and safer sex is no different. We engage people honestly and support them, and give them opportunities to express themselves and talk about sex in a safe, supportive atmosphere.

FH OutFront: But how do you ensure that your messages are reaching your audience – which happens to be very diverse?

Dr. Hill:  While the message is simple, the technique is complicated. We’ve learned that one size does not fit all. We take the self-affirming messages, add images and language, then present them in a cultural context that makes sense to whom we are aiming to reach. For gay men, the message must be in sync with that corner of the community. For example, young men of color who have sex with men need to receive messages in a context they will understand, and men over 50 who identify as gay and may or may not be of color need messages that are appropriate for them. The messages, the language, the vehicles through which we get the messages out – are all different. GMHC does not do one ad or have one program or condom wrapper design. We have 20 wrappers – and produce as many targeted ads as we have the resources to do. This being said, what does stay the same throughout is the spirit of showing respect for personhood.

FH OutFront: So when we talk about reaching the LGBT community, we’re really talking about reaching dozens of target audiences.

Dr. Hill: Exactly.

FH OutFront: GMHC’s mission includes “fighting homophobia and affirming the individual dignity of all gay men and lesbians.” What role does homophobia play in HIV transmission – and how does homophobia factor into your messages and how they are perceived?

Dr. Hill: Homophobia kills people. It kills gay people when they are too afraid that their pastor, family, or past girlfriend will reject them and so they won’t do something to save their lives – get tested and, if they have HIV, treated. Homophobia also kills heterosexuals. Individuals who aren’t gay but have HIV would rather be sick than have their church, family or neighbor think they’re gay. It kills heterosexual women who believe HIV is a gay disease and that they can’t get it and therefore don’t need to think about it. It’s denial. Homophobia and heterosexism end up being more compelling than one’s own life and the life of their sexual partner. Most of our educational outreach is about destigmatizing HIV. People with HIV are people of worth, and we value them. At the end of the day, we are committed to social justice – including anti-poverty, anti-discrimination – and we advocate that all people deserve equality, including equal access to healthcare.

FH OutFront: When will we eradicate HIV in the LGBT community?

Dr. Hill: I don’t have a crystal ball, but I will say a large measure of success hinges on when LGBT persons can live freely, and feel and be valued as individuals. I am optimistic that we will achieve greater and greater success, but I really do see dignity, respect and social equality linked to HIV incidence. People will take care of themselves and their partners if they do in fact feel good about who they are in the world.

###

You Have the Power

The rate of new AIDS cases in Washington, D.C. is 12 times the national average. Washington, D.C. has a higher HIV rate than that of Nigeria, Angola, and Ethiopia – and 24 more of the 44 sub-Saharan countries. Whitman-Walker Clinic, a non-profit community-based health organization serving the Washington D.C. metro area, is focused on driving those numbers down through education and outreach. 

As part of our observance of World AIDS Day, we asked Donald Blanchon, the new chief executive officer of Whitman-Walker, to talk about the communications challenges he faces and the ways in which his agency addresses HIV/AIDS education and outreach. To respect the power of Don’s words, we’re going to post the entire conversation today rather than breaking it up into two days as is our custom. 

Ben Finzel: Despite 25 years of fighting HIV, we continue to see increases in infection rates in many straight and gay communities, particularly in cities like Washington, D.C. How do you think we should be communicating with the LGBT community about HIV?

Don Blanchon: The single most important message to the LGBT community is that you have the power right now to stop the spread of HIV. You can make such a difference not only in your own life but in the lives of your loved ones, friends and colleagues. Your power comes from the courage, knowledge, love and understanding that have been so generously given to you by the tens of thousands of individuals who bravely fought HIV over the past 25 years. You can honor this most precious gift by acting with a renewed sense of urgency, purpose and responsibility every day.                                  

Ben Finzel: The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center (LAGLC) recently launched an awareness campaign calling on the LGBT community to "own" AIDS as a “gay disease." This approach has ignited a new debate about HIV/AIDS in the LGBT community and beyond. What do you think the campaign has achieved so far? Is the campaign relevant to Washington? 

Don Blanchon: The LAGLC campaign has achieved a very important objective within the LGBT community in Los Angeles. The ad campaign is renewing and re-energizing Los Angeles’ LGBT community—where the vast majority of new HIV infections are coming from in that city--to fight back and fight hard against HIV. The LAGLC is to be commended for taking a very real risk in alienating some individuals with such direct messaging. The real community benefit is that individuals in Los Angeles’ LGBT community are talking about HIV with a greater sense of urgency. 

We face a somewhat different yet equally important public messaging challenge in the metropolitan Washington area. HIV is impacting the health and welfare of the entire region and not just concentrated within the LGBT community. From this perspective, HIV is not a gay disease or a black disease but rather a virus that does not discriminate based on orientation, gender, race, age or any other factor. Our local challenge is bringing together community leaders and organizations from all walks of life to fight the spread of HIV.               

Ben Finzel: You celebrated a successful AIDS Walk event this year, after previous years of declining attendance. Do you think events like AIDS Walk represent a renewed opportunity to reach large numbers of people with an HIV prevention message? Are there better, more appropriate channels?

Don Blanchon: I am thrilled with the overwhelming success and number of participants in this year’s AIDS Walk. The event truly is an emotional one that brings thousands of people together whose lives have been touched by HIV. AIDS Walk also provides a great venue for raising the general public’s awareness about HIV and the need for more culturally competent and sensitive prevention and education strategies. 

I invite you and your loved ones, friends, and colleagues to join us next year for AIDS Walk 2007. Our goal is to increase the number of registered walkers from 5,000 to 25,000 people, or one walker for every person living with HIV in the District of Columbia.   

Special events such as AIDS Walk have an important place in our overall prevention messaging but are not the only vehicle that we use to reach people. We also educate people through our presentations and participation in various neighborhood health fairs, community forums, and other grassroots events throughout the region.       

                      

Ben Finzel: Whitman-Walker Clinic now manages DC's Pride Festival and you've been successful in securing corporate sponsors for this event for several years. In addition to corporate interest in Pride festivals, are you seeing corporate interest in HIV/AIDS-related outreach and education?  Are there going to be new opportunities to engage businesses in HIV/AIDS education and outreach in the future? 

Don Blanchon: I believe that it is vitally important that our entire community — individuals, community groups, foundations, local governments and companies - fully engage in the fight against HIV. To that end, Whitman-Walker Clinic is actively pursuing community-based partnerships with individual companies that share our commitment to HIV prevention, education and care.      

Ben Finzel: What's the one message you have for everyone as we observe another World AIDS Day? What's the one thing we should remember and/or act on?

Don Blanchon: You have the power right now to make a difference in the fight against HIV. Act courageously, act responsibly and by all means, act now.   

Marketing World AIDS Day

In the past twenty-five years, HIV/AIDS has gone from a verboten topic to a mainstream focus for healthcare providers, corporations and marketers. HIV/AIDS drugs and treatment options are big business. And many corporations and marketers now use national and international observances such as World AIDS Day to announce new programs, partnerships or other efforts.

As we continue our week-long conversation about this year’s observance of World AIDS Day (December 1), we thought it would be interesting to take a look at what different organizations and marketers are doing this year to mark the occasion. Here’s a representative sampling of the activities corporations are conducting in the U.S., often in partnership with leading national or local HIV/AIDS service or research organizations: 

• Light to Unite for World AIDS Day, an interactive campaign to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS sponsored by Bristol Myers-Squibb in coordination with the National AIDS Trust.

• “Through Their Eyes” photo exhibit at the Hokin Gallery, Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois, from November 30, 2006 through January 10, 2007 (sponsored by FH client Abbott Laboratories)
• “Red, Hot and Rouge” fundraiser for Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. sponsored by Kimpton Hotels at the Hotel Rouge in Washington on Thursday, November 30
• WAM Dance in Los Angeles on December 1, 2006, sponsored by the Entertainment AIDS Alliance, Clear Channel and Tom Whitman Presents (to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles)
• Wrap & Rap with GMHC and Barnes & Noble, a community outreach and fundraising effort for Gay Men’s Health Crisis held Saturdays in December at the Barnes & Noble store at 675 Sixth Avenue at 22nd Street in New York City (starting Saturday, December 2)

Although I wouldn’t support a campaign that lacks a clear focus on education and outreach and a positive, constructive message, I think corporate engagement on HIV/AIDS education is critically important to keeping the dialogue going on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. Engaging the public on this issue is increasingly difficult; if responsible corporate activities can increase public involvement, then they should be embraced and supported.

What do you think?  Do these campaigns work?  Are there other public education efforts that we should know about?  Drop us a line to let us know your thoughts or share additional information with us. 

Special Note:

As we wrap up our first theme week, we’re going to feature conversations with two leading figures in the HIV/AIDS community in the United States. Tomorrow, we’ll feature a Q&A with Donald Blanchon, executive director of Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. On Friday, check back for a Q&A with Dr. Marjorie Hill, chief executive officer of Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City.

Perspective on World AIDS Day - the Communications Challenge

Around holidays, medical meetings and awareness days, public relations firms often organize activities on behalf of their clients.  In other words, if news is happening, we try to have our clients be part of it and latch onto the attention and sentiment of the particular event. 

But I can't help wondering if World AIDS Day is a bit more of a challenge.  What does World AIDS Day mean to different people? 

I worked at the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York as a volunteer from 1982-1985 and as an employee from 1985-1988.  Back in those early days of AIDS, until the Rock Hudson diagnosis, the epidemic that was going on in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the panic attending it, was virtually unknown around the rest of the country.  The President had never even uttered the word "AIDS" and in fact, in 1982, it was still called GRID - Gay Related Immune Deficiency.  So, when the first World AIDS Day came around - to me, it meant that the world was finally acknowledging what had been going on.  It made those of us experiencing the effects of the epidemic somehow feel, if only a little, less lonely.  The world was finally going to pay attention.

During that time, I lost a whole generation of friends - dozens and dozens of friends.  I stopped going to funerals.  When my partner died in 1987, we didn't even have a memorial service. 

Today, many of my co-workers are 25 years old.  They were born into a world where AIDS was a life-long reality, not a new-found horror that came out of the night like a tornado and disrupted our lives.  I was born into a world where such a thing was unimaginable.  I think my view of the epidemic, and my memories of it, are as different from their's as night and day.

My father was a World War II vet.  I was born long after World War II.  He told and retold his war stories because he wanted people to know what it was like as a reality, not a memory.   

And that to me is the challenge. World AIDS Day, like AIDS, is all a matter of perspective. 

Beyond the Red Ribbon

According to the National AIDS Trust in the United Kingdom, approximately 40 million people are living with HIV worldwide and there were 4.9 million new cases worldwide in 2005. That’s an awfully big – and important – communications challenge.

World AIDS Day is Friday, December 1. In honor of this year’s observance of this annual wake-up call, we’re going to launch our first “theme week” next week (November 27 – December 1). Each day next week, we’ll have a different post on a communications issue related to HIV/AIDS.

In our posts, we’ll feature thoughts from health care experts and HIV/AIDS outreach and education leaders and a perspective from our United Kingdom colleagues. It should be an interesting, and timely, examination of the challenges of communicating about HIV/AIDS, trends in outreach and current campaigns.

We hope you’ll visit the site frequently next week and share your thoughts with us on this ongoing challenge for all communicators and the ways in which we might contribute to the dialogue that is so important to addressing the disease.

The Purple Elephant in the Room

I’ve always had a certain amount of concern about my later years. Who’s going to take care of me?  Where will I live?  What will growing old be like?  After I came out, that concern took on a different dimension.  Would I be accepted?  What will it be like to be a 50+ gay person? 

Perhaps that’s why I’ve been fascinated with the RainbowVision Properties mission since I first heard about the company last year. RainbowVision is building the nation’s first resort retirement communities for LGBT people and their straight friends. In June 2006, they opened their first community in Santa Fe, and they are currently planning their second in Palm Springs.

As gay people, we rarely want to talk about getting older. We’re the first ones in line to buy facial care products, we work out, we eat right, etc.  But we don’t want to address that big purple elephant in the room: our older gay selves.

Honest Communication About Gay Health Is Supremely Important

My time before the Supreme Court was nothing like Anna Nicole Smith’s. No black pantsuit, no blonde hair, just me, in name only, a citation in an amicus brief filed in the landmark gay rights case, Lawrence v. Texas. An article I wrote in 2000 while covering the public health beat for a gay news service was apparently worthy of inclusion, along with the works of such luminaries as Camille Paglia and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In secret heart I saw – finally – a big break for my very own E! reality TV series.

Until, of course, I realized the brief was filed in an argument against the gay couple.