Archive for 2010
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Where is the Commitment to Helping with HIV/AIDS Drugs?
By Jeffrey R. Lewis, President of the Heinz Family Philanthropies
America’s commitment to helping tens of thousands of people suffering from HIV/AIDs obtain access to the medications they need to survive has failed. Instead, the White House, Members of Congress, Governors and State Legislators have created a new, life-threatening epidemic – functional malaise.
Why is there a problem when we have ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Programs) – a system of federally funded, state-run programs to supply low-income, uninsured individuals with access to lifesaving HIV/AIDS medications? Many states today face massive budget shortfalls and must cut services. At least 14 state ADAP programs have gone so far as to institute patient waiting lists. Nationally, more than 3,337 people living with HIV/AIDS now sit on waiting lists for essential medications. Both Ohio and Utah have taken people out of their programs because of eligibility restrictions.
The White House and Congress may boast about the passage of health reform legislation, but it fails to protect thousands of Americans suffering from some of the most serious illnesses. This is an affront to the LGBT community, and all Americans in need!
Despite more than $800 million set aside by the federal government to help those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS obtain crucial medication, thousands of seriously ill and impoverished Americans still go without the drugs that could save their lives.
The result? Skyrocketing hospital costs as these patients, who are much sicker for lack of proper treatment, end up in emergency rooms receiving medical care at the highest possible price.
What’s more, for AIDS patients who need a variety of drugs, the effort to obtain free drugs from programs run by the pharmaceutical manufacturers can be overwhelming due to complicated paperwork processes, different income-eligibility determinations by each manufacturer, lack of a single entry point and other hurdles. In other words, budget crises, combined with bureaucracy and wrapped in a blanket of indifference, have made this problem both severe and life threatening.
To bridge this gap, the Heinz Family Philanthropies, Abbott, Merck, Tibotec Therapeutics and Welvista created a market-based approach that underscores how philanthropy, business and nonprofits can work together to create solutions to vexing health problems.
The one-stop solution created through this partnership works quite simply: It eliminates all enrollment forms, making enrollment automatic for anyone certified on an ADAP waiting list.
Patients on the waiting lists who need access to no-cost Abbott, Merck or Tibotec HIV medications need only request that their state ADAP program representative contact Welvista. HIV/AIDS meds will be shipped directly to the patient or to a medical provider if so preferred. Program costs are covered by grants provided by all the participants and administered by Welvista. This market-based solution is a national initiative designed to help patients in any state
Unfortunately, Abbott, Merck and Tibotec are the only three pharmaceutical manufacturers that produce HIV/AIDS medications currently participating in this program. The entry of all the other pharmaceutical manufacturers would be greatly encouraged and welcomed, but the larger question is why do the other pharmaceutical manufacturers refuse to help?
We are driven by a simple belief that the forces of the marketplace can drive the kind of instrumental change that government cannot or will not accomplish on its own. The need is great and the time for leadership is now!
Jeffrey Lewis is the President of the Heinz Family Philanthropies
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Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
The primary is Tuesday. Are you one of the people that has already made up their mind on everything, or are you still pondering what you should do?
Are you a party-line voter? Do you vote the issues? If a politician is a member of the LGBT community do you vote for them and ignore everything else?
What are you thinking about as you make your choices? With all that is going on in Arizona right now, what is having the biggest impact on your voting decisions?
Weigh ‘n with your opinion, but more importantly, weigh ‘n with your vote!
Tags: primary, voting
Posted in Are you 'n-volved? Add your voice to the current conversation!, National, Politics, arizona | 1 Comment »
Friday, August 13th, 2010
WEST POINT, NY, August 9, 2010 – Ranked # 9 in her class overall, she routinely “super-maxes” her physical fitness tests. One of her blogs was featured in the Sunday print edition of the Washington Post as part of “The Gray Zone: West Point on Leadership.” However, today Cadet Katherine Miller tendered her resignation, coming out as gay to her superior officers at West Point.
In her resignation letter, she cites the kinds of experiences she is unwilling to continue to endure:
… I have created a heterosexual dating history to recite to fellow cadets when they inquire. I have endured unwanted approaches by male cadets for fear of being accused as a lesbian by rejecting or reporting these events. I have been coerced into ignoring derogatory comments towards homosexuals for fear of being alienated for my viewpoint. In short, I have lied to my classmates and compromised my integrity and my identity by adhering to existing military policy.
While at the academy, I have made a deliberate effort to develop myself academically, physically, and militarily, but in terms of holistic personal growth I have reached a plateau. I am unwilling to suppress an entire portion of my identity any longer because it has taken a significant personal, mental, and social toll on me and detrimentally affected my professional development. I have experienced a relentless cognitive dissonance by attempting to adhere to §654 [colloquially known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”] and retain my integrity, and I am retrospectively convinced that I am unable to live up to the Army Values as long as the policy remains in place.
Miller will be transferring to Yale University this fall on a Point Foundation Scholarship. She has indicated her desire to become an Army Officer should the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy be removed, and gay and lesbian people allowed to serve freely.
“This is a loss to the Academy and to the Army,” said Becky Kanis, West Point ’91. Kanis is Chair of Knights Out, and a former Captain and company commander. “We keep losing talented people needlessly while we wait for the Pentagon’s ‘review.’ “
Miller has been blogging anonymously about lesbian culture at West Point at velvetparkmedia.com as “Private Second Class Citizen.”
Knights Out is a group of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alumni of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and their allies. Knights Out was formed by a group of gay and lesbian West Pointers in March, 2010. Founding Board member Lieutenant Dan Choi – an active duty Infantry officer, Iraq vet, and Arabic speaker – was recently discharged for coming out as gay.
Tags: DADT, Knights Out, West Point
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Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
August 10, 2010 – Phoenix, AZ: Voters who have registered as an independent need to notify the Elections Department their ballot preference for the 2010 Primary Election. This can be done by calling 602/506-1511 or by visiting the Recorder’s website at www.recorder.mariocpa.gov. “We cannot send an early ballot to the voters who have registered as an independent unless they indicate their ballot choice,” said County Recorder Helen Purcell. Requests for an early ballot for the August 24th Primary Election closes at 5:00pm this Friday, August 13, 2010. Voters may still vote early in person the last week before the election at any of the three offices of the Maricopa County Recorder, 111 South 3rd Avenue, Phoenix; 510 South Third Avenue, Phoenix; and 222 East Javelina, Mesa. Other early voting locations are Mesa City Clerk’s Office, 20 East Main Street, Mesa; South Mountain Community Center, 212 East Alta Vista Road, Phoenix; ASU (Safety Escort Office, Palo Verde West Building, 330 East University Dr, Tempe; or Wickenburg Town Clerk’s Office, 155 North Tegner Street, Wickenburg. Wickenburg’s offices are closed on Fridays. Early voting locations at South Mountain Community Center and two of the Recorder’s offices will be open on Saturday, August 14. Please visit the Recorder’s website, www.recorder.maricopa.gov, for additional information or call 602/506-1511. Friday, August 20 at 5:00pm is the last day to vote early in person for the Primary. As of August 10, 145,756 early ballots have been returned of 589,907 ballots mailed, requested or voted in person.
LOS INDEPENDIENTES NECESITAN NOTIFICAR A LA OFICINA DE ELECCIONES SU PREFERENCIA DE BOLETA 10 de Agosto, 2010 – Phoenix, AZ: Los votantes que se han registrado como independientes necesitan notificar al Departamento de Elecciones su preferencia de boleta para la Elección Primaria 2010. Ésto se puede hacer llamando al 602/506-1511 o visitando el sitio web del Registrador al www.recorder.mariocpa.gov. “No podemos enviar una boleta temprana a los votantes que se han registrado como independientes al menos que indiquen su selección de boleta,” dijo la Registradora del Condado Helen Purcell. Las solicitudes para una boleta temprana para la Elección Primaria del 24 de Agosto cierran a las 5:00pm éste Viernes, 13 de Agosto, 2010. Los votantes aún pueden votar temprano en persona la última semana antes de la elección en cualquiera de las tres oficinas del Registrador del Condado Maricopa, 111 South 3rd Avenue, Phoenix; 510 South Third Avenue, Phoenix; and 222 East Javelina, Mesa. Otros lugares de votación temprana son Mesa City Clerk’s Office, 20 East Main Street, Mesa; South Mountain Community Center, 212 East Alta Vista Road, Phoenix; ASU (Safety Escort Office, Palo Verde West Building, 330 East University Dr, Tempe; or Wickenburg Town Clerk’s Office, 155 North Tegner Street, Wickenburg. Las oficinas de Wickenburg están cerradas los Viernes. Los lugares de votación temprana en South Mountain Community Center y dos de las oficinas del Registrador estarán abiertas el Sábado 14 de Agosto. Por favor visite el sitio web del Registrador, www.recorder.maricopa.gov, para información adicional o llame al 602/506-1511. El Viernes, 20 de Agosto a las 5:00pm es el último día para votar en persona para la Primaria. Hasta el 10 de Agosto, 145,756 boletas tempranas han sido devueltas de 589,907 boletas enviadas por correo, solicitadas o votadas en persona.
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Monday, August 9th, 2010
DISCHARGE OF GAY OFFICER WOULD VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW, REPORT SAYS
Pentagon Appears Poised to Ignore Federal Court
SANTA BARBARA, CA – August 9, 2010 – If the Pentagon discharges Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach without showing that he undermined his unit’s readiness, this would violate the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals 2008 decision in Witt v. Department of the Air Force, according to a new report. The Witt decision holds that gay and lesbian service members cannot be discharged on the basis of the claim that homosexuality generally is detrimental to unit effectiveness. Rather, the Pentagon must show that a service member undermined his or her unit if that individual is to be discharged under “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The Witt decision applies only to service members based in the 9th Circuit, which covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. At the time that he was reported for being gay, Lt. Col. Fehrenbach was stationed in Idaho. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on February 2, 2010 that the Pentagon would “devise new rules and procedures in light of the appeals court decision in Witt versus the Department of the Air Force for the areas of the country covered by the appellate court.” Such regulatory revisions, however, have not been forthcoming.
The new report, which was written by Professor Diane H. Mazur, was prompted by the Pentagon’s anticipated discharge of Lt. Col. Fehrenbach. Mazur is Professor of Law at the University of Florida College of Law, and Legal Co-Director at the Palm Center, a research institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Said Mazur: “Compliance with a federal court’s ruling is not merely a technicality for the military. It is an obligation of constitutional dimension demanded in a system of civilian control of the military.”
J.D. Smith, Co-Director of OutServe, the first-ever organization of actively serving gay and lesbian troops, adds that, “Lt. Col. Fehrenbach’s discharge would show, yet again, that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is harming the military, and that gay troops must demand equal treatment.”
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Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
This piece was submitted to ‘N Touch News to post on the blog for comment.
Activist n. A proponent or practitioner of activism: political activists.
The LGBT Community, although the name has changed many times over the years, has always been one to stand up for itself. The point this became most apparent was during the events now known as Stonewall. People who left their homes that day to go enjoy an evening out, were in reality about to make history. They did not have a meeting about it, they certainly did not have Facebook, cell phones, texting or other means to communicate in advance or in real time about it. Individuals made a choice to stand up for not only themselves, but all of us who have arrived in the community since.
Today, not a day goes by that an announcement of some sort does not arrive in some fashion about a cause to be won, a fight to be fought, or an underdog needing protection in one way or another. So how do we choose which fight? How is it decided who represents the “community” in deciding what will happen next?
Quite frankly, there are no rules! Activists are often the loudest or most visible, but they do not always represent the voice of the “community” that they belong to. They can be the person with the most time on their hands, the most money to spend, the most passion/political conviction or simply have the loudest voice. They may be the person and opinion you support or you may only have a letter of the alphabet in common with them.
They may also simply be the person who has had enough. Most of us are familiar with Rosa Parks. A seat, a segregated bus, and an elderly woman who was tired of it. The story changes depending on who the source is, but there is no reason to try to dispute the facts. The results of her actions, intended or otherwise, have had a lasting impact on our country as we know it.
Did she do it by herself? No. Actions, protests, deaths, and violence were happening all around her for years leading up to the changes that would follow.
Despite our common link in the LGBT community, many of us our separated in other ways. Generational, gender, ethnic, religious and other differences can at times divide us. Women often times feel their struggle has been more difficult; many were not afforded an opportunity to participate in sports at any level, much less as a career option. There are now female generals when prior to 1976 women were not even allowed to attend the service academies. African American history, Protestant, Irish, or any other defining group attribute bring up a variety of historical struggles. A simple law, SB1070, is bringing up questions and issues friends never knew they disagreed on.
Maybe I am ok with Civil Unions and you want Marriage only. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell may not seem as bad to me as to you since I may have served and suffered in the military before it existed. You may not care if the “T” is included in ENDA and I may be the one saying to throw it out if the “T” in our community is not included. The list of our battles in the war for LGBT equal rights could go on and on. And we might differ on what the stance should be on many of them.
You do not need to be my kind of activist, nor participate in my activism. The rights I am fighting for will be yours also whether you stand next to me or not. If we win, we all win. But worse yet, if we lose, we all lose.
Just remember, there are activists on all sides of every issue. For every person who is passionate about equal rights for the LGBT community, there may be someone equally passionate about keeping it from happening. We should not criticize their passion even if we do not support what they are using it for.
So please do not become another enemy…do not divide the community by pointing fingers, or spending time inflating egos. And do not criticize the people that you feel are battling for your rights incorrectly, unless you are out there showing them the “right” way to do it. As a community, our diversity should be our strength, not what keeps us from attaining equal rights for everyone.
Signed,
An Activist Who is Still Trying to Learn How to Get it Right
Posted in Are you 'n-volved? Add your voice to the current conversation!, National, Politics, arizona | 3 Comments »
Monday, July 12th, 2010
There has been a great deal of talk lately about boycotts of Arizona, and the expected loss of business in a variety of industries as a result.
What economic impact do you think there will be, if any?
If the impact is felt, will it be as a result of boycotts or as a result of those individuals choosing to relocate themselves or their businesses to other states?
Is this bill changing your purchasing/spending choices?
What is your ‘n-stinct about this?
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Friday, July 9th, 2010
A survey has been sent out to troops to get a sense of what the response to the repeal or DADT will be. Do you think the Service Members should be involved in this process? Is their response likely to have an impact on the decision for repeal?
What happens if someone “outs” themselves during this survey process, intentionally or otherwise?
You are ‘n-vited to comment!
Posted in Are you 'n-volved? Add your voice to the current conversation!, National, Politics | 5 Comments »
Monday, July 5th, 2010
There has been a great deal of discussion lately about “same-sex marriage” and civil unions.
Some organizations and individuals feel that if there is not “same-sex marriage”, and something such as civil unions are done instead, then the community has settled for less than equal. Many of these same folks are using marriage as the litmus test of equality across the board; other rights granted or fought for are not important unless marriage is also recognized.
Others feel that regardless of what you call it, if there is equal legal recognition with a different name, then this is in fact equal. The logic being why not accept what we can get for the time being.
Does the term “marriage” have to be included for the rights to be equal? Are “civil unions” a compromise to help others in society feel less threatened by same-sex couples?
Weigh ‘n on this discussion in the comments section below.
Posted in Are you 'n-volved? Add your voice to the current conversation!, Uncategorized | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
The Arizona Immigration Law (SB1070) has caused a major divide in the state and country. Polling numbers currently are on the side of those supporting it.
Surveyed voters have said they wanted their states to pass a law similar to Arizona’s by 48 percent to 35 percent.
Do you think the Immigration Enforcement Law will survive the challenges? Should other states adopt similar laws?
What’s the main problem (if any) with this Law? Is it a given that the LGBT community supports this law as a civil rights issue, or is the community divided on this as well?
Tags: Immigration Arizona, LGBT rights, SB1070
Posted in Are you 'n-volved? Add your voice to the current conversation!, Uncategorized | 25 Comments »
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