|  | AIDS: Black AIDS Day marked in Illinois - In honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) and Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus ( CBGMC ) traveled to Springfield Feb. 7 for a day of advocacy and lobbying. Representatives from each organization joined state Sen. Jacqueline Collins ( D-16 ) and state Rep. Karen Yarbrough ( D-7 ) at a mid-morning ...
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| | AIDS: 12th National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - Destigmatization through dialogue - Dialogues of empowerment through knowledge, prevention as treatment, and the de-stigmatization of HIV/AIDS were at the forefront of a Feb. 7 event at Trinity United Church of Christ that marked the 12th National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The event featured keynote presentations by representatives of Gilead Sciences, a leading pharmaceutical company in the fight against AIDS, as well as the ...
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| | AIDS: Tony Kushner; Advocates of the Year; Obama's budget; ADAP - Tony Kushner at AIDS Foundation of Chicago event Renowned, award-winning playwright Tony Kushner, author of Angels in America, will share his insight and perspective on the evolution of an epidemic as the guest of honor at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago's annual Spring Dinner — An Angel Among Us: An Evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright Tony Kushner — on Tuesday, ...
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| | AIDS: amfAR ramps up investment in HIV cure research - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research announced four new grants to leading researchers from around the world in the Foundation's most competitive round of HIV cure grants to date. Each grant will provide significant support over two years to teams working on cure-focused research at the California Institute of Technology; Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland; Ghent University Hospital in ...
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| | AIDS: NMAC files brief in SCOTUS healthcare challenge - For the first time in its history, the National Minority AIDS Council ( NMAC ) filed an amicus brief today with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of State of Florida, et al. v. Department of Health and Human Services, et al. NMAC is joined in its brief by four leading national HIV/AIDS organizations, amFAR, The Foundation for AIDS ...
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| | AIDS: Brown steps down, HIV councils dissolve - Changes at Chicago Health Dept. - After more than a decade with the Chicago Dept. of Public Health ( CDPH ) , Assistant Commissioner Chris Brown will be stepping down from his position on March 15, 2012. Brown, who's been responsible for the city's HIV/AIDS response, made the surprising announcement Feb. 17 at the Chicago Bar Association during a joint meeting of the Chicago Area HIV ...
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| | Red Dress AIDS benefit April 21 at Joffrey - From a news release - Chicago Red Dress Party (CRDP) will be hosting its second annual event at the iconic Joffrey Ballet Studios on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. CRDP, produced by Equality Project and part of a national initiative, is an annual event dedicated to creating visibility for the HIV/AIDS movement and raising funds for organizations that provide vital ...
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| | Changes at Chicago Health Dept: Brown steps down, HIV councils dissolve - After more than 10 years of service, Chicago Department of Public Health Assistant Commissioner Christopher Brown, who has overseen the city's HIV/AIDS response, announced that he has accepted a position at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Brown's last day at CDPH will be March 15, 2012. Brown made his unexpected announcement on Feb. 17 at the Chicago Bar ...
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| | AIDS transmission: Is it a crime to have sex? - Part of a series - Q. I was tested for the HIV virus and the results were positive. Since then I have had sex with people and have not told them that I had tested positive. Should I tell my future sexual partners that I test positive for HIV? Does it make any difference if we used condoms during sex? Am I guilty of a ...
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| | AIDS: Reps push for extension of AIDS lottery program
- Senate Bill 2971 to extend the "Red Ribbon Cash" lottery game for the Quality of Life HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention Fund got some visibility at a legislative action press conference observing National African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Feb. 7. The event was at the Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. Leaders from the Illinois HIV/AIDS community attended. SB 2971 proposes an ...
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| | AIDS: Good news for ADAP recipients in Illinois - For 4,200 people in the state, it will soon be easier to get HIV medications through the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Fewer people with HIV will run the risk of losing their access to medicines because of cumbersome application and paperwork requirements, thanks to a series of rule changes advocated by AIDS Legal Council of Chicago and AIDS ...
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| | AIDS: Sable and Sherer: Two doctors that changed AIDS in Chicago - When the first reported cases of AIDS were identified on the East and West coasts of the U.S. in 1981, it was inevitable that the disease would find its way to Chicago. Life often imitates drama and with the theatrical onslaught of the AIDS crisis, heroes of the medical field were in high demand. "I saw my first AIDS patient ...
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| | Obama budget pushes for more funding for AIDS - The following is a statement from National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) Director of Legislative and Public Affairs Kali Lindsey: Washington, DC — "Barely two months ago, President Obama outlined a powerful vision for bringing an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in his speech commemorating World AIDS Day. This morning, in his fiscal year 2013 budget request, the president translated his ...
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Erie Family Health Center hosts Eriedescence HIV/AIDS event - From a news release - CHICAGO, IL. — (February 1, 2012) — Erie Family Health Center invites the public to its annual winter signature event, Eriedescence, an illuminating evening featuring cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction and music from world renowned DJ Rock City. This year's event will be held on Thursday, February 23, from 6:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m. at Lumen, 839 West Fulton ...
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| | AIDS Legal Council and Windy City Times announce Advocates of the Year - The AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (ALCC) and Windy City Times will host the 18th annual Advocates of the Year Awards on Thursday, March 22, 2012 to recognize several individuals and organizations working locally to make a difference in the lives of people with HIV. Honorees were chosen last month by a committee of previous award recipients and by representatives ...
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| | AIDS: Haring murals live on at Rush University Medical Center - Famed American artist Keith Haring got his start in the New York City subway system in the early 1980s sketching chalk murals on unused advertising panels. He quickly grew in popularity, achieving international acclaim within a decade. Fans flocked to Haring's large-scale murals, known for their simple, distinctive and cartoonlike illustrations. Having been diagnosed with HIV in 1988, Haring spent ...
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| | AIDS: Rush hospital treats, researches HIV/AIDS - Since 1984, the Section of Infectious Diseases at Rush University Memorial Hospital has stood out as one of the city's largest HIV/AIDS clinics. While the facility remains committed to providing high-quality care for those with HIV, it has since evolved through partnerships with local hospitals and the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) to become one of the nation's ...
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| | AIDS: Talking 'Skin' with author Biodun Abudu - Chicago author Biodun Abudu's debut novel, Tales of My Skin is a book about one man's journey from Africa to the United States. This book confronts issues of sexual orientation, HIV and identity of teens in two different cultures that have more in common than meets the eye. John J. Accrocco: Who do you hope to reach with this novel? ...
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| | AIDS: Research focuses on HIV risk in Latino immigrants - The Medical College of Wisconsin has received a two-year, $411,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health to research new strategies aimed at increasing HIV testing and counseling in new immigrants to the United States. Laura Glasman, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine in the Medical College's Center for AIDS Intervention Research, is ...
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| | AIDS: AFC advocates for extension of benefit lottery tickets - In honor of National Black AIDS Awareness Day Feb. 7, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) and a team of advocates made their voices heard in Springfield, urging the extension of a crucial program that funds HIV prevention and treatment. They planned a press conference at the State Capitol, to support a bill that would extend the sunset ...
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| | AIDS Drug Assistance Program soon to make HIV medications easier to get - From a news release - Chicago- It will soon be easier for 4,200 people in the state to get their HIV medications through the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Thanks to a series of rule changes advocated by AIDS Legal Council of Chicago and AIDS Foundation of Chicago (and approved last week by the Illinois Department of Public Health), fewer people with HIV will ...
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| | White House marks Black HIV/AIDS Day - From the White House Blog - On this, the 12th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day ( Feb. 7 ) , I remember my sister-in-law's fight with the disease. Tragically, she did not win that fight — she left behind a devastated husband and five-year old daughter. But it is in her memory, and the memory of all the friends and loved ones we have lost, ...
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| | The Color is Red Gala Feb. 11, will honor Jackie Anderson - Windy City Black Pride presents The Color is Red Gala Chicago for National Black HIV Awareness Day. Pow Wow board member Jackie Anderson will be honored at the event. 6pm-10pm, Macy's, 11 N. State St., Chicago, http://www.cwcbp.com ...
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| | Sotomayor tribute at Center - About 40 people paid tribute to the late Chicago activist and artist Danny Sotomayor Feb. 4 at the Center on Halsted. Photos, memorabilia and Sotomayor's NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt were displayed in honor of the 20th anniversary of his death. Sotomayor died on Feb. 5, 1992 of AIDS complications. His partner, playwright Scott McPherson, died later that same year. ...
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| | HIV-positive man denied Atlanta police job wins day in court - From a Lambda Legal news release - (Atlanta, Feb. 1, 2012) - Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed a lower court ruling and remanded the case of Lambda Legal client, Richard Roe, back to district court. Roe applied to be a police officer with the Atlanta Police Department (APD), but was denied employment because of his HIV status. "This is a great ...
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| | AIDS 'Pizza and policy' at AFC - The AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) hosted "Pizza and Policy" Jan. 23 at its downtown Chicago office, 200 W. Jackson Blvd. As community members and healthcare employees sat down to a complimentary pizza dinner, AFC Director of Government Relations Ramon Gardenhire walked the audience through the latest in HIV/AIDS policy news. In 2011, the AFC focused its attention ...
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| | AIDS 'Life Skills' intervention may reduce HIV risk - Young transgender women are at increased risk for HIV infection due to factors related to stigma/marginalization and participation in risky sexual behaviors, according to a study from Children's Memorial Research Center, the research arm of Children's Memorial Hospital. To date, no HIV-prevention interventions have been developed or proven successful with this population. To address the gap, Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH ...
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Terry Angel Mason named Black HIV/AIDS Awareness spokesperson - Writer Terry Angel Mason was selected as the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Spokesperson for 2012. February 7, 2012 will be the 12th annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide community mobilization effort to emphasize the HIV/AIDS "State of Emergency" among African-Americans. The theme is "I am my Brother/Sister's Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS." Mason will be assisting NBHAAD in ...
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| | AIDS Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day event at Trinity - On Feb. 7, the 12th National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Gilead Sciences and other experts will participate in a discussion and roundtable at Trinity United Christ of Christ, 400 W. 95th St. in Chicago. The free program is 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and includes food provided by Gilead and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care. This event is sponsored but the Coalition for ...
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| | AIDS Brothers OutLive present: Bayard Centennial honoring Black AIDS Day - On Thursday, Feb. 9—two days following National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day—Brothers OUTLive, will celebrate the life and legacy of gay civil-rights activist Bayard Rustin at Center on Halsted. Honoring the diverse communities served by Center on Halsted during Black History Month, and bringing attention to the alarming rates of HIV especially among young Black men who have sex with men ...
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| | AIDS Getting personal with state Rep. Greg Harris - The accomplishments of State Rep. Greg Harris, D-13th, are numerous. Since being elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 2006, one of the highest-ranking openly gay elected officials to date in Illinois has done everything from addressing the need of comprehensive breast-cancer services to being the chief sponsor of the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act. He is now ...
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| | More Howard Brown departures and changes - Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) has undergone more employee changes in the last couple of months, including one dismissal, amid continuing reports of a potential buyout by Near North Health Service Corporation (NNHMC). Windy City Times has contacted HBHC and NNHMC. The former has not responded at all, while NNHMC's spokesperson only said, "We can neither confirm nor deny anything ...
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| | Chicago House hosts 'Wrapture' at Willis Tower - Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - ChicagoLocal HIV/AIDS agency Chicago House hosted "Champagne Wrapture 2012: Clicquot in the Sky" Jan. 26 on the skydeck ( 99th floor ) of the Willis Tower. Some guests received gift packs with products from various vendors, including Garrett Popcorn and Sweet Miss Giving's Bakery. Visit http://www.ChicagoHouse.org for more information. Photos by Kat Fitzgerald ( MysticImagesPhotography.com ) ...
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| | IN THE LIFE looks at HIV criminalization: Positive women stigmatized, prosecuted - From a news release - February 1, 2012 — Tonight, public television stations across the country will begin airing Perpetuating Stigma, an episode from the award-winning documentary series IN THE LIFE. This special report investigates the injustices that arise when a person's HIV status becomes a legal challenge, with a focus on how women have been stigmatized and prosecuted under these laws. Thirty-six US states ...
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| | Chicago awarded $1 million in HIV funding
- The City of Chicago has been awarded nearly $1 million towards HIV services, the Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) announced Jan. 29. The award, totaling $933, 300 from the federal government, will go toward HIV testing and counseling in Chicago mental health and substance abuse agencies. "Community Mental Health Centers provide the large majority of mental health services ...
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| | Mark Ishaug leaves AIDS United to lead Thresholds in Chicago - From news releases - WASHINGTON D.C. - January 30, 2012 - Mark Ishaug is stepping down as President and CEO of AIDS United, effective February 29, 2012. Ishaug has accepted a position as Chief Executive Officer of Thresholds, a Chicago-based non-profit focused on serving persons with mental illness. Following Ishaug's departure, Victor Barnes, Senior Vice President, will serve as Interim President and CEO. The ...
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| | Sotomayor quilt on display Feb. 4 - The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt for the late activist Danny Sotomayor will be on display Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Center on Halsted. It will hang from 4-9 p.m. as a special tribute on the 20th anniversary of his death. There will be refreshments. ...
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| | AIDS Chicago House expands beyond housing - With an operating budget of nearly $5 million and programs dispersed throughout the city, the Chicago House and Social Service Agency is considered one of Chicago's largest and best-known HIV/AIDS nonprofits. It's been inducted to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame and has welcomed luminaries such as Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright. And it all got started with ...
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| | AIDS: Chicago House helps clients with employment concerns - During his first several years at Chicago House, CEO Stan Sloan noticed an alarming trend. Every year, hundreds of clients would make their way to the HIV/AIDS nonprofit to take advantage of its housing and case management services. But only a small number made the leap out of subsidy-based programs and into more permanent employment situations. "The HIV/AIDS population will ...
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| | AIDS: Robert Bray, decades of activism add up - For a man whose work may be often overlooked, not counted among the public face of the LGBT rights movement, Robert Bray's influence is immeasurable. Many of today's LGBT activists can draw a line back to Bray, likely in less than six degrees of separation due to his efforts on both the national and local level. But despite the lack ...
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| | AIDS: Couple runs to fight AIDS - Kinnier Lastimosa and Jennifer Cheng will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on May 18 and will be running the annual Copenhagen Marathon two days later, marking the 17th marathon each has run over the past 3- 1/2 years. They will be sporting red Team To End AIDS ( T2 ) shirts for the 26.2-mile journey through the streets of Copenhagen, ...
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| | Volunteers needed to join the 2012 HIV Planning Body - From a news release - CDPH is looking for volunteers to join the 2012 Chicago Area HIV Integrated Services Council ( CAHISC ) The Chicago Area HIV Services Planning Council and the Chicago HIV Prevention Planning Group ( HPPG ) will soon integrate their planning processes to create a new planning group called the Chicago Area HIV Integrated Services Council ( CAHISC ) . The ...
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| | GLAAD Award nominees out, Windy City Times up for award - From a news release, posted Jan. 19, 2012 - Los Angeles, CA, January 19, 2012 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) has announced the nominees for its 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. By recognizing and honoring media for outstanding images of the LGBT community, the GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD's work to bring LGBT images ...
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| | New analysis: address AIDS among gay men, other men who have sex with men, or imperil goal of "AIDS-Free Generation" - From a news release - NEW YORK, January 18, 2012—Funding to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS consistently fails to reach programs designed to control the disease among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a new analysis released Wednesday by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights (CPHHR) at Johns Hopkins University. ...
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| | AIDS: History panel looks at healthcare and
identity issues - The American Historical Association ( AHA ) 's Committee on LGBT History continued its conference programming Jan. 7 with a panel discussion on the relationship between identity and LGBT-related healthcare. Judith Houck ( University of Wisconsin-Madison ) kicked things off with a look back at Lyon-Martin's complicated history. Founded in San Francisco in 1979 "by lesbians, for lesbians," and named ...
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| | AIDS: 100,000 homes campaign in Chicago enjoys success - Chicago's single most vulnerable woman—HIV-positive, alcoholic mother of seven, homeless for many years—now has a home. This holiday season, she was one of Chicago's 212 most vulnerable homeless people who are sleeping inside, in their own beds, instead of out in the cold. That heartwarming fact is a result of the 100,000 Homes Campaign here in Chicago. One year ago, ...
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| | AIDS: 'Patient Zero' discussed at history association panel - A panel of historians set to work deconstructing the "Patient Zero" myth Jan. 7, as the American Historical Association ( AHA ) 's Committee on LGBT History convened at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, 540 N. Michigan Ave. "In 2011, we marked the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic," said Ian Lekus of Harvard University. "To be precise, ...
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| | AIDS: Mike Barnes: Overcoming heartache - He rarely cries anymore, despite decades of personal and professional pain and heartache, combined with many, many deaths. Mike Barnes is cried out, he says, the direct impact HIV/AIDS has had on him over the past 26 years. Barnes, 55, was with his first long-time partner, Donald Hendricks, from 1984-'89. Hendricks was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 and died in ...
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| | AIDS: 'Pizza and Policy' Jan. 23 at AFC - Pizza and Policy—a roundtable-styled event that will focus on the latest HIV/AIDS policy and national and statewide politics—will take place at AIDS Foundation of Chicago, 200 W. Jackson Blvd., on Monday, Jan. 23, 5-7 p.m. This event will feature participants news about the 2012 elections, healthcare reform, the National HIV/AIDS strategy, the 2012 Illinois General Assembly and more. RSVP to ...
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| | AIDS Phill Wilson stays focused on fighting AIDS - Over the last three decades, Chicago native Phill Wilson has firmly established himself as one of the country's most outspoken HIV/AIDS activists. First diagnosed in 1981, Wilson has worked as a community organizer, Los Angeles city official, and, most recently, presidential advisory council member. Since founding the Black AIDS Institute in 1999, Wilson has worked to mobilize and unite Black ...
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| | AIDS: HIV advocacy groups launch new online resource HIVHealthReform.org - A leading group of HIV advocacy organizations announce the launch of a new Website to serve as the go-to source for information, advocacy resources, and news on what healthcare reform ( the Affordable Care Act ) means for people living with HIV and their providers. The website—HIVHealthReform.org—is intended to educate people living with HIV, as well as their medical workers ...
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| | AIDS: Riding for the cause - Days before the 2011 Ride For AIDS Chicago, Amy Kozleuchar asked riders and life partners Yvette Pryor and Shannon Cunningham if they would carry a scarf in memory of Michael McCord, who had died of AIDS complications. Kozleuchar had donated to their ride fundraising efforts last summer in memory of McCord. "I tied the scarf to my handlebars and, let's ...
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| | AIDS: Michael Jeter - Michael Jeter did not let being gay or HIV-positive define his life. Jeter won Tony and Emmy awards for his acting and followed his dreams. Jeter grew up in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. and went on to study at Memphis State University. According to Jamie Diamond in a New York Times article from Oct. 20, 1991, Jeter did not plan on a ...
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| | AIDS: Remembering Project Open Hand Founder Ruth Brinker - At the invigorating age of 89, San Francisco AIDS angel Ruth Brinker died Aug. 8, 2011. Brinker founded Project Open Hand, an organization to assist people with AIDS in receiving access to healthy and nutritious meals they may not have ever had otherwise. The concept for Project Open Hand occurred quite unexpectedly in 1985 when Brinker, a proud grandmother, discovered ...
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| | AIDS: CDC announces new funding for HIV prevention - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) estimates that HIV/AIDS has claimed the lives of more than 550,000 Americans. At the end of 2008, an estimated 1,178,350 persons aged 13 and older were living with HIV infection in the United States. Of those, 20% had undiagnosed HIV infections. In part because of this, the CDC has chosen to ...
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| | AIDS: South Side Help Center: Agency meets AIDS head-on with support and services - Betty Smith had been working as a respiratory therapist in a local hospital when the AIDS epidemic hit. It was called gay-related immune deficiency ( GRID ) at the time, but from Smith's experience, the disease didn't care about sexual orientation. Straight male intravenous drug users were hit hardest in her South Side neighborhood, and Smith realized it was only ...
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| | AIDS activist Frank Sieple dies - News update posted Jan. 10, 2012 - Frank Sieple, a longtime HIV/AIDS activist with ACT UP/Chicago, passed away suddenly Jan. 5. He was 51. Sieple was born and raised in Chicago, where he spent most of his life. He spent his last years in San Francisco, where he relocated in the early 1990s. Sieple was an early leader of ACT UP/Chicago, participating in actions throughout Chicago with ...
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Tony Kushner at AFC gala March 27 - The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) will welcome Tony Kushner and his groundbreaking play, Angels in America, back to Chicago this spring. Kushner will be the guest of honor at AFC's 2012 Dinner on March 27. Both parts of the play, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, open at the Court Theatre on April 14. Proceeds from the opener will benefit AFC. ...
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| | CDC awards $339 million to health departments for high-impact HIV prevention - From a news release - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun awarding a total of almost $339 million to state and local health departments across the United States to fund HIV prevention activities this year. The awards are for the first year of a five-year funding cycle and represent a new direction for CDC HIV funding designed to achieve a higher level ...
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| | AIDS: Dec. 1, 2031: AIDS at 50 - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke eloquently in November of the promise of a future generation free of AIDS. Her optimism was noted in the Nov. 27 Chicago Tribune by David Ernesto Munar, president and CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Clinton, Munar and many other leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS propose a continuation of the "get ...
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| | AIDS: Friends of the Global Fight plans for an AIDS-free generation - Last week we profiled the Global Fund to Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This week, we look at a supporting group to their efforts. Recent speeches given by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could not have come at a better time for Friends of the Global Fund to Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Since ...
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| | AIDS Michael McColly: Spiritual activisism - Michael McColly, HIV-positive author of the Lambda Award-winning book, The After-Death Room: Journey into Spiritual Activism ( Soft Skull Press, 2006 ) , began his own journey of acceptance and treatment in 1996 when he tested positive. A bisexual, McColly was closeted about his sexual identity, was deeply depressed and he engaged in unsafe sex. At the urging of a ...
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| | AIDS: Margaret Bausch: HIV/AIDS nurse reflects on a life of caring - In 1990, with the AIDS crisis reaching its peak, "a lot of people didn't want to work HIV," said Margaret Bausch, which is why she decided, while a nursing student at Truman College, to work as a nurse aide in Unit 371 at Illinois Masonic Hospital. "I'm gay and I wanted to put back into the community, you know?" she ...
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| | AIDS United joins coalition to establish July 2012 as National HIV Awareness Month - AIDS United has announced its participation in the Coalition for National HIV Awareness Day, a group of national HIV/AIDS organizations that is establishing July 2012 as National HIV Awareness Month. The goal of National HIV Awareness Month is to engage civil society and the private sector in the U.S. to create broad-scale public awareness of HIV/AIDS, end HIV stigma and ...
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| | AIDS: FDA is asked to approve PrEP AIDS regimen
- An application from Gilead Sciences, Inc. has been filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve an HIV antiretroviral therapy to reduce the risk of HIV infection among uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual women and men. The application to approve the new HIV prevention method called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is based partly ...
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| | AIDS: AIDS at 30: Owning your life - Putting one's experiences on paper can bring a light that has not been considered before. I have been asked to address a part of my life that has rarely been shared with anyone. Now is a time to share. I lost my father more than 15 years ago and it was the catalyst for dealing with my personal homophobia and ...
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| | AIDS: The Global Fund approaches 10 years of lifesaving efforts - During its meeting in November 2011, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria set the stage for the next five years, 2012-2016. Meeting in Ghana, the Global Fund board discussed how the organization should "invest for impact," and created several objectives to ensure continued success in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. These objectives will support funding decisions that ...
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| | AIDS: Roger Beyers, HIV survivor and volunteer shares his story - Roger Beyers is not one to shy away from his HIV-positive status. In fact he shares his story to a variety of groups throughout Chicago as a way to educate people about the disease. At 67 years old, Beyers spends his days volunteering for LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS causes at the Center on Halsted as well as shopping at flea markets, ...
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| | AIDS: TPAN's Positively Aware educates about HIV and AIDS - You've just been diagnosed with HIV. Myriad doctors, nurses and case managers are doing what they can to help you navigate the complex world of HIV-related medical care, but you're sinking fast. Acronyms. Medications. Treatment schedules. Healthcare costs. Ryan White funding. It's all really confusing, and you crave clarity. That's where Positively Aware steps in. The internationally renowned HIV/AIDS magazine ...
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| | AIDS: Doctors without Borders pays tribute to people with HIV/AIDS in Africa - Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières ( MSF ) has launched a music project, "Positive Generation: Voices for an AIDS-free Future," based on songs created by HIV support groups in Zimbabwe and recorded with Zimbabwean and international artists, including Estelle, Alejandro Sanz, Paula Fernandes, Oliver TUKU Mtukudzi, Karina Pasian, ten Zimbabwean choirs, and many others. The music aims to raise awareness ...
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| | AIDS: Wally Henry, multi-sport fighter against AIDS - Wally Henry played basketball and football at DeLaSalle High School on Chicago's South Side, and never ran more than a mile—at least on his own. Still, he always admired Ironman competitions, which feature swimming, bicycling and running, and even watched them on TV whenever he could. Then early last year, while riding the train, Henry spotted an ad for the ...
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| | AIDS: Activist and artist Jim Carey: Looking back at the life-changing moment of testing HIV-positive - Jim Carey was an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University in 2005 when, as part of a class assignment, he had to rewrite an existing behavior change intervention. Carey chose to encourage people to get an HIV test. "I hadn't been tested for several years, so I thought it would be a great idea to get a test," Carey ...
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| | AIDS: Amy Maggio looks back on early AIDS era - When some people think of AIDS activists on the frontlines in the 1980s and 1990s, they probably picture gay men. Understandably so, because they were disproportionately affected by the disease. But, in fact, there were lesbian voices just as loud and just as vital. "I think you certainly saw a lot of women and lesbians getting involved and helping to ...
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| | AIDS: ASK LAMBDA LEGAL, HIV criminalization - By Scott Schoettes - Dear Ask Lambda Legal, I'm HIV-positive and recently heard about someone getting incarcerated after a sexual encounter, all because of his HIV status. Can this really happen? Thirty years after the discovery of HIV, the medical field has learned a great about the virus, its transmission and effective treatments. Unfortunately, the legal landscape has not changed as quickly, and people ...
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| | AIDS: Journalist addresses AIDS in South Africa - Leading South African journalist Jonny Steinberg spoke at Northwestern University Dec. 1 as part of the school's World AIDS Day programming. With several books under his belt and a teaching position at Oxford University, the former Rhodes scholar has emerged as a prominent voice on the AIDS pandemic. South Africa has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the ...
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| | AIDS: Center awarded city HIV grant - The Center on Halsted will be increasing its HIV-prevention services in 2012. The organization has been awarded three prevention grants from the Chicago Department of Public Health, totaling $390,109. Center CEO Modesto "Tico" Valle said the organization was "elated" to receive the money. Valle said that the money will result in five to six new hires at the center. It ...
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| | AIDS groups protest plan to reinstate ban on fed money for syringe exchanges - From AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Dec. 16, 2011 - The AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) calls on the Illinois Congressional delegation to vote "no" on the FY 2012 federal appropriations bill, which reinstates a ban on federal funding for syringe exchanges. We urge members of Congress to speak out on the House and Senate floor in opposition to the provision that reinstates the onerous ban. We implore ...
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| | AIDS: Durbin talks with AFC and Service Providers Council - Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin visited the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) Dec. 2 to meet with AFC staff and members of the Service Providers Council to discuss the AIDS epidemic and the political challenges in Washington. In a letter to Durbin sent Dec. 5, AFC CEO/President David Ernesto Munar stated, "We count you as an important ally in this fight ...
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| | AIDS: Undisclosed, Secrets of the AIDS Epidemic - Undisclosed: Secrets of the AIDS Epidemic from some Unlikely Survivors is a new book by Michal Milstein and Marlin Marynick, from TitleTown Publishing. It is a collection of memories from the early AIDS epidemic, edited and compiled in observance of the 30th anniversary of the first U.S. diagnosis of what later became known as AIDS. The book interweaves memoir, expository ...
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| | AIDS: Jason Hess, Fighting stigma one mile at a time - Jason Hess has endured the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on numerous occasions. So too has Brandon McGuire. Others who participate in the annual Ride For AIDS with Hess and McGuire state the same thing, as do participants in any of the annual endurance-training programs offered by the Team To End AIDS ( T2 ) through the AIDS Foundation of Chicago ...
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| | AIDS: Whitman-Walker does not forget roots in the LGBT community - Whitman-Walker Health, located in Washington, D.C., helps people living with HIV in the LGBT community get free care. It is among the top HIV/AIDS agencies in the U.S. It all started on November 1973, when a VD Clinic for gay men in conjunction with the Washington free clinic began in the Georgetown Lutheran Church's basement. According to Whitman-Walker Executive Director ...
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| | AIDS: Why is the Black Community Still Contracting HIV? - As a first-hand eyewitness to the rising of America's Black HIV/AIDS industry, starting in the mid 1980s, this topic is very poignant to me. Almost 30 years ago, based on Black AIDS programs observed, I literally predicted that HIV would likely be in our communities for an unparalleled amount of time. I vividly remember, while in my early 20s, Black ...
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| | AIDS: Ashamed to Die by Andrew Skerritt Lawrence Hill Press - BOOK REVIEW - What if those around you began rapidly losing weight and withering away to a debilitating state of perpetual illness? For Reverend Tricia Ann Pegram ( now Starr ) and her impoverished community of Clover, SC, this has been a grim reality. In journalist Andrew Skerrit's debut book Ashamed to Die: Silence, Denial, and the AIDS Epidemic in the South, he ...
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| | AIDS Without shame: An interview with author Andrew Skerritt - The following is an interview with Andrew Skerritt, author of Ashamed to Die: Silence, Denial, and the AIDS Epidemic in the South, reviewed elsewhere in this issue. Windy City Times: What is your personal connection to AIDS? Have you been an activist in the past? Andrew Skerritt: No, I've never been an activist, but I've been a reporter at a ...
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| | HIV: Is It Still Preventable? - HIV is a disease that is wreaking seemingly uncontrollable havoc on the African-American community, specifically the demographic of young MSM ( men who have sex with men ) . In 2009 African-American MSM accounted for 73% of new infections of all African-American men. Keep in mind that MSM includes men who may not identify as homosexual or bisexual, but engage ...
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| | AIDS: Obama among many honoring World AIDS Day - President Barack Obama was among the politicians, leaders and groups honoring World AIDS Day Dec. 1. What follows are excerpts from his remarks as part of a World AIDS Day forum at George Washington University. He was joined by former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton (both via satellite) and Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete as part of the ONE ...
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| | AIDS: Project Runway's Mondo at Center - Center on Halsted welcomed Project Runway fashion designer contestant and HIV advocate Mondo Guerra Dec. 2 for an evening of dialogue, cocktails, and an interactive discussion, which invited guests to participate in a Q&A. Center on Halsted kicked off the day after World AIDS Day with light appetizers and cocktails, which acted as a prelude to the live interview and ...
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| | AIDS: United in HIV event at Hydrate Dec. 12 - Hydrate bar at 3458 N. Halsted in Chicago is hosting a United in HIV fundraiser Monday, Dec. 12 to benefit Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care. Perfomances start at 9 p.m. and include legendary Linda Clifford, Celeda, Dajae, Carla Prather, RaShaan Houston and Sheree Hicks. Cyon Flare hosted his first United in HIV event a few months back, and is ...
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| | AIDS: Mahon of MAC AIDS Fund appointed chair Presidential HIV/AIDS Advisory Council - U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the appointment Dec. 1 of Nancy Mahon as the new Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS ( PACHA ) . Mahon, executive director of the MAC AIDS Fund, has many years of experience in leading large philanthropic endeavors. In her role as chair, she will maintain the continuity of ...
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| | AIDS: HIV and criminal justice subject of legal panel - In 2008, an HIV-positive man in Texas was sentenced to 35 years in prison for spitting at a police offer. In 2009, an Iowa man with HIV received a 25-year sentence for failing to disclose his status to a sex partner. And in 2010, an HIV-positive man in Michigan was charged with violating the state's bioterrorism law after biting a ...
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| | AIDS: Vital Bridges holds holiday brunch - Local HIV/AIDS agency Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care, a division of Heartland Health Outreach, held its 22nd annual holiday brunch, "Celebrate the Spirit," Dec. 4 at the Four Seasons Hotel. About 300 attendees chatted with each other and browsed and bid on silent auction items, bought raffle tickets and looked over the live auction items before the program began. ...
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| | AIDS: IN-CARE connects HIV+ men of color to treatment - The AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) held a press conference Nov. 11 to showcase the strides its IN-CARE program has made since launching a little over a year ago. Funded through a 3-year AIDS United grant, IN-CARE works to connect HIV-positive men of color to counseling, treatment and peer-to-peer support. The goal is to work through cultural differences ...
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| | AIDS: 'Ball' event raises AIDS awareness - University of Chicago Medical teamed up with Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus to host a World AIDS Day ball Dec. 2. Balls are underground competitions in which different houses battle for prizes and trophies with a fusion of cat walking, dancing, voguing and drag. The ball houses are similar to families or fraternities, each one cheering on their members as ...
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| | AIDS: Vida/SIDA holds World AIDS Day vigil - Vida/SIDA held an Altars and Candlelight Vigil in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago the evening of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. The gathering at La Casita de Don Pedro was attended by about 100 people who lit candles in honor of those who have died or are still living with HIV or AIDS. The evening's events began with remarks ...
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| | AIDS: Art Institute hosts AIDS events - The Art Institute of Chicago observed World AIDS Day by celebrating the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a conceptual artist and activist who died of complications from AIDS. Gonzalez-Torres was a leader in the social activist arts movement of the 1990s, working with issues of identity and human rights. Many of his pieces are inspired by his experience as an HIV-positive ...
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| | AIDS: West and South Side AIDS groups mark World AIDS Day - Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined dozens of healthcare providers, elected officials and community organizers Dec. 1 in the Ruth Rothstein CORE Center to commemorate World AIDS Day. "We want to make sure we remember all of those who died of this dread illness and all of those who are combatting it today," Quinn said. "We also want to commit ourselves ...
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| | World of Chocolate's sweet success - More than 1,500 people filled the Hilton Chicago's International Ballroom Dec. 1—World AIDS Day—as the AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) marked the 10th anniversary of the sumptous event known as World of Chocolate. It truly was a realm of sweetness as 30 local caterers, chocolatiers and restaurants had various offerings ranging from a chocolate/red wine concoction to a ...
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| | AIDS: Prayer service on World AIDS Day - "Prayer in the Face of HIV/AIDS" was the focus of the World AIDS Day Prayer Service at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 1107 N. Orleans Dec. 1. The evening was sponsored by St. Joseph Parish, AGLO Chicago (Archdiocesan Gay & Lesbian Outreach) and Bonaventure House. An offering was taken to benefit the ministry of Bonaventure House for people with HIV/AIDS. Alexian ...
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| | AIDS: Operation PUSH marks World AIDS Day - Operation PUSH and Rev. Jesse Jackson marked World AIDS Day during PUSH's Dec. 3 community breakfast and live weekly telecast from their headquarters on Chicago's South Side. The morning began with a breakfast discussion featuring Chicago Department of Public Health Assistant Commissioner for STD/HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention Programs Chris Brown, Craig Johnson from Rush University Medical Center, and Rev. Doris ...
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| | AIDS: Remarks by Sec. Clinton on World AIDS Day - Text of remarks from a news release, posted Dec. 1, 2011 - Today we pay tribute to the millions of lives lost and families affected by HIV/AIDS. We also recognize the brave individuals living with HIV who carry the burden of this disease every day. It is in their honor that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of an AIDS-free generation. President Obama's announcement today of the goal to provide lifesaving antiretroviral ...
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