Thought of the Day: Worrying

December 29, 2008
A Self-Created State: Worry
www.dailyom.com

We have all had the experience of worrying about something at some point in our lives. Some of us have a habitual tendency to worry, and all of us have known someone who is a chronic worrier. Worry is an extension of fear and can be a very draining experience. In order for worry to exist, we have to imagine that something bad might happen. What we are worrying about has not happened yet, however, so this bad thing is by definition a fantasy. Understood this way, worry is a self-created state of needless fear. Still, most of us worry.

One reason we worry is because we feel like we’re not in control. For example, you might worry about your loved ones driving home in bad weather. There is nothing you can do to guarantee their safe passage, but you worry until you find out they have reached their destination unharmed. In this instance, worry is an attempt to feel useful and in control. However, worrying does nothing to ensure a positive outcome and it has an unpleasant effect on your body, mind, and spirit. The good news is that there are ways to transform this kind of worry so that it has a healing effect. Just as worry uses the imagination, so does the antidote to worry. Next time you find that you are worrying, imagine the best result instead of anticipating the worst outcome. Visualize your loved ones’ path bathed in white light and clearly see in your mind’s eye their safe arrival. Imagine angels or guides watching over them as they make their way home. Generate peace and well-being instead of nervousn! ess and unease within yourself.

Another reason we worry is that something that we know is pending but are avoiding is nagging us—an unpaid parking ticket, an upcoming test, an issue with a friend. In these cases, acknowledging that we are worried and taking action is the best solution. If you can confront the situation and own your power to change it, you’ll have no reason to worry.

What do you think?

New Policy Permits Health Care Workers to Opt Out of Providing Care

UNITED STATES: "Rule Shields Health Workers Who Withhold Care Based on Beliefs"
Washington Post (12.19.08):: Rob Stein

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced broad new protections for health workers who refuse to participate in care they find ethically, morally or religiously objectionable. The ruling takes effect in 30 days, just before the change in administrations. It cuts federal funding to any entity that does not accommodate those exercising their "right of conscience." Certification verifying compliance is required of more than 584,000 health care organizations by Oct. 1, 2009. Implementing the rule will cost more than $44 million.

The 127-page rule covers numerous services, including the provision of birth control pills, Plan B emergency contraceptives, other contraceptives a worker might consider to be abortion, abortion, and issuing referrals to obtain such care. The regulation could also protect workers who object to providing care to unmarried people or gay men and lesbians. The language of the rule stresses it does not prevent an organization from providing any type of care.

Critics of the regulation are promising to lobby the Obama administration and allies in Congress to reverse it, while supporters vow to defend it. The American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Hospital Association, family planning groups, abortion rights advocates, and others oppose the rule. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have introduced a bill to repeal it.

Officials at hospitals and clinics predict the rule will cause service disruptions and force family planning and fertility clinics, for example, to hire employees even if they would refuse to provide services.

"Doctors and other health care providers should not be forced to choose between good professional standing and violating their conscience," said HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt. The regulation was championed by Concerned Women for America, the Catholic Health Association, abortion opponents, and other conservative groups.

For more information, visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-30134.htm.

Whitman-Walker Clinic to Layoff Employees

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; VIRGINIA: "Whitman-Walker Clinic Announces Layoffs, Cuts"
Washington Blade (12.19.08):: Amy Cavanaugh

On Dec. 16, Whitman-Walker Clinic officials announced a series of measures intended to offset declining revenues and an increase in HIV/AIDS patients whose care is not reimbursed.

Whitman-Walker's Northern Virginia clinic will be shuttered before April 2009; residential programs including the Bridge Back Program will end Feb. 28; and up to 45 employees will be terminated over the next year. About half the firings will stem from shutting the Virginia clinic, and the other half will be administrative and program cutbacks. The administrative layoffs will occur by year's end, and program-related layoffs will happen by March 31.

"We're down 28 percent in private donations this year compared to 2007," said Donald Blanchon, Whitman-Walker's CEO. "For an organization that gets 30 cents of every dollar from private sources, to be down that significantly puts us in a difficult position."

"If you look at third-party reimbursements, typically the reimbursement rate doesn't cover the cost of our care," Blanchon said. "It's difficult to do this work if the gap between the cost per visit and what you're getting from the insurance company isn't sufficient to close that gap." Medicaid is part of the diminishing revenue stream, he said, as is funding from government entities.

The 1,010 patients at the Northern Virginia clinic will be able to transfer to Whitman-Walker's Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center in Washington or the Max Robinson Center in Anacostia.

Whitman-Walker will concentrate on offering primary medical care, HIV and STD screening, and dental and mental health services, Blanchon said. "We're going from 175 employees to almost 130 employees, and as we shrink our workforce to only primary care, we don't need as much management since there's a smaller number to oversee," he said. Any new positions would be geared to generating revenue and improving efficiencies, he added.

California: Attorney General Speaks Out Against on Prop. 8

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081220/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_lawsuits

Funding Restored for New York Center for Gay Youths

NEW YORK: "Funding Restored for New York Center for Gay Youths"
Associated Press (12.06.08):: Marcus Franklin

A body of AIDS service providers and government officials recently voted to restore funding to a Manhattan drop-in center for homeless gay youth at risk for HIV.

In September, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene informed the Ali Forney Center that it would not renew $600,000 in annual funding for the facility. City officials, trying to shore up a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, said the funds would be better spent on HIV/AIDS housing.

"Difficult choices have to be made in these tough times," the department's Dr. Monica Sweeney said of the decision to reallocate the money. "No one or any program or any sector is going to be spared during the meltdown."

But the cut prompted an outcry from politicians including US Rep. Jerrold Nadler and state Sen. Tom Duane. So far this year, Ali Forney has tested more than 200 young people ages 16-24; connected more than 50 HIV-positive youth to medical and housing services; and served over 10,000 meals, said Carl Siciliano, the center's executive director.

"These kids are grossly underserved in this city," said Siciliano. "Their existence is a struggle for survival. We are the best ally and support they have. To have taken that away from them would have been cruel and reckless."

The center's funding will come from federal Ryan White grants.

The health department also recently cut $200,000 in funding for a program offering time-sensitive HIV treatment to people who have been potentially exposed to the virus, operated out of St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan.

Story on Genocide

I got this link from my friend Malik who saw it and wanted to share it.......

Its a photo and story on Flickr, here's the link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anomalous/3079078038/

Associated Press: Gay & Bisexual Men Still Top New Infection Rate Charts

MASSACHUSETTS:: "Report: Gay/Bisexual Men Still Bear Brunt of AIDS"
Associated Press (11.30.08):: Steve LeBlanc

Anti-AIDS efforts in Massachusetts have made gains in fighting the disease among heterosexuals and injection drug users, but they have been less successful among men who have sex with men (MSM), a new report shows.

The study by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) finds that MSM accounted for more than half of HIV infections between 2004 and 2006, even though annual surveys show that only 4 to 9 percent of state men report having sex with men. Among the report's findings:
*Male-to-male sex was the single biggest exposure route among the 17,295 state residents living with HIV/AIDS as of May 2008.
*HIV/AIDS was 25 times more common among MSM than among men with female partners only.
*While 68 percent of white male cases reported exposure to HIV through same-sex behavior, only 25 percent of black men and Hispanic men reported same-sex exposure.
*Condom use is up. In a 2005-06 health survey, 56 percent of MSM reported regular condom use, compared to 36 percent in 2000.

"The message of prevention is missing too many men in Massachusetts," said Kevin Cranston, director of DPH's HIV/AIDS Bureau.

While welcoming the uptick in condom use, DPH Commissioner John Auerbach said, "It is clear given the data in this report that more needs to be done with respect to reaching [MSM] with important HIV prevention messages."

The report's recommendations include:
*Free condoms should be widely distributed to MSM, including to those of high school age.
*MSM-directed HIV prevention resources should be expanded.
*Greater efforts should be made to target MSM with HIV testing, including anonymous testing.
*Prevention campaigns should reach public, private, and commercial sex venues and the Internet.
*The availability of AIDS treatments should be maintained.
For more information, visit www.mass.gov/dph/aids.

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Budget Cuts Greatly Impact State of Public Health

GEORGIA : "Concerns Mount that Budget Cuts Could Worsen Public Health Crisis"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.23.08):: Andy Miller

Public health experts say recent budget cuts further jeopardize Georgia's already tenuous safety net, according to a 2007 state legislative committee report. A $1.6 billion shortfall will trigger state budget cuts of at least 6 percent, which will lead to shrinking preventive services and longer lines at clinics, advocates say.

The 2007 report noted the growing demand for services even as the pool of public health nurses shrinks. With longer wait times, "there will be an increase in infectious diseases such as TB, meningitis, hepatitis, and HIV," predicted Dr. Doug Skelton, president of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA).

Since 2002, the number of public health nurses has declined 16 percent, from 1,816 in fiscal year 2002 to 1,526 at present. Nursing vacancies stand at 20 percent, and a furlough of one day's leave without pay each month is seen by nurses as a 5 percent pay cut. The starting salary for public health nurses is $36,700, compared with $61,000 in the private sector.

The state also reduced by $7.5 million funding for family planning services, which includes abstinence education and birth control.

"We'll end up with thousands of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies," said Russ Toal, president-elect of GPHA. The planned move of public health from the Department of Human Resources to a new Department of Public Health "can't happen soon enough," Toal said. "It doesn't appear that public health has been a priority within DHR. We're not able to do a lot of preventive services that public health has always done."

"There are cuts and shortages everywhere; we're no different than other states," said Dr. Sandra Ford, acting state director of public health. "We've managed to find savings and continue to provide services." In the switch to a new Department of Public Health, "we'll be able to leverage our resources better and share the wealth better."

Washington Blade: Gay Orgs Around Country Affected by Recession

http://www.washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=22770

The Daily Voice: Clarence Thomas Gunning for President-elect Barack Obama

Clarence Thomas pushes Obama citizenship case onto Supreme Court docket

Staff Reporter | Posted December 4, 2008 12:50 PM
http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/12/clarence-thomas-pushes-obama-c-001412.php




The controversial effort to challenge Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship got unexpected support when Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pushed the issue onto the Court's docket for Friday after it had been rejected last month.

The Court will decide on Friday whether to consider a New Jersey case against Obama that charges the president-elect has not demonstrated his U.S. citizenship, as required by the Constitution.

The case, Donofrio v. Wells, was filed by Leo C. Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and heard by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

On Monday, November 3, an application (08A407) for a "stay pending the filing and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari" was submitted to Justice David Souter, who denied the request on November 6.

A week after Souter's rejection of the case, the application was refiled and submitted to Justice Clarence Thomas. Instead of rejecting the application, Thomas distributed it to his colleagues, and the issue was scheduled for conference on Friday, December 5. A brief from Donofrio was filed the day before Thanksgiving and the conference is not set to take place, according to official Court records.

While the justices are convening inside the courthouse, demonstrators will be gathering outside for a vigil in support of the case.

The New Jersey case is one of several challenges to Obama's election, including a federal suit by Philip Berg from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania , and one by former presidential candidate Alan Keyes in California . The Supreme Court refused to hear the Berg case after the lower court held that the plaintiff lacked standing to bring the suit. Several other suits filed have been dismissed in Hawaii and Ohio .

The Obama campaign argues that Barack Obama is a naturally born U.S. citizen, born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961 and his birth certificate has been validated by officials in that state.

The latest move by Justice Thomas was first reported by the Washington Afro-American newspaper, which described it as a "highly unusual move."

The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Dec. 15 to certify Obama as the next president of the United States .

"Donofrio is questioning Obama's citizenship because the former Illinois senator, whose mom was from Kansas , was born in Hawaii and his father was a Kenyan national. Therefore, Donofrio argues, Obama's dual citizenship does not make Obama 'a natural born citizen' as required by Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution," according to the Afro story.

After Souter rejected his case, Donofrio followed the rules of procedure for the Supreme Court and re-submitted the application as an emergency stay in accordance to Rule 22, which allows an emergency stay request to be given to another justice, at the choice of the petitioner, according to the Afro story.

"Thomas's actions were rare because, by custom, when a justice rejects a petition from his own circuit, the matter is dead," the Afro reported.

If the Court accepted the case and ultimately overturned the election results, it would be the second time in 8 years that the Court had intervened in a presidential election. Thomas, the only African-American member of the Supreme Court, famously participated in the controversial Bush v. Gore case in 2000.

In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the state of Florida to suspend its recount of votes that could have determined the winner of the election. In the end, George W. Bush defeated Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes in the state of Florida .

Phill Wilson on World AIDS Day & Election of President-Elect Barack Obama

An Open Letter from Phill Wilson, CEO, Black AIDS Institute On the Election of President-Elect Barack Obama & The Potential to Strengthen the National AIDS Response

December 1, 2008

Today is World AIDS day and I'm thinking about President-elect Barack Obama. As a 52-year-old Black gay man with HIV, I have many reasons to welcome the inauguration of Barack Obama. A big one is that an Obama administration has enormous potential to reinvigorate a struggle that has been allowed to flag over the last eight years: our national fight against HIV/AIDS.

With our country facing so many national challenges - two wars, a financial meltdown, and the growing threat of environmental devastation - it may be tempting to relegate the AIDS epidemic to the lower rung of national priorities. Yet that would be a grave mistake. Every year, more than 56,000 people in this country contract HIV.

The devastation is worst among Black Americans, who represent nearly half of all new HIV infections, including two-thirds of the new cases among women and 70% of the new cases among adolescents.

AIDS clearly has affected certain groups more than others. But as Senator Obama said in 2006: "We are all sick because of AIDS - and we are all tested by this crisis. It is a test not only of our willingness to respond, but of our ability to look past the artificial divisions and debates that have often shaped that response."

AIDS, in short, is a sickness at the very heart of the American family. Like any family, America must respond to the sickness in its midst by displaying both solidarity for those who are living with HIV and a determination to make sure no one else gets infected.

We cannot relegate the AIDS fight to the government alone, not even with President Obama at the helm. So, here are several high-priority actions that Americans and our new government, together, should immediately take to reinvigorate our fight against HIV/AIDS:

Support efforts to develop a National AIDS Strategy

The U.S. government requires all foreign countries that receive assistance from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to have a national strategy to respond to HIV/AIDS. Shockingly, America has no national strategy for its own epidemic. No national targets are in place for reducing the number of new HIV infections or lowering the annual number of AIDS deaths. Multiple federal agencies own different pieces of the national AIDS response, yet in the absence of any national coordinating mechanism they stumble over each other, fight for turf, and leave critical priorities unaddressed.

President-elect Obama has committed to put in place a National AIDS Strategy. However, communities affected by AIDS - not bureaucrats -- must drive the development of this strategy.

Partner with the Obama administration to strengthen HIV prevention

HIV prevention accounts for a paltry 4% of total spending by the federal government on domestic HIV/AIDS programs. That's an outrage.

The Obama administration must make good on its campaign promise to strengthen national prevention efforts. Yet when opposition surfaces to needle exchange or school-based HIV prevention programs, we must speak out and persuade decision-makers that true "family values" don't allow more HIV infections to occur when proven methods exist to prevent them.

The disproportionate vulnerability of Black gay men to HIV infection stems in no small part from the prevailing stigma associated with homosexuality. If we are serious about lowering the rate of new HIV infections, we must actively oppose stigma and promote acceptance in our churches, schools, and local communities.

Make knowledge of HIV status a universal community norm

The CDC estimates that more than one in five people living with HIV don't know they are infected. Such people are often diagnosed late in the course of disease, which significantly reduces life expectancy. Late HIV testing also contributes to the spread of HIV, because people who are unaware of their infection are more than three times more likely to expose others to the virus as people who know they are HIV-positive. Here, too, our new President will need our help establish a social norm that every person should know his or her HIV status. We need to urge everyone to get tested, and to explain, again and again, the benefits of getting tested.

Deliver treatments to those who need them

In 2006, 15,000 Americans died of HIV-related causes. Yet, while our government's global AIDS efforts enjoyed double-digit increases each year between 2005 and 2008, categorical domestic federal programs for HIV treatment and prevention failed to keep pace with inflation. Especially scandalous is the lack of any funding increase for the Minority AIDS Initiative since 2004, even though nearly 100,000 Black Americans have become newly infected with HIV since that year. We need to insist that Congressional appropriators deliver the funding that is urgently needed to address this national priority.

Build community capacity on AIDS

Throughout much of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, mainstream Black organizations stayed on the sidelines. Thankfully, that has changed. Organizations like the Black AIDS Institute, the Balm in Gilead and the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS have assisted leading Black organizations and historically Black colleges and universities to develop organizational action plans on AIDS.

Unfortunately, we're still not where we need to be. In 2006, private U.S.-based foundations gave less than a tenth of their HIV-related contributions to activities in this country. Less than a tenth! While we continue to help Africa and other hard-hit regions, we need to put out the fire here at home.

The new administration offers enormous promise for a new day in our nation's long struggle against HIV/AIDS. However, President Obama and his team won't be able to reinvigorate the national AIDS response on their own. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Yes, we can!

Yours in the Struggle,

Phill Wilson

phillwilson@blackaids.org

Black AIDS Institute
1833 W. 78th St. Ste. 200
Los Angeles, CA. 90057-4257
213-353-3610

---

info@blackaids.org

http://www.blackaids.org

House of Blahnik Needs You!!!!!!!

The House of Manolo Blahnik Needs You!

November 21, 2008

Photos: Damon Humes (Founder/Father Jay Blahnik) and Stephaun Clipper Wallace (National Board Member-Stephaun Blahnik)

Dear Friend:

By now, you have heard of the economic crisis in the United States and globally. The implications of the crisis have far reaching effects that have unfortunately and exponentially, impacted small indigenous groups who work tirelessly to improve the lives of our youth, our communities and our nation.

With a record $9 trillion US budget deficit, health, wellness and civic programs for youth as well as critical access to education are in jeopardy. As the US’s fiscal problem heighten, the needs of disenfranchised and impoverished communities continue to grow. Because people are living in desperate times, are under stress or in pain and lack the money to care for themselves and/or their families; violence and/or violent crimes increase in our homes and community, education is under prioritized and rates of HIV, STDs and other health-related problems implode.

The House of Blahnik (HOB) has, and continues to respond to these issues and many more since its inception in 2000. HOB is a premiere national health and human service provider, specifically addressing education, leadership development, advocacy, HIV/AIDS and provides ongoing mentorship to at-risk lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. The HOB has membership in fourteen states; including: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North & South Carolina. The HOB’s mission is, “…to positively affect the overall development, health and wellness of its members, the larger lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities of color and their allies; while providing nurturing safe spaces for self-expression and continued growth.”

The HOB is one of the few places left for LGBT youth who participate in, or are affiliated with, the house/ball community. It is the only indigenous house who works with local not-for-profit organizations (in several states) to conduct research, health education and intervention to its peers. Lastly, the HOB has the unique distinction of providing the only national scholarship opportunity for persons in house/ball community. Last year, its first scholarship recipient graduated from Morehouse, a historically black college in Atlanta, GA; while another scholar is presently attending North Carolina Central University.

We are asking that you consider giving what you can. You contribution, of any size, will make a huge difference in the lives of over 5,000 people who are positively affected directly by our efforts. A $50 donation could provide two hours of intensive sexual health education or counseling to a young person who may be struggling with their sexual orientation that could decrease the likelihood of becoming HIV and/or STD infected. A $200 donation could ensure that one LGBT youth gets to our annual leadership development retreat; while $1,000 could help to ensure access to college; which keeps our youth and young adults off the street- giving them access to a computer lab, counselors, homework assistance and ongoing support.

We do all of this and more because of you. Your support is what allows us to make a difference in the lives of so many youth. Please consider making an end of the year tax deductible contribution. With your help, the HOB can continue to provide access to education, mobilize community, and support health & human services throughout the country during national budgetary cutbacks.

The HOB is under the fiscal management of the Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) Project, Inc., a New York State non profit organization. Please send your tax deductible contributions to:

MOCHA Project, Inc.
c/o HOB Scholarship Fund
531 Virginia Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

If you would like to learn more about our programs and services, please do not hesitate to contact me at (678) 913-8629 or visit our web site at www.houseofblahnik.org. We thank you in advance for your support.
Again, thank you,

Stephaun Clipper Wallace, BS

National Board Member

The House of Blahnik

NBJC: Transgender Day of Rememberance

Dear Stephaun Clipper,

Remembering OUR Dead editorial by TJ Fleming

November 20, 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of Rita Hester’s murder, a Boston transgender woman whose brutal murder is still unsolved as many crimes against gay, lesbian, transgender and transsexual persons often are. Rita’s murder began the first visible evidence of hate-filled discrimination and violence against the transgender and transsexual community, as it sparked an online memorial for all of those in our community who have been murdered for being who they are, internally and externally.

“Remembering Our Dead” (www.rememberingourdead.org) is the first website dedicated to posting the names and stories of transgender and transsexual humans who have been killed for their gender identities and/or expressions. These names, however, are the ones for which we have accounts; many others are not reported or not classified as hate crimes based on gender identity.

Now, 10 years later, the tradition continues and so, too, do the murders of human beings who dare to live as they must: in a gender not assigned physically at birth, but assigned within the heart and spirit from conception.

On the 20th of each November we remember those who died—our dead.

What makes them ours? As a pre-op transsexual male, the murdered are my sisters and my brothers and, above all else, they are human beings who deserve to be honored, valued and remembered. But what makes them yours to remember, those of you of the Same Gender Loving community?

You must remember because we are cut from the same cloth, albeit of a different pattern. We desire the same human rights: that is, to love who we want, identify however we want, and express our sex or gender in whatever means comfortable and innate to our true selves. Transphobia is as alive and vicious of a monster as homophobia and oftentimes dwells in the same hearts and minds. To “them” we are all “freaks of nature,” “misfits,” unworthy and intolerable. To “them” our civil rights are not their civil rights; our lives are not worth as much as their own; our love is not love. To this, we must stand together and become responsible for one another, collectively.

They are our dead because, as the living, we still have a voice, and we must speak loudly and unwaveringly to end homophobia and transphobia in our time and for our next generation.

As you awake on November 20th, remember Rita Hester from 1998 and remember Duanna Johnson murdered on November 10, 2008 and all those past, present and future. In nations across the world people are gathering to remember those needlessly killed by hate: www.transgenderdor.org, is a site that has a listing of where you can get involved in your region.

On November 20th, this year and every year, stand up and be heard, because our dead cannot.

Remember.

http://www.atypical.net/ archive/2002/11/20/4th-annual- day-of-remembrance – Article on Rita Hester.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/ 11/18/us/18memphis.html?em – Article on Duanna Johnson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1wy4EAigSBw – video titled “Hate Crimes in 2008- Fight OUT Loud”

Biography: Talib “T.J.” Fleming is an FTM writer, parent, and social activist residing in Jersey City, NJ with his partner and daughter. www.brotheroutsider.org

Photo © Emmanuela de León/Dust Jacket Press

The Prop 8 Blame Game

By Kai Wright | TheRoot.com


Why white gays and black homophobes both need a reality check.
Nov. 12, 2008--Somebody forgot to tell gay people that race wars are no longer in vogue.

While the rest of the country has spent the last week reveling in the afterglow of Grant Park, gay America has devolved into a Sarah Palin rally.

The issue is a particularly nasty California ballot initiative, Proposition 8, which passed last Tuesday with just over half the vote. Prop 8 repealed a historic state Supreme Court ruling that gave gays the right to wed—and it appears to have won massive black support. That's a fact that ought to shame black folks everywhere.

But it also ought to finally convince the white-led gay rights movement to take people of color seriously, a case black gay activists have been trying to make for the better part of the past 30 years. Addressing the destructive reactions of too many of my white gay compatriots in recent days would be a good place to begin.

It started when a CNN exit poll declared that 70 percent of black voters supported the initiative. That finding led many in Cali's white gay community to conclude they lost their rights because of black homophobia. Things went downhill fast from there. Much of the ensuing outcry has been nasty, even hateful. As one college student wrote to the black gay blog Rod 2.0 in describing a Los Angeles protest, "It was like being at a Klan rally, except the Klansmen were wearing Abercrombie Polos and Birkenstocks. "


I wish his remark could be easily dismissed as hyperbole. The comment sections of blogs ranging from progressive standard-bearer DailyKos to black lesbian rabble rouser Jasmyne Cannick have been swarmed with racist rants and reports of slurs hurled at African Americans. Big-name gay scribes have piled on. By 10 a.m. the day after the election, popular columnist Dan Savage had shot off at the mouth, declaring himself "done pretending" that "the huge numbers of homophobic African Americans" aren't a bigger threat to gays than racist gays are to blacks. Whatever that means.


There is no question that homophobia runs deep in black America—or that it wreaks far more acute damage than denying marriage rights, frankly. Just ask the families of Sakia Gunn or Rashawn Brazell or any one of the scores of black queers whose murders have been met with a collective shrug in black communities. Or all the families destroyed by a raging AIDS epidemic we go on ignoring, in large part because of our uneasiness with sexuality of any sort, let alone the homo and bi and transgender kind. It's long past time black people have a conversation about this ugly reality.

But first, as with all things involving race and sex, there's a whole mess of facts about the California marriage fight that must be straightened out.

Not least of these is the shaky assertion that black voters made the difference. DailyKos diarist Shanikka has gained small celebrity for her post debunking it. The fact that blacks are densely clumped in just nine out of 58 California counties makes any race-based claim in CNN's geographically random sample muddy at best. Further, the poll excludes all of the state's 3 million early votes and counts blacks as 10 percent of voters when they're less than 7 percent of the population.
Of course, you don't have to get into such devilish details to notice something weird about this blame-the-blacks narrative.

Even if 70 percent truly did support the marriage ban, why single them out? So did six out of 10 people over 65. Ditto white Protestants and people with children under 18. Look at the electorate through any of these lenses and you identify a far larger share of the vote than when viewing it by race.
"The reason why people are so fascinated with the 70 percent number is Obama and this kumbaya moment that we were having," says Ron Buckmire, a leader in L.A.'s Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition, a black gay group. "To discover that not everyone was in the same place was really shocking and surprising for some people."
It should have been a no-brainer.

The Mormon-funded, anti-gay side aggressively targeted every racial and ethnic group in California—often dishonestly. Anti-gay operatives launched a robo-call scheme directed at black voters that falsely claimed Barack Obama supported their initiative. Obama does not support gay marriage, but neither did he support Prop 8. (Not that Obama did a hell of a lot to counter the lie.) The underfunded, pro-gay side responded with too little, too late.


These shenanigans explain why many black voters supported the marriage ban. Still, that's no excuse. "I am far less concerned with a white gay backlash than I am with the need for us to have a dialogue within the African-American community about what it means to have equality," says H. Alexander Robinson, who heads the National Black Justice Coalition, a black gay rights group.

Here, here.

Let's be clear, these hateful repudiations of gay relationships hurt black people. According to the U.S. Census, 10.5 percent of same-sex households are black, and they are at least twice as likely to be raising kids as their white counterparts.

Denying these families access to civil marriage bars them from hundreds of rights and responsibilities.

Many black folks wince when they hear gay rights compared to the black civil rights movement. And when it comes from white gays whose only interest in black people is appropriating our history, I do too.

But here's what Coretta Scott King had to say, in an address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. "Homophobia is as morally wrong and as unacceptable as racism," she declared. "We ought to extend to gay and lesbian people the same respect and dignity we claim for ourselves. Every person is a child of God, and every human being is entitled to full human rights."

The whole community faces consequences when those human rights are denied. Look no further than AIDS for proof. Black people were overrepresented from the epidemic's outset, but fear and hate of the gay men who bore its first burn paralyzed the community as the virus spread. Now black people account for half of all new infections.

At some point, we all must ask difficult, self-critical questions. No, as black people, we're not any more or less homophobic than anybody else. And yes, the white gay community needs to look at its own failures before casting blame on others.

But so what? Too many of us are homophobes, and we need to talk about it. Last Tuesday's vote should remove any doubt about the urgency of the discussion.

http://www.theroot. com/id/48845/ page/1


"I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute. Not to these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow, but to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Dr. King Feb. 28, 1954

Just Stopped In.......

WOW!

Ok, so much has happened since the last time that I really came on and gave my thoughts to something. Mainly due to my increasing responsibilities at my primarily place of employment MOCHA and these darn college classes that are wearing me out (they always want me to write....lol).

So ok, as you all probably know by now, our new President-elect is Illinois Senator Barack Obama, but what some of you may not know is that he has literally hit the ground running in post-election strategy planning and meetings with officials in varying capacities. I am so in awe, I would be remiss if I didn't add that his acceptance speech brought tears to my eyes. For your review, in case you haven't watched it enough, I posted the clips below. This election and specifically the results, have made me feel very proud (for one of the first times in my life) to say that I am American. Finally, it appears that the glass ceiling has been obliterated and people can finally start to have open and honest dialog about their differences, while at the same time celebrating our similarities. To his credit, John McCain delivered a (seemingly) heartfelt speech giving much credit to the Obama campaign and his ability to mobilize American's around his platform. (There is so much to be said for community organizing!!!!!!!!).

Additionally in the news, Obama has started going about the business of identifying potential candidates for cabinet positions, being very clear about his intention to retain a bipartisian cabinet. The world has taken notice of American and our presidential selection, and I believe wholeheartedly that this election also did some potential healing of our international image.

***********
Obama Acceptance Speech Part 1

Obama Acceptance Speech Part 2

SOVO: Beyonce's Borrowed Moves

Alice Walker on Obama's Presidency

An Open Letter to Barack Obama - By Alice
Walker | TheRoot.com

http://www.theroot. com/id/48726


President-Elect Barack
Obama

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being
the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you
are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the
torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade,
century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of
justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this
observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and,
indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a
different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the
generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and
of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part
of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your
wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope,
previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that
the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the
world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to
cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient
time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on.
One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White
House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their
wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so
lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does
your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so
bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state,
you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really
want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the
attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is
not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the
reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most
damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings
occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or
racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused
adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are
commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved
country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say,
quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner."
There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more
dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened
to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where
it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the
Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese
government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be
preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but
when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers,
to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which
we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and
lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept
happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting
our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.


In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

N.Y. Governor Calls for Federal Relief for States

Finding the Answers Within

Finding Answers Within
You Have All the Answers

Many of us seek the answers to life’s questions by looking outside of ourselves and trying to glean advice from the people around us. But as each of us is unique, with our own personal histories, our own sense of right and wrong, and our own way of experiencing the world that defines our realities, looking to others for our answers is only partially helpful. The answers to our personal questions can be most often found by looking within. When you realize that you always have access to the part of you that always knows what you need and is meant to act as your inner compass, you can stop searching outside of yourself. If you can learn to hear, trust, and embrace the wisdom that lives within you, you will be able to confidently navigate your life.

Trusting your inner wisdom may be awkward at first, particularly if you grew up around people who taught you to look to others for answers. We each have exclusive access to our inner knowing. All we have to do is remember how to listen. Remember to be patient as you relearn how to hear, receive, and follow your own guidance. If you are unsure about whether following your inner wisdom will prove reliable, you may want to think of a time when you did trust your own knowing and everything worked out. Recall how the answers came to you, how they felt in your body as you considered them, and what happened when you acted upon this guidance. Now, recall a time when you didn’t trust yourself and the results didn’t work out as you had hoped. Trusting your own guidance can help you avoid going against what you instinctively know is right for you.

When you second guess yourself and go against what you know to be your truth, you can easily go off course because you are no longer following your inner compass. By looking inside yourself for the answers to your life’s questions, you are consulting your best guide. Only you can know the how’s and why’s of your life. The answers that you seek can be found when you start answering your own questions.

Martin: The Republicans Are Desparate

(CNN)--Watching Sen. John McCain and top Republicans swing wildly in their attempts to slam Sen. Barack Obama, with less than two weeks ago to go before Election Day, is like watching an old fighter --clearly out of gas, his legs turned to rubber, and all he can do is grab, hold, punch behind the back, just anything to try to win.

McCain's campaign is no longer about issues. He and his supporters want to bring up anything and everything to derail Obama, and nothing is sticking, so they just keep returning to their old bag of tricks.

In the past two weeks, we've seen Minnesota Republican Rep. Michelle Bachmann make one of the most audacious statements ever, suggesting that Obama holds anti-American views, that other members of Congress have the same views, and that the media should launch a widespread investigation to ferret them out.

No, seriously, she said that on MSNBC's "Hardball."

It didn't take long for the folks on the left to get ahold of her comments. After the video spread like wildfire, Democrats across the country pumped $700,000 into the campaign coffers of her opponent. The normally talkative Bachmann is now on lockdown, not granting any interviews, as she has to work hard to hold onto her seat.

Then you have former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who was caught suggesting that if Obama wins, he is going to put in place the policies of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Now, Gingrich has absolutely no clue what policies Wright advocated, but he wants to scare the dickens out of voters by literally making stuff up about Obama.

Cindy McCain, who has barely moved her lips during this campaign, is now accusing the Obama campaign of running the dirtiest campaign ever, and lighting up the New York Times and others for their viciousness. Never mind what's happening in her own backyard with all of the false and outlandish comments coming from her husband, his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, and their supporters.

They are now in full blame-the-media mode.

Then you have both McCain and Palin slamming Obama for essentially being a socialist. We shouldn't be surprised that it's come to this because we already had radio hosts like Lars Larson, Glenn Beck and others trying to paint Obama for months as being a Marxist. Now the junior senator from Illinois is a student of Lenin!

This has totally gotten out of hand, but instead of trying to castigate Obama and tar and feather him, the Republicans should look inward and look at how their actions have seriously harmed this nation.

The Republicans ran Congress for six years. The Republicans have held the White House for the last eight years. The Republicans have advanced the deregulation agenda that played a major role in creating the financial mess we are currently in.

The Republicans have led the foreign policy we have in place that has destroyed the moral authority we once held. Their president is one of the most unpopular in history, so bad that he and Vice President Dick Cheney can't even come out of the White House to campaign on behalf of McCain because they are so reviled by Americans.

Can someone please remind these folks of this?

Every campaign says they want the election to be about the issues, but when McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis made it clear that they want it to be about character and not issues, well, we should have realized we would get to this point.

That's why we're hearing so much about Bill Ayers. That's why they've spent more time blasting out statements about ACORN than real policy points.

It's pretty sad, really. It's sad that instead of making it about a vision for America , they want it to be about the castigating of a good man. It's sad that McCain can't fully articulate an economic plan that encompasses all Americans, instead of redistributing income upwards to the super rich.

It's sad that his only answer to the economy is tax cuts, when we need a much broader answer.

Much can happen over the next 13 days. I've seen campaigns won and lost with less time on the clock.

McCain will continue to throw jabs, swinging wildly, ignoring the game plan he came into the fight with, hoping something -- anything -- connects against the jaw of his younger, more fluid opponent. And like any aging fighter, as the rounds tick away, he could get even more desperate and fearful. So hold on to your seats. Lord knows what will come out of the GOP side over the next 13 days.

Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America ." Visit his Web site for more information.

ACORN FIGHTS BACK!!!!!!!!!

RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY NOVEL TYPE OF ANTIBODY THAT POTENTLY INHIBITS HIV INFECTION

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News National Cancer Institute (NCI) Embargoed for Release: Monday, October 20, 2008, 5:00 p.m. EDT

CONTACT: NCI Office of Media Relations, 301-496-6641,

RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY NOVEL TYPE OF ANTIBODY THAT POTENTLY INHIBITS HIV INFECTION

A small antibody fragment that is highly effective in neutralizing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by preventing the virus from entering cells has been identified by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This finding may provide insight into the development of new treatments against HIV and other viruses, hopefully in the not too distant future. The study appears online Oct. 20, 2008, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Treating HIV-infected individuals is difficult because the virus is able to mutate and become resistant to antiretroviral drugs. "In the United States, it is estimated that more than 50 percent of patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy for their HIV infection carry strains of the virus that are resistant to treatment with at least one of the currently available antiretroviral drugs," said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. "The development of new drugs against HIV is an urgent public health need."

Antibodies are large proteins naturally produced by the immune system to help fight disease-causing foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria.
Although the general structure of all antibodies is very similar, a small region at the tip of the protein is extremely variable, allowing millions of antibodies, characterized by slightly different tip structures, to exist and bind to different targets, known as antigens. Previous research has shown that reducing antibodies to the smallest independently functional fragment, known as a variable domain, can extend their utility as therapeutic agents. These fragments, called domain antibodies (dAbs), retain the variable tip structure and, therefore, the antigen-binding specificity of the parent antibody. Because of their small size, they are able to access targets that cannot be reached by much larger, whole antibodies.

In an earlier study, the researchers identified a unique antibody, called m0, while screening a large library of antibodies directed against the HIV protein, Env (also known as gp120). The library contained the variable portions of antibodies that can bind to Env antigens. "We found an antibody fragment that exhibited the ability to neutralize HIV and had properties that allowed us to construct a novel library containing dAbs directed against HIV," said Dimiter S. Dimitrov, Ph.D., of NCI's Center for Cancer Research.

Based on m0's framework, the leading author of the study, Weizao Chen, Ph.D., constructed a very large library of dAbs (25 billion different dAbs), screened it against Env proteins from two different strains of HIV, and identified a dAb, m36, that bound strongly to different Env proteins and blocked the infectivity of a broad range of HIV strains. The researchers believe that m36 represents the first human dAb against HIV reported.


"The antibody fragment that we identified, m36, could have potential in the development of a therapeutic drug that inhibits HIV," said Dimitrov.
"Further research with this molecule also could offer insight about how the virus infects cells and how it evades neutralization by the immune system."

The research team is working to test various combinations of m36 with other inhibitors that may be effective against HIV. The team is also attempting to construct more potent versions of m36. Partnership with industry could speed the ability to evaluate m36 as a potential treatment for HIV.
Dimitrov's team is also using this approach to identify dAbs against cancer and other disease-related antigens.

For more information on Dr. Dimitrov's research, please go to < profileid="5749">.

NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit .

Reference: Chen, W, Zhu Z, Feng Y, Dimitrov DS. Human domain antibodies to conserved sterically restricted regions on gp120 as exceptionally potent cross-reactive HIV-1 neutralizers. "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." Online October 20, 2008.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit .

Man Finds Racial Slur Printed On Receipt

McCain Solicits Foreign Contributions to His Campaign

(click on the title of the post to view the article)

Now I have really heard it all. John McCain couldn't possibly have any more nerve than he does at this very moment. In addition to all the name calling and drama that his VP nominee has caused in this election, the republican campaign rallies that have incited harsh language and violence (and even threats to Obama); now he is doing the very same thing that he has accused Obama of doing????

I just have one question to all of you Obama haters out there right now......


WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING????

I can tell you, RACISM!

My personal opinion on this matter; this is no longer about politics and positions........if you are a person who has even an ounce of rational thought.....you need to vote for Barack Obama!

The strikes have (and continue to) mount high for McCain, and its unfortunate that many people who "claim" they aren't voting for Obama contend they are doing so because of ridiculous assumptions and misinformation, none of which is rooted in fact.

Get on the band-wagon now folks!!!!!!!!!!!!!


BARACK OBAMA '08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Colin Powell Endorses Obama; Criticizes McCain

2nd ANNUAL HOUSE OF BLAHNIK SCHOLARSHIP- TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

2nd INSTALLATION OF SCHOLARSHIP FOR YOUTH OF COLOR

The House of Manolo Blahnik Seeks to Acknowledges Another Patron of the "Ballroom" Community

On behalf of the House of Blahnik, I am extremely excited to announce Year II of the House Blahnik Scholarship Fund 08-09. Our mission is… "to positively affect the overall development, health and wellness of our members, the larger lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities of color and their allies; while providing nurturing safe spaces for self-expression and continued growth.." We are proud to forge a national agenda that includes the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of color within the ballroom/house community. We are honored to advance our people through supporting individual aspirations, upholding education and promoting pride. We are glad to be pioneers in the ballroom community.

The House Blahnik Scholarship Fund is granted to LGBT individuals of color, who participate in Balls, and are enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning and/or individuals who are graduating seniors who have been accepted to an accredited institution of higher learning.

ELIGIBILITY

African Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders, Hispanics and other racial/ethnic minority persons who participate in the "ballroom/house" community who are enrolled at an accredited college; graduate or professional/ technical school, or who are accepted to an accredited college, university or technical school.

Members of the House of Blahnik are not eligible to apply. Former 'House of Blahnik' Scholars are not eligible to apply.

AWARDS DESCRIPTION

The House of Blahnik will issue a one time award in the amount of $1,000 to $5,000 to each student selected.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Applications are due October 31, 2008. Recipients will be announced on or before December 1, 2008. Award checks will be sent directly to the school or institution of the award recipients by January 1, 2009.

HOW TO APPLY

The House of Blahnik is pleased to announce the online scholarship application processes for 2008-09. For scholarship applications and guidelines, please e-mail info@houseofblahnik.com. or go to www.houseofblahnik.org

*****************************************************************************************

Stephaun Clipper-Wallace

Community Activist-Health Educator-Empowerment Specialist

www.stephaunelite.com
www.myspace.com/christianelite www.groups.yahoo.com/group/southeast_ballroom_scene

"There's always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself -whether it's Black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc. - because that's the piece that they need to key in to. They want to dismiss everything else." -Audre Lorde