August 2008 Archives
JMG: "Straight Pride Parade: Attendance Zero"By on August 31, 2008 2:34 PM | No Comments
Joe My God is reporting from his trek this morning out to Brookyln's Crown Heights for the reported "Straight Pride Parade," where he found an empty intersection at the alleged 10 AM starting time. The event had been planned by Reggae artists from the "Taking Care of Our Own" production label. Why, you ask?:
It was organized in response to accusations made by gay activists, specifically Peter Tatchell, founder of the activist group OutRage!, that certain reggae songs, including Stapler’s “Hit Them Hard,” incite violence against gays. “The issue is not homophobia,” explains Tatchell. “It is incitement to murder gay people, which is a criminal offense.”Gregory Larson, president of TCOOO Productions, views the parade and song quite differently, calling it “pro-family, not anti-gay.” Adds Larson, “It just talks about a man and his wife, but the gay community takes it as a hit against them. Maybe because they can’t have children, I don’t know.”
Riiiiiiiiiight. In any case, Joe made the trek to Flatbush at Church Avenue to witness the event first-hand, but discovered upon arriving that there was no parade to be found!:
As you can see, however, I found the corner of Flatbush and Church, the parade's supposed 10am starting point, completely deserted. Damn, and here I wanted a Straight Pride t-shirt.I did see a good number of cars whizzing by that were festooned with flags from Jamaica and other Caribbean nations, but those were probably just folks getting ready for tomorrow's massive West Indian Day Parade. Just to make sure I hadn't missed the fun, I popped into a few shops to inquire if anybody had seen a parade this morning. The manager of Raquel Shoes told me, "I've been here since 8:30am. It's been totally quiet all morning."
Hah! Joe calls it a "laughable non-event," and he's exactly right.
Salon.com: Palin Pick for Veep "Epitome of Tokenism"By on August 30, 2008 11:54 AM | 1 Comment
I haven't been posting much here about the national campaign; I figured out long ago that there are hundreds of thousands of other blogger voices out there to fill that void. But Salon.com has a new article that's interesting and I think raises some important issues. If you haven't noticed, John McCain's campaign quite brilliantly stole the show out from under the Convention's feet by leaking the identity of his VP choice at the same time as Obama's acceptance speech (which, if you haven't seen, please do).
If you've been hiding under a rock somewhere in Mongolia, then you might not be aware that he chose a female Governor of Alaska with virtually no political experience to be his VP running mate. Sarah Palin has been governor of Alaska for only two years, and before that was a mayor of a town with a population of about 5,000. Now, this selection is total baldface political opportunism. McCain is trying to cash in on the allegedly numerous Democrats embittered by Hillary Clinton's losing battle for the nomination. My grandmother from Georgia, for instance, who was a staunch Clinton supporter and refuses to vote for Obama. But she's not looking for a woman to vote for, per se. I think she's probably just not ready to imagine a Black President (God bless her, she still says "colored"). McCain won't win her vote by selecting Palin; she probably just won't vote come election day (though I certainly hope she changes her mind).
But I digress. Palin's pick is the lowest of the low kind of tokenism. She is not an experienced or savvy politician. Here's Salon.com:
Palin is the epitome of tokenism, exactly what conservative Republicans have always claimed to scorn, until today, as the politics of quotas and political correctness. Even Rush Limbaugh is a feminazi now (at least until Election Day).But if Palin's résumé is limited, to put it politely, she possesses the only two qualities that McCain now seems to consider essential: She is a right-wing religious ideologue with female gender characteristics. Suddenly that is all anyone needs to qualify as a potential commander in chief of the world's most powerful military. We probably won't hear so much from now on about "experience" and "judgment," McCain's vaunted standard for the presidency until ... today. We certainly won't hear again about the "person most prepared to take my place," the phrase he has used more than once to describe his main criterion for a running mate.
I sincerely hope that there aren't more than a handful of voters out there who will suddenly be lured by this obvious bait. I have my doubts. Palin's no Clinton by any measure. Let's hope Americans aren't so blind.
"Consider this your subpoena, it's time.... to stop doing tina!"By on August 29, 2008 11:10 AM | No Comments
Funny stuff from the folks at Funny or Die. It features Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, as an interventionist singing her plea to a young gay man to quit using meth. Enjoy!
(Via Lifelube)
I Was Meant to be a 1970s FagBy on August 28, 2008 12:59 PM | No Comments
Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong generation! After posting that video in the previous post featuring Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin speaking at the GLBT Historical Society, I began exploring the society's Youtube account, which features tons of amazing archival footage from various events throughout queer history (beginning in the 40s). Here's a few gems I thought you might enjoy from the 1980s:
1) The Hayward Rah-Rah's (later renamed Cheer SF, who are still going strong today) perform in this clip from 1986 at the Track and Field Festival. They were formed in 1980 as the first all-volunteer, adult cheerleading team in the country, and became an important morale-boosting facet of the community when AIDS hit in the mid-80s:
2) Disco sensation Sylvester's "40th Birthday Party" in 1985 -- actually two years before his real 40th birthday. He died three years later from AIDS-related complications:
3) On Friday, October 6, 1989, San Francisco police conducted a sweep of the Castro district in response to a small, peaceful march protesting federal neglect of people with AIDS. The nearly 200 police cleared a 7 block area, with many protesters beaten. Patrons in stores and restaurants, as well as residents, were trapped inside for hours. Video by Patrick Henry, local producer and video store owner.
4) Stand-up comic Danny Williams performing at the National March for Gay and Lesbian Rights in San Francisco. You'll notice that his wit / bitchiness is reserved for the police, government, and gay bashers -- not other gay men:
The Wonderful, Amazing, Pioneering Del Martin Dead at 87
By on August 28, 2008 12:27 PM | No Comments
Sad news from San Francisco. Del Martin, one of the founders of the Daughters of Bilitis, passed away after a long period of declining health. She was 87. She is survived by her partner of 58 years, Phyllis Lyon.
Losing a titan like this is always devastating. She lived a good life, though, and accomplished much in her time. The Chronicle has a nice lengthy bit on her history of activism alongside her partner, Phyllis Lyon, including a timeline at the end:
She and Lyon met in Seattle in 1950 while both were working as journalists for a trade publication. Their friendship turned into a romance two years later. In 1953, on Valentine's Day, the couple moved into a Castro district flat in San Francisco.After helping found the Daughters of Bilitis, they started a newsletter, called the Ladder, which grew into a magazine focused on lesbian politics and culture.
In the first issue, Ms. Martin set the tone for how she would lead the rest of her life when she wrote: "Nothing was ever accomplished by hiding in a dark corner. Why not discard the hermitage for the heritage that awaits any red-blooded American woman who dares to claim it?"
Cleve Jones took that message to heart when he met the couple in 1972. He was a student at Arizona State University, and the duo went to speak to a gay liberation organization.
"For a kid just out of high school, listening to them was a life-altering experience," said Jones, who later moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a student intern in the City Hall office of gay Supervisor Harvey Milk and founded the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. "They were so confident, so unapologetic, so radical."
And, added Kendell, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, "so fearless. In every social movement, political movement, there's someone who transcends their time. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Del Martin was one of those people."
Friends and family plan to hold a public tribute to Ms. Martin in the near future. Details have not been set.
Del Martin-- 1921 - Born on May 5 in San Francisco
-- 1950 - Met the love of her life, Phyllis Lyon
-- 1955 - Co-founded groundbreaking lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis
-- 1960 - Took over as editor of the Ladder, a monthly lesbian magazine
-- 1964 - Helped found the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, formed to overturn laws that criminalized homosexual behavior
-- 1972 - Co-wrote with Lyon the book "Lesbian/Woman"
-- 1972 - Co-founded with Lyon the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, the first gay political club in the United States
-- 1976 - Published the book "Battered Wives," which focused on domestic violence
-- 1976 - Appointed chairwoman of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women
-- 1995 - Served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging
-- 2004 - Wed Lyon in the first of about 4,000 same-sex weddings sanctioned by San Francisco but later ruled invalid by the California Supreme Court
-- 2008 - On June 16, married Lyon again, this time with the blessing of the state Supreme Court, which found the state ban on same-sex marriage illegal
Here's a video of Phyllis and Del speaking at the GLBT Historical Society in 2002, telling the story of the The Ladder
Phyllis, if you're out there, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Vintage Me: Trevor Through the AgesBy on August 26, 2008 9:24 PM | No Comments
Trevor in costume as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet (11th Grade)
I was interviewed for a documentary about gay male culture and masculinity, and afterwards the filmmaker requested that I try to dig up some old photos of me for the project. It was perfect timing, as I was interviewed last week just before I was to fly home to North Carolina for a day before my cousin's wedding (more on that in a future post!). I dug through my parent's dozens of photo albums and came up with these gems. My BFF Karen from high school (the nurse in R&J above, to my right, and who accompanied me to junior prom) also donated a few to the cause. I couldn't help but share!
Easter.... 1989, I think? I was going for that gigolo look
'89 or '90 again. Fishing at the beach. I was trying to show that I was a pretty average boy
Me and Vanessa in high school! And my fugly blonde hair. Oy vey. Probably 1999 or 2000.
Oof. Junior prom with Karen. She had just come back from Miami (hence her skin tone). 2000.
Who's that cutey in the orange sweater! Senior year chorus trip, 2001.
2001, I think. I wore this gem of an outfit when my grandparents came to visit. No, really.
Oh happy chorus line! Fresh from the chorus awards. 2001.
Probably 2001? Maybe 2002. One of my birthdays; probably 18 or 19.
By on August 22, 2008 9:07 AM | No Comments
The Bay Area Reporter is reporting that The Advocate will scale back to a monthly edition, after many (many) years of being biweekly. The comments from the new editor are very interesting, including saying that he doesn't think they'll be featuring straight entertainers anymore and that they will have more news inside:
"I don't think there is a need for a biweekly magazine anymore with the Web," Barrett said. Barrett added that the magazine will be thicker, with a heavier paper stock. "We will have more room for bigger stories and we're going to get better writers," he added. "You will see more news in the magazine."[snip]
Among other changes Barrett has in store is a move away from covers featuring entertainers; for example, he said that he doesn't think the magazine needs to feature a cover shot of straight man who is playing a gay role. And of course, the question of what it's like to kiss a man," Barrett said, referencing a frequent question posed to straight actors in such interviews. "I don't think our readers want to read those stories anymore," he said, adding that those features were needed in the 1990s, when it was validating to many LGBTs.
Interesting! Maybe there's still hope left for the magazine! For years now, it's slid down the tubes with less and less interesting material. Still, when me and freelance journies chat, we recognize that it's perhaps the only national go-to if you want to get your voice heard by the big guns in the LGBT world. The only catch of course is lately they've only been publishing pretty crappy stuff. Maybe that will change?
Me on "Getting it on with Bonnie"By on August 21, 2008 8:58 PM | 1 Comment
My dear friend Bonnie Zylbergold interviewed me recently for her webcast titled, "Getting it on with Bonnie" as part of her work worth with the National Sexuality Resource Center's "American Sexuality Magazine." Our interview is really quite funny and fabulous. We chat about my "Beyond Masculinity" project; my life growing up queer; masculinity and gay men; and the gays in general. Ch-Ch-Check it out!
Packing...By on August 19, 2008 7:03 PM | No Comments
My last night in San Francisco is upon me! Tonight I meet up with Jen and Bonnie for a farewell dinner before I'm off, back to North Carolina. Oy! What a beautiful summer it's been! So many good memories. So many good friends. I'll miss ya, SF! But I can't wait to get back in the action, and start writing up my research project on bottoms that I've been working on here in SF for the past three months. Good times!
In any case, I may be slow to post over the next few days as I make my way back from San Francisco to North Carolina, to then turn around and drive to Virginia for my cousin's wedding, only to then leave quickly to drive to Michigan! Phew! And then of course three days of graduate instructor orientation begins THE VERY NEXT DAY. Fuck that!
xoxo
Trevor
Hottie of the Day: AdrianBy on August 19, 2008 6:53 PM | 2 Comments
Adrian's a DJ in San Francisco and generally a hottie about town. I ran into him go-go-going at the Lookout last weekend. Just found the photo on my memory card. Oy vey! What a hottie!
In SF? Get on the Trojan Bus WednesdayBy on August 18, 2008 3:55 PM | No Comments
Just got this over e-mail from the folks at the NSRC. The event features my dear friend Bonnie Zylbergold, who just interviewed me for her video podcast segment "Getting it on With Bonnie" (should be up soon)! In the meantime, stop by the Trojan Bus Wednesday to say hello:
The Trojan Evolve bus stops at Justin Herman Plaza this Wednesday--and National Sexuality Resource Center (NSRC) will be there to capture it all, as folks immerse themselves in a multi-media experience designed to promote safer sex, condom use, and youth sexual responsibility. Now that's something we can get behind (or on top of). And we want you to join us.UK Priest: Homosexuality = Demon PossessionRace against the clock to demonstrate responsible behavior with the Evolve Yourself Olympics, kick back in The Lounge and get your sex questions answered, or test your sexpert knowledge with a spin of the Evolve Triva Wheel.
Think you know more than us? NSRC and our own resident sexpert Bonnie Zylbergold will be there to go head to head with all comers--and we'll get it all on video.
The Trojan Evolve Tour kicked off this spring with a 40-foot long interactive bus, 40-foot wide IMAX-style rollercoaster ride, multi-stop comedy tour and concert experience, which was launched by the condom maker in response to an alarming decline in America's sexual health. With condom advertising restrictions on network primetime television in affect, and over a billion dollars spent on abstinence-only education that does not advocate condom use, the tour
is designed to engage Americans directly and calls on them to create change by personally pledging to use a condom every time and signing a petition for change.Date: Wednesday, August 20th
Location: Justin Herman Plaza (Market Street/Embarcadero)
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PMMore details are available on trojancondoms.com.
By on August 18, 2008 3:48 PM | 1 Comment
Oh, those wonky Catholic Brits! Not only is homosexuality caused by demonic possession, but it's contagious, y'all!
Offering what may be an explanation for the explosion of homosexuality in recent years, Fr. Davies said, "Among the causes of homosexuality is a contagious demonic factor."Fr. Davies continues: "Even heterosexual promiscuity is a perversion; and intercourse, which belongs in the sanctuary of married love, can become a pathway not only for disease but also for evil spirits. Some very unpleasant things must be mentioned because young people, especially, are vulnerable and we must do what we can to protect and warn them," he told the Catholic Herald.
He also said that Satan is responsible for having blinded most secular humanists to the "dehumanising effects of contraception and abortion and IVF, of homosexual 'marriages', of human cloning and the vivisection of human embryos in scientific research." Extreme secular humanism, "atheist scientism", is comparable to "rational satanism" and these are leading Europe into a dangerous state of apostasy. "Only by a genuine personal decision for Christ and the Church can someone separate himself from it."
That explains this:
(Via Joe.My.God.)
"Guyland" Website Up!By on August 17, 2008 4:11 AM | 1 Comment
I was honored to be hired by the eminent sociologist Dr. Michael Kimmel to design the website for his new book, "Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men." I do web design from time to time to bring in some extra cashflow, but this was an amazing opportunity to work with someone I admire so much!
The book looks to be quite excellent, with Gloria Steinam saying ""Michael Kimmel's Guyland could save the humanity of many young men—and the sanity of their friends and parents—by explaining the forces behind a newly extended adolescence. With accuracy and empathy, he names the problem and offers compassionate bridges to adulthood."
It's in stores next week! Check it out!
Manhunt Update: Chairman Jonathan Crutchley ResignsBy on August 17, 2008 2:45 AM | 1 Comment
Well that was fast! As has been all over the gay blogs, Manhunt co-founder Jonathan Crutchley donated the maximum amount to John McCain's presidential campaign. Now, Towleroad is reporting that he has resigned from Manhunt's board:
I received this statement made by founder Larry Basile (above, left) in my inbox late yesterday from an anonymous source at Manhunt and called Manhunt which confirmed its legitimacy. Please read the statement below:Video from the Social Marketing / Queer Health Forum***STATEMENT from LARRY BASILE
"There has been a depiction this week of MANHUNT being Republican. All my life, I have never voted to the right, and have always been generous to 20th Century Democrats, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, HRC, and the NGLTF.
"I was arrested at the Supreme Court and FDA in Act-Up actions, and was the founder of the Grass Roots Gay Rights Fund, which over the years has raised more than $800K. I was the Treasurer of Out Week magazine, which was a powerful force in its time. I began giving Obama donations in March 2007, and I have sent several checks that have yet to be reported. The hat and t-shirt I wear say 'Obama for President', as does the sign in front of my house. I refuse to live in a country that is so marred by war and hate. To me, Barak (sic) is by far the best candidate, probably better than we deserve.
"It should be known that Jonathan Crutchley's donation to McCain left the entire Board in disbelief. I am disappointed that we have lost some customers, and I understand the anger. It is too bad for the web site if we lose customers, but PLEASE never refer to me as a Republican. I consider it an offense.
"Earlier today, at the request of the Board, Jonathan has stepped down as Chairman. Sincerely, Larry Basile."
***END***
One last note: We never referred to Basile as a Republican. Also, though Crutchley has stepped down from the board, as far as we know he's still collecting money from thousands of gays and donating it to a presidential candidate who would deny them status as equal citizens.
By on August 14, 2008 2:08 PM | No Comments
Finally, here is video footage from the entire forum I participated in last month, titled "BUS STOPS, BILLBOARDS & YOU: CAMPAIGNING FOR QUEER HEALTH. My co-panelists included Michael Petrelis, Michael Siever (Tweaker.org), and Jason Riggs (STOP AIDS).
You can hear me rattling on at:
23:10 -- Introductory Talk
44:48 -- Troubling Evidence for Campaigns' Success
58:18 -- Sex Education / HIV / Bush Administration
1:22:00 -- Angry Activists ---> AIDS, Inc
1:30:40 -- Community Building Outside of Mainstream Orgs
1:44:00 -- Trouble of Outsourcing HIV Campaigns
By on August 14, 2008 11:09 AM | No Comments
Nancy Pelosi was on the radio the other day to promote her new book, and she happened to take a moment to threaten Senator Joe Lieberman (you know, the one from the "Connecticut for Lieberman" party) over his recent nasty attacks on Obama. Newsflash, Democrats: Joe Lieberman is a douche. He has always been a douche. And he will always be a douche.
All we need to is to win one Senate seat this November, and then we can toss his ass to he curb. Can't fucking wait.
Here's the story via the SF Chronicle:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted Sen. Joe Lieberman on Wednesday for making what she called "totally irresponsible" remarks about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and warned that the Senate might retaliate by revoking Lieberman's committee chairmanship.Jerell and Stella were ROBBED![snip]
Campaigning for Republican John McCain in York, Pa., on Tuesday, Lieberman appeared to question Obama's patriotism when he called the election a choice "between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put his country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate that has not."
Pelosi was asked by a caller on Owens' show what could be done about the attacks from Lieberman, the Democrats' 2000 vice presidential nominee who, though an independent, still caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate.
"You're right," Pelosi said. "Joe Lieberman has said things that are totally irresponsible when it comes to Barack Obama. Here we have a leader for the future, really a great leader for the future and one that comes along only every now and then, and they know it so they have to undermine him. And one of their best weapons, of course, is someone who is considered by some to be a Democrat."
Pelosi explained that Senate Democrats are leery of challenging Lieberman over his comments because his vote is crucial to preserving the Democrats' 51-49 majority in the Senate. But she warned that Lieberman's top spot on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee could be in jeopardy if Democrats gain seats in the Senate in November.
"The Democrats in the Senate are in a tough spot. They have 51 votes. Joe Lieberman organizes with them," she said. "In 85 days or something, they will have five more Democrats. They won't need him to make the majority. And it will be interesting to see what the leadership in the Senate, the Democratic leadership in the Senate, does at that point in terms of Joe Lieberman's chairmanship of his committee."
Lieberman's Senate spokesman could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.
By on August 14, 2008 10:47 AM | 2 Comments
Omg, you guys! Stella and Jerell were totally robbed blind last night on Project Runway. Fresh of the heels of the totally heinous decision to kick Fanny Pak off of America's Best Dance Crew last week, I was totally disgusted by the unfair decision to award Keith and Kenley for their work on PR last night. Not to mention the fact that Kenley was SUCH A BITCH on the runway! I can't believe she started laughing at Daniel -- someone not on her team -- when he was talking about his style. I mean, Daniel was being a bit ridiculous, sure. But really, no need for laughing at him. That's just rude.
I was totally wowed by Jarell and Stella's (or as my friend Andre calls her, "Cheroine" -- Cher on heroine) effort together. As Tim Gunn said himself, it "looked like a true collaboration." And it was! Jarell was super nice when he got paired up with Stella last, and despite everyone's obvious fear of working with her, she turned it out.
Lame decision. This follows in the footsteps of several bad decisions this season when it comes to winners and losers. Come on, Michael / Heidi / Nina! Pull your shit together.
Manhunt Co-Founder Donates Maximum to McCainBy on August 14, 2008 10:19 AM | 1 Comment
And the Manhunt news keeps rolling in! As mentioned at the beginning of the Out Magazine article I cited the other week, Manhunt co-founder Jonathan Crutchley is a "liberal Republican." What Out didn't mention was Crutchley's $2300 contribution to John McCain's campaign for president. Via Towleroad:
It appears John McCain has accepted the maximum individual campaign donation from the owner of America's largest gay sex hook-up website.The LAST Trannyshack EVERUPDATE:
After one of our irate readers emailed Manhunt informing them that they had cancelled their account, he received the following email from the company:
***
Dear Sir,We are always happy to hear from our members, thank you for taking the time to
express your concerns. The subject that you have brought to our attention is a personal matter and is not representative of MANHUNT. We thank you for your understanding.Sincerely, Team MANHUNT
***
By on August 13, 2008 3:38 PM | No Comments
Heklina pouring champagne toasts at the LAST Trannshack EVER!
Oy vey. My summer in San Francisco is coming to a close, but I thank my lucky stars I was in town for the LAST Trannyshack Tuesday EVER in San Francisco. And what a momentous evening it was last night! Jackson and I arrived VERY early, as we knew it was going to be slammed that night. There were so many amazing performances that I sadly could not get all on tape! They were just phenomenal. I kept filming and then deleting and then filming and deleting as my memory card kept filling up. I've got some good moments on film, though.
As you may know, Trannyshack is known for the event's hostess, Heklina, who quickly gained a reputation as a salty, punky emcee who enjoyed rimming cute boys on stage. There was some debate on whether to both rimming anyone last night, but Peaches Christ insisted. It was the last night, and it had to happen. So Heklina scoured the crowd for the right boy, and picked out James, a straight boy just here for the entertainment. James looked scared shitless. The video is priceless. You can see Peaches Christ and Putanesca to the right:
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I do have the full footage of the opening number, Heklina's last opening performance EVER at the Stud. She performed Pat Benetar's classic, "Love is a Battlefield." It's fierce. And, as always, the number is preceded by the opening song to the original "The Muppet Show." Lovely:
Following Heklina's performance was a ridiculous number that featured TVs being smashed on stage. Sadly, I couldn't fit the number on my memory card. I swapped it out for this performance from a faux-king (a man performing as a woman performing as a man) and her troupe of players (including Princess Kennedy and many others). They performed Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" in full Victorian drag:
Great costumes! Sadly, I only caught part of the final performance on camera. It featured all the queens coming on stage drinking "poison," and falling dead on stage -- only to be revived for a "Last Dance." You can see a number of Trannyshack's most well-known queens: Glamamore, Suppositori Spelling, Metal Patricia (the one who shoots himself in the head), and of course Heklina:
Wish I had more on tape! There were two GIGANTIC film cameras there, so I'm sure it's all on high quality video somewhere. Any idea what will happen to those tapes?
Finally, for good measure, here's Jackson giving the camera head as we waited at the foot of the stage for TWO GAY HOURS for the show to start. Phew! It was worth it. The video begins with a bit of the Trannyshack video montage prepared for the audience:
And here's some lovely photos from the event! Enjoy!
Me and Jack Waiting Patiently!
Our Friend Kirk Read (Author, How I Learned to Snap) Posing with the Vintage T-Shack Posters
More Vintage T-Shack Poisters, Including the One for Tonight (Center Left)
Kirk Showing us the Trannyboy Trannyshack Poster
Heklina Listening Intently as Peaches Toasts Her
Putanesca Near-Tears as Peaches and Her Celebrate Heklina
Heklina Honors Lighting / Stage Technician, Bobby Barber
Holy McGrail Shows Off Her Trannyshack Tattoo
By on August 13, 2008 12:10 AM | No Comments
Just added "recent comments" on the left sidebar, and a lovely little widget on the right that tracks where recent visitors are coming from geographically. Cool! I hope you like. As always, feedback is welcome and wanted. xoxo - Trevor
Kylie's New Vid: "The One"By on August 11, 2008 9:44 PM | No Comments
Such a good song. Such a fabulous album. If you haven't gotten it yet, pick it up ladies! It will change your life!
What's Wrong With Gay CultureBy on August 11, 2008 3:22 AM | No Comments
I was reading through the comments on Joe.My.God to that hideous Argentinian advertising campaign featuring two skeletons fucking -- and I was disgusted by the number of comments relating the skeletons' bodies to that of "circuit boys"; "twinks"; and even "west hollywood trendibots." Excerpted some of the comments below. A lot of these comments seem to be from bear-minded folks who are obviously reacting against gay culture's fetishization of the muscly, skinny male image. I get it. But Jesus Christ. This kind of petty name calling and circle jerk of insecurities is absolutely revolting. Grow up, mary:
"If they had pecs they'd look like curcuit [sic] boys. But of course that's from the bears perspective..." - John in Noo AwlnzRacial Diversity on Manhunt, Adam4Adam: NYC Edition"What's the controversy? It's just two twinks fucking." - pablo
"ewww...west hollywood trendibots having sex! awful friday picture!" - Richey WEHO fan
"Typical angertwinks in that phoro [sic]" - b
By on August 10, 2008 2:36 PM | 7 Comments
Order up! So third in my series of posts documenting the racial dynamics of online profiles on Manhunt and Adam4Adam is the New York Edition! See here for my San Francisco version, and here for my Atlanta analysis. As you'll remember, in both towns (although moreso in SF), as age increased among profiles, their racial diversity dramatically declined. Let's see if profiles in NYC fare similarly.
As I indicate each time, caution is urged: profiles are not people! Keep that in mind. The data below was collected from the 49,295 profiles on Adam4Adam, and 22,975 profiles on Manhunt that were listed in New York City (which on both includes outlying boroughs). Let's begin with some overall demographics.
Overview: NYC versus Manhunt versus Adam4Adam
As you can see below, the latest census data indicates that about 44% of folks in NYC are white, while Black and Latino folks make up about 27% of the population each. Asian-Americans come in just under 10% (source):
NYC General Population:
As always, we'rel again taking a leap of faith here to say that we would expect that men who have sex with men in NYC are probably racially distributed along similar lines to the city's general population.
Let's begin with Manhunt. As I indicated last time, Manhunt seems to appeal to a largely white population. You'll remember that in San Francisco, where there are strong API and Latino communities, over 70% of Manhunt profiles were white. In Atlanta, where over 60% the population is Black, only 8% of Manhunt profiles were listed as such -- while 81.5% of profiles were white. Now, in NYC, Manhunt profiles are similarly white. In NYC, where as I've said about 45% of the population is white, just over two-thirds of Manhunt profiles are white. "Profiles of color" are vastly underrepresented here. In general, 27% of folks in the city are Latino. The same is true for Blacks. Yet, less than 6% of Manhunt profiles are listed as Black, and only 12% are listed as Latino:
Manhunt New York City Profiles Racial Demographics:
Adam4Adam (A4A) has a history of being more populated by "profiles of color." Let's see how it fares in NYC. In both Atlanta and San Francisco, Adam4Adam was far more reflective of the city's demographics than was Manhunt.In New York City, that trend continues. As you can see here, other than a lack of representation of API profiles, the city's demos and Adam4Adam's demos match up fairly closely -- with less white profiles than in the general population:
Adam4Adam New York City Profiles Racial Demographics:
Just as it was last time, you see a vast overrepresentation on A4A of folks in the "Other" category. Many folks listed as "Other" here -- a composition of A4A's categories of "Mix," "Middle Eastern," "Native American," and "Other" -- would be counted as Black, Latino, or perhaps White in a census.
Race and Age: Age Goes Up, Diversity Goes Down
As I've found before in San Fran and Atlanta, it appears that the racial diversity of profiles among age groups decreases dramatically as age went up. So how does New York City fare? Let's start with Manhunt. In Atlanta's 18-21 year old age group, well over two-thirds of the profiles on Manhunt were labeled as white -- in NYC the trend starts a bit less radically, with only about 55% of profiles in that age group labeled as white. But just as it did in SF and ATL, the percentage of white profiles climbs steadily until it peaks at just under 90% in the oldest age group:
Percentage of White Profiles in NYC on Manhunt, By Age Group:
I've separated the data for "profiles of color" into a second graph, since their numbers are so low that including them in the same graph would make it difficult to see their numbers. As you can see, about 17% of profiles are labeled as Latino in the youngest age group. But that number drops to about 5% in the eldest group. The percentage of Black profiles actually doesn't decline all that much. It begins low, at about 8%, and ends around 5%:
Percentage of "Profiles of Color" in NYC on Manhunt, By Age Group:
As was the case in ATL and SF, NYC's Adam4Adam profiles show evidence as well of this trend -- just less dramatic. While the percentage of profiles of color is very strong in the youngest age group (>30% Black, Latino), that diversity drops steadily (but slowly) until the eldest (20% Black; 10% Latino). Conversely, the percentage of white profiles climbs from only 12% to a commanding 70%. But it takes until the 42-25 age group for the percentage of white profiles to cross over 50%:
Percentage of Profile's Ethnicity on A4A, By Age Group:
When looking at the raw numbers of Black and White profiles by age group in Atlanta, we saw that number of white profiles continued to climb until it peaked at the 38-41 age group. In contrast, the raw numbers of Black profiles peaked in the 26-29 age group. In NYC, as you can see, again the number of Black profiles peaks in the 26-29 age group, but so does that number of white profiles -- though it really seems to plateau for longer.
Raw Number Ethnicity Profiles on A4A, By Age Group:
Conclusions
So again we see the same pattern. Increasing age, declining diversity. I'm beginning to think I'm onto something! New York City, Atlanta, and San Francisco. The demographics look totally different, but the trend seems to hold in each place. Very innerestin'!
NYC: Save the Roxy! Meeting Tuesday!By on August 9, 2008 11:16 PM | No Comments
Meeting Info: Community Board 4's Business Licenses & Permits Committee, 6:30 PM, Tuesday, Aug. 12th, in The Minetta Room of The Westin Hotel, at 270 W. 43rd St between 7th and 8th Avenue.
NYC gay activists Ryan Davis and Eric Leven (of KnuckleCrack) put together this little PSA urging folks to come out to help save the Roxy, a landmark gay nightclub that's fighting for it's life in New York City. There's even a Facebook event that you can join in on!
In my many trips to the Big Apple over the years, I was lucky enough to hit up the Roxy on two occasions. Both times I had a fucking amazing time. It's massive. It's super gay. And it's got a string of fabulous DJs who come through and turn it out. I remember my first time hitting up the warehouse club. I had never been to anything like it. It was the summer of 2003 -- I was 20 -- and I was living that summer in Boston to intern at an LGBT org there. My Boston crew and I drove down to NYC for a long weekend of gay fun.
Walking into the Roxy was an experience. I still have dreams occasionally today that are in some way based on that plunge. It's incredibly intense. You can't imagine a larger dancefloor. Standing on that floor, surrounded by 1000s of fags, feels totally epic. I remember my friend telling my to check out a balcony overlooking the dance floor that was flanked by two spiral staircases. I made my way to the top, where I found a row of at least 150 men writhing together, fucking and sucking and making out. I remember the heat from their bodies, and quickly being pulled into the mass of bodies. I didn't stay long -- I was in way over my head -- but boy was I amazed!
We had a great time that night, as so many of my friends have over the many years its been thumping. It would be a tremendous loss for NYC's nightlife if it were gone. If you're in NYC, I beg of you: head to the meeting on Tuesday and show your support for gay nightlife!
PS: If you haven't noticed, DC lost Nation in 2006. Atlanta lost Backstreet in 2004. San Francisco lost Club Universe in 2002. London's on the verge of losing G-A-Y, housed at the soon-to-be demolished Astoria. Gay nightlife -- in the face of rising real estate values and aging club owners hoping to retire -- has been under attack for the past decade. Let's try for some good news, shall we?
Speaking of Manhunt...By on August 9, 2008 10:54 PM | 2 Comments
There's an interesting article this month in Out Magazine (yes -- I did just say the words "interesting article" and "Out Magazine" in the same sentence) on Manhunt's rise to dominance in gay men's sex cultures. It's an interesting piece, though it's highly moralistic (no surprise, of course). The piece's title -- "Has Manhunt Destroyed Gay Culture?" -- really could have dropped the question mark and switched the first two words. It even features a quote from the original gay-sex-culture-basher, Larry Kramer!
But despite it's shortcomings, I found a few things here interesting. In particular, I was surprised to learn that the site is the second "stickiest" on the Web, meaning that users spend more time on average per visit to Manhunt.net than they do on any either site on the entire Internet -- except for a lone gambling website:
The seemingly endless stream of available men on Manhunt is, according to marketing director Henricks, “addictive, like a slot machine. You keep hitting next, to see another screen of profiles, thinking you’re gonna get lucky sevens.” This drive, according to Alan Downs, a psychologist and author of The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World, lies at the core of the appeal of online cruising: “Variable payout schedule, which is used in slot machine designs, is the most addictive form of psychological conditioning, because you never know when you’ll get paid. It could be every 10 times you play, or every hundred.” In the same way, Downs adds, “every time you log on, you never know what you’ll find. That’s why it expands to fill a person’s time. Last night was a bust, but who knows who will be online this morning or tonight.”How vulnerable are Manhunt users to its addictive quality? “We’re the second-stickiest website in America,” Henricks boasts. “Stickiness,” he explains, is slang for attention ranking, the measure of the amount of time a user spends on a website each time he visits. According to Compete.com, the Web’s Nielsen equivalent of attention rankings, the average Manhunt user spends 40 minutes on the site per visit. That’s about twice the amount of time the average Facebook or MySpace user spends on those sites. And, back to the slot machines, the only website in this country that is stickier than Manhunt is the wildly popular gambling website Pogo.com.
It's worth a read, if you can stomach a bit of judgment-day talk. I actually think that the author is on to something quite right --- that hundreds of thousands of gay men in the US have an addiction to these websites. Not really to sex, I think. But to the never-ending hunt. So while the author here concludes that we need to stop having so much sex, my suggestion isn't to stop fucking -- but to begin building a sexual culture that is pleasure-focused. As opposed to Manhunt's culture of quantity and efficiency, which often results in hookups that are less than satisfying.
Argentinian Sex=Death CampaignBy on August 8, 2008 6:47 PM | No Comments
Looks like fucked up "safer sex" campaigns aren't limited to the United States. Tulipan Condoms in Argentina has just released this fucked up campaign, directly linking sex to death. The simple message: "Be Careful."
I don't know about you, but I fucking sick of this tired bullshit. This does one thing: promote shame and fear. Social marketing folks have yet to realize (despite mounting outcries from the communities that violate and manipulate) that fear and shame do not promote healthy behavior; they only serve to, 1) make people distrust health officials and, 2) make people deeply ashamed of their sexuality and body.
It's part and parcel of a kind of political climate filled with nasty images of the potential outcomes of sex, and VERY little practical education on risk and sexual health. We're teaching kids that: 1) you can get AIDS; and 2) if you have sex, you probably will get AIDS; and 3) Then you will die. Call me crazy, but this isn't useful information. It's fear-mongering.
I am SO OVER IT!
Racial Diversity on Manhunt, Adam4Adam: Atlanta EditionBy on August 8, 2008 3:43 PM | 5 Comments | 2 TrackBacks
Following on the heels of my last post on the racial diversity of online profiles in San Francisco on Manhunt and Adam4Adam, I bring you the Atlanta edition -- hot off the presses! I wanted to move away from San Francisco and find a major metropolitan area in which the majority ethnic group was non-white. Atlanta is a good fit -- as you'll see below, the city is majority-Black.
Given this shift in demographics, I was interested to see if the same patterns would arise on the websites as I described in my last post -- namely, that the racial diversity of online profiles declines to near-zero as their reported age increases. As I said last time, caution is urged: profiles are not people! Keep that in mind. The data below was collected from the 27,348 profiles on Adam4Adam, and 8,634 profiles on Manhunt that were listed in Atlanta Metro. Let's begin with some overall demographics.
Overview: ATL versus Manhunt versus Adam4Adam
Over 60% of Atlanta's population is Black, while just around one-third are white (source). This makes Atlanta one of the very few major metro areas in the country that are majority-Black. As you can see in the graph below, there are very small Latino and Asian-Pacific Islander communities -- the city is mostly Black and White:
Atlanta General Population:
And -- just as I mentioned last time -- measuring what the demographics of Atlanta's gay/bi/queer/MSM male population is very difficult. We'll again take a leap of faith here and say that we would expect that the men who have sex with men in Atlanta are probably racially distributed along similar lines to the city's general population.
Let's begin with Manhunt. As I indicated last time, Manhunt seems to appeal to a largely white population. You'll remember that in San Francisco, where there are strong API and Latino communities, over 70% of Manhunt profiles were white. In Atlanta, that trend continues, but is even more extreme. While over 60% of Atlanta's population is Black, only 8% of Manhunt profiles were listed as such. A whopping 81.5% of profiles were white:
Manhunt Atlanta Profiles Racial Demographics:
While the over-representation of white profiles in San Francisco didn't particularly surprise me, I found the gross under-representation of Black Manhunt profiles in Atlanta pretty shocking. Wowzer! It's pretty extreme, and is a strong indicator of how different websites can form totally different sexual ecologies. In contrast, as I indicated last time, Adam4Adam (A4A) has a history of being a predominantly African-American website in many cities. Because of this, I expected A4A in Atlanta to be absolutely brimming with Black guys -- especially after seeing how white the profiles were on Manhunt. I was actually surprised to find that the percentage of profiles that were listed as Black on Adam4Adam (62.2%) was nearly identical to the city's demographics (61.4%):
Adam4Adam Atlanta Profiles Racial Demographics:
Like I mentioned last time, many folks in the "Other" category would probably be counted as Black in a census. There seems to be a curious trend among younger African-American guys on Adam4Adam opting to identify as "Mix" instead of "Black." I'll talk about that more later in the section on age.
Race and Age: Age Goes Up, Diversity Goes Down
Last time, I was really shocked to find that in San Francisco, the racial diversity of profiles among age groups decreased dramatically as age went up. I still don't have access to general population data for Atlanta that crosses age with race. But I still would expect that racial diversity does not shift all that much across age groups -- though it certainly probably does to some extent. Increased mortality among African-Americans due to the higher rates of poverty / homelessness / access to health care / etc surely have an impact in Atlanta.
But -- just as last time -- the shift in diversity on these sites as age increases is too dramatic to be explained by those kinds of trends. Let's start with Manhunt. As you'll see below, in the 18-21 year old age group, well over two-thirds of the profiles on Manhunt are labeled as white -- already white folks over over-represented. By the time you reach the 34-37 age group, that number has gone up to over 80%. The oldest age group is almost 95% white:
Percentage of White Profiles in Atlanta on Manhunt, By Age Group:
I've separated the data for "profiles of color" into a second graph, since their numbers are so low that including them in the same graph would make it difficult to see their numbers. As you can see, while 16% of the profiles in the 18-21 age group are labeled as Black, that percentage quickly declines as age increases:
Percentage of "Profiles of Color" in Atlanta on Manhunt, By Age Group:
I expected this shift to be less dramatic on Adam4Adam -- since they had a larger percentage of "profiles of color" overall. Yet, while the representations of African-American profiles is much stronger on Adam4Adam (and overall in line with the city's demographics), I found yet again evidence of declining racial diversity. As you can see, there is almost a perfect inverse relationship between Black and White profiles in Atlanta -- it's kind of amazing.
Percentage of Profile's Ethnicity on A4A, By Age Group:
If you look at the raw numbers of Black and White profiles by age group, you can get a better picture for what's happening here. The raw numbers of white profiles continues to climb until it peaks at the 38-41 age group. In contrast, the raw numbers of black profiles peaks in the 26-29 age group. It seems possible that white MSM may actually be getting online to look for sex later in life -- which seems totally counter intuitive. But that's a stretch of a conclusion from the data given. You'd need a longitudinal study to show that, where you follow the same folks over time. But take a look:
Raw Number of Black, White Profiles on A4A, By Age Group:
Curiously, while the numbers are totally out of sync for most age groups, they align and drop in similar numbers after the 42-45 age group.
Conclusions
As I said last time, it's hard to draw any conclusions from this data. What surprises me perhaps the most is that I found evidence again of the trend of declining racial diversity as age increases in a city that's majority-Black. Research is desperately needed to understand exactly what's happening here!
Queer Activism Forum Next Wednesday in SF!By on August 6, 2008 6:35 AM | No Comments
Just got this notice -- sounds like a good time!
Dear friend. The Community Initiative in collaboration with GLBT Historical Society has organized a town hall meeting on the state of activism in our queer communities and what the focus of our activism should and can be in the future. The discussion led by Paul Boneberg (founder of Mobilization Against AIDS, current E.D. of the Historical Society and former board member of The Community Initiative) will center on two different perspectives; activism we need to have within our own communities and activism around issues in the greater world outside our queer communities.Racial Diversity on Manhunt, Adam4Adam: San Francisco EditionThe intent of this forum is not only to discuss and move issues forward, but also to try to kick-start a renewed to queer activism across a larger segment of our communities. The idea has been thrown around of trying to start an "activist boot camp".
The organizers of the forum are really hoping that the conversation will be very interactive between everyone in the room. So please help us in encouraging all activist minded people to attend so they can bring their issues to the table. Any help you can lend in helping to get the word out and about this important event is appreciated.
Thanks and looking forward to seeing you at the GLBT Historical Society.
*****************
Queer activism 2008 and beyond.
What's next on the agenda?An interactive panel discussion.
Wednesday August 13, 2008
7:00pm
at the GLBT Historical Society
657 Mission Street #300 (between 3rd and New Montgomery)
San Francisco, CA94105Bring your issues with you!
Panelists include:
Claire Bohman (Co-chair of SF Pride at Work)
Alyssa Contreras (feminist, genderqueer, race and political activist)
Steven Foreman (queer youth and health activist)
Rick Loftus, MD (gay men's health activist)
Tommi Avicolli Mecca (housing rights and other progressive activism)
Jim Meko (neighborhood activist, member of the SF entertainment commission)
John Newsome (co-founder of And Castro 4 All)This community forum has been coordinated by The Community Initiative, an activist organization of queer men working to create community. Paul Boneberg, GLBT Historical Society Executive Director will be the evening's moderator.
The event is free. Current show at the GLBT Historical Society is: Fun, Frolic, Fetish: 25 Years of the Folsom Street Fair.For information about the forum, please contact
info@sfgmci.org
415.820.9606
By on August 6, 2008 3:34 AM | 8 Comments | 2 TrackBacks
So let's geek out for a minute. This will be the first in a series of reports based on a project I'm working on using the Manhunt and Adam4Adam databases. These websites both include extremely powerful search functions, whereby users can search their users through a number of criteria: height, weight, age, dick size, etc.
Today I'm going to talk about the racial diversity on these sites, and in particular a finding that surprised me: on both sites, racial diversity decreases dramatically as age increases. Now, it's appropriate here to urge a heavy dose of caution. What I've sampled here is 17,299 profiles from Adam4Adam, and 7,823 profiles from Manhunt -- all in San Francisco proper. Profiles are not people. They are representations of people. People may have several profiles, or may be less than forthcoming in their profiles. I use phrases like "profiles of color" below to emphasize that fact.
But despite that, I believe that the data is still compelling on a trend level. That is to say, while individual pieces of data are bound to inaccurate, looking at how data changes (in this case, with increasing age) can reveal some interesting information. Let's get started.
Overview: SF versus Manhunt versus Adam4Adam
So, before we can assess anything about these websites, it's useful to know what the demographics of the city itself. San Francisco is a fairly racially diverse city, compared to many places in the United States. As the graph below shows (source), less than 50% of San Francisco's population is white, and the city has large Asian-American and Latino communities:
San Francisco General Population:
It's hard to estimate what the demographics of San Francisco's gay male population look like. Getting any solid population-level data on LGBT people is tricky -- on what criteria do you count them? By what method? But we'll take a leap of faith here and say that we would expect that men who have sex with men in San Francisco are probably racially distributed along similar lines to the general population in SF.
With that leap of faith behind us, let's look at Manhunt's overall racial distribution. For folks who've logged onto the site, you probably have noticed that it's a predominantly white website. So I wasn't surprised when the data sifted out to reveal that over 70% of profiles on Manhunt were labeled as white -- they're grossly overrepresented on Manhunt versus the general SF population. Similarly whereas almost one-third of SF generally is Asian of some descent, less than 10% of profiles were labeled as such. Latinos and especially Blacks are similarly underrepresented:
Manhunt San Francisco Profiles Racial Demographics:
This data didn't particularly surprise me, as I've said. I've been a user of Manhunt for over five years, and in every city I've been in, most guys on there have been white. In contrast, Adam4Adam (A4A) has a history of being a predominantly African-American website in many places. In most cities in the US with large Af-Am populations, A4A is crowded with Black guys. But SF does not have such a large population, so it is more racial diverse. Thus, I expected there to be a stronger showing of "profiles of color" on A4A than on Manhunt. I was somewhat surprised to find that, while A4A was less white overall, Asian-Americans were still grossly underrepresented, while to a lesser extent so were Latinos. African-Americans were about on par with the city's demos:
Adam4Adam San Francisco Profiles Racial Demographics:
Part of the underrepresentation of folks of color is the inclusion of some guys under the category of "Other." For instance, I categorized guys who identified as "Mixed" under "Other," but on a census form with one box allowed, they might have checked "Asian" or "African-American" instead. But the "Other" category -- at about 11% on A4A and 9% on Manhunt -- isn't big enough to account for all of their under-representation.
Race and Age: Age Goes Up, Diversity Goes Down
Now here's where things get really interesting! I was pretty shocked to find that, on both websites, the racial diversity among age groups decreased dramatically as age went up. Unfortunately, I don't have access to data on San Francisco's general population that crosses age with race. But one would think that racial diversity does not shift all that much across age groups -- though it certainly probably does to some extent. One would expect, for instance, increased mortality among African-Americans in SF due to the higher rates of homelessness in that population.
But the shift in diversity on these sites as age increases is far too dramatic to be explained by those kinds of trends. Let's start with Manhunt, where the trend is (not surprisingly) more exacerbated. As you'll see below, in the 18-21 year old age group, about approximately 50% of the profiles on Manhunt are labeled as white. However, by the time you reach the 38-41 age group, that number has gone up to almost 80%. The final 58+ age group is nearly 100% white.
Percentage of White Profiles in San Francisco on Manhunt, By Age Group:
I've included a second graph that maps out the trends among people of color, since their numbers are so low that including them in the same graph as white folks would make it difficult to see their numbers. As you'll see, while there is a strong representation of "profiles of color" in the youngest age groups, almost all non-white racial groups are reduced to near-zero by the time you get to the final 58+ group:
Percentage of "Profiles of Color" in San Francisco on Manhunt, By Age Group:
Now, I expected this shift to be less dramatic on Adam4Adam -- since they had a larger percentage of "profiles of color" overall. I was surprised to find similar trends however. As you'll see in the two charts below, while the youngest age groups are diverse, again the representation of "profiles of color" is reduced to near-zero on A4A at the oldest age group. You'll also notice that in the youngest age group, over 20% are labeled as "Other," which almost certainly includes a number of folks who would in a census be classified as Black, Asian, or Latino.
Percentage of White Profiles in San Francisco on A4A, By Age Group:
Percentage of "Profiles of Color" in San Francisco on A4A, By Age Group:
Conclusions?
Obviously, this is fuzzy data at best. But I found the dramatic trends in racial diversity among age groups pretty shocking. How to explain this phenomenon? Are older folks of color less familiar with the Internet than their white counterparts? Do they log off the Internet at increasing rates as they get older, to return to their ethnic communities of origin? Are older men who have sex with men of color just less likely to be "out" than white guys?
As a young white gay man, I have little insight here. What do you think?
CDC Finally Makes Public HIV DataBy on August 2, 2008 7:31 PM | No Comments
The IAC is underway in Mexico City, and today the CDC finally made public their long-delayed new estimate for HIV incidence for 2006, using a new technique to estimate the numbers. It's been a controversial road to the IAC (see here) for the CDC. Here's the NY Times:
The United States has significantly underreported the number of new H.I.V. infections occurring nationally each year, with a study released here on Saturday showing that the annual infection rate is 40 percent higher than previously estimated.The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 56,300 people became newly infected with H.I.V in 2006, compared with the 40,000 figure the agency has cited as the recent annual incidence of the disease.
The findings confirm that H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, has its greatest effect among gay and bisexual men of all races (53 percent of all new infections) and among African-American men and women.
The new figures are likely to strongly influence a number of decisions about efforts to control the epidemic, said the disease centers’ director, Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, and other AIDS experts. Timely data about trends in H.I.V. transmission, they said, is essential for planning and evaluating prevention efforts and the money spent on them.
“C.D.C.’s new incidence estimates reveal that the H.I.V. epidemic is and has been worse than previously known,” Dr. Kevin A. Fenton, who directs H.I.V. prevention efforts at the agency, said on Saturday.
A separate historical trend analysis published as part of the study suggests that the number of new infections was probably never as low as the earlier estimate of 40,000 and that it has been roughly stable overall since the late 1990s.