February 2009 Archives
SF Memorial for Martin DelaneyBy on February 28, 2009 2:09 PM | 1 Comment
If you're in San Francisco, you might drop by the memorial for Martin Delaney -- an AIDS drug activist who pressured the FDA to revamp the way they tested and brought new drugs to market. He founded Project Inform in 1985, a national patient advocacy organization. He died last month from complications of liver cancer at the age of 63.
Here are the details via Project Inform on his memorial:
Memorial and celebration of Martin Delaney's life and workThe Taste of a Hamburger, Post-Attempted-Armed-RobberySaturday, March 14, 2009, 4:30pm
Eureka Valley Recreation Center
100 Collingwood @ 18th Street
Castro District, San FranciscoYou are invited to attend the civic memorial and celebration of life for Martin Delaney. Feel free to stop by and meet others who knew this great activist. No RSVP necessary. The Memorial will be followed at approximately 6pm with a reception and refreshments.
Public transportation is strongly encouraged since parking near the Rec Center may be difficult to find. The MUNI Castro Station is a convenient two-block walk to the Rec Center (lines K, L and M). MUNI bus lines 24 and 33 stop one block away at Castro and 18th Streets. Also, the F Market trolley stops in the Castro.
Martin requested that donations be made to Project Inform in his honor.
For more information, email Project Inform or contact Henry Lucero at 415.558.8669 x211.
By on February 26, 2009 4:28 AM | No Comments
Well I must say, if you want to truly enjoy a hamburger, try experiencing an attempted armed robbery in Mexico beforehand! You will really enjoy the flavor of grease and avocado! Oy vey. Well the trip to Mexico has truly been lovely, and I will post some photos soon, but tonight we were a bit shaken up when we were approached by two men while walking to the gay bar on the main avenue in Acapulco. It was very strange. First I noticed the man in the back pull a gun out and very dramatically cock the weapon. Then he asked us (in Spanish) to give us everything. But Nolverto -- my Mexican friend -- loudly said "No!" and kept walking, which confused them. They were very young and clearly not very experienced at this, so we were able to keep walking. I froze very briefly and one of the guys grabbed my wrist -- but very lightly, not violently. I was able to pull away and we ran a block before quickly entering a bar. Ay dios mia! What a night! Time for bed. Will post more soon!
xoxo
T
In Mexico City!By on February 21, 2009 12:32 PM | No Comments
I'm on Spring Break this week, so Maxime and I flew into Mexico city yesterday. So far, we're having a FABULOUS time! No ability to upload photos of my own, but today we're meeting some friends here from Mexico to climb to the top of the "Angel of Independence" that majestically graces the Paseo de la Reforma. It's truly a stunning monument, and what's even better is that every Saturday from 10 AM - 1 PM, they allow you to climb up top! How cool! Here's a bit of 411 about the statue:
One of the most representative symbols of México City and the whole country, the Angel of Independence stands majestically in Paseo de la Reforma.The first stone of this renowned monument was placed on January 2nd 1902 by Porfirio Díaz. The project was directed by the architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, who was also responsible for the Juarez Theatre in the City of Guanajuato.
This monument was inspired by a project that arose during the government of Antonio López de Santa Anna, meant to pay tribute to the heroes of Mexico’s Independence; it consisted in a stone zócalo, built in the middle of the Plaza of the Constitution, from which a Corinthian column would rise, crowned by an angel. However, this project didn’t come through, and by the end of the 19th Century, the architect Antonio Rivas Mercado retook it getting inspiration from famous columns in the world like the Tarajano in Rome, the one in Vendome Plaza in Paris and the one with Alexander in Saint Petersburg. All these columns were erected to commemorate the triumph of ideals in their respective countries.
After that, we're going SHOPPING! Fabulous!
Ron Gonzalez, Gay Men's Health Activist, Dies in Continental CrashBy on February 17, 2009 6:52 PM | 1 Comment
My friend and "Bottom Monologues" co-coordinator Erik Libey informed me today that his friend and colleague, Ron Gonzalez, was aboard Continental Flight 3407 when it crashed last week, killing all 50 passengers and crew members. Ron has a long history of fabulous work within the Gay Men's Health movement, and will be missed. Here is a bit more information on Ron, from Outcome (Buffalo's LGBT newspaper):
Gonzalez was director of New Brunswick Tomorrow, a youth services program in New Brunswick, N.J., was flying into Buffalo to visit relatives. He previously had lived in Buffalo where he had worked for AIDS Community Services as executive director of Alianza Latina and also education services director and community educator.Gonzalez, an openly gay man, worked to educate gay youth and young adults about health and safe-sex both through his work at Aids Community services and in collaborative programs at Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York.
Gonzalez was a National Urban Fellow at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton prior to his move to New Brunswick.
The Star-Ledger of New Jersey has reports that "Gonzalez was on his way to visit family in Buffalo", according to Jeffrey Vega, president of New Brunswick Tomorrow.
Gonzalez was born and raised in New York City
Although I did not know him, I think it's safe to say that he will be sorely missed by many.
Michigan Mall to Armani X: Remove AIDS HeartBy on February 17, 2009 4:58 PM | No Comments
Just down the road from me in Ann Arbor, Meefers is reporting that Michigan's hoitie-toitie Somerset Mall is demanding that Armani Exchange remove its AIDS Awareness message, featuring a large heart designed out of red condoms:
In bright red letters across the window of the Armani Exchange store in Somerset Mall are the words “Reasons to Love.” Ironically, this message is one that’s been tempered with a distinct lack of love and acceptance by mall officials, who have demanded that the store remove it’s previous Valentine’s Day display which contained an AIDS-awareness heart made out of red-foil wrapped condoms. Now there are simply mannequins behind these words. Dressed in red, white and black the mannequins are headless and also message-free.At 76 Armani Exchange stores across the nation, the simple design of condoms hung together in the shape of a heart, helps the chain to promote AIDS Awareness. Armani partners with the National AIDS Fund, and the display is part of their “Give Love, Get Love” campaign to encourage safe sex. The store inside Somerset Mall is the only one Nationwide to ban the display, according to the Michigan AIDS Coalition.
Just further proof at how out of touch America is when it comes to sex, sexuality, and HIV prevention.
Mika in the Studio!!!!By on February 15, 2009 5:33 PM | 1 Comment
I have such a crush on him. His new tracks sound fabulous! I'm so excited!!!!!!
Me and Loretta Devine!!!!By on February 10, 2009 3:47 AM | 1 Comment
OMG! Tonight I was at the "All You Need is Love" (which Kara informs me is ANAL in acronym form) event. I met Loretta Devine!!! OMG! She's amazing! An original Dreamgirl! God bless her face. She was wonderful on stage. As were the other performers, including Wilson Cruz. Here's a photo of Jackson and Wilson:
So much fun! More later!!!!!!
San Francisco Treat!By on February 7, 2009 4:51 PM | 1 Comment
As soon as my tax return credit came last week, I booked a flight to SF for a short jaunt away from the frozen tundra that is Michigan at the moment. Thank God! It's so beautiful here. Just wanted to post these photos. More to come later! xoxoxo
By on February 6, 2009 9:16 AM | No Comments
It's in Chicago in August! Come join us! Their new website is pretty nifty. You can join groups on topical issues ("Safe Relationships," etc.) as well as groups to organizing volunteer, fundraising, etc. From the site:
The 2009 National LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex,) Health Summit - in collaboration with the Bi Health Summit (August 14, 2009) will focus on “Health Through the Life Course” and is dedicated to preserving and improving the emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual, psychological, environmental, and social health and wellness of LGBTI people; a diverse range of communities who each experience significant health disparities because of our sexual orientations and/or gender identities.As 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots Chicago is especially proud to host this year’s Health Summit. The passage of Prop 8 has not only put LGBTI concerns back on the front burner for our community, but more importantly for our own allies. LGBTI health care is being revered as its own grassroots movement, but moreover LGBTI health care is incorporating the whole person mentally, physically, spiritually rather than being disease-based.
Please join us August 14 – 18, 2009 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers for the 2009 National LGBTI Health Summit, in collaboration with the Bi Health Summit.
Hope to see you there!
Study: Sucking Poz Dick Builds HIV ResistanceBy on February 6, 2009 9:07 AM | 3 Comments
[ Image redacted -- see here
Pretty interesting findings out of Sweden:
Some HIV-negative men in long term relationships with HIV-positive men have an antibody response in saliva which may inhibit HIV infection, report Swedish researchers in an article published online ahead of print in AIDS. This is the first time that such a response has been described in saliva, and may help explain why infection through oral sex is somewhat infrequently reported even in serodiscordant couples.While it is well established that while HIV infection during fellatio and other types of oral sex can and does happen, the number of infections that can be attributed to oral sex is relatively small in comparison with the number of times that unprotected oral sex is practiced. One reason is that saliva contains enzymes which partially inhibit HIV infection.
Neato! The new safer sex message: Suck, swallow, repeat!
CCR5 Gene Therapy Trial Kicks OffBy on February 4, 2009 1:07 PM | 2 Comments
Image via BBC
Let's hope for the best! A trial has just kicked off aimed at testing the hypothesis that splicing out patient's T-Cells' CCR5 receptors (where HIV binds to the cell) may lead to host immunity. Not only would this provide immunity to those who are HIV-negative, but would in theory also cure people who are HIV-positive. The procedure involves removing T-cells from patients, genetically modifying them outside the body, and the injecting them back into the patient. Here's the news report:
Recruiting for the trial began Tuesday, and the first people to receive the experimental treatment will be HIV patients with drug-resistance problems."We do have good treatments for HIV. That has been one of the most successful stories of the last 20 years in medicine," said Pablo Tebas, an infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
"However, over time, if the medications are not taken properly, individuals develop resistance to the HIV treatments, so they tend to have more limited therapeutic options."
Since the discovery that a small portion of people who are exposed to HIV do not get infected, scientists have been working to discover the secret to those people's resistance and how to make others resistant as well.
It turns out that most people have a gene called CCR5, which makes them vulnerable to HIV infections. The naturally resistant people have mutant CCR5 genes that inhibit HIV.
Previously, scientists found that by cutting the CCR5 gene out of white blood cells involved in the immune response known as T-cells, they could protect a tube full of human cells from the virus. The gene editing technique relies on proteins called zinc finger nucleases that can delete any gene from a living cell.
In theory, zinc finger nucleases could give that immunity to anyone.
The procedure is simple: Take some healthy T-cells out of an HIV patient, clip out their CCR5 genes, grow more of these clipped T-cells in a dish, and then put them back in the patient.
"In this first study we will re-infuse approximately 10 billion of these cells back into the participants, and we will see if it is safe and if those cells inhibit HIV replication in vivo," said Tebas. "We know they do in the test tube."
(Via Joe. My. God.)
Headline of the Day: "Healthy Kidney Removed Through Donor's Vagina"By on February 3, 2009 5:10 PM | No Comments
In what is being heralded as a "first-ever procedure," surgeons removed a healthy kidney through a donor's vagina, the Johns Hopkins Medical Center has announced.Although the procedure has been previously done to extract cancerous and nonfunctioning kidneys that threatened a patient's health, the January 29 surgery was the first time it was done for donation purposes, the center said in a news release issued Monday.
"The kidney was successfully removed and transplanted into the donor's niece, and both patients are doing fine," Dr. Robert Montgomery, chief of transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins, said in the release.
The surgery is considered less invasive and could pave the way for an increase in organ donations, it added.
"Removing the kidney through a natural opening should hasten the patient's recovery and provide a better cosmetic result," Montgomery said.
Pretty effing cool!
"Life is Short... Have an Affair"By on February 3, 2009 3:42 PM | No Comments
Or so says the slogan of AshleyMadison.com, a hookup website designed for married straight people who want to have an affair. Amazing. They offer would-be users to "Join AshleyMadison.com for FREE and Have An Affair...Guaranteed!" 100% Guaranteed! That's quite a claim.
The website tried to run a spot during the Super Bowl, but was rejected by national carriers. However, it did manage to get a slot in for Texas viewers, who saw this 30 second clip:
Clearly, marriage as an institution is in fine form!
Getting it on with... Jackson Bowman!By on February 3, 2009 2:54 PM | No Comments
Click to jump to video
My friend Bonnie has just interviewed my dear friend Jackson Bowman (see my podcast with him!) for her sexuality vlog, "Getting it on with.... Bonnie." Jackson is the Program Coordinator for LIFT Bay Area (see website), a project of "Connect to Protect" (see website). They talked HIV prevention with Bay Area queer youth. Jackson is smart and well-spoken, as per usual! Check it out.
Positional Identity on Manhunt, Adam4Adam: NYC EditionBy on February 3, 2009 12:08 PM | 6 Comments | 2 TrackBacks
In the spirit of my posts on racial diversity on Manhunt.net and Adam4Adam (see NYC; SF; Atlanta posts) -- and my recent post on positional identity on A4A and MH for San Francisco (see here) -- comes this post about the variation in tops, bottoms, and versatile-identified (what I call "positional identity") profiles on these websites for New York City!
As a recap, what I've done here is reconstructed the two website's database by doing repeated searches of profiles using narrow categories. For instance, if I want to know how many top-identified profiles exist among 18-21 year-olds, I did four searches (one for 18 y/o tops; 19 y/o tops; etc). Note that profiles ARE NOT people. And this technique for amassing data is somewhat vulnerable to human error. So take this data with a grain of salt. We need more research on this topic, to know how these identities are distributed in our communities. This is just a shot in the dark, really.
Also note that this data does not include anyone who did not identify as top/bottom/versatile. People who identified as "top/vers" were categorized as "top" here; "bottom/vers" also as "bottom." Without further ado, here's the data. There are 36,104 profiles from Manhunt documented here, and 41,738 from Adam4Adam.
Adam4Adam
As I did last time for race, I've gathered data on the distribution of positional identity categories by age group. I've dropped the last data point (58+) because: 1) it includes very few profiles; and 2) it is incredibly vulnerable to bias because of the number of people who put "99" or "69" as their age instead of their real age (a rather common practice).
The trends here are very similar to San Francisco. Like SF, there is a high percentage of bottoms in the 18-21 age group. Unlike SF, there's a similarly high percentage of versatile guys in that age bracket. This shifts quickly: by the next age group (22-25), bottoms have become the smallest group, and in the following age group (26-29), tops have become the largest group.
And here's the breakdown for all the profiles, overall. It's a slightly more even distribution than SF overall, with 35% of profiles ID'ing as vers; 36% as top; and around 29% as bottom.
Manhunt
Now let's turn to Manhunt. As I asked for SF, the important question: is there any obvious differences from Adam4Adam, as was found with racial diversity (A4A's profiles were consistently more racially diverse than Manhunt profiles)? While there were some minor differences in the SF data, the NYC data is pretty consistent. The trends are similar. Here's the data:
Overall, the data is also about identical:
With this data, I've presented further evidence for the case that there is some correlation between age and positional identity. Obviously, this relationship is unclear. There could be generational cohort differences, although I doubt this explanation. I think a more likely explanation is that these relational identities shift over time in gay men's lives. But we need to understand why. I presume many 18 year-olds identify as bottom because many men who want to have sex with them presume and want them to be bottoms. The converse may be true for 40 year-old guys. We obviously need some "real" social science research here to explain this variation with age.
I'll be back soon with the Atlanta data to complete the trifecta!
Super Bowl PornageBy on February 2, 2009 7:30 PM | No Comments
No doubt you've heard already. But to see is to believe! Amazing. For the unaware:
Super Bowl fans in Tucson, Arizona, caught a different kind of show during Sunday's big game.Just as Cardinals' superstar Larry Fitzgerald watched himself sprint into the end zone on the stadium's Jumbotron during Sunday's Super Bowl, 10 seconds of eye-popping pornographic imagery "flashed" across the screens of those watching at home.
"We are mortified by last evening's Super Bowl interruption, and deeply apologize to our customers for the inappropriate programming," Comcast Cable said in a written statement.
"Our initial investigation suggests this was an isolated malicious act," the statement added.
Comcast, and several local television stations that carried the signal, say they are currently investigating what caused the interruption.
Amazing.
A Little Love in the Gay Bay!By on February 2, 2009 6:44 PM | 2 Comments
Click to enlarge flyer
Omg! So I'm headed to San Francisco this Friday for a little stay by the bay with all my homosexual friends and lovers. Okay, some heterofolk too. I'm so excited! But the icing on the cake came tonight when my dear friend Jack invited me to be his "gay date" to this gala fundraiser for Lyon-Martin Health Services next Monday. He thought I'd be excited to hear that Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life) would be performing. But what he didn't tell me was that LORETTA DEVINE would be there! OMG! Loretta Devine is the fabulous Black woman I always wanted to be! She's amazing!!!
If you're in the SF area, you should totally get a ticket. Lyon Martin does fabulous work for queer folk in San Francisco. Support them. You can find out more info here, but make sure to buy your tickets via Lyon Martin here (or otherwise designate them as your beneficiary when you purchase).
P.S. I just have to share the e-mail exchange that just happened about this:
Jack: Will you be my gay date?What's New in Gay Sex: "Looking 4 Generou$"Trevor: My dear, what else could I say but yes? But I think you mean Monday, February 9th, yes? And PS you didn't tell me LORETTA DEVINE will be performing!!!!! Omg
Jack: Who's Loretta Devine?
Trevor: Are you effing kidding me? Only one of the most famous Black female comedians today. It is the event whose flyer is here, right:
http://www.lyon-martin.org/images/LoveGalaEflyer.gifJack: That's the one! Well, good, I was secretly afraid this would be boring and I was going to need you to heckle with.
Trevor: Well I mean, I'll wear a velvet jacket and jerk off on someone's face in the bathroom (point A --> point B). It won't be boring! And Loretta Devine!!! OMG!
Jack: Ooooh, a velvet jacket...if you have an extra one bring it along and we can wear ascots and eyeliner...
Trevor: Shut up! Can we really? I do have an extra. Blue, purple, or Black with red stripes? :)
Jack: We REALLY can. We might have to do a little shopping over the weekend to look for ascots. Do you tie them with a necktie or a scarf? What color are you wearing? I'm down for whatever as long as it fits.
Trevor: OMG! I wanna wear an ascot!! I have no idea to tie one. We’ll post a craigslist ad (“You tie our ascots, we’ll suck your cock”). The purple is the shortest, so probably best for you. I’ll bring purple and blue. We’ll be so cute together! I can hardly stand it. PS I already blogged the shit out of it: www.trevorhoppe.com
By on February 2, 2009 4:40 PM | 3 Comments
Escorting is an age-old phenomenon in gay culture. I'm sure it can be traced to the first 18 year-old twink who ever walked into a smokey bar full of older men. Okay, maybe not so dramatic. But indeed, getting offered cash for sex is a staple for many guys under the age of, say, 25 or so. Curiously, part of the game is pretending you've never done this before. In fact, you're just a bit behind on your bills, really, and you just need a little assistance to keep the farm for another month. I'm reminded here of the ritual in some East Asian countries where sex workers in brothels are expected to profess their sexual inexperience, despite their obvious employment.
I was just talking about this with a friend from France who has recently moved to the States. He was saying that there were no gay sex workers in Ann Arbor, and thus someone might be able to make a pretty penny if they entered into the business. I balked at his claim, noting the profusion of ads on Craigslist from younger guys looking for "Generou$" older men to help them out. "But they are not sex workers!", he asserted. I explained that -- in fact -- while some of these guys may be doing a one-off kind of thing, many of them are actually relying on these "generou$" men as a primary source of income.
In researching Craigslist ads for this post, for instance, I discovered a VERY active young man in Ann Arbor who posts up to three times a day. The ads all read similarly -- here's one example:
Any men looking for a good looking young guy? I have fallen into a bit of debt, and need someone generous who could help me out in exchange for my time. :) If this is you, you must be able to host and also be in ann arbor. Discreet:) Looking for early this evening. 6 ft 150. Hott. Also please be discreet:) ps. nice abs and ass:) ideal for you if you like to suck.
So clearly he's performing a few things here: 1) youth; 2) a bit of coyness, I think; 3) the primary reason for engaging in sex work is his debt. Indeed, it may be the case that an amassing of debt as led him to seek extra income on the side in the form of sex work. But we shouldn't ignore this kind of activity as falling outside the realm of our definition of sex work, certainly. Since January 11th, he's posted at least 15 ads. So he's certainly a regular actor on the scene.
I realized in may late teenage years the potential cashcow that sex can be for young gay men. Men would message me all the time offering me upwards of $1000 to have sex with me. It seems that potential gay "Johns" first seek out guys online who do not appear to be escorts, but who might do so for the right price. In this case, the men who are being paid for sex ARE actually not professionals, but rather fulfilling the amateur / inexperienced fantasy.
My question is this: Why is the inexperienced escort the most highly prized? After all, it is somewhat counter-intuitive given the societal conception of sex as an art to be practiced, rather than something that everyone knows how to do automatically. Hence, those with more experience should be "better" in bed.
Is it the threat of disease transmission that men are scared of? Or a more general fear of being socially or symbolically contaminated? Any ideas?