Except in this case, "ED" actually stands for "Executive Director," the new position my friend and fellow radical faerie Chris Bartlett has taken on at the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philly. Chris has been a gay rights activist in the area for over 20 years, and he is surely the perfect homo businesslady for the job. Here's a clip from the announcement in the Philadelphia Gay News:
"One of my commitments across my career has been looking at how to have the LGBT community in Philadelphia have a powerful participation by people of color, transgender people, elders, youth, etc.," he said. "We're at the point now where William Way is a stable organization and in a place where we're able to look at what communities can be better heard. We heard from the People of Color Coalition that they want us to put more energy into it and that's exactly the same place that I come from."
Well color me proud! Our very own Chris Bartlett is featured today in a New York Times story on social marketing for the dead. Chris has jumpstarted the Gay History Wiki, which is a project that attempts to gather the bits and pieces of Philadelphia's gay history 1960-present on one little site. Archiving those who died of AIDS is a key part of that project. From the Times piece:
Beginning in 2005, Mr. Bartlett began assembling the names of every gay male Philadelphian who died after being diagnosed with H.I.V. or AIDS, searching obituaries and the Names Project registry of people commemorated by the AIDS quilt, combing through records of social clubs and the rosters at St. Luke and the Epiphany, the Philadelphia church that took on the task at the epidemic's height of "burying the people no one else would," Mr. Bartlett said.
Inspired by Steven Spielberg's Shoah project, a Holocaust memorial, in 2007 Mr. Bartlett built a database on wikispaces.com, the free portal that invites editorial interventions, and by the end of last summer was ready to broadly promote his site. Unlike the AIDS quilt, an intensely elegiac but largely static artifact, the Gay History Wiki is a sprightly free space open to posts and tags, to biographical data added and amended by survivors for their vanished friends.
[snip]
Beyond the novelty of this approach is something equally important, Ms. Schulman of the Act Up Oral History Project suggested: the opportunity to fill in blanks in a haphazard narrative. "The AIDS story has been limited to depictions of doomed individuals," and not impassioned, ad hoc communities, she said.
A conviction that gay men and women and their friends came to one another's assistance during the crisis -- improvising buddy systems, treatment groups, food banks and other survival networks -- fueled Mr. Bartlett's pursuit, as he recreated a mesh of lives that unexpectedly turned out to have meaning for a cohort of young gay men.
"Everyone knows AIDS is a big issue, but for people 25 and under, it's not really a topic of discussion," said Evan Urbania, a 29-year-old marketer who regularly visits the Gay History Wiki. "I'm a social media guy, and the importance of involving the stories of people who have passed on, particularly as a gay man whose development was influenced by people who are 20 or 30 years older, is very powerful to me."
Oh, Chris! I'm tearing up a bit just reading this! Thanks for all you do, honey! xoxoxoxoxooxoxox
My new friend Chris Barlett--mutual friend of Trevor's--is a professional gay rights activist in the Philadelphia area. Here is an amazing talk he gave recently about a website he created to document the histories of gay men in Philadelphia. Many thanks to Chris for cultivating our sense of gay history and community, which is all too often fragile and of such recent vintage.
Also, Chris, you probably shouldn't ever sing Ethel Merman again (see end of video).
I'm blogging live from Chicago from the 2009 LGBTI Health Summit, which has been a whilrwind of a weekend packed full of gay goodness. I've done two workshops so far -- one on The Bottom Monologues, another on my bottom study -- and tomorrow I have two more -- one on reading research critically, and the other called "Destroying Public Health." Phew! Exhausticating.
Tonight, however, I was thrilled to take time away from the "official" summit and host a lovely pizza party in my hotel room with 40-50 lovely activists, scholars, and otherwise delicious queers. I've been sharing a room with the Aussie, Daniel Reeders -- who you occasionally see here blogging -- and spending as much time as possible with amazing activist friends like Chris Bartlett of Philadelphia, Tony Valenzuela from LA (who also recently blogged here), Rochesterian Erik Libey (my "Bottom Monologues" co-coordinator), and dozens of other amazing queer men. The amazing, tremendous, and simply astounding Amber Hollibaugh is here -- and she never ceases to amaze or say exactly what is needed at exactly the right time. How she does it, I'll never know. She's recently made the move from NYC to Chicago, actually, and is working for Howard Brown Health Center -- which I was unaware of until this weekend. If you don't know who she is, look her up, read her book, and set up a shrine ASAP. And of course a huge shout out to T. Scott Pegues, Luis Guerra, Stewart Landers, Bruce Maeder, Justin Varney, Sister Glo, Todd Hull, Lark Ballenger (who I'm still waiting to call me out), Larry Bragg, and all you other queens who made the trek to Chicago!
One of the summit's lead organizers, powerhouse Jim Pickett, stopped by my party this evening and snapped some photos that were quickly uploaded to Flickr. You can catch the whole reel of his LGBTI Health Summit set here (tonight's party starts on the second page), but I picked some highlights:
Seth and Chris Bartlett, molesting an innocent bear
Gurl, what'd you say?
Gerard + the lovely Justin Varney here from the UK
Luis 2, Stewart, and the ever-handsome Luis 1
Daniel + Chase
Chris enjoying a thick slice of Chicago-style pizza. Yum. Apparently Luis supports this.
My friend Chris Bartlett sent me a link to this post a few weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to posting the link. Philadelphia's Alex Hillman has done a fabulous job of outlining Harvey Milk's vision for social change, which includes five steps: Inspire, Motivate, Organize, Mobilization, and Repeat! Here's his take on the first step:
1- Inspire
Harvey’s first step was to take a step at all. Given his groundbreaking goals, making any forward motion was inspiring in itself. He failed at being elected to office, and he failed more than once. His persistence and attitude attracted like-minded movers and shakers. Some of those movers and shakers came with momentum of their own. Others were movers and shakers with potential. Harvey wasn’t discriminating towards either. Anne Kronenberg had prior campaign experience, and was an organizer herself. Others, like Cleve Jones, had less experience with formal community mobilization but Harvey knew that he had potential, and more importantly, knew how and when to put Cleve in opportunities to show that potential.
As a community organizer, your first move to action is to not be alone. Inspire those around you, and gain some critical mass. From that critical mass, identify new blood to continue recruitment and spreading of the message.
The fabulous Chris Bartlett has penned a review of the Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic, Milk, for Lifelube. The film opens nationwide on November 26th. Here's a nice blip from Bartlett's take, which you can find in full here:
Penn as Harvey Milk is really incredible. Milk protégée Anne Kronenberg reported many a double-take during the filming-- they just look so much alike! And Penn also brings out the wonderful paradoxes in Milk's behavior-- the flirtatiousness, the naiveté, the seriousness, the genius, and the bullying. And Penn plays Milk as I always had imagined him-- a mensch on a mission. There is such a sense of self-awareness and destiny. It's also possible from viewing Penn's performance to see what it means to be a leader-- the commitment that is required, the cost to relationships and family, and the charisma and charm that is required to generate a Tribe.
And to me the main story of the movie is the power of Tribe-building. Harvey does it with genius-- including all of the folks who, until the 1970s, had largely been outside political power networks. In the film, we see Milk's deft ability to build a coalition of progressive people-- gays, people of color, elders, union rank-and-file, youth, and others. Though he was a gay leader, he was far greater than that. As he says, he is there to lead "all the people".
Hey everyone! I'm in Seattle for the Gay Men's Health Summit and having an AMAZING time! What a whirlwind of a day its been. I've had the pleasure of chatting with Lifelubes Jim Pickett; the amazing Chris Bartlett (see his Twitter, which he updates when he should be napping); LA's own Tony Valenzuela (see this amazing recent article); and countless other amazing gay men's health activists, thinkers, and strategists. So lucky to be in their company!
Tomorrow I give my plenary remarks on how power structures wellness. I'll post the full remarks (they're not long) tomorrow after the event. I think it's pretty provocative stuff, but I guess I'm a bit biased! Anywho, I may be slow to update these next few days, as I'll be busy workshopping and mingling. I'm presenting my bottom research for the first time; taking part in a panel talk on bareback porn; and of course doing the plenary session. Oy vey! I can't wait to dive in and meet so many amazing activists!!!!
Chris Bartlett just called to chat briefly today, this second anniversary of Eric Rofes' death. Just two years have passed! It seems like much longer since I last saw him. I still regret not making it to the last Gay Men's Health Leadership Academy he presented, which he encouraged me to attend. If you haven't looked at his final, uncompleted manuscrupt ("THRIVING: Gay Men's Health in the 21st Century") which several friends took time to edit and publish online, definitely check it out.
Here's a letter to the Bay Area Reporter editor that I wrote the day he passed away. My feelings haven't changed:
With the untimely and unexpected death of longtime gay activist Eric Rofes, San Francisco has lost a truly wonderful activist, organizer, researcher, and a dear friend ["Author, activist Eric Rofes dies," June 29].
In my own life, Eric was a mentor and role model. He was, without a doubt, one of the most influential thinkers in my life. Eric was one of the few gay male voices in America speaking progressive values to action. He was an unabashed feminist. His book, Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures, changed the way I thought about HIV/AIDS and gay men. He never settled for simple answers. He always demanded complexity. He always challenged me to think more deeply in my own work and research on HIV/AIDS and gay men. For all that he did for me, for all that he did for gay men, and for all he did for HIV-positive people, we will all be forever indebted to him. His death leaves a great void in our community.
My friend Stewart Landers has an excellent piece over at Lifelube calling for the development of a communal voice for gay / bi / trans men's health. He notes that:
Now that we are two years into the post-Eric Rofes period of the gay men’s health movement, it is a good time think about what we know, what we need to know and how we can continue the only grassroots movement dedicated to thinking about, working for and advancing our collective health.
The development of a clear, communal voice for the gay men’s health movement continues to be our single greatest challenge. There is no voice in this country speaking on behalf of gay men’s health. However, this is not the same thing as a lack of leadership. In fact, due to Eric’s work and the work of many movement activists, there are many leaders in gay men’s health around the country including researchers, activists, executive directors, public health practitioners, trainers, and writers working in this area. Yet, there isn’t a consistent voice or source for information when the media seek a response to the latest “gay men are spreading such-and-such now” report. I propose that the gay men’s health summit leadership bite the bullet and form the National Gay Men’s Health Collaborative, find some grant money, have a high-end designer create some snazzy letterhead and establish a formal national presence.
I couldn't agree more -- although I also think that we need to take heed to make sure that it is a "collective" organization, and not a corporatized, Executive Director-style organization. We -- we being several of my fellow gay men's health organizers -- have been talking about this for the past year. Chris Bartlett in particular, as well as others, have been asking around about the idea of creating a formal web presence, particularly as a gateway for the media to find smart / sex positive GMH advocates. As I told Chris last time he was in town, in the 21st century, if it doesn't have a website, it doesn't exist. The GMH movement desperately needs such a website, at minimum to declare our existence and our activities.
At the last mini-Gay Men's Health Leadership Academy a few weeks ago here in San Francisco, Michael Scarce was talking about building a wiki for GMH. This is a good idea, but I think it is a separate kind of project from what Stewart and others are calling for. Let's make a website. Let's develop a vision. The Gay Men's Health Summit is in October in Seattle. Working group, anyone?
Wow. I'm sitting here at the Chili's restaurant in the Chicago airport, waiting for my long layover to finally end, and I can't stop thinking about my sunny weekend in Guerneville. What a beautiful group of gay men. I still feel like I'm basking in the sun under the California sun - but perhaps that's because I have a sunburn on my arms and nose! I remain struck by one of the comments at one of the closing session. I can't remember who said it, but they reminded us that "Many people say that gay activism is dead. This room of men proves that wrong." Indeed.
What I will take back home with me to Michigan is a revitalized hope for the future of gay men's health organizing. If I have to spend the rest of my life working with these 32 guys, then I will be guaranteed a happy life. There were so many wonderful men in Guerneville. Michael Hurley, an Australian researcher whose humility and cutting insight is reflected in the utter captiviation he inspires in his audience. Joshua Love, who works with the Metropolitan Community Church and has one of the most ridiculously faggy laughs I think I've ever heard. Chris Bartlett, one of the facilitators and perhaps one of the sweetest and attentive men I've ever met. There are so many more -- everyone in attendance deserves recognition for their hard work, honesty, and kindness.
I unfortunately was so enthralled with the activities and socializing that went on in Guerneville that I did not get a chance to interview anyone for my podcast. Have no fear, I have backup plans. Hopefully I'll pull something together in the coming weeks for Episode II.
Okay, time for me to hop on a plane (again!). I hate travelling! For more on the academy, check out the main blog
I got a lovely phone call last evening from none other than Chris Bartlett, a dear friend and fabulous organizer on a range of LGBT health issues. We've been working together on organizing the various LGBT health summits and getting LGBT health on the agenda for the Creating Change Conference a few weeks back in Detroit. He's a gem.
Anytime I get a phone call from him, I'm happy. But I was particularly thrilled yesterday when he informed me that I had received a scholarship to attend the upcoming Gay Men's Health Leadership Academy in Guerneville, California March 21-24. Wew-hew! I booked my flight last night (thank God for frequent flyer miles!) - I'm SO excited! I hope to be podcasting for "The Gayest Podcast in Michigan" there, keeping everyone informed as to the goingson at the event.
For those who are unfamiliar, the GMH Leadership Academy is basically a three-day training and networking session for gay male organizers doing work on gay men's health issues. It happens a little under twice a year, and I've been aching to go since Eric Rofes encouraged me to do so back in 2005. Rofes of course founded the GMH Movement in the US. He sadly passed away in June of 2006.
Controversial and longtime SF AIDS activist Michael Petrelis has just posted this video from a recent meeting of the San Francisco Dept of Public Health's HIV Prevention Planning Council below on his blog. Petrelis, despite his long history of being a real douchebag (see any number of accounts on this - even in Urvashi Vaid's book, "Virtual Equality"), makes a few decent points. I actually really debated whether to even cite this video, because it draws attention to him, but I think the video provides some insight into the issues / emotions at hand.
I haven't yet blogged about these matters, because - well - plenty of voices have already chimed in on the topic. There are two issues here. The most significant here is the recent alleged "outbreak" of treatment-resistant staph infections in San Francisco which have been hyped up in the media in part due to institutions like UCSF and other gay community-based AIDS organizations.
Now, it's not to say that these infections have not indeed occurred. But, well, like my friend Chris Bartlett remarked to me last weekend, it seems like at least twice a year health organizations have to come out and scare the shit out of gay men. I only need to draw your attention to the ridiculous media frenzy over the alleged "superinfection" case in New York City that was blown way out of proportion in 2005. That patient, of course, is now responding to treatment.
Similarly, a few staph cases among gay men has been disgustingly overhyped in media reports. Any potential link between gay sex and disease is readily eaten up and spat out by media outlets who love to remind us of the danger that is always lurking around the corner in our sex lives. Take this ABC news story from just a few weeks ago. And I quote:
Flesh-eating bacteria. A drug-resistant menace, spreading silently through hospital hallways.
If one were asked to come up with a recipe for a panic-inducing disease, it would be hard to come up with something more horrifying than methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- or MRSA.
But even as new research suggests that the disease may be spreading though the homosexual community -- and could even be developing into a full-blown epidemic -- health experts studying MRSA say panic over the disease may be premature.
Even though they're reporting here that perhaps the panic might be premature, the damage is already done. The title of the article "The Great MRSA Epidemic: Is It Time to Worry?" and its opening line ("Flesh-eating bacteria") does all the talking. The title in fact matter-of-factly states that there is indeed an epidemic already, and just asks us to consider whether we might want to start taking action.
And then of course a few lines down they again repeat that "the disease may be spreading though the homosexual community," despite the fact that deaths due to MRSA are primarily among other groups (elderly, hospital patients, etc). This isn't another gay epidemic! Puh-lease. When a few hundred black folks in South Carolina come down with the flu, we don't suddenly see press releases about a potentially dangerous Black flu epidemic.
Give the media any fodder to remind America of the intrinsic link between gay sex and disease, and they lap it up. Researchers and institutions have got to start being much more careful and considerate in the way they disseminate new, *preliminary* data on gay men's health. Recklessly throwing it out to the public is something like throwing a kitten to a pack of wolves. They will chew it up, mangle it into something unrecognizable, and spit it right back out. This isn't news, for God's sake! We've seen this time and time again - and yet here we are again, in another situation where the media is doing disgusting violence against gay men's communities -- often times with the full support of AIDS organizations. Shameful.
The second issue at hand here is the recent release of a Swiss study that argues that HIV-positive people on HAART (highly active anti-retroviral therapy) with undetectable viral loads cannot sexually transmit the virus to their partners. This isn't news to many of us -- the Swiss study wasn't, after all, original research. It was instead a review of already existing literature, some of which has been around for years now. You can find the study here in French and now a rough English translation here.
SF's DPH and the SF AIDS Foundation issued a joint statement saying that they "do not endorse" the Swiss Study. Well of course they don't! I mean, I hate to break it to everyone, but as a sociologist things couldn't be more clear: AIDS organizations have an interest in promoting panic and suppressing evidence of good news. It's how they get their money. This is not a revolutionary statement. It's the name of organizational / institutional politics - and part of the growing pains associated with community organizations being swallowed up by government agencies / funding priorities. You want CDC money? Show us a crisis - and follow our rules. Health departments and CDC-funded agencies everywhere happily oblige. They want to keep their jobs, after all. It's fucked up - but it's the name of the game, folks!
Now this isn't to say that the Swiss study is conclusive evidence. It's not. And we should all acknowledge that. And I certainly appreciate the tricky situation that agencies are in when confronted with this kind of data. How do you promote data that can be easily misinterpreted, thus leading to potential new infections? I don't have the answers here.
But I do know that there is plenty of data on HIV transmision out there that is kept out of gay men's hands, I presume because they think we're not capable of making informed decisions about our sex lives. But if the home-grown trends in seroadaptation in San Francisco and other urban center teach us anything, it's that gay men are quite ingenious in developing innovative approaches to prevention - without the help of prevention organizations. Which is a good thing, since our organizations often times don't do much to help us out in that regard.
Phew. I admit this post is a bit reactionary - but I had to get some steam out! So, without further adieu, here's that Petrelis video I mentioned at the beginning:
My friend Chris Bartlett who works on the LGBT Community Assessment in Philly kindly dug up the original "relative risk" table from the MMWR in 2003 that Will Wong reconstructed for his recent presentation with Jim Picket at the 2007 ManAlive conference in Chicago. He pointed out that this table was a reflection of data collected from *heterosexual* partners, and wondered if this might give those of us thinking about gay men's health cause for concern in using the data for thinking about gay sex. My sense is that, while there may be some variation, it's probably not significant. But he certainly has pointed to a sticky issue of methodology in HIV prevention research! Any ideas out there?
Here's the original table with citations:
1
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