SGN Apr 19, 2019 - Part 1

Seattle Gay News

“Mayor Pete” joins 2020 Dem race as face of new generation

by Sara Burnett Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) – Pete Buttigieg, the little-known Indiana mayor who has risen to prominence in the early stages of the 2020 Democratic presidential race, made his official campaign entrance

Sunday [April 14, 2019] by claiming the mantle of a youthful generation ready to reshape the country.

“I recognize the audacity of doing this as a Midwestern millennial mayor,” he said to cheers of “Pete, Pete, Pete” from an audi-

see PETE BUTTIGIEG page 4

Community College instructors walk out April 16

Seattle Central College instructors rally and march down Broadway

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Instructors at Seattle Central College walked out of their classes on April 16 and – joined by students, college staff, and community supporters – marched down

Broadway to dramatize their demands that the state invest in its college system.

“The walkout is intended to illustrate the crisis faced by the community and technical colleges (CTCs) because of the state

see SEATTLE CENTRAL page 6

STATEMENT FROM THE CITY OF SEATTLE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan issued the following statement last Friday [April 12, 2019] in response to threats by the President of the United States to retaliate against Seattle for its status as a Welcoming City:

“Time and again, we have seen this administration weaken the moral standing of America and undermine true public safety.

see JENNY DURKAN page 6

Kshama Sawant introduces rent control measures

Proposed ordinances would cap rent increases, give more money for relocation

by

Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant debuted two rent control proposals at a City Hall press conference on April 15. One would cap rent increases by linking

them to inflation. The second would make landlords pay extra relocation money to tenants who have to move because of high rent increases. The cap on rent increases would only

see KSHAMA SAWANT page 6

Seattle Gay News

IN MEMORIAM Robert Charles Sondheim

Robert Sondheim was a fifth generation Seattleite who lived mostly in the Magnolia and Queen Anne areas of Seattle. He was the son of Harold Sondheim (deceased) and Sally (Reingold) Sondheim of Bainbridge Island.

He attended Queen Anne High School and graduated from Willamette University in Salem Oregon with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Economics. After college Robert worked for political campaigns for both the state legislature and the Seattle City Council; and, for one year at the Washington State Capitol in the leadership office suite.

Robert was a co-owner of Rosebud Restaurant with his business partner, John on Capitol Hill for 17 years, a notable place to hang out in the Pike-Pine corridor. Mayors, city and county officials, and local Capitol Hill residents liked to dine at Rosebud. There were many autographed photos of movie stars from Robert’s family connections in Hollywood along with the famous Rosebud snow sleds that peppered the walls of the restaurant. During the International Film Festivals, movie and entertainment stars liked to go to Rosebud where they could have a great dining experience and not be bothered by the press or the public after performances. During this time, Robert served for 4 years as President of Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce.

He enjoyed working for the development of Cal Anderson Park and preserving a remnant of historic older buildings that were going to be demolished for new construction using the “envelope concept” which saved their exterior shells for inclusion into the new architecture. He served on the Board of the Gay City Health project. He was the longest serving volunteer at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). He served on the Board of the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Board of the Des

Society. He ran for the Seattle City Council three times. He was a very

ence assembled in a former Studebaker auto plant. “More than a little bold, at age 37, to seek the highest office in the land.” In the hours after his announcement, more than $1 million in donations poured in, said Lis Smith, speaking for the campaign.

The South Bend mayor, a Rhodes scholar and Afghanistan War veteran who has been essentially campaigning since January, has joined a dozen-plus rivals vying to take on President Donald Trump.

“The forces of change in our country today are tectonic,” he said. “Forces that help to explain what made this current presidency even possible. That’s why, this time, it’s not just about winning an election – it’s about winning an era.”

Buttigieg will return this week to Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold the nation’s first nominating contests, to campaign as a full-fledged candidate now being taken more seriously.

Over the past few months, Buttigieg has appeared frequently on national TV news and talk shows and developed a strong social media following with his message that the country needs “a new generation of leadership.”

Buttigieg’s poll numbers have climbed.

Some polls put him behind only Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who sought the party’s nomination in 2016, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who has not yet said he’s running.

Buttigieg’s campaign has raised more than $7 million in the first three months of this year, a total eclipsed by Sanders’ leading $18 million but more than Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey.

“Right now, it’s pretty fun,” Buttigieg told The Associated Press last month while visiting South Carolina, where he was met by larger-than-expected crowds.

His challenge is finding a way to sustain the momentum over the long term and avoiding becoming a “flavor-of-the-month” candidate. Scrutiny of his leadership in South Bend has increased, as has his criticism of Vice President Mike Pence, who was Indiana’s governor when Buttigieg was in his first term as mayor.

Buttigieg would be the first openly gay nominee of a major presidential party; he married his husband, Chasten, last year. He would be the first mayor to go directly to the White House. And he would be the youngest person to become president, turning 39 the day before the next inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2021. Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he took office, while John F.

Kennedy was 43 and Bill Clinton 46.

The campaign kickoff speech echoed themes that have resonated with voters during Buttigieg’s exploratory phase.

He talks often about how political decisions shape people’s lives, including his own – from serving as a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve in 2014, to being able to marry his husband and to not having to worry about how to pay for his father’s hospital bills after his father’s death this year.

Buttigieg also says the best way for Democrats to defeat Trump may be to nominate a mayor experienced in helping to revive a Midwestern city once described as “dying,” rather than a politician who has spent years “marinating” in Washington.

He has criticized Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again,” saying the way to move the country forward is not to look backward or cling to an old way of life.

“There’s a myth being sold to industrial and rural communities: the myth that we can stop the clock and turn it back,” he said. “It comes from people who think the only way to reach communities like ours is through resentment and nostalgia, selling an impossible promise of returning to a bygone era that was never as great as advertised to begin with.”

South Bend, which neighbors the University of Notre Dame, was hit hard by

the decline of manufacturing, dating to the 1963 closing of the Studebaker auto plant that costs thousands of residents their jobs.

The hulking, dilapidated factory loomed over the city for much of the past 60 years as what Buttigieg called a daily reminder of South Bend’s city’s past. Partially remodeled, it’s now a mixed-use technology center outside downtown – and the setting for Bettigieg’s announcement.

The South Bend fire marshal’s office said the rally drew over 4,500 inside and 1,500 outside. A steady stream of raindrops fell on speakers on the stage through the leaky roof.

“I like that he’s young,” said Tom Lacy, a 62-year-old retiree who came from Peoria, Illinois, for the event with his wife, Candy, on their 35th wedding anniversary. “He’s so relatable. He doesn’t seem like a politician to me.” Lacy said: “The contrast between him and our current president is unbelievable.”

Nausher Ahmad Sial, a 68-year-old developer from South Bend, said, “We need to try new blood.”

Sial, who came to the U.S. from Pakistan 35 years ago, said he has worked with Buttigieg on development projects in the city and described the mayor as a “very honest, very fair guy.”

“Seattle will continue to fight for the dignity of every person and will not allow any administration to use the power of America to destroy the promise of America.”

– JENNY DURKAN

KSHAMA SAWANT

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take effect if and when the state legislature repeals its ban on municipal rent control legislation. That ban took effect in 1981, after intense lobbying by real estate brokers convinced state lawmakers to preempt local efforts to keep rent affordable.

If the City Council passes Sawant’s proposal, it would take effect immediately after the state ban is repealed. According to Sawant, this would put pressure on state legislators to allow cities and counties to make their own rental policies.

State Rep. Nicole Macri (D-43) introduced legislation to do exactly that last year, but the bill died in committee. No

SEATTLE CENTRAL

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legislature’s failure to adequately fund programs, salaries, and student support,” organizers from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 1789 said in a statement.

The walkout also extended to the North and South campuses of the Seattle Colleges system, schools represented by AFT 1789. Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, herself a member of AFT 1789, spoke at a noontime rally at Central College’s South Plaza.

Other AFT locals also staging walkouts or rallies: Shoreline Community College AFT 1950; Bates Technical College AFT 4184; Peninsula Community College AFT 3439; Pierce County Colleges AFT 4821; Green River College AFT 2195; and Edmonds Community College AFT 4254. Bellevue College and Highline College,

JENNY DURKAN

continued from cover

It is time for Congress to act to stop the President’s repeated attempts to punish perceived enemies and stop his cruel, divisive, and

one has proposed a similar measure in this year’s legislative session.

“We need a bold and comprehensive approach to matching the scale of the problem, a policy program that puts people over profit,” Sawant said at the City Hall press conference announcing her proposals.

“We need rent control…

“We have two choices,” she continued.

“One, just sit on our hands and expect that someday, in the distant future, the Democratic establishment will gather the courage to break from the real estate lobby and finally stand with us. We’ve done that kind of waiting for 40 years.

“Or we can begin the fight here.”

If Sawant’s proposal passes, and if the legislature acts, rents in Seattle would be allowed to increase no more than the rate

which are represented by the Washington Education Association (WEA) are hosting a social media campaign in support.

“For over a decade,” the union said in a press statement, “the state has covered only 65% of salary increases that [it has] approved, forcing the colleges to cover the other 35% with increases in student tuition or taking money from reserves, or often by cutting programs, staff, and services to students to reduce costs.

“While the McCleary decision has forced the state to adequately fund K-12 education, the tens of thousands of students and employees who participate in the state’s open-enrollment colleges have continued to bear the brunt of offering college courses and job readiness programs without sufficient funding to maintain excellence and fair salaries for the employees who support our students.”

Erin Gibbons, and adjunct instructor in chemistry, said that she is funded for only part-time work as an instructor, forcing

unlawful attacks on our immigrant and refugee communities. This threat is yet another inhumane proposal from a White House that continues to separate children from parents and hold them in deplorable conditions. It is against our values to use people – including children and families in crisis – as political

of inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). On average, the CPI has increased about 2.3% per year over the last decade.

The current median rent in the Seattle metro area overall is $1,959 per month, 57% higher than the national average. By comparison, the average cost of living is only 24% higher than the national average, indicating that increases in housing costs are outpacing other costs in Seattle.

Sawant’s second proposal would create an economic incentive for landlords to keep rents low by requiring them to pay extra relocation assistance if they force lowerincome tenants out by raising rents more than 10% in a single year.

Currently, renters are eligible for relocation money only if their landlord wants to

her to take a second job in order to pay her bills. Although she has an MA in electrical engineering and a PhD in chemistry, she must work at nonacademic jobs because her work at Central College simply doesn’t pay her enough.

Her situation is typical in the Seattle College system, she said.

A recent survey conducted by AFT found that 84% of faculty work more than one job and/or are dependent on the income of others in order to live in the Puget Sound Region on their current salary. Some 20% work 3-5 jobs to make ends meet.

Sixty percent of faculty with additional jobs either don’t teach or do both teaching and nonteaching at their extra jobs, and nearly 70% of the faculty who work more than one job do not work their extra jobs in the Seattle Colleges District (SCD), meaning they don’t get the benefits and protections that come with AFT membership.

Fully 75% considered leaving the SCD because of insufficient pay or because they

pawns. Seattle will continue to fight for the dignity of every person and will not allow any administration to use the power of America to destroy the promise of America.”

of the City of Seattle Office of the Mayor

remodel or demolish their unit, but not if the landlord simply wants to raise rents.

Sawant’s proposal would change that for renters who make up to 80% of the area median income (AMI) – currently $53,760 for an individual, or $76,800 for a family of four. If a landlord raises rent for a tenant failing within the income category, forcing the tenant to move, the landlord would be on the hook to pay their former tenant three times the former rent.

This would provide the renter with funds to cover the traditional “first, last, and deposit” that their new landlord would typically charge for move-in costs.

This proposal does not require state action to become effective.

hoped for better career opportunities elsewhere.

At the same time, King County teachers have to cope with a cost of living 52% higher than the national average, with salaries that are as much as 61% lower than those other parts of the state.

“Everyone recognizes the value the community and technical colleges bring to individual lives, employers, and the economy,” said Karen Strickland, president of AFT Washington.

“What has yet to be taken seriously is the dire need to support the human infrastructure that makes our colleges hum – the people who process financial aid, teach in the classroom, clean the buildings, provide counseling, and more – and to make sure students succeed. The economy is strong, and the need is great – now is the time to [Re]Invest in Our Colleges!”

Jayapal statement on release of the Mueller report

WASHINGTON, DC – [On Thursday, April 18, 2019] Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement regarding the public release of the Mueller report:

“From day one, Congress and the American public have demanded release of the full Mueller report and all underlying documents; anything less is unacceptable,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “Congress has a right and responsibility to review the Special Counsel’s full investigation without omissions to determine what steps must be taken – and whether further action is necessary.

“I am troubled by Donald Trump’s hand-picked Attorney General’s apparent protection of a President who could not be exonerated by the Special Counsel on at least ten counts of obstruction of justice, and the numerous willing contacts documented between the Trump Campaign and a foreign power that was explicitly out to influence our last elections and likely our upcoming elections.

“Congress has a duty – rooted firmly in the Constitution – to safeguard the justice system and prevent obstruction of justice. To do this, we must have the full report. Attorney General Barr’s refusal to release the full

report and underlying materials prevents Congress from doing our constitutional duty. Barr should be acting as the nation’s Attorney General not Trump’s personal attorney. Anything less is unacceptable.”

VICTORY! American Museum of Natural History cancels event with anti-LGBTQ President Jair Bolsonaro after GLAAD speaks out

NEW YORK (April 16, 2019) –GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today hailed the American Museum of Natural History for canceling an upcoming event featuring Brazilian president and notorious anti-LGBTQ activist Jair Bolsonaro. The announcement came just hours after GLAAD joined environmental groups in calling on the museum to revoke [its] invitation for the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce’s planned gala that [would have] honored Bolsonaro as its “Person of the Year” at the museum. The museum confirmed [it] canceled the event with an announcement on Twitter yesterday.

“The American Museum of Natural History has done the right thing by declining to host an event that features the anti-LGBTQ President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “His extremist voice has no place at one of New York City’s most beloved institutions. At GLAAD, we hope the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce will follow suit and withdraw their award for an elected leader who is targeting LGBTQ Brazilians for unequal treatment under the law.”

The Brazilian president has a horrific and barbaric anti-LGBTQ record, and since his election last year, President Bolsonaro – like the Trump administration – has systematically tried to erase LGBTQ families from the fabric of Brazil. Just recently, President Bolsonaro even praised the antiLGBTQ efforts made by President Trump and his administration since taking office in 2017 – a total of 103 attacks on LGBTQ Americans overall.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Anti-LGBTQ history of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

• Said he’d prefer his son die in an accident than be gay (rough translation: “There are certain things that I say are as death. It would bring me disgust, would make me sad, and I even think that he, himself, would abandon me in that case. To me, it is death. And more: I’d rather he died in an accident than show up with some guy. To me, he really would have died.”). Original interview, in Portuguese, can be found at: https:// web.archive.org/web/20110709235317/

http://playboy.abril.com.br/entretenimento/ entrevista/jair-bolsonaro/

• Reiterated his preference for a dead son over a gay son: “I prefer, rather, a son run over by a convoy to a homosexual son. If my son were “gay,” he would be dead to me.”

• Supported a father who beat his eightyear-old son to death for showing effeminate traits, suggesting that beating the child would have prevented him from being gay.

• Has bragged that “if I see two men kissing on the street, I’m going to hit them.”

• Said: “If a gay couple came to live in my building, my property will lose value. If they walk around holding hands, kissing, it will lose value! No one says that out of fear of being pinned as homophobe.”

• Claimed LGBT rights activists wants to recruit children for sex: “They want to reach our children in order to turn the chil-

dren into gay adults to satisfy their sexuality in the future. So these are the fundamentalist homosexual groups that are trying to take over society.”

• Said being gay is a “behavioral issue” inspired by “liberal habits,” “drugs,” and “women also working,” adding that “if [your son] starts hanging out with certain people with a certain behavior, he’ll adopt that sort of behavior. He’ll think it’s normal.” https://lab.org.uk/ellen-pageconfronts-jair-bolsonaro-about-homophobia-in-rio-de-janeiro/

• Referred to a rival political party as “a party of dicks and faggots.”

• Implied that President Dilma Rousseff is a lesbian, demanding that she “admit your love with homosexuals.”

• Called Eleonora Menicucci, the Minister for Women’s Policy, “a big dyke.”

• Said he’d “rather have a son who is an

addict than a son who is gay.”

• Said he does not have a gay child because his children are well educated.

• Insisted gay parents sexually abuse their children: “I make a connection between homosexuality and pedophilia because many of the children who will be adopted by “gay” couples will be abused by these homosexual couples.”

• Wanted to rid textbooks of homosexuality.

• Removed LGBTQ rights from human rights ministry considerations just hours after inauguration.

• Said: “If your son begins to act like this, sort of gay, he deserves a smack and he’ll change his behavior.”

Courtesy of GLAAD

HRC launches powerful new video of Transgender singer and songwriter Shea Diamond in “Americans for the Equality Act” campaign

WASHINGTON, DC (April 16, 2019)

– Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released a new video from the HRC’s Americans for the Equality Act campaign featuring singer and songwriter Shea Diamond.

In the new video (https://bit.ly/2KL6yTR), Diamond shares her powerful story as a transgender woman and artist from the South and calls on Congress to advance the Equality Act – bipartisan legislation that would finally extend clear, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections to millions of LGBTQ people nationwide. The Americans for the Equality Act series, filmed by award-winning directors Dustin Lance Black and Paris Barclay, first launched last month with a debut video featuring Academy Award–winning actress Sally Field and her son Sam Greisman.

“Shea Diamond is a profoundly gifted singer and musician whose story of being a proud transgender woman of color from the South is giving hope to countless people across the nation. We are grateful to partner with her as she speaks out for the Equality Act,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The harsh reality is that LGBTQ Americans face real and persistent discrimination in their everyday lives, and it’s far past time Congress take action and pass this legislation providing clear, comprehensive nationwide nondiscrimination protections.

Shea is a phenomenal talent and incredible advocate, and she delivers an empowering message of resilience and hope to LGBTQ youth, letting them know they deserve to feel safe, supported, and protected under our nation’s civil rights laws.”

“So much of the progress of the LGBTQ movement has hinged on our ability to tell our stories and move people – and that’s the same spirit with which we’ve approached this compelling project,” said Emmy Award–winning director Paris Barclay when the campaign launched last month.

“Every American deserves a fair shot at a job to support themselves and their family, and the security of a roof over their head. These are key ingredients in what we’ve long cherished as our ‘American Dream,’” said Academy Award–winning director Dustin Lance Black. “But until the Equality Act is signed into law, this dream may not be a reality for far too many Americans in many areas of our wild and wonderful country.”

As a black transgender woman, Shea Diamond has always had to fight to live her truth and is committed to amplifying the voices and experiences of her community. This game-changing new singersongwriter is living her dream with “Seen It All” – her soulful and soul-baring debut EP (Asylum Records) that was executiveproduced by hit songwriter Justin Tranter. On “Seen It All,” Shea – who is now call-

ing Los Angeles home as she sets out to conquer the music world – bravely tells her truth to a world that hasn’t always wanted to really see her. “I’m the flame that you can’t unsee,” she announces with unapologetic honesty on the haunting opener, “American Pie.” Read more about Shea’s trailblazing journey as a recording artist [at https://bit. ly/2VLusj7].

Currently, 50% of LGBTQ Americans live in one of the 30 states without statewide legal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people – leaving millions at risk of being fired, denied housing, or refused service simply because of who they are or whom they love. The Equality Act would guarantee existing civil rights laws apply to LGBTQ people by providing clear, consistent nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.

Reintroduced in Congress on March 13, the Equality Act has growing unprecedented support, including from nearly 70% of Americans, hundreds of members of Congress, 180 major businesses, and more than 350 social justice, religious, medical, and child welfare organizations. Recent polling finds that a growing majority of Americans support federal nondiscrimination protections and LGBTQ equality.

A recent survey by PRRI found that nearly seven in 10 Americans support laws like the Equality Act, including majorities in every single state and majorities of Republicans, independents, and Democrats alike.

Over the coming weeks, the HRC will roll out additional videos in the Americans for the Equality Act series featuring a powerhouse lineup of supportive film and television actors, influencers, musicians, and professional athletes, including Adam Rippon, Alexandra Billings, Charlie and Max Carver, Dustin Lance Black, Paris and Christopher Barclay, Gloria Calderon Kellett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita, Justina Machado, Karamo Brown, Marcia Gay Harden, and Nyle DiMarco. The Americans for the Equality Act series is modeled after the HRC’s successful Americans for Marriage Equality campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

AHF supports introduction of Medicare for All Act of 2019 in the U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [On April 11, 2019] AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) praised U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for his introduction of the Medicare for All Act of 2019, which would make everyone living in the U.S. eligible for Medicare.

“Senator Sanders has been a tireless champion in the cause to guarantee quality health care as a human right. His bill addresses the underlying forces that make our health care system so expensive, such as the enormous administrative overhead of the health insurance industry and obscene drug prices,” said Tom Myers, AHF’s chief of public affairs and general counsel.

“The U.S has the most complicated and expensive health care system in the world,” said Myers. “Senator Sanders’ Medicare for All legislation will make sure that people living with HIV will have access to treatment and not have to pay for exorbitant

prices for life-saving anti-retroviral medication.”

The U.S. Medicare program, which has a 50-year record of success, is now only available to everyone over 65. This legislation would make tax-funded healthcare available that is medically necessary, including primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, longterm care, mental health services, dental services and vision care. Like Medicare, patients would choose from participating physicians and institutions.

The program would be funded by taxes replacing insurance premiums. Funds from existing government sources for health care, increasing personal income taxes on the top five percent of income earners, a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income, a tax on unearned income, and a transaction tax on stock and bond purchases

would be enacted by the legislation. These taxes would be offset by the elimination of premium payments to health insurance companies. Health insurers would be prohibited from selling health insurance that duplicates benefits provided in the legislation. They may sell insurance for services that are not medically necessary.

“This legislation will help all our patients and it will eliminate barriers to ending the AIDS epidemic. Everyday support is building in the U.S. for expanding Medicare. AHF looks forward to the enactment of this bill into law,” said Myers.

To view Senator Sanders’ statement on his introduction of the “Medicare for All Act of 2019” visit https://www.sanders. senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-14-senators-introduce-medicare-for-all.

AHF has been on record in support of expanding Medicare to cover all U.S.

citizens and residents for some time. See AHF’s previous statement here: https:// www.aidshealth.org/#/archives/29419

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1,100,000 individuals in 43 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www. aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www. facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.

Courtesy of AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AHF commemorates 10 years in the fight against HIV in Washington, D.C.

Hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for new, expanded K St.

AIDS Clinic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Since, 2009 AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest, non-profit, HIV/AIDS service organization, has been in the District of Columbia, serving as a leading non-profit agency in the fight against AIDS. On Thursday, April 18th, AHF was joined by community leaders, HIV advocates and dignitaries from across D.C. for a community celebration at its facility located at AHF’s Blair Underwood Healthcare Center (2141 K Street, NW, Suite 707, Washington, D.C.) to pay tribute to the tremendous impact the agency has had in the last 10 years in the local fight against AIDS, as well as officially re-open its newly-expanded healthcare center housed at this location.

According to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC), the Washington, D.C. area consistently ranks in the top 20 cities nationally with new rates of HIV diagnosis and has 2% of its population living with HIV. According to the D.C. Department of Health, the Washington, D.C. area ranks 17th in the nation with newly reported cased of HIV diagnosis and 2% of the population of D.C. are living with HIV. The highest proportion of new HIV diagnoses were Black men who have sex with men. As the world’s largest, non-profit, HIV/AIDS service organization, with

over 1 million patients in care, AHF has a proven record of keeping HIV patients in care and has been a leading agency in the D.C. community in the local fight against AIDS for the last ten years, and continues to make a positive impact locally.

In 2009, AHF initially opened the AHF Blair Underwood Healthcare Center at K Street, to address the growing rate of new HIV diagnosis throughout D.C. The facility was named in honor of actor Blair Underwood when the facility first opened, given his outspoken advocacy for HIV prevention and medical care and services both here in the U.S. and in Africa.

Over the agency’s 10-year history in D.C. as it continued to address the growing needs of the local community and connecting with those populations most impacted by the current HIV/AIDS epidemic, AHF has expanded its presence to have a satellite office with a wellness center in D.C.’s northeast corridor on Benning Road and in the Temple Hills community. Under the leadership of renowned internist and infectious disease specialist, Dr. Roxanne Cox-Iyamu, who currently serves as AHF Medical Director for the area, the agency continues to expand it services and outreach, currently providing direct HIV care to over 1,000 individuals in the D.C. community living

with HIV, many who are uninsured and rely on AHF’s commitment to providing care to all regardless of their ability to pay.

Participants in the ceremony included: Alexander-Reid, Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs; Michael Kharfen, Senior Deputy Director of the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration, D.C. Department of Health; DeMarc Hickson, Executive Director, Us Helping Us; Dr. Roxanne Cox-Iyamu, AHF Medical Director, Washington, D.C.; and Michel McVicker, AHF Regional Director – Washington, D.C./Maryland.

In addition to the 3 healthcare centers, AHF also has a public affairs office near the U.S. Capitol that helps coordinate the agency’s leading advocacy initiatives on behalf of the over one million individuals living with HIV across the U.S. Over the three decades of AHF’s legacy, through its advocacy initiatives, the agency has been a leading voice around many critical issues, including increased access to HIV and STD prevention and testing; medical care and treatment for those living with HIV; the fight, against increases in prescription drug pricing, gentrification of communities and preservation and development of affordable housing.

“AHF is proud of the impact that we’ve had over the past decade in addressing the

growing HIV epidemic in D.C., and getting those living with HIV connected and sustained in care,” stated Michel McVickers, AHF D.C. Regional Director. “Through our expansion in services we will continue our commitment to being a cutting-edge medical provider in the D.C. community as well as a strong voice for all those impacted by this epidemic that plagues our community locally and across the nation.”

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1,000,000 individuals in 43 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www. aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www. facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

Courtesy of AIDS Healthcare Foundation

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