Issue 10 Volume 42
Celebrating 41 Years!
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Pope OKs civil unions, maybe Christopher Furlong / Getty
Pope Francis
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Pope Francis said in an interview published March 5 that the Catholic Church might support civil unions, but same-sex marriage is still off the table.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the Pope contradicted previous Vatican assertions that he did not support any legal recognition for same-sex couples. “[M]arriage is between a man and a woman,” the Pope insisted,
but he also added that “We have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety.” The comment was “the first time a Pope has indicated even tentative acceptance of civil unions,” Catholic News Service said. Both the National Catholic Re-
porter, a liberal-leaning American Catholic publication, and the New York Times have reported that Francis supported civil unions as an alternative to samesex marriage in 2010, when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. In the interview, the Pope acknowledged that civil unions could provide legal and financial security to couples, “as for instance in medical care.” In January, Francis recalled a little girl in Buenos Aires who told her teacher that she was sad because “my mother’s girlfriend doesn’t like me.” “The situation in which we live now provides us with new challenges which sometimes are difficult for us to understand,” the Pope told a conference of religious orders, adding that the church “must be careful not to administer a vaccine against faith to them.” Vatican officials later denied that those comments signaled an opening toward same-sex unions. Francis also signaled that he might be less rigid on the subject of contraception than his predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
While the Pope praised Pope Paul VI for having the “courage” to “go against the majority” when he reaffirmed the ban on birth control in 1968, he added that the church must also be “merciful” and “attentive to concrete situations.” Contraception and the church’s ban on divorced Catholics receiving holy communion, will likely be addressed at major meetings of Catholic bishops in Rome in 2014 and 2015. “We must give a response. But to do so, we must reflect much in depth,” the Pope said in the interview. In the interview, Francis also tried to deflate his rock star image. “To paint the Pope as a sort of Superman, a kind of star, seems offensive to me,” he said. “The Pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps soundly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person.” The Pope specifically denied the urban legend that he sneaks out of the Vatican at night to feed the homeless. “It never occurred to me,” he said.
Hospice care at the AIDS Care Training and Support Initiative in South Africa
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer South African scientists announced on March 2 that they have discovered potent new HIV antibodies that might eventually lead to an effective vaccine against the disease. Researchers said they and their American colleagues had identified 12 closely related antibodies capable of recognizing and de-
stroying multiple strains of HIV. The research team was able to track their evolution over time and figure out how to replicate them through cloning in the laboratory. The antibodies were isolated from one specific volunteer subject known only as CAP256 to protect her identity, and tracked back in time over four years. Few research groups had access to such long time-series of blood
samples, which were housed by the Centre for AIDS Research in Africa (CAPRISA), according to Professor Lynn Morris. Morris is head of HIV virology at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), and co-author of a paper describing the research that was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. The antibodies isolated from patient CAP256 had protruding “long arms,” which enabled them to reach through the sugar coating that normally protects HIV. The antibodies target a specific part of the HIV-1 strain, known as V1V2. The new research opens up two new lines of attack on HIV/ AIDS. First, the cloned antibodies would be investigated as a possible treatment or prevention tool for HIV/AIDS, and second, the knowledge gleaned about the antibodies’ evolution over time offered clues for future vaccine development. Morris said it might be possible to design a vaccine that elicited these kinds of antibodies. The research team is planning to test the antibodies in macaque monkeys, to see whether they could prevent
businesslawsw.com
AP / Denis Farrell
South African scientists discover 20 Republicans say marriage bans are new HIV antibodies unconstitutional
Byron White U.S. Courthouse - U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Twenty prominent Republicans filed an amicus brief March 3 urging the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down state bans on same-sex marriage. Among those signing the brief were former U.S. Senators Alan Simpson of Wyoming and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas. The Tenth Circuit will soon hear cases from Utah and Oklahoma in see AFRICA page 16 which district courts have already
ruled that laws banning same-sex marriage violate the rights of Gay and Lesbian couples. The appeals court has scheduled hearings on the Utah and Oklahoma cases for April. If the Tenth Circuit upholds lower court rulings, same-sex marriage would effectively be legalized in states within the court’s jurisdiction – Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. see Republicans page 17
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Campus Pride launches National LGBT Scholarship Database with Point Foundation Free dynamic online database lists thousands of LGBT scholarships for youth providing greater access and resources to higher education Charlotte, NC – Campus Pride announced today the launch of the National LGBT Scholarship Database in partnership with Point Foundation. The new online dynamic database is free and provides LGBT and ally students with the largest, most comprehensive source of LGBT scholarship and funding resources in the nation. Learn more at CampusPride.org/Scholarships. The problem of academically wellqualified students not applying to colleges because they think they cannot afford tuition and related costs, is one the U.S. Department of Education has recently called “…a tragic loss of academic opportunity and human potential.” Similarly, many students are also unaware of the various forms of financial aid – including scholarships – available to them. “Everyone has a fundamental right to education. For our LGBT youth, especially those who are first generation college students and those from low to middle income backgrounds, the dream of going to college is still a dream,” said Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride. “This national database is another step toward creating greater accessibility to higher education for LGBT youth. There is much more work to be done.” According to Campus Pride, the national database is constantly growing with currently over a thousand scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate level study. Individuals can find how to apply and search scholarships available at certain campuses, state by state, regionally or nationally. New scholarships may be listed by a campus or any funding organization by simply logging into
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the database. There are no charges to view scholarships or to list scholarships. Campus Pride will review and edit scholarship data on an ongoing basis. Campus Pride’s partner Point Foundation is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) students of merit. Both organizations plan to improve the site and continue building it to be the nation’s premier source for information on LGBT scholarships. “Every year we receive thousands of applications for our Point Foundation scholarships. These are young people hungry to invest in their future and help society by getting a college degree, but are in great need of financial assistance” said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation. “While Point is able to help some individuals, we are eager to raise awareness of other diverse higher education scholarships. It is our hope that through discovering opportunities in the National LGBT Scholarship Database, students will realize their dreams of getting a higher education degree.” Point Foundation has been an inaugural partner with Campus Pride’s LGBTfriendly National College Fair program since 2007. Campus Pride annually hosts LGBT-friendly college fairs in six different cities including Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Boston, MA and Chicago, IL. Campus Pride also provides the Campus Pride Index (CampusPrideIndex.org), the only national online search tool for LGBTfriendly colleges. This scholarship database is a result of a growing collaboration between the organizations and the demand for more resources for LGBT youth in college readiness and preparation. “It gets better when we provide oppor-
tunities to our LGBT youth for success beyond high school. Money to go to college is a starting point,” Windmeyer said. For any questions or more information about Campus Pride and our programs and services, please contact info@campuspride.org or call 704-277-6710. For information about Point Foundation, contact info@pointfoundation.org or call 866-33-POINT. Campus Pride is the leading national educational organization for LGBT and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. The organization provides resources and services to thousands of college students and nearly 1400 campuses annually. Learn more online at CampusPride.org. Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society. Point promotes change through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development and community service training. www.pointfoundation.org. Courtesy of Campus Pride [Editor’s note: Locally, the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic & Rainier Empire established the J.C./Lady Graytop Memorial Scholarship Fund in 1977. The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) and the Pride Foundation have been awarding scholarships to LGBTQ and allied students since 1993. The Safe Schools Coalition website is also a source of information on LGBTQ and allied scholarships.]
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Let everybody get married now, Illinois AG says M. Spencer Green / AP
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has issued legal guidance to her state’s county clerks, telling them they may begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples immediately. Madigan spelled out her views in a letter to the Macon County Clerk who asked for guidance after U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled on February 21 that Cook County could issue same-sex marriage licenses even before the state’s new marriage law takes effect on June 1. In her advisory letter, Madigan said other Illinois counties were not bound by the February 21 ruling, but that she expects it “to be persuasive” to other courts addressing the issue. If a couple sues an Illinois county after being denied a marriage license before June 1, when the marriage equality law otherwise takes effect, Madigan said her office would intervene on the side of the plaintiffs and argue that the denial of a marriage license is unconstitutional. Cook County Clerk David Orr said after the February 21 federal ruling that same-sex couples who live outside of Cook County can get marriage licenses there as long as
they also get married in the county. One county, at least, is declining to follow Madigan’s advice. Lake County officials said that they had no plans to start issuing same-sex marriage licenses before June 1, according to Illinois State Attorney Mike Nerheim. Lawyers in the prosecutor’s office, which gives legal counsel to Lake County Clerk Willard Helander’s office, said the federal court ruling that Madigan cited applies only to Cook County, Nerheim said. Issuing questionably valid licenses could make a mess of future divorce and probate cases, Nerheim added. “We just want to make sure that those licenses are valid,” he said. According to the Chicago Tribune, officials from other counties in the Chicago area declined to comment on whether they would issue licenses to same-sex couples or not. Madigan has been Illinois Attorney General since 2003, and declined to defend her state’s ban on same-sex marriages when it was challenged in June 2012. Her father Michael Madigan has been Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives since 1997. He played an equivocal role in repealing the ban on same-sex marriage, delaying but ultimately shepherding the bill through the legislature.
Kentucky AG won’t appeal marriage ruling Governor to hire outside lawyer by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway announced on March 4 that he will not appeal a federal court ruling ordering the state to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Conway said at a news conference that if he appealed, “I would be defending discrimination. That I will not do. As Attorney General of Kentucky, I must draw the line when it comes to discrimination.” The judge in the case “got it right,” Conway said, “and in light of other recent federal decisions, these laws will not likely survive upon appeal. We cannot waste the resources of the Office of the Attorney General pursuing a case we are unlikely to win.” Conway’s decision earned praise from Gay rights supporters and fellow Democrats. “Today, Attorney General Conway made a courageous decision to stand up for equality in Kentucky and against a discriminatory law” Democratic State Representative John Yarmuth said. “He gave this case the thorough analysis it required, and his conclusion will place him and our Commonwealth on the right side of history.” Conway joins six other state attorneys general who have declined to defend antiGay laws when they are challenged in court. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder advised state officials on February 24 that they are not obligated to defend such laws if they believe them to be discriminatory. U.S. District Judge John Heyburn II ruled on February 12 that Kentucky law refusing legal recognition for out-of-state samesex marriages violates the equal protection
clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. On February 27 the judge gave Kentucky 21 days to implement his decision. Only moments after Conway’s announcement, Kentucky Governor Steve Bashear, also a Democrat, said he would hire outside attorneys to pursue the appeal if Conway would not. Bashear added that he will seek a stay of Heyburn’s order pending appeal because, “without a stay in place, the opportunity for legal chaos is real. Other Kentucky courts may reach different and conflicting decisions.” The governor also noted that the bigger question of whether states can prohibit same-sex marriages is being litigated in many states and that Heyburn’s order did not address the issue. Beshear said he expects the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately decide the question. “The people of this country need to know what the rules will be going forward. Kentucky should be part of this process,” he added. Meanwhile, Heyburn will also hear a separate suit seeking to overturn Kentucky’s ban on same-sex marriages. That case is expected to be heard this summer. Bashear has been Governor of Kentucky since 2007, and will be term-limited out of office in 2015. In 2013 he had the dubious distinction of being named one of the 18 “Worst Governors in America” by CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington), who alleged that Bashear had “allowed representatives of the coal industry to exert improper influence over official appointments.” Conway is expected to be a candidate to replace him.
Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway
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Family and Child Welfare professors submit amicus brief
Urge 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm lower court ruling striking down Utah’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals is considering a stay of December’s district court ruling in Kitchen v. Herbert that Utah’s prohibition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. On Wednesday, March 5, an amicus brief was filed with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of 40 family and child welfare professors asking the Court to affirm the lower court ruling
which found Utah’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples unconstitutional. The marriage ban, the professors write, undermines rather than furthers the state’s interests in children and child welfare. The Family and Child Welfare Law Professors amicus brief – co-authored by Joan Heifetz Hollinger (University of California, Berkeley), Courtney Joslin (University California, Davis), and Laura Kim Raff / AP
Same-sex marriage in the lobby of the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office
Kessler (University of Utah) – seeks to provide the Court with a more complete and accurate understanding of the multiple purposes of marriage, and its relationship to procreation and parentage. The Family Law Professors reject the state’s contention that the ban is permissible because same-sex couples do not have children who are biologically related to both parents. As they write, “Utah, like all other states, has never required prospective spouses to agree to procreate, to remain open to procreation, or even to be able to procreate as a condition of marrying.” Marriage, the professors explain, has always served many purposes, not just ones related to procreation and children. The mutual responsibilities and protections of marriage “apply to the married couple and most have nothing to do with children. Excluding same-sex couples from marriage and all its attendant legal protections because they allegedly do not provide a certain kind of parenting, when different-sex couples are not required to have children at all, much less biological children, imposes a colossal burden on same-sex couples.” Equally important, “Appellants’ assertion about optimal childrearing is … at odds with the social science consensus demonstrating that the key factors for positive outcomes for children are the quality of the parent-child relationship, and the relationship and resources of the parents, not the parents’
gender or sexual orientation.” The professors also explain that “there is no logical reason to believe that permitting same-sex couples to marry would have any influence on the marital or procreative decisions of different-sex couples, much less cause these couples to care less about their children,” or “suffer a decline in fertility…. These suppositions, which are central to (the State’s) argument, make sense only if same-sex relationships are so abhorrent as to contaminate the institution of marriage to the point that different-sex couples will shun it.” In the end, the professors argue, denying marriage to same-sex couples undermines the well-being of children. While the ban does nothing to help children raised by different-sex couples, it inflicts direct and palpable “harms on the children of samesex couples by denying their families access to hundreds of critical state and federal marital benefits that are conducive to providing stable and secure environments for raising children.” Kitchen v. Herbert was filed in March 2013 seeking to declare Utah’s nine-yearold same-sex marriage law unconstitutional. Judge Robert Shelby ruled in plaintiffs’ favor on Dec. 20, 2013. The Family Law Professors are represented pro bono by Rita Lin and Laura Weissbein of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Courtesy of Morrison & Foerster LLP
ACT UP protests anti-Gay laws at Ugandan Consulate in New York City
U.S. activists speak out against political scapegoating of Ugandan LGBTI community “Civil society and free public space in general are deteriorating in Uganda and Museveni’s government scapegoats LGBTI’s to distract from real problems like corruption, human trafficking, poverty, and the suppression of media freedom,” said Terry Roethlein, of ACT UP New York. Roethlein held a placard picturing “Uganda’s Top Five Human Rights Violators” – Yoweri Museveni, David Bahati, Martin Ssempa, Rebecca Kadaga, and Scott Lively. ACT UP members said that LGBTI activists in Uganda are calling for strategic cuts to Ugandan government sectors that support the offending legislation, such as the Justice Sector, but do not want cuts to health funds or NGOs. Anti-LGBTI legislation in Uganda is informed by the vestiges of British colonial law and the current day influence of American Evangelical Christians like Scott Lively, the president of Abiding Truth Ministries, who is allegedly tied to the controversial legislation. Stacey Robinson, Convener of Riverside Church’s LGBT Ministry, said, “American evangelicals preaching hate only fuel the vitriol against the gay people of Uganda. But hate and fear have no place where faith resides. We all deserve to be proud and out.” he said. Activists called for foreign governments, celebrities, religious leaders, and multinationals in Uganda (like Heineken, Barclays, and British Air) to speak out against the laws. Visa bans for Ugandan officials and
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increased asylum admittances from Uganda 44th and 45th Streets in New York City to were encouraged. protest that nation’s Same Sex Marriage A sister action takes place Friday, March (Prohibition) Bill. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Nigerian Embassy at 828 Second Avenue between Courtesy of ACT UP New York veooz.com
Approximately 50 LGBTI activists protested outside the Ugandan Consulate on March 5 for over an hour decrying President Yoweri Museveni’s February 24th passage of three Draconian measures: the Anti-Homosexuality Law, Anti-Pornography Law, and Public Order Management Law. Members of ACT UP New York, Queer Nation, Health GAP, LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent, and the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) carried signs that read “Hate is the new colonialism,” “Fight real issues not the people,” and “God loves Ugandan gays.” A twentyfoot long rainbow banner reading “Boycott homophobia” was draped along the gates outside the consulate as the group gave short speeches on human rights violations in Uganda and read emotional pleas from LGBT Ugandans who are in hiding, suffering beatings, and sometimes committing suicide because of oppression. In Uganda, accused homosexuals can be sentenced to seven years to life in prison and those who “promote” homosexuality can be sentenced to seven years. Health care providers offering HIV services to homosexuals are at risk for imprisonment, creating a deadly effect on Gay and Bisexual men who are then cut off from HIV/ AIDS prevention and treatment. “The new law drives Uganda on a very dangerous road where the people who have the highest risks and need the most support are criminalized,” said Michael Tikili of Health GAP.
ACT UP New York and others protest Uganda’s anti-LGBTI law in NYC
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A UK debate over bathhouses by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Gay saunas, more popularly referred to as bathhouses, have been attacked for decades. First they had their closure being called for because of immoral sex acts. Then, during the HIV/AIDS crisis, people thought that if you closed the saunas down (and many of them were closed) then AIDS would go away. And now, in no small part due to the stigma that still exists around HIV/AIDS, the bathhouse has seen its heyday pass. Instead of during its glory days of the New York City Continental bath’s with Bathhouse Betty (Bette Midler) when men came (forgive the pun) and went as they pleased, nowadays patrons sometimes enter and exit in a rush, hoping and praying that nobody sees that they were in the place of the damned – doing something completely legal. Saunas have come under fire again, more recently from a Gay British former soldier who said if LGBT people want equality and respect, Gay saunas should be shut down. James Wharton, a former army pal of Prince Harry’s, has said saunas promote homophobia and undermine gains in equality. Writing in Winq magazine, he said: “Sex saunas need to be history. The time has come to close them down.” He claimed that if Gay men want to be respected and accepted as “the new normal” the community must stop supporting establishments that encourage promiscuity and sex. “[Saunas are] thorns in our side that mark our community as different for the wrong reasons,” he said.
“If we don’t, we feed the haters and we hand the bigots who remain a vocal minority ammunition with which to attack us.” “For me as a Gay man, the notion that there exist within our communities a series of places that actively promote the convening of Gay men for participation in sex of shades various and in groups of all sizes rather revolts me – and I‘ve been round the block a few times, believe me,” he said. “I’m no prude, not even close, but the days when we gathered in clandestine fashion for want of a network or a sexual outlet are surely long gone.” Wharton referenced a recent case when a man was found dead in a Manchester Gay sauna lying in his own excrement. (In Seattle, there have been more than a handful of deaths at the local bathhouses, Club Z and Steamworks Seattle (formerly Club Seattle) say authorities, but nothing that caused any real concern.) Jason Warriner, the clinical director for Terrence Higgins Trust, told The Independent closing saunas could hamper the spreading of safe sex messages while having little impact on behavior. Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said using a sauna was an individual’s choice – whether they were straight or Gay. It would be very wrong if the Gay community became proscriptive and moralistic over consenting adult behavior,” he said. “Plenty of Gay and Bisexual men use saunas without resorting to drugs or unsafe sex. A small minority may act recklessly and that should be challenged but it would be wrong to penalize the majority,” he said. A backlash that Wharton had not anticipated occurred. He got so much heat for his
statements that he ended up writing an Op Ed to defend his words. “I find it unfathomable that people do not comprehend the danger associated with engaging in sexual activity with strangers, often under the influence of alcohol and drugs – saunas are major culprits for all three of these risk factors,” he said. “In saying this I’m not judging people on what they do sexually. That’s entirely their own business. But I am concerned they are not sufficiently aware of the dangers they face and am worried, as a Gay man myself, about our collective health.” He says he is fine with people disagreeing with his opinion of Gay saunas. “My biggest concern, and that which I hope to bring attention to now, is that of sexual health,” he said. According to Wharton, the facts are simple: • The number of people accessing HIV care in London is up 76% in the past 10 years. • 51% of new HIV cases in London are among men who have sexual contact with other men. • 22% of people living with HIV in London do not know they are HIV positive, and are, therefore, potentially putting other people’s sexual health in danger if they are practicing unsafe sex. • 42% of people living with HIV in the UK are based in London. Wharton attributes the statistics to the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health organization. “As they have pointed out, in their response to my article, they do lots of excellent work via saunas in militating against the risks people
run,” he said. “This is vital and I hugely admire the organization for doing it.” Wharton believes “We should be moving towards eradicating and overcoming HIV, what’s really happening is actually the opposite. When will we wake up to this?” You are statistically more likely to catch HIV if you are a Gay man living in London. THT’s own statistics underline this, and as a Gay man, Wharton says he worries about those statistics. “Saunas and bathhouses emerged at a time when there were few outlets for sexual expression for Gay and Bisexual men,” he said. “We simply don’t need them anymore, and as a place for sex, they surely send the wrong message to the outside world, not least because of the sexual health impact they have. As such, I do believe they give powerful ammunition to anti-Gay haters.” For the record, Wharton says he is also in support of the closure of straight saunas. “If we want to address the spread and effects of HIV within the LGBTI community, complacency is not an option,” he concluded. “We have to acknowledge we are simply more at risk and, therefore, need to evaluate what we do, and try to address how we can start to defeat it. At the moment, we are simply not doing this enough.” Bisi Alimi, Gay Star News reporter and HIV/AIDS activist doesn’t agree with Wharton at all. He wrote an Op Ed of his own, saying in no small way, that Wharton was dead wrong on almost all points of his argument. A few weeks ago Alimi says he was talking to a friend about going to a Gay sauna. His friend told him he just went to sauna himself for the first time and loved it.
Social media enables LGBT activism in Tajikistan courtesy of amFar
Members of Equal Opportunities, a Tajikistan based activist organization
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Social media are allowing LGBT Tajiks to engage in debate with their fellow countrymen according to translations published recently on Global Voices website. Tajikistan, a former republic of the Soviet Union, is over 95% Muslim and intensely conservative. The country has been described as “hell for Gays.” Nevertheless, a recent Radio Ozodi story about the coun-
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try’s Gay residents touched off a string of blog posts about LGBT issues. In February, the Russian-language weekly Avicenna published a story about Tajikistan’s first sex reassignment surgery, leading to yet more online commentary. Gay rights blogger Drugoi – which means “different” in Tajik – reposted these stories on Blogiston.tj, triggering multiple reactions and counter-posts. “These people have been cursed by God,” Ant wrote.
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“Let’s call a spade a spade,” Rustam Gulov posted. “‘Homosexuality’ is not a ‘scientific’ word; it has been invented for the promotion of this filth! The same goes for words such as ‘sexual minorities’ and ‘gay.’ “In reality, there are more direct and ordinary words – pidarast, gomik, pedik, sodomit, [kunte] [Russian and Tajik pejorative terms equivalent to English ‘faggot’]. “They should not be defended! They pave the way for zoophiles, all sorts of necrophiles, and even pedophiles!”
“They should be eradicated so that other people think twice before becoming part of this filth!” Mir Aziz added. On the other hand, some bloggers rejected homophobia. “Mir Aziz, and why do you need the head?” Emir wrote. “For violence? Or perhaps for fascist slogans??? Think about it, you are calling openly for discrimination and violence against other human beings!” Many bloggers suggested that Gays were not part of Tajik society, or even human. “You are all too aggressive,” Drugoi responded. “Homosexuality has been banned and persecuted for thousands of years. There was even criminal persecution of homosexuals. Isn’t the fact that all this persecution has not changed anything a good lesson for you? Some people are born with a different sexual orientation, and this cannot be changed. As for ‘psychologists’ that call homosexuality a psychiatric disease, they are poorly-educated idiots.” “You should understand that we exist,” Drugoi concluded. “We are not an anomaly or disease; we are human beings just like you. And we have the right to a dignified life.” Global Voices is an international collective of bloggers who report online stories from 167 countries. In many cases, they cover news not usually reported in mainstream media. Global Voices translates in 35 different languages. All translations in this story are theirs.
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AFRICA
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Scientists have been working for de- many different strains of it. ing and destroying multiple strains of HIV. cades to develop a vaccine that prevents An effective vaccine would need to prompt This latest discovery is significant because the continued from cover HIV/AIDS, a difficult task in part because the body into making what are known as broad- antibodies identified are apparently of this type, or treat infection, according to co-author and the virus evolves so rapidly that there are ly neutralizing antibodies, capable of recogniz- and suitable for reproducing in the lab. CAPRISA co-director Salim Abdool Karim. Morris and Karim said they hoped to build on work published last year by Dan Barouch at Harvard Medical School, which showed a single injection of potent HIV antibodies derived from human patients could reduce the monkey version of HIV to undetectable levels within a few days. Karim said the team ultimately hoped to combine several broadly neutralizing antibodies, just as today’s drug treatments combined multiple drugs. “If it has a benefit in treatment, just think what it could do. We could have a patient get an injection of the antibodies once every three months, and it would reduce the amount of ARVs (antiretroviral drugs) they would need,” he said. South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi commended the dedication and patience of South African researchers. “Without endurance – as research progresses in understanding the virus and how it works – we would not be able to outsmart this very clever virus,” he said. He also acknowledged the patients who had contributed to HIV research. “It is clear that while we can achieve much in laboratory studies, human subjects are alVolunteer is injected with HIV vaccine in Capetown, South Africa ways the mainstay of research,” he said.
Gene therapy HIV treatment A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that gene therapy can help HIV patients stop the progress of the disease by making T-cells permanently resistant to infection. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania observed that about 1% of humans are naturally resistant to HIV infection because they lack the specific protein that the virus attaches itself to. Their study aimed at altering the DNA of nonresistant T-cells to reproduce this genetic mutation, then reintroducing them into HIV patients. Scientists hoped that the new method would produce HIV-resistance in their patients and stop the progress of the disease, and the results so far have been encouraging they said. “This is a first – gene editing has not to date been used in a human trial [for HIV],” Prof. Bruce Levine, the director of the Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “We’ve been able to use this technology in HIV and show it is safe and feasible, so it is an evolution in the treatment of HIV from daily antiretroviral therapy.” First, millions of T-cells were harvested from the blood of the 12 patients in the study. The cells were then allowed to reproduce in the laboratory until researchers had billions of cells to use. The team then edited the DNA inside the T-cells to give them the HIV-resistant mutation – known as CCR5-delta-32. About 20% of the T-cells were successful modified, and these were then reintroduced into the HIV patients along with other, unmodified cells. When patients were taken off their antiretroviral meds for four weeks, the number of
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unprotected T-cells still in the body fell dramatically, whereas the genetically modified Tcells seemed to be protected and could still be found in the blood several months later. The finding raised hopes that genetic therapy could free HIV patients from the necessity of sticking to a daily meds regimen. “The idea of modifying a T-cell to make it resistant and showing it is feasible and they survive – that’s exciting in itself,” Prof. Sharon Lewin from Monash University in Australia, told BBC News: “What most people are aiming for in HIV is a way you take treatment for a short period of time and that keeps the virus under control.” She said drug treatment would not be replaced by this treatment, especially in the early stages of the infection, but it might lead to people eventually replacing drugs with gene therapy. The University of Pennsylvania trial was designed to test only the safety and feasibility of the method, not whether it could replace drug treatment in the long term. Meanwhile, the White House released a statement saying the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had endorsed gene therapy as a “generally safe” drug-free alternative for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. After describing the experimental process, the March 5 White House statement added that future testing will be needed to determine if the method is viable as a treatment. “Future research will include evaluating this experimental treatment in more volunteers, as well as maximizing the frequency of CCR5 disruption by [genetic modification] and increasing the persistence of the genetically modified cells in the body to achieve a therapeutic effect,” the statement said. The study was funded by Sangamo BioSciences, a pharmaceutical company.
SPL
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
HIV budding out of a T-cell
March 7, 2014
Celebrating 41 Years!
“Treatment as prevention” very promising, new study shows by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
it on to,’’ Professor Andrew Grulich of the Kirby Institute said. Head of infectious diseases at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Professor Sharon Lewin, said that about 90% of people on
AIDS medications
Second baby reported “cured” of HIV Getty Creative
Republicans continued from cover
Like the district court judges who heard the original lawsuits, the Republican group cited constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law, proper limits to government’s role in citizens’ personal lives, and individual freedom, among other reasons for opposing marriage bans. Unlike many of their Republican colleagues, the Republicans who signed the brief also said that allowing same-sex marriages would strengthen marriage as an institution. “Marriage is strengthened and its benefits, importance to society, and the social stability of the family unit are promoted” through Gay and Lesbian marriages, the 33-page brief argued. An amicus – or “friend of the court” – brief may be filed by any number of people or organizations who want to influence a pending court decision, but are not parties to the case. In this case, the amicus brief was initiated by Sean Gallagher, a Denver lawyer and former chief counsel for Mitt Romney’s Colorado campaign. Gallagher said it reflects
antiretroviral treatment have undetectable levels of the virus in their blood when they have tests, usually at six monthly intervals. This indicates that a ‘’treatment as prevention’’ strategy is promising, she added. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
A new partner study presented March 5 at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections suggests that HIV-positive men who are on antiretroviral medications and have an undetectable viral load have a “near zero” chance of transmitting the virus during unprotected sex. ‘’These results provide further evidence of the powerful impact that HIV treatment has on preventing HIV transmission. It is important that every effort is made to alert people with HIV and their doctors to these latest findings, particularly as this study is the first of its kind to include a significant number of gay couples,’’ President of the National Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS Robert Mitchell said. The study examined 282 HIV-positive Gay men over the course of one year. None of the subjects passed HIV to their partners through unprotected sex. A previous study in 2010 studying opposite-sex couples showed that being on antiretroviral meds and having an unde-
tectable viral load reduced the risk of HIV transmission by 96%, but this latest study is the first one to focus on Gay men. HIV experts said that while the new study suggested an ‘’extremely low and possibly zero risk’’ of transmission among people with undetectable levels of the virus, it was too early to tell people that they could abandon condoms. The study does boost hopes that the HIV/ AIDS prevention strategy known as ‘’treatment as prevention’’ could play a major role in stemming the spread of HIV, and it could radically change the lives of HIV-positive men and their partners. Researchers also suggested that governments explore more home-based testing so people know their status and can be treated earlier and with better results. ‘’I think home-based testing absolutely has a place in the testing response in Australia because treatment as prevention critically depends on people with HIV being diagnosed as early as possible, so they know they are infected and can take action to reduce their infectivity before they have any unsafe sex with anybody they could pass
Researchers in the U.S. say that a second baby born HIV-positive has been cured by early treatment with antiretroviral drugs. The nine-month-old California child is now testing negative for HIV. Doctors said they began administering a three-drug antiretroviral “cocktail” to the infant just four hours after birth. The previous case was reported in Mississippi in March 2013. “This is a call to action for us to mobilize and be able to learn from these cases,” Johns Hopkins University pediatrics specialist Dr. Deborah Persaud said at a Boston medical conference. No trace of the virus can now be found in the infant’s blood or tissues, the doctor revealed. Dr. Persaud said the nine-month-old child is still receiving medications, while the threeyear-old Mississippi child stopped receiving antiretroviral treatments two years ago. “Really the only way we can prove that we have accomplished remission in these kids is by taking them off treatment and
that’s not without risk,” Dr. Persaud added. Doctors treating the California child used the word “remission” rather than “cure” to describe what they had accomplished. In the Mississippi case, doctors initially announced they had achieved a “functional cure” for HIV, then also retreated to the word “remission,” indicating that the child’s HIV infection might recur. In adults, dormant or latent HIV viruses are known to hide undetected in human cells, only to re-emerge later, and doctors did not want to give the impression that they had established an effective treatment for infant HIV infections. “We felt that for the [New England Journal of Medicine] article the word ‘remission’ might better communicate to all audiences the concept we were trying to convey,” Dr. Hannah Gay, the doctor who treated the Mississippi child, said last October. “From the beginning, we have urged caution against labeling this single case as a complete ‘cure,’ stressing the need to observe the child for a longer period of time to be certain there is no rebound.”
March 7, 2014
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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
changing attitudes of conservatives, moderates, and libertarians in Western states. “Traditionally, there have been concerns that [same-sex marriage] will affect the integrity of the family or will affect the ability to raise kids. The reality is there is no objective proof of that,” Gallagher told Reuters in an interview. There is growing momentum for a legalization of same-sex marriage in the Western region and across the United States, with judges striking down restrictions in several states including New Mexico, Virginia, and Texas. The mood is reflected in polling, too, with support for marriage equality surging in the ten years since it first became legal in Massachusetts. Just more than half of Americans now support the idea. In all, 17 states plus the District of Columbia recognize samesex marriage, including eight states where it became legal in 2013. Gallagher said the changes are largely generational. “If you talk to people under the age of 30, Gay marriage is just not an issue – whether they are Republicans or Democrats,” he said.
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Celebrating 41 Years!
Will I ever get over him?
Dear Kiki with D, I can’t get over my First Love. We might as well refer to him as Voldemort, because my friends swear I should never mention his name again. I am 24 now, and we broke up over three years ago. Yes, we started dating in high school. In total, we were on and off for almost four years. Our last break up was actually my decision for once. I became suspicious that he was more interested in someone else and it turned out that I was right. He has been with his new boyfriend ever since, and I think of him on a daily basis. I can’t help it. If I were ever given the chance to ever be with him again, I would take it in a heartbeat. I have tried to date other guys since, but always seems to compare them to my ex. I can’t progress past the first few dates because of this. Anytime a guy is interested in me, I keep them at a distance. I eventually go on to tell them that I don’t feel a connection. My sister tells me I am too picky and should just try to “settle down.” –Will I Ever Get Over Him?
Dear Will I Ever Get Over Him? Well, your sister is wrong. You don’t need to settle down. But you do need to remind yourself that no one wants to be with Voldemort. You’re confusing grief and rejection with desire. You can be sad about the way things ended without wanting him back. It’s time to start thinking of him as your high school boyfriend. Because that’s what he is – your first love (lower case). He’s an important part of your history, but he’s not your end game. Keep going on dates and expanding your peer group, so that you’re exposed to new people on a regular basis. The bigger you make your world, the smaller he’ll seem. And for the record, your friends are right to limit the Voldemort talk. They should be there for you and listen, but they should also stop you from making your ex more important than he is. Sounds like they’re doing a good job. Remember this is not the end of your story this is the beginning. The wonderful mystery of life sometimes is just living it. Try thinking of each day as a new adventure and you are up to the challenge. Enjoy each moment; live each day as if it’s your last. It’s OK to take some risk as long as you are cautious and careful. You have to live in the present not the past. Hope this helps. Remember – be true to you, love yourself, encourage yourself and others. –D
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