Back on The Road with COP 24/7

Taking to the Road
LGBT Netroots Connect

You just never know where COP 24/7 will end up next? This week we are excited to participate in LGBT Netroots Connect in Phoenix, Arizona, July 14 and then on to Netroots Nation for the rest of the week.  Talk about connecting to all things social media, advocacy, activism and all manner of workshops, forums, keynoters and caucuses amidst forecast of up to 2000 folks roaming the massive Phoenix Convention Center.

Just as a recap, the group was founded in 2008 as the National Blogger and Citizen Journalist Initiative. LGBT Netroots Connect develops programs that bring online and offline activists and leaders together to create change. They work with leaders, journalists, LGBT organization staff, bloggers and activists to discuss the future of the LGBT movement and the ways in which our actions impact it.

The annual gatherings creates alliances and projects that focus on uniting today’s and tomorrow’s community leaders. By bringing together these leaders with the larger progressive movement, it is the goal the pre-conference to begin conversations and dialog about "what's on the LGBT agenda moving forward."

COP 24/7 is proud to be once again stepping up to represent our beloved state of Arkansas while trying to make sure that we are not missing from the national table talk. Stay tuned this week as we will be hot, live and otherwise from this event. 

USCA Is Rolling Up this Fall!

Leader Pelosi will speak on Thursday, September 10, at the United States Conference on AIDS‘ Federal Plenary in Washington, DC. At the plenary, for her tireless work in the fight against HIV, Pelosi will receive the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award from The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS

Foundation. Since her first day in Congress, combating HIV and AIDS has been a priority for Leader Pelosi, stating in her first speech in Congress on June 9, 1987, that “…now we must take leadership of course in the crisis of AIDS.”

During the four years she served as Speaker of House, discretionary funding for HIV/AIDS was increased by over half a billion dollars. In that time, the bans on federal funding for syringe exchange and the travel ban for people with HIV/AIDS were lifted – fights Pelosi had been waging since her first years in Congress.

Pelosi spearheaded the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has provided significant benefits for those with HIV/AIDS by:

• dramatically increasing access to Medicaid for people with HIV,
• improving Medicare Part D for people participating in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP),
• ending discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and
• ending annual and lifetime caps on health benefits.

Please join us for this important plenary as we celebrate Leader Pelosi’s leadership and her receipt of the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award. For more information, please go to the USCA webpage.

For more information on USCA Registration, USCA Scholarships, & USCA Agenda, please visit our web page. Look for the 2015 USCA Smartphone Application to be available soon.

Zones Unplugged

All this week we've been peaking into various LGBT "zones" ranging from the defining what safe zones should look like and how folks inhabiting those areas should feel. Plus we've discovered that there's plenty more understanding to be determined as to the pro's and con's of the post marriage
equality community infrastructure.

Now that this battle has been accomplished where's the energy and resource to address many of the core socio-economic issues such as affordable housing, racism, homophobia, HIV stigma and criminalization, employment, and transportation challenges. Where are the rally's, emergency meetings, phone banking and outcry about these"elephants" still in the room? Meanwhile, the planning continues around more community dialog and assessment of "what we all are supposedly doing work to improve matters."

As we move about the country next week, COP 24/7 is requesting that all our readers share what they think are the "next steps."  What's on your agenda or how do you foresee the next major hurdles in the gay community. What can identified and perhaps who will be at the table to make the case. Its vitally important that there's a place for all who want to shape what's to come and make sure that its not a inbound train. And oh, where is all the cash going to come from to do what needs to be done
probably should be a priority discussion...


And now the Friday Video...

    

Throw Back Zone: Circa 2009

All this week COP 24/7 has been zipping across various LGBT "zones" ranging from zones of safety to today's throwback Thursday zone. The following piece was posted in November 2009 and resonates even today as we've reported about the scale up of activities to survey, summit and gather data about the LGBTQ community as well as, the cultural and sensitivity level of those whom interact with this population.

 

Amazingly this post was just after the election of President Obama who had evolved around the marriage equality question which is now not up for debate as individual have been filing into court houses across Arkansas to get their marriage licenses. Yet with the massive culture shift since this piece, there still remains "elephants' in the room as to how these shifts have affected or impacted the "community," especially amidst continuing HIV infection rates among young Black men 13-24.

 

Concurrent to this circumstance, planning is moving forward with both Back to the Basics, July 18 and Pride in the City, July 23-26, ( see flier below)  and as yet another unconfirmed Community Gatekeeper meeting which will feature "real talk" components that will be designed to identify challenges, barriers and perhaps some solutions as to fragmentation and lack of integration within the SGL community. COP 24/7 will keep a keen eye out on these sessions and will report front and center as to their outcomes. In the meantime, let's do a throwback...  

They Kill Elephants-Don't They?: In past musings, I've mentioned that bell ringer advocates in this community give their all to raising awareness, issues, and consciousness concerning our sense of or lack of community in Little Rock. The task is an uphill battle wrought with trap doors that often leaves these diligent and committed individuals with raw nerve endings as they pursue the mission of activism. This is especially evident as funding cycles and grant proposal go into the deadline zone. In the Agenda for 2010 concerning Arkansas' LGBTQI as espoused by local NPO Living with/Affected By-Brotha & Sista's, I can sense the passionate frustration that is apart of the landscape of this type of work. As an "activist" in my own right, I too have embodied this frustration with what appears to be complacency and disconnect within our own body politic. Ms. DL's closer for that agenda speaks volumes and I believed that those words should be our lead for this posting. This forum has beat the drum slowly about how our lives are "full bodied" as we move through this journey. It's imperative that we embrace the "mind, body and soul," concept as a foundation to greater empowerment. The item is unedited and the opinion is owned by it's composer.

We are going into the second year of the re-emergence of Brothas & Sistas Incorporated. What was intended as HIV prevention has also become an assessment of the state of Arkansas’ LGBT community in and out of relation to HIV prevention. What we have found is “NEED”! We all need cultural competency to find out what we have in place so that we don’t re-invent the wheel. We need to know our own demographics because there is no need to ask for anything if we don’t know the amount we need. We need to have a working level of trust to be perceived as a unified front. We all need to see the bigger picture and what happens down the road if we do not do this now.
The LGBTQQ/SGL Youth are looking at us and if we don’t act appropriately they will be travelling down the same road of insanity to repeat this. The intergenerational gap must be filled! We must take on the opinion that a good leader makes more leaders. We have to realize that most of your revolutions are fought by the youth of that day. The leadership right now would simply be sending them to slaughter because we can’t even feed them. Some of us don’t even like them because they are different than we use to be. SO WHAT! We were different than our parents use to be. GET OVER IT!! If it’s not being ageist about the youth or visa- versa, it’s a race issue or a class issue. We seem to sit back and figure out every single way to separate each other. The only thing that should separate us at this moment is geography and Skype can take care of that.
Pick up your guns and kill all the rainbow elephants in the living room and let’s do something! The door is open to kill mine first.

Need to know your status?
Got questions about PReP?
Need free testing and counseling?
Call for an appointment at
877-293-6416
check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/ArkansasRAPPS

 

Rolling Through the Zones

Targeting Safety Zones at HBCU's

NBJC has launched an initiative to seek policy change within the U.S. Department of Education White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities HBCUs) to promote the development and delivery of culturally competent administrative, faculty, student and staff support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. HBCU's in Arkansas are

Philander Smith College, Arkansas Baptist College and UAPB ( University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff).

With an inclusion mandate from the President and the US Department of Education, it could be an opportune time to move one of the largest collective populations of Black people in the country, with more than 300,000 students in the HBCU system, to an inclusive understanding of the LGBT community. There is no institutional mandate to recognize LGBT people, to create a safe space for learning, or foster an uplifting environment for the needs of the LGBT community on HBCU campuses.

Arkansas HBCU campuses today reflect the trend cited by NBJC and  apparently there isn't much interest in changing the situation, despite a 2011 organizing efforts to create a LGBT student led group at Philander Smith college. In scaling up that effort, Journalist and CNN reporter Don Lemon was a feature speaker in the Pass the Mike series and was secured as a consultant to assist with advising on developing a campus presence. However, interest, leadership vacuum and campus momentum languished, causing the group falling into disarray.

Although that effort was met with much enthusiasm, since then organizing a LGBT group on campus has been further hampered with marginal student interest, unclear policies and issues of identifying administrative sponsors to support such a group.

There has been numerous student engagement activities such as participation in campus health fairs, sorority events and empowerment sessions to increase both sexual and social justice awareness. Added to this interest about LGBT HBCU campus life, is an announcement from the Human Rights Campaign Fund seeking candidates for its newly minted LGBT HBCU Project Manager. The position will facilitate and provide tools to empower students to advocate for LGBT inclusion and equality on HBCU campuses.

Also the Manager would serve as a point person for the annual HBCU Leadership Summit which is the hallmark feature of the project. This meeting is designed to bring together LGBT students and faculty from select HBCU campuses poised to make concrete improvements--with support from HBCU Project staff on their respective campuses.

The HBCU Manager will build and maintain key relationships with HBCU staff, students and stakeholders, in an effort to advance equality on campuses. The HBCU Project manager will also have the primary role in planning and implementing our annul HBCU Leadership Summit, held at HRC every fall.  In addition, the HBCU Project manager will serve as a HRC spokesperson on HBCU campuses and other related venues across the country.

COP 24/7 will continue to monitor the progress or lack thereof of any movements taking place at local HBCU colleges on organizing efforts.

Create the future of female condoms

Our FDA advocacy continues to build! Thanks to 88 U.S. and global organizations that signed on to our comments last month, we demonstrated diverse support for the FDA to change its outdated classification of female condoms.

Today we are building on that momentum by kicking off the next phase of our campaign. We hope we can count on you being a part of it! 

Reclassification from a Class III to a Class II device will encourage innovators to create new female condoms for our future that we have yet to imagine, and open U.S. doors to products available in other countries. By urging the FDA to reclassify female condoms, we aim to create a future with more female condom options. With your help, we can shape a future where a variety of safe and effective female condoms are accessible and available to all.

Here’s how:

Sign our petition to the FDA urging Class II reclassification of female condoms.

Start a social media conversation about the future of female condoms on Facebook and Twitter. Use these messages to spread the word and inspire action.

Collect petitions at community events and meetings. We will deliver the petitions to the FDA in September as part of our Global Female Condom Day advocacy.
Use the campaign guide for advocacy tips and sample canvassing scripts.
Read the NFCC’s letter to the FDA urging down-classification.

Staying in the ZONE

Zone101: Who's In and Who's Out?

This week at COP 24/7, we are going into more zones of the LGBTQ construct to highlight more around the next new "buzz" in addressing issues in the gay community. This platform has previously posted about the business scale up of "all things gay" including notable market analysis, "white

paper's," quality indexes, capacity and empowerment initiatives and all manner of pipelines being constructed to "connect" the gay community to the next best thing.

 

Within all this growth, COP 24/7 continues to be puzzled as to how all this effort has trickled down to Arkansas. Although we are now  into the first year of HRC's Project One America, as well as, an assortment of LGBT focused health pursuits, there still appear to be gaps and holes that are either not being addressed or simply given lip service to.

 

The following article from the Black AIDS Institute cites what its has discovered about nonmedical workforce knowledge of HIV on a national scope which it describes as "frightening." Unfortunately COP 24/7 takes the position that its extremely scary here in Arkansas in case you didn't know. Even though Arkansas was not specifically graded, grades given to many southern states were disappointing. Georgia- "F," Flordia- "D" and Louisiana- "D," Alabama- "D," and North Carolina- "F." 

 

Just to be clear, these grades are based on "non medical" working at health departments, community based organizations and AIDS service organizations. This report accentuates COP 24/7 point that Arkansas can not be in the "end game of AIDS," if we have a lack of competent and immersed professionals, activist, advocates, consumers and allies involved with understanding that this health dilemma is not over.   As this may be disturbing, we have to believe that there's got to be eventually some good news to come. When we find, we'll be the first to holla...

When We Know Better, We Do Better

"So many loved friends are dead because of AIDS.
My mind just runs over the list which seems to be unending."
—Maya Angelou

 

We have the tools to end the epidemic in America. The scientific evidence is now clear. Or is it?
This study by the Black AIDS Institute in partnership with Janssen Therapeutics, the Latino Commission on AIDS, the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, Johns Hopkins University, and the CDC suggests there may be a missing link.

Nearly two decades after Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) emerged and two years after the development of Treatment as Prevention and FDA approval of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), prevention efforts in the United States remain stalled. There remain around 50,000 new infections a year, nearly half of them Black and almost two-thirds of them, gay and bisexual men. In addition, less than 30% of the estimated 1.5 million Americans living with HIV are virally suppressed.

From 2012 thru 2014, the Institute and its partners conducted the first national assessment of the treatment and science knowledge of the nonmedical HIV/AIDS workforce. The "U.S. HIV Workforce Knowledge Survey" included over 3600 participants from 48 states, Washington D.C., and U.S. territories. The study revealed that the HIV science and treatment literacy of the HIV/AIDS workforce is frighteningly low.

"All the biomedical and scientific breakthroughs in the world aren't worth anything, if people working in the HIV field don't understand them, believe in them, and know how to use them," says Phill Wilson, President and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute. "This study shows that we are leaving our most valuable resource behind. We have a large infrastructure of passionate, committed and capable people working in AIDS service organizations, community-based organizations, clinical settings and health departments ready to get the job done. But, they can't do it unless they have the familiarity, knowledge and skills needed to use these new tools."

The late Dr. Maya Angelou said, "When we know better, we do better." The report looks at what the HIV/AIDS workforce needs to know to do better and makes bold recommendations on how to address the problem. You can discover the report at www.blackaids.org

The Great Safe Zones Projects

This week COP 24/7 journey's forward into the LGBTQIA construct as the latest "buzz" or "trending" catching fire is the new focus on creating "safe zones," within the gay community. So what's all the hub bub about?  Its' the latest tide reverberating from the tsunami of work dedicated to enhancing the lack of big data about what's not know about the gay community. Or scaling up

activities to provide statistical pathways to support the demands of funding apparatuses to offer logic models, dazzling stats, replicable models and other funding speak that could make your head explode.

On this platform we  have been constantly searching, exploring and discovering all that we thought we knew and just how much we don't about who's trying to find out about gay challenges or issues . In this process, we've determined that depending on where you look there's lots of information that's been created or if you are in Arkansas, not so much.

However, believe it or not, there have actually been an array of dissertations and scholarly writings on many topics and various perspectives highlighting what was happening in the state. Amazingly, many of these papers as far back as the 1980's all alluded to or in some manner referred to the lack of "safe spaces," for the gay community. Yet as these pieces note this conclusion, many of the papers don't take into account that the gay community had created some safe spaces within its entertainment venues or bars which served as quasi community centers.

These bastions of "community," although certainly imperfect and often times a petri dish of the larger issues such as racism, ageism, and classism, these venues did serve a purpose that is now being called into question as not a "safe zone." Even though every year the Stonewall is held up as the shrine of activism, such places as this are now slowly fading away as more gay bars close their doors as other mainstream businesses are flinging their doors of acceptance open wide.

COP 24/7 has waxed on that as other mainstream business compete for our dollars, gay owned and operated business would have to up the ante in customer service and welcoming surroundings that don't just mean being seen as regular patron but a valued customer each and every time they come through the doors.

Meanwhile, there continues to be serious moves to offer learning safe spaces for those understand more about identity, self-awareness, and more behavioral alterations as we are suppose to collectively understand "who we are," as we are suppose to build bridges with allies or those whom wither don't or didn't understand who gay folks have been all along.

Obviously there is much to debate and dissect around this issue concurrent to the re-imaging and the move to deconstruct the old "gay infrastructure," in lieu of building anew aligned with all the new data sets, research and development, plus new definitions of what is considered "safe," or acceptable among these new fangled approaches and comprehensions.

As the waves of diversity keep washing ashore, what will emerge is new "OZ," where the yellow brick road is replaced with a rainbow road leading to a more enlightened, accepting and empowered LGBT community ready to enjoy these new found freedoms without regrets or at least we would like to think so...stay tuned.  


Creating the Zone
The Each Other Project Uses Art as Activism

"We created this site to be a direct reflection of us: a community," state Donja R. love and Nick Brandon Nick founders of the project on their website. (www.eachotherproject.com )They continue, "we do that through Arts and Activism. We feature both aspects because they are crucial components in bridging gaps and providing unity.This community that we strive to build, at its core, will be a refuge for Queer Men of Diversity filled with opportunities and possibilities."

 

This project also features an assortment of videos, photo's and web series that is designed according to the curators, as a place to make visitors be inspired, insightful and a zone to "get to know each other."

 

It’s the hopes of the originators that the featured content would  uplift, educates, challenges, inspire, entertains, and speaks to a wide audience while directly focusing on matters impacting the Same Gender Loving community such a visibility and health related issues. CO 24/7 will feature additional content in regard to our mission to provide a spectrum of interesting content and videos.

 

 

Thursday Take One

COP 24/7 Takes Route to Netroots Connect

Corneliusonpoint is excited to have been invited to participate in Netroots Connect 2015, July 15-19, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. As Arkansas's longest running LGBT focused blog, COP 24/7 is the first and only online entity from the state to be selected  to attend this conference since its inception in 2008.

The Netroots Connect program hosts pre-conference strategy sessions on key issues, prior to the NetRoots Nation conference that will be held afterwards. During the pre-conference gathering, participants will engage in sessions that include collaborative workshops, case studies and group discussions, as well as small group times for organizational leaders and bloggers/online activists to network. Organizers believe that this format will allow for ample time for discussing how better alliances can be formed and how activists can improve on both messaging and effectiveness.

Founded as The National LGBT Blogger and Citizen Journalist Initiative — later Netroots Connect — was founded as more than 60 leading LGBT online voices gathered in Washington, DC. For many it was the first time  they had met colleagues they had worked with virtually for years. Held at The Center for American Progress, the event featured three days of workshops and trainings on investigative reporting, management, building online income and media. Social events provided an opportunity for attendees to build relationships, many of which continue in the movement today.

COP 24/7 is proud to have been recognized for our 10 year activist and advocacy journey to fulfill our core tenants of educating, empowering and entertaining our readers. Stay tuned as we update about this significant opportunity to represent Arkansas.

The Ubuntu Bio Project

Among the maddening digital world of information overload, I do have some items that I actually look forward to seeing post.

One such favorite is The Ubuntu Project that gives me a dose of insight as well as a platform that illuminates "people who look like me." The page lives and breathes on Facebook under the direction of Mr. Stephen Maglott (pictured) of New York City. According to info on the page, it states that the

 

"Ubuntu Biography Project was born out of a desire to tell the largely untold stories of LGBTQ men and women of African descent, and to celebrate their remarkable contributions to our world. These are created in the hope that they will serve to educate and empower the whole community, while they give same-gender loving / Trans men and women of African descent ample reason to find pride in who they are, and to find strength in the dynamic and loving community they are connected with."

Why I like the page is the fact that I never know who Mr. Maglott is going to showcase or highlight. The page is not celebrity drive so much, but has a host of brother and sister's that have done all manner of great stuff and gives me a proud lift to learn how others are being apart of the solution rather than just talking about what hasn't been done.

 

Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term of Central and South Africa that is literally translated as "human-ness". A more common interpretation of its meaning translates as “I am, because we are.” It is an empowering affirmation of humanity’s interconnectedness and of our collective responsibility to cherish one another. It links each of us to our desire to live and love freely, our shared interest in our creative and spiritual connections, and in humanity's common lineage to African ancestry.

These biographies of remarkable men and women illuminate the story of our humanity through shared experiences, familiar hopes, our abundant love, our unique passions, our resilience in the face of challenges, and a common desire for community. Thanks Stephen for making me realize that, "I am, because we are," as well.

 

The Mid Week Jump

Marriage Equality Roars Across The Land

"Going to the chapel and we're going to get married...," is happening full steam with almost all of the counties in Arkansas complying, amidst some county clerks either resigning or as one clerk has stated, "she's waiting on God to tell her what she should do." OK? 

There's just no words for all the other hate and damnation that is being thrown about from naysayers and others of that ilk who are trying to wrap their heads around these "men and women" marrying each other. Even before the landmark decision came about, there was a ground swell of conversations and video's such as the one below produced by Jacob Kohinoor on YouTube circa 12/2014.

It's a interesting mash up of talk show, reality TV and perhaps some self help thrown in. No matter, COP 24/7 will keep sourcing relevant material from before ME ( Marriage Equality) and after as there's plenty of other issues that need to be on the agenda.

 

 

 

 

Join MC Wanda Sykes, marriage equality plaintiff Jim Obergefell, Judy Shepard, Edie Windsor, Bishop Gene Robinson, and other very special guests for this historic ceremony, including entertainers and Jumbotron broadcast. For more information, visit the website.

 

 

Roll Away June 2015

Wilmore Goes Left on Marriage Equality Haters

Let the word salads begin! In case you may have missed any of it, there's been plenty of twisting and turning of the good kings English including Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s scathing dissent in the

historic gay marriage ruling last week. In a word, Scalia's applesauce exclamation point was topped by his "jiggery pokery" outrage to it all. Just to let you in on its meaning, the term refers to matters that are dishonest, deceitful behavior or business or just plain old "trickery."

However, “Nightly Show” host Larry Wilmore saved his best shots on Monday for Justice Clarence Thomas’ just-as-vile conservative ramblings, in which he used a slavery analogy to make the case for how the government had overstepped.

 

He wrote: “Slaves did not lose their dignity (any more than they lost their humanity) because the government allowed them to be enslaved.”

“Do you even know what slavery is?” Wilmore asked. “Slavery is the complete stripping of humanity and dignity. That’s the point of slavery. When do you think slaves were whipped? Whenever they tried to dare to show any humanity or dignity.”

Chelsea Clinton's speaking fee: $65,000

      
When Hillary Clinton’s speaking fees proved too steep for one public university last year, school
officials reached for a less expensive alternative: her daughter, Chelsea.

According to a report from The Washington Post, representatives from the former secretary of state’s office gave officials at the University of Missouri-Kansas City a $275,000 quote for a one-time speaking fee.

 

“Yikes!” one official emailed another, according to the report. Rather than paying that much, UMKC opted to pay Chelsea $65,000 for a brief appearance in February 2014. The former first daughter spoke for 10 minutes before participating in a 20-minute Q&A session and posing for pictures.
According to the report, the school also considered booking less expensive alternatives, including Gloria Steinem ($30,000), Cokie Roberts ($40,000), Tina Brown ($50,000) and Lesley Stahl ($50,000).

A spokesman for Chelsea Clinton told the Post that as with her mother’s paid speeches at universities, she directed her speaking fee toward the Clinton Foundation.
A spokesman for the university said that Clinton’s fee was paid through private donations.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/chelsea-clinton-speaking-fee-university-missouri-119580.html#ixzz3eeIGxgJC

 

OutSports’ Cyd Zeigler to be honored for groundbreaking coverage

by Chuck Colbert

The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) will honor Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of OutSports.com, with its 2015 Lisa Ben Award on June 25 at a Los Angles fundraiser.

The Lisa Ben Award for Achievement in Feature Coverage was established to honor a journalist whose body of work is distinguished by insight and impact through engaging features on LGBT individuals, the LGBT community, or LGBT issues. It bears the pen name of Edith Eyde, the creator and distributor of the first known U.S. lesbian publication and the inaugural winner of the award in 2014.

Cyd Zeigler,
co-founder of OutSports.com

Like Eyde, Zeigler identified an area of LGBT life that was largely uncovered by mainstream media and provided a service to the community. Together with co-founder Jim Buzinski, Zeigler has grown OutSports.com, founded in 1999, into a must-read for stories of LGBT athletes and sports issues and broadened the general public’s understanding of LGBT people in sport. He is credited with breaking several coming out stories involving now well-known athletes like retired NBA player John Amaechi and retired NFL player Wade Davis. OutSports was purchased by Vox Media in 2013, incorporating it into the sports website SB Nation.

“Cyd Zeigler’s such an important pioneer when it comes to telling the real story about the LGBT community and sports," said, NLGJA president Jen Christensen. "There’s a reason LGBT athletes come to him first with their stories. Our community is so lucky to have such an able hand steering this important narrative for both current LGBT athletes and for future pros who will now know that they can have some confidence that they can be out as there have been others before them."

Reached by telephone, Zeigler said that when he and Buzinski started writing about LGBT people in sports, “Nobody wanted to talk about it.” That is to say, “Gay people didn’t want to talk about sports, and people in sports didn’t want to talk about LGBT issues,” Zeigler explained. “Today that is totally transformed, and it seems as if OutSports has been at the center of closing the gap between those two worlds. Today I go to gay parties where people are talking about sports, and people in sports media want to talk about gay issues all the time.”

“One of the most powerful pieces for me has been the athletes reaching out to me to tell their stories, and being able to craft the coming out of so many people,” he said, naming college basketball player Derrick Gordon, professional football player Michael Sam and Stephen Alexander. The latter is the country’s first openly transgender high school coach, in Glocester, R.I.

“These stories have been so impactful to me, and I feel lucky to have been able to write them,” Zeigler said. Receiving the Ben Award, he said, “is a nice acknowledgment of the contributions to making that happen.”

A former associate editor of the New York Blade and sports editor for Genre magazine, Zeigler has written for a number of news outlets including Sports Illustrated and the New York Times and has appeared on ESPN, FOX Sports Radio, and CNN. He is a regular contributor on CBS Sports Radio. He is the co-author with Buzinski of “The Outsports Revolution: Truth and Myth in the World of Gay Sports.”

A Massachusetts native, Zeigler is a 1995 graduate of Stanford University where he studied communications. He also contributes to The Huffington Post, Out magazine, Playboy, and The Advocate.

 

Did you know that you can get COP 24/7 on your mobile device? Well you can and you should check out our daily updates, links, videos and so much more before its too late!!  Also don't forget to like our Facebook platform at www.facebook.com/corneliusonpoint

 

 

The Week that Was Equality

Last week, President Obama visited the White House Rose Garden to deliver his statements on recent Supreme Court decisions concerning the ACA and the marriage equality question. He was

direct and uplifting as he acknowledged that the court's decisions had been momentous and as he put it "justice arrived like a thunderbolt."  And so it was.

Although the high court ruled and masses of same sex couples rejoiced, all of this jubilation was not taken in by everyone. Almost immediately the right wing, wing nuts and fringe haters went into overdrive to deride what had been decided by the highest court in the land. Social media lit up with rainbow colors amidst tantrums and screeds of denial, disdain and denigration of the decision and its alleged after affects on the country. There was the extremes of one pastor citing that he might set himself ablaze to protest the decision. Others proclaimed that the nation was now going to hell in a SCOTUS hand basket.

COP 24/7 was attempting to take it all in including the emotional and stirring eulogy offered by the President in South Carolina that was capped off by our week long posting in recognition of National HIV Testing Week.  And here we are on the cusp of the second half of 2015 and our countdown to ending this forum. Its been a wild ride since our inception and who would have thought that this time capsule would now contain information on the one of greatest cultural shifts in our nation's history. Although Obama had to evolve in his thinking, he stated, "they’ve reaffirmed that all Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law, that all people should be treated equally regardless of who they are or who they love.”

He continued,  Just two days before the court’s decision, Obama reflected on society’s political shift at a reception for LGBT activists.
“A decade ago, politicians ran against LGBT rights,” Obama said. “Today, they’re running towards them. Because they’ve learned what the rest of the country knows — that marriage equality is about our civil rights, and our firm belief that every citizen should be treated equally under the law.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/supreme-court-gay-marriage-obama-twitter-119464.html#ixzz3edxvwpAy





Pride in The ROCK Presents

As pride activities were a their zenith over the weekend after the SCOTUS ruling, wait there's more! Arkansas CAN ( Creating Awareness Now) has announced its Pride in Rock listing of activities beginning, July 23-26, 2015.

According to their FB page, "Unity in the Community," has been chosen as the theme for this years activities. Currently the effort is being sponsored by Tarsus Brothers, Heart Throb Productions and Juiced Entertainment. The site states that more details and additional information will be posted.

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Testing Week Friday

Endgame of HIV and AIDS in Arkansas

All this week we've been looking at the spectrum of HIV and AIDS both nationally and statewide as we look at snapshots of what has happened and what needs to happen in Arkansas. So what have we learned?  There's been a litany to assessments, calendars filled with meetings, focus groups, VCT training and capacity building opportunities with organizations such as NASTAD, Latino Commission, ACRIA, and many others that have come and gone. In between we've seen a litany of consultants, as well as, experts who were brought to town to put locals on the right track for better outcomes that didn't always happen. 

There has been almost an A to Z laundry list of programming ranging from fashion shows, gospel concerts, film projects, testing tours and tented testing extravaganza's, awareness and outreach events of all sizes and manner, including an over the top, if not ill fated attempt to build testing booths in a local bar.

Coinciding was also a roll out of DEBI's and EBI's ( Diffusion Effective Behavioral Interventions) prevention interventions such as "M3V," Many Men, Many Voices, "D-Up," and a mash up of other interventions that had marginal effectiveness in behavior changes. There have been large and small galas both inside and outside of conferences plus a couple of "prayer breakfast" events at the Governor's Mansion.

Also in this array of addressing this health dilemma we've had big talk media campaigns that were suppose to penetrate into our communities through barbershops, beauty shops and affinity businesses that were to allegedly increase the knowledge base of those whom frequented these outlets. Let us not forget the various press conferences across the city to highlight and ballyhoo all that was, is and supposedly happening to combat new infections or assure that all was being done in the name of public health. 

Yet with all this well meaning activity that offered some measure of deterrence or possible quantifiable outcomes, we are still grappling with the certainty that although infections may have plateaued otherwise in Arkansas, it is undeniable and indisputable that according to the CDC,

"The CDC estimates that 1 in 5 African Americans living with HIV are unaware of their status and over a third of Latinos receive an AIDS diagnosis within one year of testing positive. The reasons behind why people of color don’t get tested or delay testing are complicated, but many agree that stigma and fear are major factors. An unwillingness to take an HIV test means that more people are diagnosed late- causing unnecessary illness, delayed treatment, increased likelihood of transmitting HIV to others, and potentially early death."

Arkansans is not exempt from this scenario no matter how much anyone wants to see it through any other lens. Through all that we've sampled, here's COP 24/7's take away bullet items that should be apart of any forthcoming planning to End AIDS in Arkansas...:

1. Competent and stable leadership to champion issues inside the Hepatitis C/ HIV/AIDS Section of ADH. Plus a full assessment of current strategies, allocations, grantees, staffing and future planning.

2. Assess the effectiveness of the Governor's HIV AIDS Task Force, Office of Minority Health and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission's future focus on HIV in Arkansas.

3. Complete update on data gathering efforts initialized from current agency activity and updated information posted on appointed web portals.

4. An overview of Community Health Centers readiness to address or capabilities to navigate PLWHA individuals to all services.

5. Assess the impact of HOPWA client services as to rehabilitation or life skills building resulting in preparation to access stable housing or home ownership.

These are just a few items that might need to be considered if Arkansas is to be on board to make strives to end AIDS in Arkansas.

Stopping HIV: The Trudva Revolution, Part 3

This is the final installment of the VICE Report's series on Truvad and its impact or lack thereof among the MSM community. At best, COP 24/7 urges that there needs to be essential dialogue as to the levels of usage in Arkansas as well as the knowledge base of clinicians in prescribing this prevention method in the linkage and retention in care continuum.
 

Staying Alive and In Awareness

All this week COP 24/7 is doing a 360 in recognition of National HIV Testing Week 2015. Now in its third decade, HIV and AIDS has lost its headline making, as well as, stunning visuals that once dominated global news cycles. Gone are the news video of hospital wards filled with young gay men dying of a then "mysterious" disease. Gone is the rush to define what the "gay plague" was and

exactly how it was transmitted and who plus how clinicians would treat these suffering individuals. Gone are the massive marches, screeds from activist changed to federal buildings, calls for those infected to be quarantined, and government officials dumbfounded to explain to a waiting public on
its response to this modern day health dilemma.

And with today's Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling that the subsidies afforded to those enrolling via the federal exchange no matter whether the respective states have set up state exchanges have been ruled as legal will continue to assist those newly diagnosed either link or be retained in care.

Moving forward this platform can take a look back while understanding just how far we've come with a pipeline of medicines, weighty HIV/AIDS infrastructure, massive funding apparatuses fueling the next waves of closing the care gap through new interventions and prevention methods.

Yet amazingly with all this progress we are still facing 50,000 new infections yearly in the US with the CDC quantifying the disproportionate impact in communities of color and recently we witnessed HIV infections soar in Austin, Indiana due to IDU users using works that caused a viral outbreak that sent their local health officials into overdrive to deal with the situation.

Arkansas mirrors national statistics with ADH reporting a plateau in infections among MSM's, with the exception of continuing new infections among young black men 18-24 whom represent 1% of the states population but account for 50% of the new cases. Many of these cases also have consisted of dual infections of other STI's such as Syphilis which is most common. Added to this situation is also health literacy, homophobia, stigma, and socio-economic conditions that further complicate knowing their status as a priority.

Current trends project that one in 16 Black men not to mention one in 32 Black women are going to be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. Although there have been both prevention and interventions deployed in the state to target this population, undoubtedly the continuing infection rates begs the question as to the marginal impact on changing any behavior. Consequently, with the emphasis now moving toward linkage and retention in care, assessments demonstrate that the "information viral load" within this community is still relevantly low and challenging at best.

30 Years and Counting: Treatment As Prevention

In 1987, a drug called AZT became the first approved treatment for HIV disease. Since then, approximately 30 drugs have been approved to treat people living with HIV/AIDS, and more are under development. Including the highly controversial use of PReP that warrants such conversations, especially in Arkansas where there has been extremely low dialogue about prescribing the drug or strategies to assess its impact on both those using it as part of their daily regimen or those seeking it due to their negative status.

Although the ARV pipeline has grown significantly, according to a April 2013 Report to the Arkansas General Assembly spearheaded by the Arkansas Minority Health Commission and Arkansas HIV/AIDS Minority Task Force which cited in its interim study that, "there was no virtually no information available about attitudes and practices related to HIV testing among Arkansas patients and health care providers."

Hence COP 24/7 continues to highlight the Arkansas timeline around this health dilemma and inquire about the responses from the states public health officials. In the meantime, if you need FREE HIV testing, counseling, insurance information or linkage to care navigation check out www.linqforlife.com or our testing locator badge in the margin of this platform.

You may have heard these drugs called many different names, including:

• "The Cocktail"
• Antiretrovirals (ARVs)
• Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART or ART)

There are currently five different "classes" of HIV drugs. Each class of drug attacks the virus at different points in its life cycle—so if you are taking HIV meds, you will generally take 3 different antiretroviral drugs from 2 different classes.

This regimen is standard for HIV care—and it’s important. That’s because no drug can cure HIV, and taking a single drug, by itself, won’t stop HIV from harming you. Taking 3 different HIV meds does the best job of controlling the amount of virus in your body and protecting your immune system.

Taking more than one drug also protects you against HIV drug resistance. When HIV reproduces, it can make copies of itself that are imperfect—and these mutations may not respond to the drugs you take to control your HIV. If you follow the 3-drug regimen, the HIV in your body will be less likely to make new copies that don’t respond to your HIV meds.

Harm Reduction in the HIV Mix

There are now approximately 200 needle exchange programs in the US, predominately on the eastern seaboard and the west coast, and in New Mexico and several other scattered states; comparatively few are in southern states. And Arkansas is among those states that has a paraphernalia law that is apart of a disconnect of understanding the actual "connection" of IDU and the complexities of HIV and Hep C, even as the state is now offering Hep C testing services.

 Despite the lack of addressing the issue in this state, the programs have been successful at lowering the rate of HIV and hepatitis C infections: According to the World Health Organization, “Needle exchange programs substantially and cost-effectively reduce the spread of HIV among [people who inject drugs] and do so without evidence of exacerbating injecting drug use at either the individual or societal level.” Put another way, these programs are useful in stopping the spread of disease and don’t lead to more drug use, typically.

Still, they remain controversial in some places. For example, needle exchanges are illegal in North Carolina, where Tessie Castillo is the communications and advocacy coordinator at the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, headquartered in Durham. “We have a very strong abstinence-only culture in this country,” Castillo says, “especially in the south.”

Increasingly, though, other aspects of harm reduction are not so contentious. Most notable is the improved access to Narcan, which is now used throughout the country by drug users as well as law enforcement agents, and prescribed by physicians and, in some states, pharmacists. Massachusetts’ program has worked especially well; since 2006, health officials there have been distributing intranasal naloxone to those likely to witness an opioid overdose — outreach workers, homeless shelter operators and drug users and their family members. The program was credited with reversing more than 1,800 overdoses from heroin, prescription painkillers and other opiates, according to a 2013 Boston Globe article.

To date, “26 states have passed naloxone laws, which have really helped,” says Katherine Neill, PhD, of the Baker Institute at Rice University, in Houston. “And Good Samaritan laws — which mandate that you can’t get in trouble for calling authorities [for help] if you witness an overdose — have been enacted in at least 20 states.” (To see what the laws are in your state, click the map at LawAtlas.org.) For more information on services related to IDU use call 501-379-8203.
 

Sex Positive Mid Week Hump

Stopping HIV? The Truvada Revolution - Part 2

A drug called Truvada is the first FDA-approved means of preventing HIV infection. If an HIV-negative person takes the pill every day, he or she is nearly 99 percent protected from contracting the virus. Controversy continues to surround the broad uptake of Truvada, but the landscape of safer sex and HIV prevention changes fundamentally from this point forward—particularly within the gay male community, the population hit hardest by HIV in America. In this episode of VICE Reports, VICE explores the future of the Truvada and its revolutionary impact on ending HIV/AIDS.

Yet after 3 years of FDA approval, the debates, dialogues and dissent continues as some see the usage of this drug as a "party drug," that negates the options of using condoms in lieu of "bare backing," or "getting bred," as a sexual behavior. Of all this we must then, can't deny that in Arkansas communities of color we have disparities ranging from the social determinants of health which also includes access to insurance whether it be through Ryan White programs, migration to the affordable care act or accessing Arkansas Health Care Independence Act that could preclude this segment of the population to not only accessing this drug but meanwhile adhering to the daily regimen.

Also in this mix, we also can't deny the angles of how Arkansas's public health response continues to be steeped in a "when we know better, we do better," attitude that should warrant additional public inquiries and considerable engagement from consumers, stakeholders and allies alike, yet it appears that there's no surge in interest as to how this dilemma is being strategized or exactly what is the game plan for the state.

So where are on this? To date there are entities such as Lee County Cooperative, Jefferson Comprehensive Care Systems, ARCare, Arkansas Human Development Cooperation and Greater Delta Alliance that serve as grantees to provide HIV intervention, outreach and testing services

utilizing CDC prevention funding. ADH deployed staff for public engagement awareness at the recent Blues on the River and Riverfest events in which they alerted attendees to their "Know Now" campaign visualization campaign.

Plus there is the Community Connectors Initiative that has five designated independent contractors across the state seeking to do further innovative localize testing, counseling and linkage to care navigation.

However, since a May 2014 Arkansas HIV Planning Group meeting in where agencies were to present on their activities there has been no further updates, outcomes shared or strategies as to the effectiveness of their efforts. Furthermore, questions surrounding the denial of local CBO's and faith based entities applying for 2014 "Awareness Day " funding have to this date still been unanswered although ADH representatives stated that both written notice and verbal explanations would be provided by the scheduled June 2015 meeting.

Issues concerning STI testing appointments in area health clinics and other culturally sensitivity training for their staff have gone basically unresolved without further discussions or system's testing to determine shortfalls or gaps. And this is just for starters as to the state of HIV prevention and intervention in Arkansas.

Watch COP 24/7 as we continue to share about champions, challenges and cooperative partnerships that are working. Stay with us...

  

Trailblazing to the Future to End AIDS

Brown Accepted as BAI Fellow

Mr. Lee Brown, LinQ for Life, Inc. CEO and Founder, has been selected for the Black AIDS Institute’s 2015 African American HIV University Science and Treatment College (AAHU STC). "I am extremely happy to have been accepted and the opportunities to connect to this invaluable resource to build upon." said Brown. Continuing, " I believe that aligning my self with this program will enhance building my companies approach to being on the next wave of intervention and prevention where services are wrap round focused to create a single stop medical experience." 

 

After subsequent interviews and being vetted by BAI program specialist, the organization stated they were convinced of Brown's commitment to personal and organizational growth as well as a demonstrated capacity to improve access to and utilization of HIV prevention services in the community. 

 

Brown commented, " I had learned about their curriculum and how I felt it could benefit my pursuits both educationally and professionally." He concluded, " I also believe that the networking and identifying vital resources will be beneficial to all my efforts in Arkansas." Brown will be the first Arkansan to attend this section of the institute and has garnered the support of UAMS's Office of Diversity.

 

Concurrent to establishing the public benefit organization, LinQ for Life in 2014, Brown also earned his Emergency Medical Sciences degree from UAMS and is both a certified EMT facilitator and VCT Trainer. The organization was an outgrowth of his concerns that more peer driven services needed to be developed and his observation to the shifting health care delivery system involving insurance navigation, patient centered care and emerging telemedicine platforms.

 

BAI Program Specialist, Gearld Garth stated, "we are confident that Mr. Brown will make a valuable contribution to the HIV/AIDS needs of  Arkansans through his participation in AAHU STC as well as uphold the Institute standard of excellence."

The AAHU Science and Treatment College is a four-stage program sponsored by the Black AIDS Institute and the University of California, Los Angeles Center for World Health in which Fellows learn to promote high quality care in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention by building the skills and capacity of HIV/AIDS science literacy and treatment strategies.

 

Do You Doctor Test or Home Test?

 

Some individuals may question whether it is better to buy home kits or have a doctor test them. Although doctors testing individuals have remained popular due to being able to have the doctor perform the tests and the speed at which the tests are returned, home tests are slowly gaining in popularity, especially as they are now becoming FDA accepted. However, while the home kits are gaining in popularity, only one home kit is currently accepted by the FDA, with a handful of others undergoing review by the FDA.

 

The Advantages of Home Testing

Home kits have many advantages. Among these advantages is that they are far cheaper than doctor administered tests. In addition, they can provide an individual with complete anonymity, which is

something that a doctor cannot provide. Individuals can send their completed test with only a control number on it, and they do not need to give their name, which will help to protect their identity. Although this also means they will need to pay for a home kit because insurance companies do not currently pay for them, it may be a good choice for individuals who do not wish for their identities to be known.

Doctor-Administered Tests

Doctor testing is different in multiple ways, however, mainly due to the variations in cost and the atmosphere you have to take the test in. Doctor administered tests, like the kind that check for viral codes, are very expensive and can make a hospital bill very high if multiple tests need to be administered. In addition, individuals have to deal with the impartial responses of doctors or nurse practitioners who have to tell individuals that they are now infected with HIV. Although many doctors try hard to be sincere, there is only so much sincerity that can be given under the circumstances these individuals face.

Receiving Adequate Support

Family support is a big factor for some individuals in using a home kit for HIV testing, as some prefer to have individuals supporting them during the testing process. However, other individuals choose a home kit because they do not want any of their friends or family members to know. For these individuals, the last thing they want is for their families to be informed of their situation or to be in a situation where they will need to share the results. Despite this, family can play a strong support for an individual, especially if he or she just found they are HIV positive. Although at times family can make a situation more emotional, there are also times a family can make a difference for an individual being able to handle his or her situation.

Disadvantages of Home Kits

A disadvantage of choosing a home kit for HIV testing is that a doctor not only will be unable to help individuals understand the results, but that individuals will also be unable to seek counseling as easily. Counseling can help individuals prepare for a test, gain understanding, and teach them how to cope after they have been given their results. Post-test counseling is beneficial as not only will an individual learn about living with the virus, but he or she will have support through a counselor if there is no other location that he or she can obtain support from. In addition, post-test counseling can help prevent further individuals from being infected.

Doctor Tests Boast Better Accuracy Rate

For some individuals, they prefer to have testing results that are as accurate as possible. For these individuals, they want their doctors to confirm their results as, in most instances, people will need to have their results confirmed by doctors if they receive a positive result through a home kit. However, while home tests are not always accurate, doctor-administered tests are not always accurate and must usually be confirmed with a secondary test, as with the Western Blot test. Different tests are more accurate, and it has been confirmed that doctor testing is more efficient and accurate than home kits.

The decision of which HIV test to take will eventually fall upon the individual, who must determine what he or she will want to do. If an individual prefers having his or her family around, a doctor could be a good option, but if true anonymity is preferred, a home kit is the best choice. The final decision will need to be weighed against accuracy, price, and the testing environment.

 

 

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