WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announded last Saturday that the federal government will recognize same-sex marriage in six new states. Same-sex couples in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming now will receive full federal benefits. The announcement follows the Supreme Court’s decision this month to decline to hear appeals from several states that sought to maintain their marriage bans, according to Time Magazine.

Holder made a similar announcement about seven other states last week, including Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. With Saturday’s announcement, same-sex couples will be recognized by the federal government in 32 states, plus the District of Columbia.

“With each new state where same-sex marriages are legally recognized, our nation moves closer to achieving of full equality for all Americans,” Holder said in a statement Saturday. “We are acting as quickly as possible with agencies throughout the government to ensure that same-sex married couples in these states receive the fullest array of benefits allowable under federal law,” according to Time.

 Map courtesy of freedomtomarry.org

On Thursday, October 23 a bipartisan delegation of 19 state legislators representing Broward County will gather for a special public hearing on the state of HIV/AIDS in Florida.  Representative Jim Waldman, who serves as Chair of the bipartisan delegation, invited the Florida Department of Health to provide the legislators with an overview of the state of HIV/AIDS in Florida, yet the State did not approve their participation.

Organized at the urging of Representative Rick Stark and Senator Eleanor Sobel, the briefing will address the alarming increase of HIV infections in Broward County.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011 Fort Lauderdale had the highest rate of new HIV Infection cases in the nation among cities with a population of more than 500,000 people. 

Florida is heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the state continues to rank third in the nation in the cumulative number of AIDS cases (126,581 in 2012) and second in the nation in the cumulative number of HIV cases (49,058 in 2012).  Approximately 130,000 individuals are living with HIV disease in Florida.

Representative Stark and Senator Sobel became alarmed after meeting with people living with HIV and service providers who expressed concerns with harmful changes in the Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and AIDS Insurance Continuation Program (AICP).  The Florida Department of Health is working to adopt new administrative rules that will restrict access to these critical programs designed to be safety net programs for uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS.

The Pre-E xposure Prophylaxis Drug Assistance Program, or PrEP DAP, covers the cost of the medication for eligible individuals interested in using it to reduce their chance of HIV infection as prescribed by their doctors, regardless of whether they are insured. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, comes in the form of a daily prescription pill, Truvada, and costs about $1,300 per month — an obstacle for many who seek the medication with insurance, and especially the uninsured.

Participants in the Washington program pay nothing.

David Kern, manager of the Infectious Disease Prevention Section at the Washington Department of Health said he is unaware of any other states with programs specifically providing financial support for PrEP, but that someday it could serve as a model for state public health officials across the country.

“In Washington, we really see PrEP as a new and important tool in the toolbox for HIV prevention,” Kern told BuzzFeed. “It is a strategy that supports our overarching public health goals and it’s an important part of what we’re doing with resources.”

Washington health officials — just like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization — have identified PrEP as an effective means of preventing new HIV infections in addition to using condoms, but with that, the state found that increasing access to the drug is among strategic priorities in its fight against HIV, particularly among men who have sex with men in urban communities. Washington hopes to reduce new HIV infections statewide by 25% by 2016.

In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines to medical providers, saying PrEP could reduce HIV infection when taken daily by more than 90%. And this month, the World Health Organization said men who have sex with men should consider PrEP alongside the use of condoms as another method of HIV prevention.

So far, the program has seen a “very soft” launch, since it was announced in early April with the DOH teaming up with local health organizations to mobilize patients who may need the financial assistance, according to Kern. As of July 22, there are only 17 active participants, the majority of whom are gay men ranging in age and ethnicity, but Kern said there has been a big uptick in interest in recent weeks.

Financial support includes all of the costs of the medication for participants who are uninsured, underinsured, and even for people with insurance, so that there is no cost of the pills out of pocket. For those with insurance, the provider is billed first and then the program covers the co-pay, which is about $450 per month on average, Kern said. For clients without insurance, PrEP DAP covers the entire $1,300 monthly cost of Truvada. The PrEP DAP does not cover lab work costs and medical visits.

Fred Swanson, executive director of Gay City Health Project in Seattle, a leading provider of HIV and STI testing in Seattle, said the Washington PrEP DAP program answers the question for people who are seeking to access PrEP and don’t know how to pay for it.

“Cost is one of the biggest barriers to PrEP,” Swanson said. “Even with the Affordable Care Act, people are choosing plans that still require really large co-pays, so when they go to access PrEP, it’s not really plausible for them. We have seen that even people with insurance aren’t able to afford the prescription.”

Swanson said Gay City Heath Project offers application forms to the program and informs clients of the available financial assistance from the state so that they can discuss PrEP with their doctors and know how to pay for it. With that, Swanson said they are also seeing an increase in interest surrounding PrEP over the last few months.

“There’s been a definite shift,” he said. “I think there were just a lot of questions and a lot people not quite sure about it because of concerns with side effects and other concerns, but we’ve reached some sort of tipping point and I think it’s a combination of community education and the CDC guidelines, the World Health Organization recommendations — all of those things add together.”

Eligibility in the assistance program is limited to Washington state residents who are HIV negative and declare certain risk factors, Kern said.

Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men are eligible if they’ve met one or more of five criteria: if they have been diagnosed with a bacterial STI in the last year, if they were exposed to an STI from sexual partners in the last year, if they’ve had 10 or more sexual partners in the last year, used methamphetamine in the last year, or have had unprotected anal sex with someone of unknown HIV status. Individuals who are in a sexual relationship or share needles with someone who is HIV positive are also eligible.

“Unless someone marks ‘no’ to all of those conditions, they are eligible,” Kern said. “We wanted to have as broad of coverage as possible and not stifle interest.”

Kern expects the program to “get up to speed” in the coming months and increase the number of participants, which the DOH has planned to leave unrestricted, assuming the state’s budget for it remains at its current $1 million to $2 million. The department will then review the program after the first 100 participants or after about six months. Kern also noted the budget comes from state resources and not federal funding.

The DOH also provides funding for the Public Health STD Clinic at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, which offers a PrEP clinic service where patients who are interested in PrEP could talk to doctors about getting a prescription. Additionally, the DOH is leading public education initiatives on PrEP.

“I don’t imagine that our PrEP DAP program will ever be the primary payer of PrEP services in the state, but because the state has taken an interest and is communicating that we do care and will make resources available for this intervention, it lets people know that the state Health Department endorses the prevention option and hope we reach communities with it.”

And ultimately, Kern said the DOH hopes that Washington’s commitment to utilizing PrEP as a key HIV prevention strategy will motivate other states and local health departments to make similar commitments if they can.

“We believe that PrEP DAP can definitely serve as a model for states that are interested in setting up a similar system, i.e., paying for PrEP medications,” Kern said via email. “Having said that, we recognize that many states depend heavily (and sometimes exclusively) on federal funding to support their HIV programs. Currently, federal funding cannot be used to purchase PrEP medication, so it’s not possible for some jurisdictions to provide this program.”

Kern, again emphasized the importance of PrEP, saying, “We need all public health colleagues to promote and support it.”

The synod’s final statement was not neither positive or negative toward the LGBT community, revealing a softening of its position during the final days of the week-long synod, the final document failed to receive the two-thirds majority vote it needed. The bishops did, however, praise conjugal love—this is love found within the traditional bonds of matrimony—”one of the most beautiful of all miracles and the most common.”

USA Today said that the failure to reach a consensus on broader-reaching language is a failure for the more tolerant tone Pope Francis has struck since taking the role of pontiff more than a year ago. Last year, the pope made waves when, in response to a question about whether gays could be good Christians, he asked, ‘Who am I to judge?’”

Still, when Pope Francis warned the collected bishops about what he labeled “hostile rigidity” in their thinking on the LGBT community, his remarks earning a five-minute standing ovation.

In an effort to downplay last Saturday’s developments, official Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi stressed that the document, that sets guidelines for priests to follow in their individual ministries, was a work in progress that could be updated over the coming year.

“It is important not to overanalyze,” Lombardi said. “The fathers of the synod never saw themselves as reaching a final conclusion with this document.”

The more-accepting language toward gays revealed last week ignited controversy among conservative and liberal groups alike.

American Cardinal Raymond Burke told USA Today that  the conciliatory language revealed last week was forced and did not represent the majority view, adding that gays were “intrinsically confused.”

Burke, prefect of the Vatican’s court on canon law, revealed Saturday he is being reassigned to a lower-profile role in the coming days, a move the Italian media attributed to his recent criticisms.

Even the Italian government got involved, with Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano sending a notice to local prefects that registrations of same-sex marriages would be voided. The move came after several officials — including those in Rome, Milan and Bologna — started preparing to register marriages between gay couples.

Italian activists, meanwhile, expressed disappointment at the about face. “It’s disappointing that the recognition of gays in the church took two steps forward and one step back,” said Nello Salvai, a local activist. “But it’s clearly a different church under Pope Francis, and I have faith it will move forward.”

“It doesn’t seem realistic to change the direction of the church in a two-week meeting,” said Francesco Napolitano, a 39-year-old bus driver who was in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday evening. “For good or bad, the church is slow to change,” he told USA Today.

The two cases, Pareto v. Ruvin (Equality Florida Institute and six plaintiff couples) and Huntsman v. Heavilin, have been consolidated, and attorneys had asked the Third DCA to pass through to the Florida Supreme Court.  At the time, AG Bondi wanted to wait until the U.S. Supreme Court took up the issue, but now the U.S. Supreme Court has deferred to the courts in each state.

“While we look forward to having this matter move forward to the Florida Supreme Court, and asked for this on July 30,” Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida said,  “AG Bondi and Governor Rick Scott continue to waste taxpayer money while same-sex couples throughout the state continue to endure the indignities of being treated like second-class citizens.

“Nearly two-thirds of the country now live in a state that values equality.  How much longer must loving couples in Florida wait to protect their families?  Now is the time for AG Bondi and Governor Scott to step on the right side of history and not let Florida go down in history as one of the last states to uphold the principles of fairness.”

While not involved directly in the five cases or the decision-making process, Florida has been in a holding pattern on the subject ever since August 21, when U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle of Tallahassee ruled in favor of those same-sex couples seeking to marry by declaring the ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional in the state. He then placed a stay on his ruling pending an appeal by the state’s Attorney General Pam Bondi, which came quickly placing the matter in the hands of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, where it still awaits a hearing.

Florida’s American Civil Liberties Union, headquartered in Miami, filed a motion with Judge Hinkle to lift his stay, effectively allowing marriages to begin in Florida immediately. In his original ruling, Hinkle attempted to place the subject of same-sex marriage in its proper context as to its importance. “The institution of marriage survived when bans on interracial marriage were struck down, and the institution will survive when bans on same-sex marriage are struck down. … Those who enter opposite-sex marriages are harmed not at all when others, including these plaintiffs, are given the liberty to choose their own life partners and are shown the respect that comes with formal marriage.”

The Florida ACLU expects Bondi’s office to respond to its move (they have 17 days to do so), though they have asked the attorney general not to oppose the request. But even if Bondi should oppose the request, it is likely that the issue of same-sex marriage with be a hot-topic affecting the November 4 election vote—an election in which both boni and her boss, Florida Governor Rick Scott, are up for reelection.

“It’s about time to suck it up and recognize the historical inevitability of equality,” ACL of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon told the Miami Herald on Monday with a nod in Pam Bondi’s direction.

After the single debate that Bondi had with her Democratic challenger George Sheldon, she was asked to comment on the same-sex issue. “There are other cases in other states. The sixth circuit is still out there pending so we’re going to see what they do in the sixth circuit, we’re going to be looking at those other cases, we’re going to be reviewing everything in Florida to see what to do next. And again, it just came out less than three hours ago, but this is a tremendous win for the plaintiffs in this case,” Bondi told the Miami Herald. (The U.S. Court of Appeals for the  Sixth Circuit covers the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, and is currently ruling on six different same-sex marriage cases.)

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court leaves in force five favorable marriage rulings reached in three federal appellate courts, ensuring the freedom to marry for millions more Americans around the country. The Court’s letting stand these victories means that gay couples will soon share in the freedom to marry in 30 states, representing 60 percent of the American people,” Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, told the Miami Herald. “But we are one country, with one Constitution, and the Court’s delay in affirming the freedom to marry nationwide prolongs the patchwork of state-to-state discrimination and the harms and indignity that the denial of marriage still inflicts on too many couples in too many places. As waves of freedom to marry litigation continue to surge, we will continue to press the urgency and make the case that America — all of America — is ready for the freedom to marry, and the Supreme Court should finish the job.”

Florida State Attorney General Pam Bondi has not responded regarding the decision. Bondi had said in the past that she would wait for the Supreme Court to make a decision in order to drop her objections to legalizing same-sex marriage in Florida.

The Agenda is working to bring you the full details regarding this development.

The ad was released by General Mills just a few days ago, and already the haters are weighing in. One of them starts with “F_ _k these spic queers. This is disgusting,” apparently applying the ethnic slur “Spic” (usually reserved for Latinos) to francophones as well. We are still waiting for Fox News to comment.

It’s part of a series of ads for Cheerios that celebrate love in all its forms. Other commercials in this series include an Asian and Indian couple, a woman who rescues a dog in Costa Rica, and wheelchair-bound musician Justin Hines with his wife Savanna, among other stories. General Mills invites people to tell them their “connection” stories by going here.

Only three in 10 (30%) gay and bisexual men say they were tested for HIV within the last year, including 19 percent who report being tested within the last six months (these figures exclude the 10% who self-identify as HIV-positive). Gay and bisexual men under the age of 35 are twice as likely as those who are older to report never having been tested for HIV (44% vs. 21%). The CDC recommends at least annual HIV testing for this population with more frequent testing advised by many health departments.

Only about a quarter (26%) know about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily pill that people who are HIV-negative can take to lower their risk of becoming infected. Eight in 10 (80%) say they have heard “only a little” or “nothing at all” about the new prevention option.

Fewer than half (46%) of gay and bisexual men are aware that the current guidelines for people with HIV are to start antiretroviral (ARV) treatment as soon as they are diagnosed, and only a quarter (25%) know about treatment as prevention. (Research shows that taking consistent ARV treatment can reduce the risk of passing HIV on to others by as much as 96 percent.)

More than half (56%) say that a doctor has never recommended they get tested for HIV, and six in 10 (61%) say they rarely or never discuss HIV when they visit their doctor.

“These survey results underscore the importance of getting the word out among gay and bisexual men about risk and new treatment and prevention options,” said Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman, Ph.D.

Just a third (32%) realize that new infections are on the rise among gay and bisexual men. One in four (22%) think the number is decreasing and the rest either think the situation is staying the same or acknowledge that they don’t know.

Reflecting the disproportionate impact of HIV in communities of color, gay and bisexual men who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to say that HIV/AIDS is a significant issue for them personally than white gay men (64% versus 42%) and to say that they are personally concerned about becoming infected (53% versus 28%).

Overall, three quarters (75%) say that gay and bisexual men not knowing their HIV status is a major reason it has been hard to control the spread of HIV among this group. Complacency about HIV in the gay community (62%) and HIV-related stigma (56 percent) are also named by majorities as major factors.

Many say HIV is not a topic that comes up often, if all, even with those closest to them. Three quarters (68%) say they “rarely” or “never” discuss HIV with friends, and large shares report not talking much about the disease with casual sexual partners (50%) or with long-term partners (60%).

While most gay and bisexual men (76%) say they are comfortable having non-sexual relationships with HIV-positive persons, large majorities say they would be uncomfortable with more intimate relationships, including being in a long-term sexual relationship (66%) and having casual sex (77%) with someone who is HIV-positive.  Gay and bisexual men under the age of 35 are more likely to say they would be uncomfortable having relationships, sexual or otherwise, with someone who is HIV-positive. Nearly two in five (37%) gay and bisexual men who did not identify as HIV-positive themselves say they have decided not to pursue a sexual relationship specifically because the person was HIV-positive.

Just over half (53%) report being in a committed relationship, including one in five (20%) who say they are married. Twelve percent live in a household with at least one child under the age of 18.

Gay and bisexual men under the age of 35 are less likely to report personal connections to HIV than those who are older.  Nearly half (47%) of gay and bisexual men 35 and older say they have lost someone close to them to the disease, compared to only 8 percent of those who are younger. Overall, half (49%) of gay and bisexual men say they personally know someone living with HIV and one in three (32 percent) have had someone close to them who has died.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE EPIDEMIC AMONG GAY MEN IN THE U.S.  According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  one in five gay men in 20 major cities is estimated to be HIV positive with about one third not knowing they are positive. KFF estimates, based on CDC data, are that 12-13 percent of gay men are HIV positive. There is evidence that the situation is worsening. Between 2008-2010, CDC reports new infections rose 12 percent overall among gay men, and 22 percent among younger gay men, driven by increases among men of color.

Photo of Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman, Ph.D. courtesy of KFF.

Determined by online voting of nearly 5,000 South Florida residents and tourists, pink flamingo statues were awarded to:

Favorite Hotel Resort

The Standard Spa Miami Beach

Favorite Boutique Hotel

Hôtel Gaythering

Favorite Restaurant – Fine Dining

The Forge

Favorite Restaurant – Casual

Palace South Beach

Favorite Chef

Michelle Bernstein

Favorite Fundraising Event One Day

AIDS Walk Miami

Favorite Fundraising Event Weekend or Longer

Miami Beach Gay Pride , DJ Citizen Jane

Favorite Drag

Queen Adora

Favorite Singer/Band

Karina Iglesias

Favorite Nightlife Destination

Twist

Favorite Drag Queen

Adora. Photo by Dale Stine.

Favorite Dance Club

Score

Favorite Bartender

Nathan Smith from Twist

Favorite Promoter

Edison Farrow

Favorite Media Personality

Craig Stevens

Favorite Miami Attraction

Pérez Art Museum

Favorite Retail Store

Macy’s

Favorite Gym

Equinox

Favorite Spa

The Standard Spa Miami Beach

Favorite Nonprofit Organization

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Favorite Local Hero

Michael Gongora

The awards were presented at a reception and dinner party on Tuesday, September 23, at the Miami Beach Convention Center with celebrity stand-up comedian ANT emceeing the energetic event. In addition to the awards ceremony, the event included an open bar cocktail reception, a silent auction and a three-course seated dinner.

A live, cabaret-style routine featured performances from Lori Lynch, executive director of the LGBT Visitor Center, and her drag queen back-up dancers, the “Flamingettes,” (aka The Palace Divas) Tiffany Fantasia, Noel Leon, Tlo Ivy and Missy Meyakie LePaige. Lynch and the Flamingettes opened the awards ceremony with “Everything’s All Pink Flamingos,” a send- up of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from the musical “Gypsy.” to close the ceremony,

Lynch led the audience in “I Am What I Am” from “La Cage Aux Folles,” which transitioned into a heart-pumping disco rendition delivered by 50 members of the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus.

Proceeds from the “Pink Flamingo Awards” benefit the LGBT Visitor Center which welcomes thousands of international visitors throughout the year and serves as a major hub of activity for the local community. The Visitor Center is funded and operated by the MDGLCC Foundation, Inc., the non-profit foundation of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.