If you knew her at all, you knew she was a survivor, a character who didn't like to be bored, wouldn't take any shit - but dished it out beautifully - and loved to eat, to laugh, and tell stories with the best of them. She and my dad loved it when we were all home, or all together somewhere. We all like being around each other and that says a lot. You probably know that the apples don't fall far from the tree; her children are all like that in one way or another.

I loved my mother in ways that are complicated and extremely simple at the same time. Most gay sons could probably say the same thing. She took the hard route when it came to my coming out - she struggled, she argued, she cried - but when she got it, she defended me and protected me and accepted me (and my partner) completely. I just wish all kids had parents with such passion and commitment to their children. I was blessed.

Recent evidence suggests that, in addition to benefiting the individual, HIV treatment can reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission to other persons. We found that, just by changing the strategy of when to start treatment in individuals already in care, our model predicts significant reductions in new HIV infections among men who have sex with men in San Francisco.

Experts still don't agree about when exactly to start antiretroviral therapy. Some argue that the virus does a lot of damage, even before it becomes "active" and reduces the CD4 count significantly enough to warrant treatment. For them, it is important to suppress the virus as soon as possible. Others say that the medications themselves are damaging and a person with HIV shouldn't take them until absolutely necessary.

I tend to gravitate toward the first camp. Here's why:

I agreed, and changed my driver's license organ donor status (goodbye, little red heart!). But in the back of my mind I wondered "Why couldn't I donate to other HIV+ people should they need it? Surely having an infected organ and a few more years of life would be worth it." Especially now, when HIV (unlike, say Hepatitis C) is a very medically treatable disease. Not a picnic, but neither is renal failure.

Is it worse to have HIV than having to undergo weekly dialysis? Or to have a heart that works, or a liver, etc.? And if you already have HIV and need an organ, does it make sense that HIV+ donors be excluded?

Now it seems the feds are starting to think about the same things. According to the New York Times, The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention are about to issue new guidelines that will allow the study of HIV+ organ donation and transplantation.

It's about time. Literally.

What do you think? If it were about saving your life, would you accept an HIV+ organ? (img src)

The motion failed - it needed 60 votes, but for the first time in 20 years of working on this issue, the motion got 51% support - just over half. Is this progress? Yes and no.

This bill would have removed the language of deviate sexual conduct from the Montana code- and bring the code in line with the judiciary- the law was ruled unconstitutional in 1997, but Republicans refuse to remove it from the code. Keeping this meaningless (and illegal) language in the code is simply hateful- slapping the faces, repeatedly, of LGBT persons. There may be more support for equality now more than ever before, but the hate and ignorance can still be very strong in rural America.

But, if you want to hear progress, listen to Rep. Sands as she introduces her motion:

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The argument basically says nature dictates what is (and what isn't) natural. The basic premise for years had been that animals and plants have clearly established sexual roles and are completely hetero-oriented. And that was a basic premise of my high school science and biology classes.

Because my own experience doesn't bear this out, I've always known that science would soon catch up - destroying the faulty premise of hetero-only natural law. My friend Alex Johnson - a bona fide environmental scientist - also had the itch to find the versatility of nature.

In his fascinating piece for Orion Magazine, Alex writes:

Not so simple.

And not so fast.

Mike Wessler of the Montana Democrats:

During the hearing, opponents of the bill, both those testifying and on committee said some of the most disgusting things about gay, lesbian and bisexual people that I have ever heard. One opponent of the bill said that all pedophiles were gay or bisexual. A member of the committee asked a series of questions in order to suggest that gay men are simply HIV positive tax burdens.

Warning: this is some of the most vile asshattery I've ever heard.

"Huh? Really?"

I've spent a fair amount of time in Christian circles, where being gay is often feared, celebrated, and derided, but in some cases is simply no big deal. I'm used to it - Christian tradition seems built for such a struggle. But Islam?

I was eager to learn more.

I'm going to do a little bit of that today.

I'd like you to meet my friend Ted Hayes. Ted is a retired chemist, Baptist minister and Doctor of Counseling- and an untiring inspiration to me. He always has thoughtful responses to issues that are close to his heart. His partner, recently deceased, was a Montanan, and that, along with our shared "professional Christian" careers, gave us a great place to relate to, from and with each other. He recently shared something with me that I simply had to share here. With it, you will also learn to know and love my friend Ted.

Just to be clear she is wrong. HIV is a very fragile virus that dies within seconds outside the body. It is only spread by blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk - and there has to be enough virus to enter the bloodstream - it cannot penetrate healthy skin. An excellent resource is here.

On second thought, why don't we all mail her the link? Her email: jannataylor@montana.com And if you'd like to call to register your displeasure at her shameless behavior, her number is 406-849-6096.

But I can't help asking it when I see stories of deliberate arson evicting LGBT's from the safety of their homes. I also ask the question (appropriately modified) when I see anti-queer graffiti, read about harassment and beatings involving people who are too much like me to make me feel beyond it.

This house, owned by a gay couple in Clayton, North Carolina was destroyed early Friday morning. The story is here.

There was a history of anti-gay messages, graffiti, harassment and vandalism before the blaze. The couple is not identified for "fear of their safety." The neighbor who talked to the reporter also did so only anonymously. We are afraid.

And the Christianists call us a threat - among other nasty things.

So for the purposes of argument I will ask the following questions to those who believe equality only applies to white, heterosexual, cis-gendered, procreating, (&etc) Christians:

The full interview with Sean Strub, founder and editor of POZ Magazine and Senior Advisor to the Positive Justice Project is now available. Sean talks to me about HIV criminalization, pre-exposure prophylaxis, post-exposure prophylaxis, the demonization of people with HIV and much more.

I found him fascinating. I think you will, too.

Listen to it here.

Guns were part of our life - not an enormous part, but they were there. They were a tool with very serious consequences, and I was taught to be responsible for those consequences.

My friends and I, like the kid in A Christmas Story, lusted after the Red Ryder BB gun. When we got them (mine arrived on my 12th birthday; it wasn't a Red Ryder, but it was a repeater!) we shot at targets - usually tin cans, sometimes at small animals - and, on a dare, the windows of an old barn outside town. On the ranch, we sometimes shot at coyotes and foxes to protect the lambs. My grandfather's preferred method of livestock protection was a gas-powered "cannon" that would simply shoot off every 20 minutes - a relatively inexpensive (and effective) non-lethal noisemaker.

I, like every other kid my age, went to hunter's safety classes in preparation for a hunting license and learned rifle use and safety. I went hunting and shot (and field dressed) a few deer in my time, experiencing the blood, the gore, and learning basic anatomy from the inside out. I really went to spend some quality time with my Dad. Just remembering that time outdoors with him brings a smile to my face.

But around age 16, I lost the appetite for it. I just couldn't rationalize the necessity of shooting a beautiful animal when my survival didn't (necessarily - it's a macho thing) depend on it.

I think it started with an increasing awareness of violence in the world.

We support the clear will of the people of Montana expressed by legislation to keep homosexual acts illegal.

Despite the fuss I made, that others made, the discomfort from one Montana Republican leader(no leader of the Democrats said a word), the platform plank is still there. Despite my letters to elected officials, to the Log Cabin Republicans, to advocacy groups, no one really paid much attention. In fact, I only got one lukewarm response - from GLAAD. The issue got mentioned a few times- including once by Rachel Maddow, then it seems, was forgotten.

It's sad. It's even more sad when you figure the Texas GOP into the equation. They, too have a "Jail The Gays" plank.

Why can't we get it together?

Bea Arthur and Madame discuss Rock Hudson and sing "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." The irony is as thick as Madame's rouge.

He talks about growing up in the American West, coming out as a gay man and coming home to Montana. He expresses articulately and beautifully many of the struggles and triumphs that we all share.

He also speaks to the need for greater understanding of the gifts and stories that LGBT persons bring to our life out West- and his vision to help accomplish that.

Full disclosure: Greg is a dear friend, collaborator and fellow Montanan, and you will still find this worth listening to.

Listen to the program here. It's 29 minutes long.