This past September 8 the Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commissioners quietly and sheepishly adopted an ordinance to extend benefits to the domestic partners for its work force of more than 2,300 city employees. When addressing the issues of discrimination, Fort Lauderdale's municipal ordinances fails to have an inclusive non-discrimination policy to protect LGBT employees in the work place, nor does it require the same in contracts for vendors doing business with the city like that of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.

Last week, I attended the City Commission meeting to speak about an agenda item concerning vendor preference. The proposed item contained no provisions to address inequities many LGBT-individuals face in the workplace.

AIDS advocacy groups like HIV Prevention Justice Alliance, National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), AIDS United and the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) have all issued action alerts warning of the looming danger of roll backs to programs so critical to reduce injected drug use and slow the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C.

Several years ago, a dear friend once shared with me his painful struggle to escape the living hell of shooting up on crystal meth and how for years he lived with a "dirty secret" and feared reaching out for help. As tears ran down his cheek and fell from his chin, he explained the painful process of reaching out to friends for help - but he continually found himself abandoned by those close to him and desperate to find a way out.

As he went on with his story, he praised the efforts of harm reduction groups offering a syringe exchange program that helped him break free from a time never to be revisited. If it were not for the efforts of that organization, my friend would not be alive today.

After the jump, you will find the action we are asking you to participate in.

This morning, the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) and Gilead Sciences released a public service announcement featuring daytime talk show hostess Wendy Williams. I remember a few years ago while sick in bed with chronic bronchitis, I was channel surfing and came across Wendy. I just loved her. Now I love her even more.

In the PSA, Wendy stresses the need for people to get tested for HIV, take the necessary actions to protect yourself. If you are living with HIV, Wendy drives home the message for you to speak with your doctor about HIV-treatment in the early stages of the illness while you are still healthy. My favorite is when she digs her heels in and tells you to fight stigma and discrimination!

I am willing to put on a pair of high heels (as you see in the photo above) and stand up tall in the fight to end HIV along side Wendy Williams. Will you?

Video after the break.

Let's Redouble our Commitment to Cure AIDS!

The debate over the federal budget and deficit reduction gets more heated each year. But on this World AIDS Day, the benefits of federal investment in research are incontrovertible. As documented earlier this year, for the first time in history, a cure for AIDS is possible. One man's HIV infection has been eradicated using a HIV-resistant immune cell transplant--a concept based on discoveries first made by researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 1990's. For millions around the world this discovery is incredibly encouraging, despite the fact that this type of treatment would be difficult, costly, and too dangerous for widespread implementation. With the new scientific breakthrough, some of the smartest, most experienced scientists and new young investigators are employing cutting edge technologies and working tirelessly to discover and develop a safe, effective, feasible, and scalable HIV cure. We need Congress to increase funding for NIH for AIDS research in order to build on this momentum.

Despite the progress made on HIV/AIDS by the Obama Administration, including implementation of our National HIV/AIDS Strategy, this last year, the fuel that has been burning my candle at both ends has been running on reserves. I traveled to Chicago to blog on the USCA and the movement in hopes to refuel my energy for what is going to be among our most challenging year ahead as Congress locks horns on critical funding for HIV/AIDS programs.

At Thursday's opening plenary, David Munar, President/CEO of AIDS Foundation of Chicago delivered a bold message to help ready advocates by stating that despite some of our efforts being "stuck in the mud...we have some heavy lifting to do. My friends, it's time to get our hands dirty."

David's welcome address at USCA is posted after the jump. But I before you read it, I want you to view a video I recorded of him on July 14, 2010 at Union Station in Washington, the morning after we attended the official release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy at the White House on July 13, 2010.

The ordinance places Broward County's domestic partnership policies among the strongest in the country. Broward's new ordinance is Florida's first countywide Equal Benefits Ordinance (EBO), a measure that requires the county's vendors to provide domestic partners with benefits equal to those offered to spouses of married employees.

In recent years EBOs have been adopted as a state law in California, and in the cities of San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Olympia, Minneapolis, and Portland. In 2005, Miami Beach became the first city in Florida to pass such a law. Now Broward has become the first county, Pollitzer said.

According to Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director for Equality Florida:

"By enacting this ordinance, Broward County adopts one of the nation's most significant policies furthering workplace equality. Today, Broward County continues its long history of leadership in the area of human rights by delivering on the promise of equal pay for equal work. If you want to do business with Broward County, you must treat domestic partners and married employees equally."

BACKGROUND:

• Congressional negotiations to reduce the federal deficit are still stuck, putting at risk critical services upon which millions of Americans rely, including persons living with HIV/AIDS.
• The Ryan White Program, Medicaid, Medicare, housing, prevention and other programs that make up the safety net for vulnerable Americans with HIV/AIDS andthe NIH-supported research that holds the keys to ending the pandemic are all on the line.
• Congress is negotiating now to reduce the deficit and Congress is scheduled to vote on this isssue this week, so we need to exert pressure now!

ACTION NEEDED:

Please call your Senators and Representative and tell them to prevent harmful cuts and caps to health care and low-income programs, including those that impact persons with HIV/AIDS, in negotiations to reduce the deficit - we need a fair and balanced approach now! Please make these critical calls today!

To call your Senators and Representative, dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. To look up your Members of Congress, click here.

MESSAGE:

Please call with this message: I am calling to ask my Senator / Representative to prevent harmful cuts and caps to health care, research, and low-income programs, including those that impact persons living with HIV/AIDS, such as the Ryan White Program, Medicaid, Medicare, housing, and prevention programs! We need a fair and balanced approach now!

• Balancing the budget on the backs of vulnerable Americans, including those living with HIV, is wrong, will potentially cost lives, and will cut jobs in the health care and human needs sectors.
• Early and reliable access to HIV care, treatment, and support helps people with HIV live healthy and productive lives and is cost effective. Investing in HIV prevention today translates into greater health and less spending in the future.
• In my state/district, such programs are greatly needed, because (insert local details or tell personal story).

Last week, I was especially proud when my dear friend Brian shared with me the "It Gets Better" video featuring a number of CBS's LGBT employees, with Brian being included in the cast of employees to let our LGBT youth know that "it gets better."

I met Brian in late 1992, months after I moved to Los Angeles and was struggling with the all too common emotional abandonment and rejection after telling my family I was gay. Brian was that friend and surrogate brother who affirmed, embraced, loved, and nurtured me to be proud of who I am and not to succumb to the bigotry and hatred in this world stemming from sexual orientation. He reassured me that I should not live in the closet - and he showed me how to hold my ground on the dance floor and celebrate our inner-being while gyrating about under the spinning mirrored ball. To this day, he's been one of those people in my life who has helped fan my internal flame to fight social injustice.

Look, Debbie . . . let me make myself perfectly clear . . . you are the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. . . You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!

At this year's Positive Living 14 Conference, Butch McKay and his staff invited Paul Kawata, Executive Director of the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) to deliver the keynote on "The State of AIDS". Paul took us back in time to remind us of our collective history, The Denver Principles, and the importance of community. I really appreciated hearing Paul's reflection given I was not very aware or engaged in the early days of GRID and AIDS. It surfaced a memory from when I was 14 or 15, scarred deep in my memory, an outburst from my older brother while my family sat in the living room and watched the evening news. A story on AIDS was being reported when my brother burst out with, "Finally, there's something to get rid of the faggots." Ironically, about 10 years later, this faggot was diagnosed with HIV and a short time later, the "gay cancer" - AIDS.

While Paul spoke, he reminded some of us of our history, while also educating the younger generation of people now living with HIV/AIDS.

Continue after the jump to watch Paul's speech at Positive Living 14

As you may recall, other fair-minded, hardworking, tax-paying residents of other states across the country also rallied against a similar evil political agenda in their own state. Perhaps the nation's most memorable rallying cry was in Wisconsin where Republicans ordered the Capitol Building to be shut down while Americans were horrified and watched arrogant lawmakers ignored the will of the people.

I had the pleasure to not only participate in the Fort Lauderdale Awake the State rally on March 8, but with my bullhorns (yes plural), I helped lead demonstrators in chants and worked with law enforcement to assure that the near one thousand people gathered in Fort Lauderdale remained peaceful. Among the highlights was when I took immense pleasure to have the police remove belligerent and pigheaded Tea Baggers who infiltrated our designated area.

After the jump, read about the upcoming May 10 rally and watch a video of the March 8 rally.

Broward County Public Schools, the nation's sixth largest school district, with nearly 35,000 employees and 250,000 students, amended the District's Non-Discrimination Policy to include protections for transgender students and employees on March 1, 2011. Paul Hyman, executive director of The Pride Center at Equality Park and Mark Ketcham, executive director of SunServe both thanked board members for continuing to support LGBTQ-youth.

School board members, administrators and members of the public listened attentively as the executive directors from two of South Florida's LGBTQ-organizations spoke in support of the change in policy. One parent spoke in support of the policy change and even shared her family's experience and disclosed her child is transgender. The school board voted unanimously to approve the change in policy.

Representatives from Equality Florida and Broward Human Rights Initiatives were present at the January 25th when the proposed changes were presented to the board on its first reading. In a written statement, both organizations voiced their strong support of the policy change to board members.

Continue after the jump for videos and more.

I have been attending this jewel of a conference every year since 2006 and value the time to meet up with peers and attend various workshops on HIV-disease management, prevention and advocacy. Even after 30-years of HIV, PLWHA's still struggle, especially in rural communities, to find safe space to dialogue and share their experiences. Positive Living is hosted by Butch McKay and his exceptional staff at Okaloosa AIDS Support & Informational Services.

Back on World AIDS Day 2009, I posted a World AIDS Day message from my humble hero Butch McKay.

Over the years, I have had the incredible honor to call him a friend. In 2006 when Democratic Congressman Jim Davis was running for Florida Governor, Butch stood by my side at a campaign rally when I threatened an ACT UP style demonstration unless Davis signed a pledge to end AIDS at his Fort Lauderdale campaign rally just across the street from the Gay & Lesbian Community Center. Needless to say, Congressman Davis signed the pledge.

Watch my video interview with Butch McKay after the jump:

Below is a video of last Friday's discussion where Hastings' amendment was adopted unanimously by voice vote. While Democrats may no longer be the ruling party in the US House of Representatives, they can still find ways to fight for the people.

Continue after the jump to watch Congressman Hastings' September 23, 2010 floor speech on the ADAP crisis.

Earlier this week a few fellow AIDS advocates forwarded a link to a video of ABC's What Would You Do If You Witnessed AIDS Discrimination? The video captured the reaction of an everyday real life American, not an actor, who is uneducated about the realities of how HIV is transmitted when two actors interact with one another. The male HIV+ actor Daniel Logan is HIV+ in real life and to be commended for living his life as an example to end AIDS-related stigma.

ABC filmed the encounter at the Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, an establishment I frequented for lunch in the early 1990's, while still HIV- and closeted about my sexual orientation. I worked in the underwriting department for a major commercial property insurance company with an office in East Rutherford at the time.

The video and more are after the jump.