Wednesday, December 1, 2010

RE: [Peckers_Pics] Model Wars; Dec 2, 2010; Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated G



Why are 21 year olds becoming HIV positive?
Haven't they been educated about condoms?

Have s-x. But use condoms.

Moderator: It is turning epidemic again. There are few reasons.
1st, the young people think, oh big deal, it is just a pill and they
won't die. 2nd, minority groups such as hispanic and the african
american community do not liike to use condoms. Perhaps, their
schools do not teach s-x education; or their schools are inferior and
do not teach it correctly. Sad, isn't it? ...jake

To: Peckers_Pics@yahoogroups.com
From: jakewest_tn@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 21:56:37 +0000
Subject: [Peckers_Pics] Model Wars; Dec 2, 2010; Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated G

 
 
Model Wars; Dec 2, 2010
Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated  G
 
Diet & Fitness:

  • Reminder: Did you complete your Diet Journal today?  Get it done!
  • Did you do any physical activity?  If not, make a point of it by tomorrow! Own a bike?  Ride it to lunch, work, park, lake!
  • It is our hope that our male fittness photos shall inspire you!

Today's Health - Wellness / Exercise / Reflections:
Three Gay, HIV-Positive Men Talk HIV/AIDS
by Brent Hartinger on December 1, 2010 / AfterElton
 
December 1st is World AIDS Day, which is an event created to draw attention to the issue of HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS isn't something we talk a lot about on AfterElton.com. Our site analyzes gay and bi men in pop culture, and the issue doesn't come up as much as it should.
Which is a big part of the problem. Why are so few people in the media, gay or straight, talking about HIV/AIDS these days? It's not like the issue has gone away. And while HIV is most decidedly not a "gay" issue per se, it absolutely affects our community in greatly disproportionate numbers.
GLBT people have always been on the forefront of HIV/AIDS issues. If we don't talk about it, not very many other people will either.
So we decided to ask three experts, all of whom are gay and HIV-positive themselves and who know better than most exactly what this disease entails. What's their take on HIV/AIDS in the GLBT community?
But to make things even more interesting, we made a point to include members of three different generations: a man in his 20s, a man in his 30s, and a man in his 40s.
Our panel includes Jack Mackenroth, the 41-year-old Project Runway fashion designer who has since become a prominent activist for HIV/AIDS awareness; Robert Breining, the 31-year-old founder of pozIam.com, an online community for people who are HIV-positive and their supporters, and the co-host (with Mackenroth) of a weekly online radio program on HIV/AIDS-related issues; and Jesse Sanchez, a 21-year-old Miami TV producer who also works on HIV/AIDS awareness.
(Our interviewees were all asked similar questions, but the interviews did not take place at the same time.)
AfterElton.com: How do you think people around your age view HIV/AIDS these days?
Jessie Sanchez
 Jesse: My immediate friends, people that I know with my education background, see AIDS as something they won't get, something that doesn't affect them directly. There are some who are more aware, but some just feel that they're invincible. They feel it's something that doesn't concern them or affect them.
I've heard people my age [21] say, "If you get HIV, you just take one pill, and you're good for the day." People don't understand the reality. Yes, HIV is a chronic disease, it's manageable, but there are so many circumstances that come with it. First of all, going to the doctor every three months? The responsibility of telling your partners? In my state, you're responsible to tell them, even if you're wearing a condom.
Robert Breining
 Robert: A lot of people of my generation [age 31] seem to have two different mind-sets. One, they're so ignorant and so uneducated that they think there's a cure because there are pills now. On the other hand, there are others who [really know their stuff and] have even been transformed into educators. It's like there are two ends of the spectrum, either really ignorant or really educated.
Jack Mackenroth ( see his pics inj Model's section)
 Jack: I think [people my age, in their 40s] all remember the devastation of the 80s and early 90s, but I also think [in some ways] we have a short memory.
I contracted HIV in 1988 or 1989, but I was really, really young. I know people who lost 100 friends. I was so young, that happened to me a little bit [but it wasn't the same].
Now it's [different]. There are treatment options available. In the best case scenario, it's a chronic illness, you can live a very healthy, successful life. I've been very lucky. When I was 20, I thought I was going to be dead by 25, no question in my mind. But then I lived to be 25, and then I was 27, and then I was 30, and now I lie about my age!
AE: How do you think attitudes have changed more recently?
Robert: [Attitudes have shifted] because there's all this criminalization of it, and a lot of positive people are thinking, "What's going to happen if I don't disclose [I'm HIV-positive]?" It's in the headlines, on Oprah. People are being put in jail for infecting other people whether it's on purpose or on accident for not disclosing. People [in my generation understand] it's their responsibility to disclose, since they carry the disease. It's shifting, but it's just not fast enough.
[I had a guest on the radio show recently], a couple where one is HIV-positive and one isn't. They said they have smaller of risk of contracting the disease, having safer sex and knowing their status than having unprotected sex and not knowing their status.
Jack: I'm now the HIV poster boy. I get a lot emails and Facebook messages from people who are newly diagnosed. I think it's a little bit easier to get the diagnosis now. Your doctor can console you, can give you treatment options, tell you there's a very good chance you'll live a full life expectancy. But I still get emails from people who say they feel unlovable, tainted. When I was diagnosed, they said, "Well, good luck!" There were no answers. And you saw people who "looked" sick, and I hate using that term, but now people [don't look sick and] can hide in the closet [about their HIV status].
I know of a lot of very famous household-name people who are HIV positive who could make a huge difference in the public's perception, but won't talk about for fear of it affecting their career. Unfortunately, those are valid fears.
Jesse: I'm very happy that people understand that HIV is manageable, it's not a death sentence. What makes me angry is people who feel, "Oh, it's just HIV, it's no big deal, just a pill a day." What happened to all those people before me, those people who stood up on the front lines and even died, [fighting] for prevention. All those people fought for this cause for no reason?
AE: What frustrates you about the way people think about HIV/AIDS?
Jack: No one wants to talk about it. You have to make some sort of effort, and you have to want to make a difference beyond yourself. People are scared to tell their family and the people who care about them. Listen, not only will you likely find a lot of support in that, but think about the HIV community at large. When I was on Project Runway, I was already out about my HIV status and I knew it would come out eventually on the blogs, but I chose to talk about it because I knew it would help people out in the middle of nowhere, watching the show being faced with something that they think they're alone in.
Robert: I hate that straight people still think it's a gay disease and they think they won't be affected by it. It's not just gay males in the cities who are getting affected. It really irks me they label this as a "gay disease."
And people think that all people with AIDS look like Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. They don't think we can't be athletic or can't have muscles like Jack does.
There's a lot of stigma within the gay community. People won't date someone who's HIV-positive – or someone who's negative. People on the dating sites and they say, "Must be clean." I don't know about other HIV-positive people, but I shower every day. It doesn't mean I don't have this disease.
Jesse: That drives me crazy! I'm out on a date, and people say, "Are you clean?" Yes, I'm a clean person. That [question] opens the gateway for people to lie. Yes, they're a clean person: they shower, they don't do drugs.
Now I'm infected with this, so I'm a dirty person? It's creates a hostile environment, it makes you put up your guard. "Okay, this is not going to turn out good!"
AE: What would you say to a gay or bi person who has just learned he's HIV-positive, and what would you say to a gay or bi person who is HIV-negative?
Robert: To someone who just found out they're positive, I would let them know their life isn't over. This is a process. The journey is different for everyone, but at the end of the day, their dreams aren't infected. They're still able to be who they were before they diagnosis.
To someone who's HIV-negative, I would commend and applaud them. One of my friends did a blog dedicated to HIV-negative people, saying they should get an award, a trophy for staying negative and being negative. I think it's a great way to view the negative community – they should be rewarded for staying negative, for practicing safe sex.
Jack: To someone who's newly positive, I always say, try not to freak out, know that it's a very optimistic, hopeful time. Find support, educate yourself so you can be your own advocate. There are lots of great online resources, like TheBody.com and AIDSmeds.com. [To the HIV-negative person], I say the only person who can protect you is you. Go into HIV-risky behavior assuming the other person is positive. The End. Always. People lie, people say what they want in the moment to get what they want. Or they don't lie, they just don't divulge. You're the only one who can protect yourself.
Jesse: To the HIV-positive person, okay, calm down, yes, it's serious, but it's nothing to freak out over. You have to deal with the cards you've been dealt. You need to find out how well your body's fighting the virus. I'm going to tell them I'm there for them, and if they need me to go to the doctor with them, I'll do it.
To someone who's HIV-negative, protect yourself. Respect your body. You only get one. You can't return it, exchange it, or repair it. Once this happens, you're stuck with it. No one is going to love yourself as much as you can. Seeking love from others isn't going to make you feel any better about yourself. Always wear a condom.
Of all the young HIV-positive people [I've talked to], I can honestly say that 80% of them have become HIV-positive because they were seeking that external validation. They wanted to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, so they slept with them on the first date. That meant, "We'd be together, they'd love me." And I think, "Where are they getting this from?" But then I remember, I thought that once too. I was 18 or 19, and I was seeking that external validation as well.
AE: How you do we, as a community, communicate to our members that it's really important to try to stay negative without stigmatizing those who are positive?
Robert: It's hard because on one hand, you want to tell people who are positive that it's not the end of the world, you can get past this, it's only a part of you, it's not all of you. You don't want to also say to negative people that it's okay for them to get positive. I try to let people know every day that these medications we take, there are a lot of side effects, and they're the worst part of it: the diarrhea, the bloating, the wasting that people have on medications, the loss of weight, all the other opportunistic infections. It's not an easy road, it's a bumpy road. Especially the bug-chasers. They kind of drive me crazy.
Jesse: It's a double-edged sword. There is no way to tell people, "This is something really serious," because you have to instill fear. But at the same time tell people, "No, this isn't the end, you can live with this."
Which one do we do? I'm someone who's HIV-positive and advocates [on the issue]. How do I tell you not to become positive when I'm also saying, "Yes, you can live with this."
[But here's the thing.] HIV is like buying the ugliest house on the block. It's a lot of work, and it's never going to be perfect. It's always going to be falling down, and you need to take care of it, twenty four hours of every day. Your cold won't last seven days, it'll last ten.
AE: Do you ever regret coming out as HIV-positive?
Robert: It's kind of like coming out as gay. It's very liberating once you do it, especially if you have that support system, like when I first came out as gay and I had my first circle of gay friends. I felt like I was finally being who I was supposed to be. [And] once you come out publicly, you don't ever have to do it again. It takes the disclosure nerves away.
When I was diagnosed in 2001, I didn't start medicine right away, because I was kind of in the denial stage. I didn't think I was sick, because I wasn't taking medicine or always going to the doctor. And in 2005, I realized I needed to do something with my life. When I went online looking for a support system, I wasn't able to find it. A lot of the sites that were for support ended up being hook-up sites, but I'm in a relationship, and that was a bad space for me to be in. So I created my own social network -- I wanted to create a place where people could come and just be themselves and not have that pressure of someone hitting on them, or medication ads hitting them all the time.
AE: Where would you like to see the GLBT community go next when it comes to HIV/AIDS?
Jack: I think the most important thing now is fighting the stigma. People need to come out of the closet and be vocal and visible. I've already seen Mondo [Guerra] came out this season on Project Runway. Every person who knows someone who is HIV-positive, it has a ripple effect. I really think the stigma is just as damaging as the disease itself, because if you're ashamed of finding out you're HIV-positive, you're less likely to be tested. If you're ashamed of being HIV-positive, you're less likely to be honest with your partner or your doctor, and getting the help you need.
Robert: I think there needs to be more organizations like ACT-UP back in the day. The gay community came together when Harvey Milk was running. We need that movement again. Especially with the waiting lists to get medication in the United States. I'd never heard of such a thing, to be on a waiting list to get medication when we're funding [things] overseas. We need to act up and be more vocal about it.

Jesse: Education is key. But we need to make a more serious outreach on HIV awareness. A lot of gay men still feel because they don't see it, it's not there. I'm invincible. I'm too pretty, I'm too good-looking. I have a nice car, I come from a nice family. As a community, we need to come forward and say, "This affects everyone and anyone." And if you're not responsible, it can. Not "can," it will.

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And Now, Model Wars!
This group is called "Peckers Pics."  The English -  slang definition of "pecker" is to pluck at the truth. Therefore, we peck at items such as Gay Men's Health, Male Fitness, Gay (LGBT) Politics & Issues.  In this section you may peck at each photo in order to decide the winner of the "war of the fittest!"  Whereas, who is the model that may inspire you to exercise and "get fit?"  Warning: This may stoke you!
 
Remember your participation in discussion of health and news articles in this message is greatly appreciated!
Jack Mackenroth
Jack Mackenroth (born April 29, 1969) is an American swimmer, model, and fashion
designer who competed in the fourth season of American reality show Project Runway
.[1] Mackenroth was the first openly HIV-positive contestant in the show's history.
 
VS
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2010
2010
Checkered shorts- Greg
1986
Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis - Gold Olympic Diver, HIV Poz, Openly Gay
 
You Decide!
Rey Almeida - Mr. December - 2010 Bare Chest Calendar
The SOMA Bare Chest Calendar (BCC) while under control of AIDS Emergency
Fund (AEF) and the Positive Resource Center (PRC) is produced and managed
each year by a steering committee made up of previous contestants and long
standing volunteers. The Calendar is sponsored and underwritten by the Miller
Brewing Company and Golden Brands San Francisco
Stoked?
Chuck Sanderson - Mr. November - 2010 Bare Chest Calendar
History and Facts About The Bare Chest Calendar.
21 Years of Hot Men Taking it Off.
Dan Savage: McCain is a Bigot
12/1/10-by Paula Brooks / Lez Get
 
"While a repeal would require some changes to regulations, the key to success, as with most things military, is training, education, and, above all, strong and principled leadership up and down the chain of command." --- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, on the repeal of DADT, Nov. 30, 2010

In 2006, Sen. John McCain said he'd support repeal of DADT when military leaders said it was time repeal the policy… Then after those military leaders said that, he raised the bar and said a study needed to be done on repealing the policy… But once he got that study, McCain was still not happy and began advocating that leaders, both military and civilian, should simply abrogate their responsibility to be strong and principled leaders, ask military personnel whether the policy should be repealed at all and make the decision to repeal the policy for them.

Yesterday, Keith Olbermann discussed with Dan Savage why the Pentagon's DADT study doesn't seem to be good enough for Sen. John McCain.

There can only be one reason according to Savage… McCain is a cranky old bigot… and he wants us to all get off his lawn right now.

Savage sentiments echoed those of UC Santa Barbara's Palm Center and Military scholars from West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Post Graduate School and the Naval War College, who said "The debate about the evidence is now officially over…. The only remaining rationale for 'don't ask, don't tell' is prejudice."
Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_kaawoKB7U
"Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."

....Jake

URGENT:  Boycott Gold's Gym, Target and Best Buy for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations and to Proposition 8 (California) to prevent gay marriage. I would not purchase "Blood Diamonds," nor should a person / organization be contributing funds to both Hitler / Nazi's and the Jews at the same time!   Obviously giving money to the Jews and not Hitler/Nazi's was the right thing to do.   Hence, these companies violated my trust and well-being.   They gave money to my enemy who would terminate me from my job, deny me housing and send me to a Internment camp.  Therefore, goodbye Gold's Gym, Target and Best Buy!  The CEO's of these companies have been insensitive to our reaction and do not even comprehend their actions!  What takes so long to "fire" these Neanderthals?

 



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"Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."

...Jake (Moderator)



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