Monday, January 17, 2011

[Peckers_Pics] Model Wars, PICS; Jan 18, 2011 - Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated G



Model Wars, PICS; Jan 18, 2011
Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated  G

 
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Health - Wellness - Exercise - Reflections:
More on the NC State Rep. Who Wants to Cut HIV Funding for "Perverted Lifestyles"
 
by: Nora A / Jan 17, 2011 / Care 2
 
Remember North Carolina State Rep. Larry Brown's comments when asked by the Winston-Salem Journal to talk about his goals for the North Carolina General Assembly? That the government should not spend money to treat adults with HIV or AIDS who "caused it by the way they live."

Not surprisingly, he began the discussion by saying he would support a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a union between one man and one woman, clearly preventing any efforts to allow same-sex marriage.

Brown drew criticism in October for an e-mail he sent to other state Republican legislators in which he used disparaging language about gays. After the announcement of a legislative leadership award given to then-House Speaker Joe Hackney, Brown sent his e-mail to House Minority Leader Paul Stam saying: "I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops there in the audience."

Without explaining his connection between gay marriage rights and HIV government spending, he continued, "I'm not opposed to helping a child born with HIV or something, but I don't condone spending taxpayers' money to help people living in perverted lifestyles," said Brown, elected in November to his fourth term.

When pressed by reporters, Brown wouldn't comment about what he considers "perverted." While it might be fortuitous that readers were spared his bit of ignorance, he did say that "adults who get HIV through sexual behavior or drugs would be among those who should not be treated at government expense."

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, called Brown's comments "ill-informed," "hateful," and "extremely dangerous." He added, "hysterical, judgmental and inaccurate statements like Brown's create an environment that prevents many from getting tested and seeking treatment, thereby furthering the spread of HIV and AIDS. Larry Brown's conduct reflects poorly on his constituents and other elected officials. The people of North Carolina deserve better."

The small silver lining in all of this falls to other North Carolina Republicans, who avoid his comments completely.  Their unwillingness to even address Brown's statement is an admission of transgression.

House Rep. Dale Folwell declined to discuss Brown's remarks about HIV.  "I don't have any comment on that," said Folwell, who is slated to be the new speaker pro tem when the House convenes Jan. 26. "I just work on the things that I work on, and that takes all I have."

Rep. Bill McGee, a Republican who represents the 75th District in Forsyth County, said, "People who are sick need care. While I may not agree with the lifestyles which contribute to the sickness taking place, if a person is sick and has no recourse or any way to get help other than being on some program, then perhaps we will have to do that," McGee said.

While it seems unlikely Brown will be able to pass any legislation based on "lifestyle" choice, his comments are worth reporting because of their potential.  Too many false assumptions were made connecting all of the dots.

Of course, we cannot dictate health care based on lifestyle, but deeper than the health care issue, Brown (and perhaps Rep. McGee) deserves to be pressed about the idea of choice.  Homosexuality isn't a "lifestyle choice" and ignoring that comment further propels rhetoric into the minds of young people grappling with issues of identity, especially in North Carolina, a state that has historically been very conservative.

Brown's discussion regarding HIV and the gay community came at a sensitive time, in the wake of so many LGBTQ suicides.  As an elected official, he has a responsibility to his citizens.  Frankly, he is failing them.  Equating HIV to the gay community is not only ignorant, it's dangerous.

Katherine Foster, the president of AIDS Care Service in Winston-Salem, called Brown's remarks "fiscally and socially irresponsible." She said the remarks highlight "his ignorance on this major public-health issue."

"What Representative Brown can't seem to get through his mind is that HIV disease … affects individuals regardless of age, race and sexual orientation," Foster said. "Without funding for HIV, the disease is at risk for reaching pandemic levels, just as it has in countries that do not provide government funding for HIV-AIDS."

It serves Americans well to be informed about our elected officials, inform others, speak up, and actually vote.  Brown is a dangerous example of what can happen if we don't. Beyond the HIV epidemic health risks, how can our LGBT youth move beyond self-hatred when our elected officials are connecting homosexuality to choice, HIV, health care, drug abuse and ultimately insulting the small part their identity that has finally shown some clarity?
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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!
 
Your participation in discussion of health / news articles - appearing in this message is greatly appreciated.
 
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Fort Lauderdale Pride; June 20, 2010
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Fort Lauderdale Pride; June 20, 2010
Cuomo Cabinet Addition Brings Gay Marriage Speculation
Jan 17, 2011; Gothamist; By Garth Johnston
 
It might be cold outside, but Andrew Cuomo's affair with voters is heating up. The second Cuomo to lead New York currently boasts a mammoth 70 percent approval rating (the highest he's scored since he was Attorney General and hit 71% in June 2009). Even better for the frugal gov, more than half of voters consider him a moderate. Which has some wondering if Cuomo is going to use his honeymoon with voters to try and bring weddings to gay New Yorkers.

Cuomo has spoken out for gay marriage previously (and gave it a one line nod in his State of the State) but the impetus for the current scuttlebutt is his hiring of Erik Bottcher, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's former liaison to the gay community, for a brand new cabinet post. "Erik's intellect and experience will be an invaluable asset in the fight to restore New York as the progressive capital of the nation," Cuomo said of Bottcher, who also served as his liaison to the LGBT community in the election and will now be the special assistant for community affairs. But do note that his new job doesn't necessarily directly deal with the LGBT issues.

Of course getting gay equality through in New York is still going to be a tricky proposition. The last time the issue went before the State Senate, at the end of 2009, it was rejected 28-24. And it isn't like Cuomo doesn't have a whole lot of other issues on his plate (we are at a crossroads, after all, with budgets to balance and unions to fight) but still, it'd be nice if normally gay-friendly New York could catch up with, well, Iowa.
"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
 

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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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