Muscle Wars, PICS; Feb 23, 2011
Safe PICS For All Ages / We Support Keith Olbermann
Updates on slain gay activist - David Kato of Uganda @ ObamaBiden2008
Updates on Keith Olberman @ ObamaBiden2008
Boycott: Chick-fil-a as they are against gay marriage and donate to anti-gay causes.
Consider joining:
- Members should join our President Barack Obama group . (Health Care & Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, Repeal DOMA, Don't Ask & Don't Tell)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ObamaBiden2008/join - Wrestling Pic group @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CyberWrestlingGuys/join
- Bearhug Yahoo PIC Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bearhug/join
- HeadLock HeadScissor @
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeadLockAndHeadScissorsWrestling/join - Heath Ledger group @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeathLedgerTributeSite/join
- Bearhug Submission - Roommates: Ben vs. Ryan & then meet the guys at Sean's. (Episode 115 ) (Wrestling fiction). Your Yahoo Profile must include Age, Gender, Location (to the public) before you apply for membership!: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BearhugSubmission_/join
Diet & Fitness:
- Reminder: Did you complete your Diet Journal today?
- Did you do any physical activity? If not, make a point of it by tomorrow!
- Perhaps our male fitness photos shall inspire you to get Fit!
Take Action:Health - Wellness - Exercise - Reflections:HIV/AIDS in Black America: The Uphill Battle
Kellee Terrell / Huffington Post / February 21, 2011
In the fall of 1991, during a game of capture the flag in my eighth grade gym class, the teacher told us to stop playing, get in two lines and be very quiet. She told us that a serious announcement was going to be made. A few minutes later, over the speaker system, the principal played a press conference that was on the news. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, star of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, announced to the world that he was HIV positive.
I was completely shocked. Growing up, all I "knew" about HIV was that it was a white disease, and the stigma was it was a gay one -- except for Ryan White, who somehow contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. I was under the impression that this was not something that black people had to worry about.
Almost 20 years have passed since Johnson's public disclosure, and so much has changed.
The face of this epidemic in the U.S. is now one that resembles mine. AIDS is the number one killer of black women ages 24-35. Black men who have sex with men have the highest HIV rate among all racial groups of gay men. Overall, while African Americans make up a mere 12 percent of the overall U.S. population, they account for more than half of all new HIV infections that are diagnosed each year. And to make matters worse, African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV and AIDS at the same time than any other racial group, meaning they're less likely to get tested until they're very ill.
Black AIDS Institute's chief executive and president, Phill Wilson, wasn't exaggerating when he said that "AIDS is the fire that is ravaging the black community."
So what exactly is fueling the flames?
There is no one answer. It's a combination of many factors: Poverty and economic instability. Institutionalized racism. Lack of quality health care, poor access to health care in general and mistrust in the medical system. Gender inequality and domestic violence. Homophobia. Intravenous drug use and the lack of needle-exchange programs. Poor health literacy. High rates of incarceration. Untreated sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes and gonorrhea, which make people more vulnerable to contracting HIV. And people having unprotected sex while unaware that they are positive, and who thus go untreated while they're highly infectious.
The slow response by the federal government has played a role as well, as has a lack of funding. Thirty years into the epidemic, and it was only just last year that the U.S. government finally released a national HIV/AIDS strategy.
But most importantly, the black community's own slow response to the epidemic has had a profound impact. Minus a few exceptions, most black media publications, churches and community leaders set the tone early by turning a blind eye to HIV, believing that this epidemic was not their problem and that HIV was a moral issue as opposed to a public health crisis. In the end, we have all paid a price for their unwillingness to address the disease early on.
Don't get me wrong: Over the years, we have seen some progress in having public conversations about HIV, and the importance of getting tested and practicing safer sex. But we still have a long way to go. Unfortunately, too many current conversations about HIV -- especially in the black media -- are either met with resistance, treaded lightly or saturated with inaccuracies (think: everything about the down low).
Even within the past year, I have heard stories from people living with HIV who have recently been forced to eat off paper plates because those around them are still unaware of how HIV is contracted. Or how they are turned away from their church or rejected by loved ones and friends. I still come across people who don't really know what HIV is, who believe wholeheartedly that AIDS is a government conspiracy to kill black folks, or who believe that they are not at risk for HIV because their sexual partner is not a gay man. The culture of ignorance, stigma, silence and fear is very real, and it is killing us.
Now is the time for change -- and that change begins with you. This is why our African-American HIV/AIDS Resource Center exists.
By providing a diverse range of articles, first-person interviews and resources about HIV in black America, our goal is to give you hope and help bridge the knowledge gap between what you don't know and what you need to know. Most importantly, this resource center is for everyone, not just those who are living with HIV. So, if you are a loved one or a caretaker of someone living with HIV, or you're simply interested in learning more about HIV, AIDS and safer sex, this is a place for you too.
We hope that our African-American HIV/AIDS Resource Center inspires you to join the fight and keep the faith. Because even though it is a steep, uphill battle, remember that it is winnable. It won't be easy, but if everyone in our community can step up, get educated about the disease, get tested and take control and responsibility for our health, anything is possible.
- Boycott advertisers of Glenn Beck - Fox News. Glenn Beck is anti-gay rights.
- Update: DADT has been repealed. President Obama has kept his promise!
- Boycott Bill O'Reilly and FOX News and their advertisers. Bill discussed a French commercial by McDonalds that was meant to show that McDonalds is Gay Friendly. Bill said what is next? Is McDonalds going to be Al-Qaida friendly as well? Imagine - Bill O'Reilly compares Gays to Al-Qaida!
- Boycott Arizona the home of "hater" - U.S. Senator John McCain. Arizona's Hateful anti-Immigration Law - encourages racial profiling and increases hatred towards minorities. A remedy: Demand Republicans to support Immigration Reform (The Dream Act). Further, Senator McCain voted against ending DADT and Blocked Immigration reform!
- Boycott Target, Best Buy, Gold's Gym - for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations. Update: (12/26/2010): Target is continuing to donate to anti-gay groups/causes/politicians.
- End DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). Prevents Federal employees and Gays in the Military from gaining equal benefits. Prevents Gay Partners from gaining equal benefits.
- Pass ENDA (Employee Non-Discrimination Act). ENDA would prevent employment discrimination of LGBT workforce.
- Boycott Salvation Army as they will not hire Gays! "DO NOT DONATE TO THEM."
- BOYCOTT - Chick-fil-a for donating to anti-gay marriage groups.
- Remember David Kato, Gay activist - Uganda, who was slain because he is gay!
And Now, Our War of the Fittest!
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, you should select the guy 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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