Archive for August 23rd, 2008 Issue
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In early August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released revised figures on the number of new U.S. HIV infections each year. The updated statistics revealed an increase of more than 16,000 cases over the agency’s previous estimate of 40,000 new infections annually — even though rates declined for injection drug users and heterosexuals.
The stunning news was met with a flurry of media coverage.
LGBT activists and AIDS service organizations (ASOs) immediately took notice of the fact that the CDC said the burden of new HIV infections is “greatest among gay and bisexual men of all races.” Of the total 56,300 new HIV infections each year, a full 53 percent of them occur in gay/bisexual men and men who have sex with men (MSM).
WASHINGTON, D.C. — When state delegations head to Denver, Colo., for the Democratic National Convention Aug. 25-28, they’ll be bringing with them more representation from the LGBT community than ever before. According to the National Stonewall Democrats, overall LGBT participation in the quadrennial Democratic convention will increase 27 percent from [...]
COLUMBIA — A week-long series of events will lead up to what organizers said might be the largest SC Pride Parade and Festival yet. The international attention provided LGBT issues in the state after the weeks-long reporting of a gay-oriented tourism ad in London, England, has lent the Palmetto State [...]
CHARLOTTE — In its third successful year under the direction of Charlotte’s Lesbian and Gay Community Center, the 2008 Pride Charlotte festival enjoyed another record turnout. According to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police, 10,000 people attended the day-long festival at uptown Gateway Village on July 26. Raine Cole, one of the festival’s [...]
In this lamentable time when censorship runs amok and sex is still treated as something dirty, award-winning celeb/fashion photographer Joe Oppedisano daringly pushes the envelope with his arresting images of the human body.
At their best, his photos artistically explore the margins of raw sexuality — with hyper-masculinity being one of his favorite subjects. Through his lens, he captures a world inhabited by posing porn stars, rugged men openly engaging in bondage on urban sidewalks and hunky athletes surrounded by lush landscapes.
Major publications and corporations around the globe have long sought out Oppedisano, who is openly gay, for high-end commercial work — fashion spreads, cover shoots and advertising campaigns. These mainstream clients have included Esquire, New York Times Magazine, Men’s Health and Pepe Jeans. Oppedisano recently shot a 25th anniversary Calvin Klein spread for Italian magazine Collezioni Uomo.
CHARLOTTE — The history of the LGBT movement is replete with examples of queer men and women who turned their difficult, youthful experiences into a drive to create a better world for themselves and others. Josh Starnes is aiming to do the same. With the help of his friend Ashley [...]
There’s something strange in the air. Do you smell it? Can you taste it? Christianity is changing, my friend. Well, maybe it’s more like a regression than anything else. The death god is making a comeback. Goodbye newly revealed understandings of the divine! Hello, Dark Ages! Democratic Presidential candidate Barack [...]
Is ManHunt, the wildly popular online cruising site with the slogan “get on, get off,” a blessing or a curse for gay men? This is the question Out magazine writer Joseph Gross posed in one of the most provocative articles of the year. The Out commentary points to the benefits [...]
“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” This Bible verse, found in Romans 15:7, New American Standard Version, embodies the basis on which Christianity is based. Christians are expected to treat others with respect and acceptance, even if they don’t agree with [...]
Little Jackie — “The Stoop” (S-Curve) Regular readers of this column (hmmm, is that a bit like saying regular unicorns or regular leprechauns? anyway…) know that I love the ’60s soul-inspired revival that’s exploded in the U.K. the last year and a half. Amy Winehouse (“Back To Black”), Duffy (“Rockferry”) [...]
The case of Jim Adkisson, the fellow who murdered churchgoers in Tennessee, brought up such a hodge-podge of thoughts and emotions for me that I couldn’t figure out how to write this column. I sat here for an hour puzzling how to begin. I think I heard my keyboard snore. [...]
Homophobia is endemic to impoverished places. Look at U.S. slums and the portions of America that are awash in paucity or crime. Privation is often combined with a lack of education and a dearth of cultural diversity as well. In short: Poor people often blame the rich, educated “other” for [...]
Gay man looks set for Congress BOULDER, Colo. — Jared Polis (pictured) will likely become the first-ever openly gay man elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a non-incumbent. On Aug. 12, Polis won his Democratic primary to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District. As the Democratic nominee in an [...]
How serious can a movie be with a title like “Itty Bitty Titty Committee?” Too serious, unfortunately; certainly more serious than we‘re expecting from Jamie Babbit, the lesbian director of “But I’m a Cheerleader.”? She’s still political but, with a script by Tina Mabry and Abigail Shafran, “Itty” is more [...]
Ed. Note — This is part two in a series on trans issues and the DSM V, continued from the July 26 issue of Q-Notes. The Chair and many members on the APA (American Psychiatric Association) sexual and gender identity disorders workgroup for the DSM V, scheduled for release in [...]
PM not authorized to rebuke MP LONDON, England — As previously reported by Q-Notes, Member of Parliament Iris Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party — Strangford, North Ireland, pictured) has begun a radio campaign exhorting LGBT people to seek therapy and calling homosexuality an abomination. Robinson describes herself as a born again [...]
Dearest Trinity, I’m so sick of the “beautiful people” getting all the attention. Don’t you think that all this importance on beauty and sex appeal is making life too competitive? Beauty Queasy, Minneapolis, Minn. Dearest Beauty Queasy, Sorry to burst your competitive bubble but beauty will always be competitive, always [...]
Consolidate your gains as the Sun moves into stable Virgo. Not only can you turn a practical eye to the issues at hand, you can also build your future on solid ground and not on shifting sands. Unless of course you are relaxing at the beach. LEO (07.24-08.23) Even though [...]
Charlotte Diner event a deal breaker CHARLOTTE — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Carolinas has announced its first 2009 Gala “Let’s Make a Deal” Diner event to be held on Aug. 26 at Alley Cat, 314 N. College St., at 7 p.m. This soirée will help launch the theme [...]
