GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October 7, 2011 •

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City Hall to honor LGBT Heritage Day

by Cindy Yu

Cleveland-Mark your calendars for the Cleveland LGBT Heritage Day celebrations to take place at Cleveland City Hall rotunda, 601 Lakeside Avenue. Beginning at 5:30 pm next Tuesday, October 11, a crosssection of the city's civic leaders will gather to honor the vibrancy and diversity of Cleveland's LGBT community. Several LGBT individuals and community supporters will be honored as "Shining Stars."

Last year's recipients were Detroit

Shoreway Community Development Organization executive director Jeff Ramsey for neighborhood leadership; attorney Leslye Huff for advocacy; Jes Sellers, Ph.D., the director of Case Western Reserve University Counseling Services, for education; John Corlett, vice president of government relations and community affairs at MetroHealth System, for health care; and Rev. Don King, the pastor of Hope Lutheran Church, for faith-based outreach.

Come and celebrate Cleveland LGBT Heritage Day with our community leaders and allies, and see who will be honored in 2011.

For more information, go www.lgbtcleveland.org or call 216-

651-5428.

Cindy Yu is the interim executive director of the Cleveland LGBT Center.

Stonewall Dems endosrse ten in local races

Cleveland-At the September 15 general meeting of the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, the membership voted on endorsements for the November 8 general election for offices in several communities.

Candidates were sent required questionnaires to complete and given the opportunity to interview with a screening committee as well as come before the general membership to speak.

In order to receive endorsement the candidate had to receive 60% of the vote of the

members present.

"The endorsement process is something CSD is very proud of," said Cleveland Stonewall Democrats president Rob Rivera. “It is a thorough and thoughtful process and we view it as the first step in our work to move the equality agenda forward in our region and we are excited to support these proequality candidates. The work we do now

enables us to reach out and advance equality across our region as evidenced in Cleveland and East Cleveland this past summer and in Cuyahoga County government right now."

After hearing from several dozen candidates from several communities, discussing each race and voting, the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats are proud to endorse these pro-equality candidates in the November 8 general election.

Cleveland Heights City Council

Jeff Coryell Phyllis Evans Dennis Wilcox

East Cleveland City Council

Ward 4: Mildred Brewer

Lakewood Mayor

Michael Summers

Lakewood City Council

Ward 2: Tom Bullock

Shaker Heights City Council

Ed Long Nancy Moore

Cleveland Municipal Court

Full term commencing 1-3-12: Pinkey Carr

East Cleveland Municipal Court

Sandra Walker

GAY PEOPLE'S

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Publishing the News of Ohio's LGBT Community since 1985

Volume 27, Issue 8

Managing Editor: Patti Harris

Associate Editor: Brian DeWitt

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AIDS Resource Center Ohio gets CDC grant

by Bill Hardy

Columbus-A new grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at reducing HIV transmission in Central Ohio has just been awarded to AIDS Resource Center Ohio.

The multi-year grant will support the activities of the new Greater Columbus Mpowerment Project. The initiative will focus on empowering young gay and bisexual men of color to reduce their sexual risk-taking and establish healthy peer relationships.

The award is one of 34 made nationwide to community-based organizations in 19 states and Puerto Rico.

Nearly 600 young gay and bisexual men of color will also be tested for HIV through the project. Those individuals who test positive will be linked to supportive counseling to help them access treatment and adopt strategies to reduce transmission of the virus, thus enhancing both individual and community health.

Columbus has the highest rate of HIV in Ohio, and the 25th highest in the nation. Already, nearly 3,200 HIV-positive individuals are known to be living in Columbus, and another 600 are estimated to be infected, but not yet diagnosed. Based on health department data, it is estimated that every 25 hours someone in Central Ohio is newly-infected with HIV.

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According to the Ohio Department of Health, of total living cases of HIV or AIDS in Franklin County, 2,601 are men, and 65.6% of those men are known to have acquired HIV infection through male-male sex, sometimes referred to in public health circles as men who have sex with men, or MSM. An additional 3% of Franklin County males living with HIV or AIDS report risk from male-male sex and sharing of drug injection equipment.

ARC Ohio has been a leading advocate for a public health approach to HIV/AIDS, one that directs scarce resources toward those most impacted. Gay and bisexual men still bear an enormously disproportionate burden of this epidemic. Two-thirds of all new HIV cases in Ohio are among this population, but less than a third of state HIV prevention dollars are allocated to HIV prevention programs specifically designed to reduce HIV among gay and bisexual men.

ARC Ohio chief operating officer Peggy Anderson cites a recent federal study concluding that MSMs are 44 times more likely to be living with HIV infection than heterosexual men. Anderson will oversee the new project, which includes the establishment of a new Mpowerment Center in Columbus. The center will function as both a central site to serve the needs of program youth, and as a hub for participant outreach activities.

"In the Columbus region as across the nation, HIV is spreading most rapidly today among gay and bisexual youth of color," states Anderson. "This new program provides the critical funding needed to truly respond to the needs of these youth in our community."

Earlier this year, ARC Ohio released Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, a policy brief addressing the problem of inadequate funding for HIV prevention efforts to reach gay and bisexual men in Ohio. In addition to changes in funding priorities, increased funding for HIV prevention efforts overall; expanded utilization of evidence-based interventions in HIV prevention for MSM; and assurances that agencies receiving public HIV prevention funds are sensitive to, and inclusive of, the needs and experiences of gay and bisexual men.

The brief, which was endorsed by major local and statewide AIDS and LGBT organizations, also called upon state and local governments to ensure that HIV prevention efforts for gay and bisexual men receive an equitable share of public resources-one that corresponds to the continuing impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men.

Since July 1, AIDS Resource Center Ohio, the Columbus AIDS Task Force and the Ohio AIDS Coalition have merged to become Ohio's largest HIV/AIDS service, prevention education, and advocacy organization. With offices in Columbus, Dayton, Lima, Mansfield, Cleveland, Toledo, Athens, Chillicothe, and Newark, ARC Ohio will provide links to care, financial assistance and supportive services to more than 2,500 HIV-positive Ohioans in 2011. Thousands more will be reached with evidencebased prevention, HIV testing, and advocacy activities.

For more information, log on www.arcohio.org.

Bill Hardy is the executive director of ARC Ohio.

P.O. Box 391464 Cleveland, Ohio 44139 216-916-9338 E-mail:

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