White House Staying Mum on Rumors of Anti-LGBT Exec Order

Trump may rescind Obama's nondiscrimination order covering federal contractors or issue an anti-LGBT one, but the press secretary won't confirm anything yet.

By Trudy Ring

 

January 30 2017 

 

 

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Rumors are floating that President Trump will rescind President Obama’s executive order banning anti-LGBT discrimination by companies that hold contracts with the federal government and perhaps put a “religious freedom” order in place.

At today’s press briefing, White House press secretary Sean Spicer refused to discuss the matter when Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson brought it up. “I’m not getting ahead of the executive orders that we may or may not issue,” Spicer said. “There’s a lot of executive orders, a lot of things the president has talked about and will continue to fulfill, but we have nothing on that front now.” 

A week ago, when asked if Obama’s order would stand, Spicer replied, “I just don’t know the answer.”

Bloomberg Government first reported on the rumors Friday, in a story that is available to clients only. The story noted that “a range of options are under consideration for an executive order that could target LGBTQ people with discrimination, including allowing contractors to discriminate in hiring, allowing taxpayer-funded workers to refuse to serve LGBTQ people or allowing Indiana-style discrimination where contractors could refuse service to LGBTQ people,” according to a Human Rights Campaign press release.

“Indiana-style discrimination” refers to the “religious freedom” law signed by Mike Pence, now vice president, in 2015 when he was governor of Indiana. The law would have given legal cover to businesses that turned away LGBT people or others who offended the business owner’s religious sensibilities. Amid public outcry and boycotts, it was amended so as not to allow such discrimination.

“The rumors of an anti-LGBTQ executive action by President Trump are deeply troubling,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC senior vice president for policy and political affairs, in the press release. “We already know that he is willing to target and marginalize at-risk communities for his perceived political gain. As the president and his team plan their next steps, we want to make one thing clear: we won’t give one inch when it comes to defending equality, whether it is a full-on frontal assault or an attack under the guise of religion. Mike Pence should know that better than anyone given his track record in Indiana. The Human Rights Campaign will stand with those who have already been targeted by this administration and are prepared to fight tooth and nail against every effort to discriminate.”

Trump has said he would sign anti-LGBT laws such as the proposed First Amendment Defense Act, a national version of state-level “license to discriminate” laws, which would apply to government workers as well as private businesses and nonprofits, protecting them from penalties if they cite religious objections in refusing service to LGBT people or others.

In what was seen by many as a cynical move, Trump cited antigay discrimination in his executive order blocking entry to the U.S. by people from seven majority-Muslim countries. “The United States should not admit those who engage in acts of bigotry or hatred, (including ‘honor’ killings, other forms of violence against women, or the persecution of those who practice religions different from their own), or those who would oppress Americans of any race, gender or sexual orientation,” his declaration stated.

That caught the attention of Lambda Legal CEO Rachel B. Tiven, who issued this statement: “LGBT people refuse to be pawns in Mr. Trump's dangerous and inhumane game. We utterly reject his discrimination against Muslims in the guise of concern trolling for LGBT rights. If he really wants to help LGBT people, he can pledge to retain the Executive Orders that help protect us and to nominate a Supreme Court justice who supports equal treatment of all regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Read more articles from the Advocate, here.  

Suicidal Behavior is Higher in People Seeking HIV Tests

It's time  mental health and HIV testing went hand in hand.

By David Artavia

 

January 30 2017

 

 

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Social isolation is all too common for people who receive a new HIV diagnosis. As Plus previously reported, nearly one-third of older adults living outside nursing homes or hospitals live alone, and those living with HIV are at higher risk for suicide. 

In fact, the risk of someone killing themselves because of their diagnosis and a lack of support is so high that it’s time healthcare professionals begin to implement suicide prevention in tandem with HIV testing and care. 

One cross-sectional study by the department of psychology at Stellenbosch University in Matieland, South Africa, discovered that suicide rates three times higher among people living with HIV than in the general population. 

According to the study, out of 500 people seeking HIV testing, one in five reported suicidal ideation in the previous week, and 24 percent within the previous two weeks. 18.05 percent reported suicidal thoughts, 2.07 percent reported a desire to kill themselves, and 4.15 percent said they’d commit suicide if they had an opportunity. 

Dr. Jason Banties, lead researcher of the study, said, “Our findings may be in part a result of the relative homogeneity of our sample in terms of socioeconomic status. Future studies [that] draw from a broader cross-section of individuals may help to identify the socioeconomic and contextual factors that contribute to suicide ideation behavior in this population.”

While the study found no association between suicidal ideation and age, gender, unemployment, family income or food insecurity, it did find strong associations with depressive disorders, anxiety, trauma and stress-related disorder. 

Researchers suggest that because these numbers are so prevelent, it's time we start implementing stronger support for those living with HIV who also have mental disorders.

HIV testing doesn’t only need to be administered in clinics. If suicide ideation behavior continues to grow among those living with HIV, it will qualify as a public health problem. It’s time we integrate mental health services inside HIV care systems. 

And it starts by simply talking about it. 

Read more articles from PLUS, here.

 

All Evidence Points to Trump Having Zero Plans to Battle HIV

The future is uncertain for the Office of National AIDS Policy — as well as millions of lives.

By Nico Lang

 

January 30 2017

 

 

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Donald Trump’s first week as president has been the nightmare we've mostly been expecting, and LGBT people weren't left behind in his path of destruction.

Following the inauguration, all references to LGBT people disappeared from the White House website, including an apology from Secretary of State John Kerry about the government’s history of purging LGBT workers from federal jobs in the 1950s and '60s. Most troublingly, the webpage for the Office of National AIDS Policy has been removed, triggering reports that the program had been eliminated.
 

Jeffrey Crowley, the former director of ONAP under President Barack Obama, told The Advocate that there’s no indication the office has been shuttered as of yet.

Crowley, who served in the office from 2009 to 2011, said that he didn’t start until a month after Obama’s inauguration, as most White House staff are political appointees and change between presidents. The previous ONAP staff ended their service on January 4, which means it could be weeks before the LGBT community learns about the department’s future in Trump’s White House.

“This administration is widely recognized to be behind in the transition,” he explained. “If it took me a month to get in, I presume it will take longer than that for them to even make a decision about whether they’ll have an ONAP.”

The truth is that Trump, who said almost nothing regarding HIV/AIDS prior to his election, likely doesn’t have a strategy in place for tackling the ongoing epidemic — or even maintaining the programs already in place. The 45th president mentioned HIV just once on the campaign trail; that was in regards to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a program set up by President George W. Bush to tackle the spread of the disease in Africa. Trump's comments left much to be desired.

During an appearance at the No Labels Conference in October 2015, an audience member asked if Trump would “commit to doubling the number of people on treatment to 30 million people by 2020” through the program.  

“Those are good things — Alzheimer’s, AIDS,” the candidate said at the annual summit, which is intended to promote bipartisan cooperation on critical issues. “We are close on some of them. On some of them, honestly, with all of the work done, which has not been enough, we’re not very close. The answer is yes. I believe strongly in that, and we are going to lead the way.”

But as Ed Yong first pointed out in The Atlantic, there’s a problem with Trump’s response: “It’s unclear if Trump actually understood the question, given that PEPFAR doesn’t cover Alzheimer’s.” His transition team would later question the need for foreign aid to curb HIV/AIDS, referring to it as a “massive, international entitlement program.” As of the time of writing, the White House’s PERFAR web page remains active.

Jason Cianciotto, the vice president of policy, advocacy, and communications for Harlem United, told The Advocate that since October 2015, Trump has “not said anything about HIV/AIDS, domestic or international.”

“Our analysis of President Trump’s record on HIV/AIDS in the U.S. found that he doesn’t have one,” he said.

Harlem United, an advocacy organization focusing on HIV/AIDS, co-authored a report with the Boston-based care center Fenway Health on where the major party candidates stood on the need to end the ongoing HIV crisis globally. The two groups examined the nominees’ campaign statements and public platforms, as well as interviews and news articles written about them. Trump was the only candidate to remain virtually silent on the virus, with his campaign website totally ignoring the issue.

If HIV/AIDS isn’t on Trump’s radar at all, that could be a major problem under the new administration. Last Monday, the president signed an executive order instituting a hiring freeze on all federal government jobs. The move was intended to reduce the “dramatic expansion of the federal workforce in recent years,” press secretary Sean Spicer said.

The failure to restaff ONAP could jeopardize the office’s future under future administrations,  Crowley said, which would have a devastating effect on the progress we’ve made in tackling the spread of HIV in the U.S. In 2010, Obama unveiled the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, an ambitious plan that designed to “reduce the number of new diagnoses by at least 25 percent,” among other things.

That strategy has fallen short of its high goals, but under Obama, the rate of HIV infections has flatlined at around 40,000 new cases each year, according to David Ernesto Munar, the CEO of Chicago’s Howard Brown Health Center.

Without a policy to match the previous administration’s, it’s highly likely that those numbers would increase, especially given his vice president’s previous failures on HIV.

As the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence dramatically reduced state spending on public health, leading to the closure of the sole Planned Parenthood in Scott County, a rural district located in the southeast corner of the state. It was just one of five that operated in Indiana prior to the cuts. That center provided crucial HIV testing and preventative care to the county’s 28,000 residents. 
Without those resources, there was a major outbreak of the virus, leading to 190 new cases of HIV in 2015.

In addition, Pence advocated the diverting of federal funding for the Ryan White Care Act, a program that provides life-saving resources for low-income people living with HIV, to conversion therapy on his website during his 2000 campaign for Congress. The Republican has yet to respond to criticism of his record on HIV/AIDS.

Following the election, critics were asked to give Trump a chance — or wait and see what becomes of his policies. HIV-positive individuals don’t have that option.
 

Read more articles from PLUS, here.

Successful HCV Treatment Reverses Some Cognitive Decline in Small Study

Istock

The ongoing study includes those with and without HIV, which is associated with declining cognitive function.

January 30, 2017

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Curing hepatitis C virus (HCV) may dial back some forms of cognitive decline in those with and without HIV.

Publishing the findings of their ongoing study in a letter in the journal Neurology, German researchers designed an open observational trial of individuals with HCV who did and did not have HIV. They also assessed a group of controls (individuals who did not have either virus) to serve as a comparison to the others before they started hep C treatment.

None of the participants who had HCV had cirrhosis of the liver, a history of substance dependence or cerebral diseases. All those with HIV had an undetectable viral load for at least six months.

The participants received a battery of tests of cognitive function, some of which were based on self-reporting. These tests were taken upon entry into the study and a second time at least 12 weeks after completing treatment for HCV.

In 2015 and 2016, the researchers assessed 25 HCV-positive individuals, 15 of whom had HIV. All but one individual was male.

At the study’s outset, those with hep C had significantly poorer performance with regard to visual and working memory, processing speed, attention and executive function (which includes a series of cognitive processes integral for cognitive control over behavior) compared with the control group. The researchers did not see a difference in cognitive function based on HIV status.

So far, 12 of the participants have completed HCV treatment: two with Technivie (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir) plus ribavirin, nine with Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) and one with Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) plus ribavirin. All of them achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure).

Tests indicated that between the study’s outset and the follow-up assessment, those who were cured of hep C experienced improvements in visual memory, processing speed, attention and executive functioning. The severity of fatigue also declined while self-reported quality of life improved.

The study is limited by its small sample size.

To read the Neurology letter, click here.

Read more articles from POZ, here.

  

This Governor Plans to Slash $4.8M From State HIV/AIDS Investments

The cuts could derail the “ambitious but achievable goal” of eliminating HIV transmission 

by 2020.

January 30, 2017

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed cutting $4.8 million from the state’s HIV/AIDS investments in prevention, education and outreach as part of the budget for fiscal year 2018, reports Mass Live.

In total, the governor’s proposal is for a $40.5 billion budget, an increase of $1.6 billion from the current fiscal year. Despite the $4.8 million cut, the state will still invest $28.3 million in its HIV/AIDS efforts.

“This recommendation, which follows a $900,000 [midyear] cut to the current fiscal year’s budget, signals a dangerous retreat by the state on efforts to fully eradicate HIV transmission in Massachusetts,” said Carl Sciortino, executive director of AIDS Action Committee, a statewide provider of HIV/AIDS services, in a statement.

Sciortino points out that thanks to past investments in HIV treatment education and outreach, the state is nearing its goal of eliminating HIV transmissions by 2020 by ensuring that 90 percent of people living with HIV are aware of their status, that 90 percent of those diagnosed with the virus are receiving treatment and that 90 percent of those on treatment are virally suppressed.

“That ambitious—but achievable—goal will not be met without investment, support and partnership from the state, which is not in evidence with this budget recommendation,” said Sciortino. “In Massachusetts, those who are living with HIV and those who are most vulnerable to infection―Black and Latino men and women; gay and bisexual men; transgender men and women; people who are homeless, particularly young people; and those who are incarcerated―are some of our most vulnerable residents. Unnecessarily prolonging their vulnerability to HIV is cruel, and asking them to bear the burden of budget reductions is unfair, immoral and unjust.”

Baker’s proposed budget is just a starting point. Committees from the House and Senate will negotiate on the final budget, which must be signed by the governor before the start of the 2018 fiscal year, which is July 1, 2017.

Read more articles from POZ, here.

  

Human antibody trial adds new hope for HIV vaccine

Credit - BSIP/UIG Via Getty Image

Antibody 10-1074 could be key to creating a vaccine in the future

Liat Clark

Monday 30 January 2017

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A human trial has shown tentative but significant progress towards a vaccine for HIV.

An HIV cure has eluded the scientific community for decades. Typically, when a virus strikes, the body recognises the foreign entity and sends in the troops to destroy it. The HIV virus gets around this by infecting the immune system’s first port of call - the T-cells. In the process, they are destroyed or hijacked to help create new HIV viruses.

Now, a study in Nature Medicine has shown that the antibody 10-1074 can effectively neutralise the virus by targeting a structure on the HIV envelope protein known as V3 loop. During trials, volunteers – 19 of which have the virus, 14 of which don't – were given differing doses of the antibody. It was shown to be safe, and induce high antiviral activity in all participants. In particular, among the 13 volunteers with the highest levels of HIV (most were taking antiretroviral medication to subdue it), 11 exhibited a fast drop in levels.

"These antibodies are highly potent and are able to effectively neutralise a large number of different HIV strains,” co-author on the paper, Florian Klein of the University of Cologne, said. “Therefore, they play an important role in the quest for and development of an HIV vaccine."

As the trials continued, the HIV virus was seen to mutate to defend against the introduction of 10-1074 meaning a variety of antibodies appears to be needed to truly eradicate the virus in a treatment or vaccine form. Further research into the specific antibody is slated for the next few months.

This study also adds to a body of work from other researchers across the globe similarly hunting for a vaccine. Last year, great strides were made in a UK trial that combines antiretroviral drugs with a drug that reactivates dormant HIV, and a vaccine that stimulates the immune system. It was reported that the blood of a 44-year-old male social care worker from London, the first of 50 people involved in the study, showed no detectable signs of HIV after the treatment took place.

"This is one of the first serious attempts at a full cure for HIV," Mark Samuels, the managing director of the National Institute for Health Research Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure, said at the time. "We are exploring the real possibility of curing HIV. This is a huge challenge and it’s still early days but the progress has been remarkable."

The treatment developed by the UK scientists lures the virus from its dormant state, then triggers a response from the body's immune system, which then attacks it. The method, dubbed "kick and kill" (or "shock and kill"), has been successful in lab tests. In 2014, the journal Cell published research that researchers had "flushed" out the virus in mice. "This is the first time the shock-and-kill approach designed to flush out latent viruses has seen tangible success in an animal model," scientists said at the time.

The treatment developed by the UK scientists lures the virus from its dormant state, then triggers a response from the body's immune system, which then attacks it. The method, dubbed "kick and kill" (or "shock and kill"), has been successful in lab tests. In 2014, the journal Cell published research that researchers had "flushed" out the virus in mice. "This is the first time the shock-and-kill approach designed to flush out latent viruses has seen tangible success in an animal model," scientists said at the time.

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Liat Clark

Read more articles from Wired, here.

 

Why Red State Queers Are the New Frontier

Nobody said it was going to be easy to change the world around you.

By Tyler Curry

 

January 30 2017 

 

 

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Ever since I was little, I have been a blue-ribbon homosexual in a bright red state. As soon as I could stand, I wanted to dance. As soon as I could walk, I wanted to strut. And as soon as I saw Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, I knew that someday I wanted to kiss a boy on the mouth. But it wasn’t until the reality of being in Texas came into focus that I realized that my swishy, sparkly tendencies were going to be a problem.

That’s the thing about being born gay; you can’t exactly choose where you get to grow up. I was lucky enough to be born in America, but that is where my luck stopped. My family was from the sticks of east Texas, where there were more churches than libraries and Friday night football was a spiritual experience. But just like my sexuality, I wouldn’t change my Texas roots if I could. They're just as much of a part of me as anything else, and to deny them is to reject all of the things that I love about my childhood, my family, and my culture. But in our current political atmosphere, many LGBT Americans view Texas and any other red state as places that are devoid of any redeeming qualities, too far gone to be worth the trouble. To these LGBT folks who reside in blue utopias, I say shame on you for becoming complacent just because your neighborhood is safe.
 

The characteristics of any culture are not a zero-sum game. Instead, they are as richly layered as the people who are a part of it. I was born a Texan gay man, and many of the qualities and characteristics of my home state are as much a part of me as any conservative cowboy on the farm. After moving around the globe, I came to the realization that I do not have to abandon my roots just because a small part of what it means to be a Texan can be coupled with anti-LGBT leanings. I am a Texan and I am LGBT, so my living and breathing is proof that this isn’t always the norm, and there are many others just like me who deserve to call their state home.

I also have the means and ability to move if I wanted to. It’s a part of my privilege, which is also a part of the problem in our country. Those with privilege don’t have to concern themselves with the problems of those that don’t. This is exactly why everyone who has the privilege of moving away from their red hometowns should be encouraged to stay and make a difference, both for themselves and for the LGBT Americans who don’t have the privilege of fleeing to a blue paradise.

To suggest that LGBT Americans in red states should escape homophobia and transphobia by moving to blue states is to deny the immense progress we have made in LGBT rights. People’s minds can be changed and victories can be won in each state government, no matter how difficult it may seem. Twenty years ago, the state and federal rights that we now have were merely pipe dreams, but our community refused to let hate beat out hope. Today, we still need to be steadfast in our commitment to LGBT rights across the country, and that means staying put in our red states and demanding respect.

With the most anti-LGBT Cabinet ever forming, it is no time to become complacent in our journey to equality. Anyone who loves the big skies of Texas, the red mountains of Arizona, or the blue beaches of Florida should have every right to feel safe and included in their hometown culture.
So, you blue state babies, quit complaining about how you want to secede from the red states and throw your full support behind your LGBT brothers and sisters who are still trying to make a difference. Yee-haw.

TYLER CURRY lives in Austin and is the editor at large for Plus magazine. Follow him on Twitter @IAmTylerCurry.

Read more articles from the Advocate, here.