The test that can save your life

I’ve noticed a number of commercial and public health ads for free HIV-testing in WiG. Yet I wonder if there is any gay man (and it is mostly men who are at risk of infection) who has not at this point been tested.

I suppose so. There are always new young gay men who are just becoming sexually active, and there are obvious holdouts among older men who do not think they are at risk. I'm sure there is a sizable population of gay men who have not been tested.

There are a number of excuses for not getting tested. One friend told me he was always a top so he was sure he was not infected. He turned up positive. God only knows how many other gay men he had unknowingly infected.

Another friend said he almost always used a condom. Almost! He too turned out to be infected. Both promptly went on antiviral drug therapy and are doing fine.

I myself am hardly a poster boy for early testing. I was tested only two years ago after years of sexual activity, and I did so only after a good friend of mine got tested and found he was infected.

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Marriage equality is key to economic recovery

In a tough economy, cities, regions and entire states must do everything they can to compete. That means providing the best infrastructure, talent pool and economic incentives necessary to attract and retain jobs.

Among the most important factors businesses consider as they seek out sites to locate or expand operations is workforce. That’s why marriage equality is a key plank in “Progressive Recovery,” my 18-point job creation platform.

Marriage equality would lead to a significant immediate windfall in the tourism and hospitality industries, sectors that have especially suffered during the recent recession. A study by UCLA’s Williams Institute projects that recently-enacted marriage equality policies in the District of Columbia would grow the city’s economy by over $52.2 million over the first three years. The local tax base is expected to jump by $5.4 million as a direct result of marriage equality. More than 700 new jobs will be created almost immediately through increased marriage licensing needs, tourism and other work related to the wedding industry. This immediate positive impact results from a population only one-tenth of that of the State of Wisconsin.

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Rachel, you made me love you

In a world gone mad, Rachel, in a media circus dominated by moronic shouters, you are my dream come true: a paragon of intelligence and civility. You are simply the best interviewer, researcher and anchor on TV today. You are credited with raising MSNBC’s ratings, and when you appear on the snoozefests known as Sunday morning public affairs programs, record numbers of people tune in.

Among a sea of hacks, you’re a professional journalist who’s become a media star. Respected, influential. And such good manners! Does anyone besides you model good manners anymore?! Even some of the wingnuts you interview who are frequently undone by your tough questions express admiration for your fairness and decency.

What a tribune you have been during the oil disaster! You’ve trumped other media outlets with exposés of BP’s underhandedness and tramped through the Louisiana marshes to hold extended colloquies with scientists to explain environmental issues. Muckraking and teaching – what a unique use of commercial airwaves!

No one but you, Rachel, has consistently reported in depth on the racism and corporate interests fueling “populist” resentment among Americans. Nor have they made clear the insidious, degrading effect it is having on our social and political culture. There’s such an impressive moral core that runs through your reporting.

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Second-hand smoke at PrideFest
Sadness, dangers, and some basic ground rules

The events of PrideFest are major for our community. Seeing members of our LGBT family happy, seeing Rainbow Families WI marching down the street, or witnessing those wonderful moms and dads of PFLAG - Pride brings out the best of our LGBT community for all to see. I wish my family could have enjoyed it more.

Sadly, it brings out the worst of some people. The worst of our community is the number of people, including teenagers, who smoke and drink. It is the smoking that matters most to me, because it doesn’t just impact the individual. Second-hand smoke forces itself onto others.

At PrideFest I could barely breathe - even in the “Health and Wellness” area. And I was too worried about protecting my 18-month-old baby girl from the second-hand smoke to take in much of the joy, excitement and beauty of Pride.

It was the same at the Pride Parade. It was hard to see the happy floats of LGBT folks through the nonstop clouds of other people’s habits. And again, I had to move to protect my child. This constantly having to move because of other people’s smoking is upsetting. Why should my baby girl and I, who just want to breathe to the best of our ability, have to adjust our behavior to make room for those who don’t consider the impact of their choices on the people around them?

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