*Update: NY Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage

Updated: NY Senate passed legislation last night granting all 19million New Yorker’s the right to marry; Full marriage equality! Congrats to my gays in NYC. BIG FUCKINTASTIC NEWS! More from Huffington Post, celebrated a bit hard last night: As the news flashed around the globe that New York state had legalized gay marriage, New York fashion designer Malcolm Harris didn’t waste any time. He dashed off a Twitter message to his boyfriend of nine years: “`Will... Read More

Offerings To The Needle And My Search For Normalcy

I met someone recently. This is not new. I’m notoriously wild for the men. I’m easily distracted, and nothing distracts me better than someone I’m sweet on. And boy, am I sweet for this guy. He’s terribly sexy, insanely smart, a hardworker, and charming almost to a fault. It’s rare that I meet someone in my hometown of Eugene that I find this attractive, and even rarer that person should return that attraction. It’s pretty exciting. There’s... Read More

Bret Easton Ellis: Still A Jerk

Remember when Bret Easton Ellis, author of American Psycho, Tweeted all that BS about stepping in a puddle of HIV? He’s at it again: Whatever. Bret can suck it.* *No, he really can’t. Happy Pride everyone!  Read More

AIDS Advocates Take On Bloomberg Cuts

Mayor Bloomberg recently very publicly came out for gay marriage, but there are still some important issues on which he doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the community. On May 6th, Bloomberg proposed a NYC budget that would cut $10 million from AIDS services, half of which goes to residential programs for AIDS patients. These cuts would lead some important community services to close, to include the Momentum Project and Gay Men’s Health Crisis’ city contract. “The... Read More

AIDSVu: Mapping HIV County By County

In one of the more intensive efforts to make the AIDS epidemic understandable through visual means, AIDSVu released a Google interactive map cataloging HIV infection by varying demographics. This map is groundbreaking- it is the most detailed and option-oriented method of mapping HIV infection that we’ve yet built. There are a few limitations, of course: the map took about a year and a half to create using numbers gathered in 2008. Als0, the map can only list... Read More

In Memoriam: Reflections On Sacrifice

Memorial Day has lots of meanings for lots of people. For some, it is a time of barbecues and brewskis, while others take a moment to remember their fallen soldiers. Far more than a bank holiday, for thousands of Americans today is a time to pause and reflect on those who have sacrificed and the very meaning of that sacrifice itself. Today is an emotional day, doubly so for war veterans. Not only do we remember and mourn our fallen comrades, today is also when many of us... Read More

Leading Researcher: Victory Over AIDS Within Reach

Longtime director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci says that we have never been closer to ending the AIDS pandemic. Fauci, right, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in June 2008. Citing numerous vaccine studies and research into new applications for antiretroviral meds, Fauci believes the time will come soon when it will be possible to eradicate new infections of HIV. Far from pointing the way to a “cure,” instead... Read More

LGBTs Stay Cheap At Millennium Hotels During Pride Season

Many gay travelers find themselves on the road for the Pride season, as they travel to a favorite city in order to celebrate the ultimate gay event in style. One hotel chain wants to attract your custom while you’re on the road, with a 15% discount for LGBT travelers. Millennium says this on their website: Millennium Cincinnati “Millennium Hotels and Resorts has created a PRIDE rate of 15% off to visit one of our hotels in gateway cities throughout the U.S. Enjoy... Read More

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Supports Marriage Equality

Known for being typically uncharismatic, New York City’s mayor gave a stirring speech today forcefully taking a positive stance on gay marriage. Activists and advocates are hailing the speech as a major milestone for the battle for marriage equality in that state, an issue which is heating up in recent weeks as the push for legalization intensifies in the final days of the legislative session. Keep in mind, of course, that Bloomberg is a Republican. An excerpt of the... Read More

Tennessee and the Need for ENDA

When framing the civil rights issues besetting our communities, there are clear frontrunners in the topics that come to mind. Clearly, the first one people seem to think of is gay marriage, while many women’s advocates think first of the woman’s right to choose. These are huge topics, incredibly important in the quest for equality for all Americans, and they tend to take center stage in a big way. For a reason, surely. Shouldn’t we have the right to enter... Read More