Comments on: Fighting for an HIV-free future http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/06/23/fighting-for-an-hiv-free-future/ the gay community's news source Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:39:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Larry Bryant http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/06/23/fighting-for-an-hiv-free-future/#comment-25423 Larry Bryant Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:17:00 +0000 http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=25267#comment-25423 An ‘HIV-free future’ will not arrive without a comprehensive, and city-wide approach with effective and measurable goals and set and stated accountability to achieve those goals.
Close to 900 District residents living with HIV & AIDS currently sit on a growing housing wait list. According to the National AIDS Housing Coalition, “Major studies have proven that providing housing for poor people living with HIV & AIDS dramatically improves health outcomes.” However, structural interventions including housing are completely ignored when developing effective prevention and care strategies. This blatant disregard extends to the approximately 27,000 households waiting for low-income housing in the city.
Despite growing STD and HIV infections among the District’s youth, city officials are stubbornly reluctant to implement comprehensive sex & sexuality education in all school aged settings. Again, studies show these programs, when properly presented by adequately trained and willing educators, lower new infections and early births, and lessen the violence aimed at queer and questioning youth. Perhaps not implementing a life-protecting and life-saving measure among the ‘next’ population is a political decision, which also begs the question: Why are we allowing politicians to make smart public health decisions?
I challenge Dr. Pappas, Mayor Gray and his ‘Commission’ appointees to make the fundamental changes necessary to heal the societal wounds that consistently fuel the HIV & AIDS epidemic in the District. If we are not acknowledging the roles that poverty, education, joblessness, homophobia, and sexual violence play in cementing those health disparities – particularly among people of color – we will continue this perpetual march.
The city’s leaders are in full party planning mode as we prepare our best linens and silver for our global guests arriving to break bread at next summer’s International AIDS Conference. As a District resident living with HIV, I plan to join thousands of others in making sure that we are the ultimate party crashers, not relenting until measurable change hits our streets – not just rhetoric.

Larry Bryant
Co-Chair, DC Fights Back

]]> By: laurelboy2 http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/06/23/fighting-for-an-hiv-free-future/#comment-25378 laurelboy2 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:37:53 +0000 http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=25267#comment-25378 This is supposed to be an opinion piece. I read it as being a general report on HIV/AIDS not all that unlike the multitude of others I’ve read recently. I assumed the writer would offer an “opinion”, i.e. something fresh, novel, a new way of viewing events and actions – anything to generate discussion and a back-and-forth. Did I miss something?

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