THE BOULDER SUMMIT--JULY 29-AUGUST 1, 1999: LAUNCHING A MULTI-ISSUE, MULTICULTURAL GAY MEN'S HEALTH MOVEMENT
If you are interested or concerned about the health and well-being of gay men, please read on!
Please email this itinerary immediately to folks who might be interested in attending the summit as we have about 100 registration slots open as of June 6 and we'd like to see folks make their plans to attend now. Those seeking to register or make housing reservations should download materials from the Boulder County AIDS Project web site at http://www.bcap.org or contact Mark Beyer or Matt Brown at 303-444-6121 or email: summit@bcap.org. The conference site is the Regal Harvest House in Boulder and it is wheelchair accessible.
If you are coming to Boulder be very sure that your housing and registration are secured because we are limited in both areas and the housing is going fast. If you need information on scholarship or community housing, visit the web site at http://www.bcap.org.
If you are a programmer for one of the sessions listed in these emails, please get all identifying information on the session presenters and all information on your audio-visual needs to eerofes@aol.com by June 21. That is the deadline and there is no wiggle room.information directly to me.
For inquiries about the summit registration, logistics, housing, contact Mark Beyer and Matt Brown at summit@bcap.org. For inquiries about the program contact Eric Rofes at eerofes@aol.com (ER will be traveling and perhaps off-line from 6/8-6/21).
This is the current (June 9, 1999) unedited draft of our program and begins with an outline of the agenda and is followed by a list of the concurrent sessions which have been finalized. Ten additional sessions have been assigned and are in the works but are not finalized at this time.. While the program ranges broadly over diverse health issues facing gay men--from alcoholism to anal cancers, heart disease to hepatitis C, diabetes to domestic violence--we are pleased that significant attention also is devoted to HIV-related matters. We are also happy proposals came forward focused on specific populations: gay men of color, the bear community, circuit boys, homeless gay men, Latino youth, leathermen, gay fathers, young gay men, and gay men in prison. We are especially pleased to offer several sessions focused on successful gay male health projects serving rural populations and that strong programming focused on men under 35 is being offered. Finally, while a number of sessions focus on the sexual health of gay men, we have been able to include a significant focus on men's mental, medical, and spiritual health as well.
Our list of presenters is still emerging, but we clearly are attracting a rich mix of knowledgeable presenters from a variety of backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives: medical doctors, political activists, psychologists, historians, pastoral counselors, social workers, people with HIV and other chronic illnesses, public policy analysts, physician assistants, substance abuse counselors, circuit party promoters, and community organizers. Researchers and academics presenting their work include sociologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists, psychiatrists, physicians, family practitioners, geographers, cultural studies scholars, and public health researchers. Our summit will include presentations from several notable authors of recent books on gay men's health, some of the nation's leading street activists, and key theorists on the addiction recovery, homophobia, and the prevention of HIV/STDs. While some of the contemporary "hot" issues are on our agenda (i.e. barebacking, muscles, 'public' sex, racism, promiscuity), the program includes topics which might be unexpected: masculinity, tobacco use, sexual dysfunction, the Reality "female" condom, and ways in which cyberspace may be changing gay identities, social patterns, and subcultures. We are also glad to see many sessions focused on grassroots activism, political lobbying, and media advocacy.
Our summit's agenda is comprehensive, but we recognize a number of gaps and yet are proud that our under-resourced, grassroots effort has been able to create a rich and truly exciting program. We urge those attending the Boulder Summit to be gentle on themselves and recognize that, with many compelling sessions offered at the same time, difficult choices will have to be made. In the end, we hope participants come away from the weekend with a deeper appreciation for the strengths of gay communities and the challenges we face, much more knowledge of gay men's health issues beyond HIV, and a firm commitment to participating in a multi-issue, multicultural gay men's health movement.
OVERVIEW
Thursday, July 29, 1999
9 - 2:30 Pre-Summit Institute: Gathering the Nations: Health Challenges Facing Gay Men of Color, organized by David Acosta, Philadelphia, PA and A. Billy S. Jones, Washington, D.C. Location: University of Colorado at Boulder, Fine Arts N141 and Ketchum 119, 206, 207, 234.
This institute will tackle difficult issues such as the relationship between racism and illness in gay communities of color, what gay men of color have learned from HIV/AIDS that can inform broader work on health promotion, and the specific health agendas of Latino, African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American, and Bi-Racial/Multi-Racial gay and bisexual men. Free to all summit registrants but interested parties should reserve a place in the institute by sending an email to summit@bcap.org or calling Mark Beyer at (303) 444 6121
3-5 Pre-Summit Forum: Constructing a Public Policy Agenda for Gay Men's Health: What Should Our Priorities Be?, organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Policy Institute.
This forum is designed for researchers, prevention/treatment activists, health care and service providers, policy makers and policy advocates. It will seek to develop a community consensus on what issues need to be prioritized, what types of research needs to be done (both by governmental entities and the private sector), how activists can incorporate these concerns into our advocacy at the local and national levels, and how we can move a policy agenda forward cognizant of the opportunities and threats posed by the 2000 elections, a new administration and Congress in 2001, protease inhibitors and other treatment issues, and the continued dominance of mainstream politics by the anti-gay, anti-sex right wing. Sponsored by the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force."
3 pm Summit Registration Opens
Registration and summit information will be available throughout the weekend in the Regal Harvest House Hotel, 1342 28 Street, Boulder 80302-6899 (cross streets Colorado and Arapahoe), 1-800-545-6285 or 303-443-3850, in Boulder, Colorado
5-7 pm Opening Reception
The welcoming reception will honor our host organization, the Boulder County AIDS Project and provide summit participants with an opportunity to meet one another.
7-10 pm Opening Event
Address: Why do we come together for this summit on gay men's health? How have a variety of forces--changes in gay men's relationships to HIV/AIDS, emerging health challenges, the national structures of health care delivery, concerns about waning activism, increasing tensions among gay generations, community controversies over barebacking, circuit parties, and gay men's sex practices--come together to ignite our energies to create a powerful, activist-based gay men's health movement? At this opening session, conference convener Eric Rofes will provide a frame for our work for the weekend, suggest a vision for future efforts, and grapple with debates about gay men's health and sexual cultures in an attempt to place our Boulder efforts into a broader context and chart directions forward. This opening address will be followed by participant response and discussion.
Activity: Following the discussion, an opening activity facilitated by Brett Gillam, from Los Angeles, Steve Wakefield of Chicago, and Carey Johnson of Brattleboro, Vermont, will bring participants into dialogue about generational tensions within gay communities and tackle issues of ageism, aging, cross-generational judgementalism, and a lack of information about various generation's cultures, sex practices, and health concerns. While initial discussions will occur within generational peer groups, the latter part of the activity will focus on discussions across gay generations. Our aim here is to experience the similar and different age-related perspectives that unite and divide gay male communities.
Friday, July 30, 1999
7:30 Generic 12 Step Meeting
8:30-10 a.m. Plenary Session: Dying to Party, or Partying For Our Lives?
Various gay male subcultures will be examined throughout the summit in an attempt to understand both the beneficial and risk-related aspects of specific gay social networks. This plenary session delves into what many perceive as the current Achilles' heel of gay society - its notorious party circuit. While the gay party subculture continues to thrive - despite widespread media criticism - new health challenges have emerged, especially with the rise in use of GHB and GBL-based drgs. Even while the politically-supercharged party circuit is demonized and portrayed as the avatar of gay irresponsibility, thousands of young gay men are diving into the scene, eager to identify with the Tribe. Many gay men continue to find important meaning in the dance. Is the party circuit a health time bomb? How can we better manage health promotion efforts at the very pulse point of risk?
Michael W. Ross, Professor of Public Health, University of Texas. Houston, TX.
Candida Scott-Piel, Community Relations Liaison, American Foundation for AIDS Research, New York, NY.
Jose Torrealba, Filmmaker, Montreal, Quebec.
Alan S. Brown, President, Electric Dreams Foundation, New Haven, CT. (moderator)
10-11 Morning Networking Hour
Informal Networking over Morning Snacks
Spirit Ritual: Celebrating the Dear Love of Comrades
Take an hour out to sing, to pray, to reflect, to remember, to heal, to commit, and to inspire and be inspired. Spirit Ritual draws on various spiritual traditions and uniquely queer religious sensibilities, modeling community building through story-telling, music and movement; an organically queer liturgy. Organizers include: Jim Mitulski, Clint Joste, Steve Marlowe, Joe McMurray. (organizers list in formation)
Initial Meetings of Key Action Sessions
11:00 - 12:30 Session I. (9 concurrent sessions)
12:30-1:30 Lunch Hour
Special luncheon caucuses focused on specific age cohort groups
1:30-3 Session II.
3:30-5 Session III.
5-6 Hard Questions / Hot Topics Sessions
7:30-9:30 Raw Data: Defining, Researching and Working with Barebacking
This evening's public forum focuses on current debates about bareback sex and emerging subcultures of men who have eroticized unprotected anal sex. The focus here will be first on defining "barebacking" and distinguishing it from other condomless sex practices. Next research will be discussed to understand, apart from journalistic debates, what we know about the characteristics, practices, and values of the men who comprise bareback parties, chat rooms, and subcultures. Finally, the panel will offer a variety of perspectives on the social, political, and health promotion implications of barebacking. Organized by Michael Scarce, author, Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (Haworth, July 1999). San Francisco, CA.
Saturday, July 31, 1999
7:30 Generic 12 Step Meeting
8:30-10 a.m. Plenary Session: Queer Masculinities and Gay Men's Health
A walk down Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, or 8th Avenue in New York suggests that hyper-masculine ideals are driving a subset of gay men to the gym in droves. Is gay culture literally muscling its way back to life and flexing for the cameras, or is this a mirage signalling larger health challenges? Are contemporary gay masculinities healthy representations of renewal, or are these subcultures problematic and self-destructive, or a little bit of both? How do racial and ethnic subgroups of gay men interact with various gay masculinities and what implications does this have for targeted health promotion work? Notions of masculinity have never been more volatile or more central to the future of gay men's health. Yet entire conferences occur and entire books are written without ever considering the relationship between masculinity and gay men's health. This landmark panel confronts a core question: Does a population taunted as sissies during childhood, scapegoated and assaulted during adolescence, and defined as "not male" during adulthood self-destructively take refuge in hyper-masculine images and behaviors? Or can various gay masculinities (i.e. leather men, skinheads, homeboyz, bears, circuit boys) be considered forms of resistance which offer gay men healthier models of masculinity than those of our hetero peers?
How do we rebuild healthy bodies and reclaim life-enhancing gender identities in a culture still shell-shocked by AIDS, infested with homo-hatred, and deeply ambivalent about the legacy of feminism? What is the relationship between penetration and masculinity and in what ways does our work with gay men's sex necessitate working on gender identity and sex roles? In what ways do various masculinities serve as barriers to health care access and enhancements to risk activity?
This session was inspired by recent work by queer theorists and gender theorists Judith Butler, R.W. Connell, Clyde Franklin II., and Leo Bersani, and by Rafael M. Diaz's recent book "Latino Gay Men and HIV: Culture, Sexuality, and Risk Behavior" (Routledge, 1998).
10-11 Morning Networking Hour
11:00 - 12:30 Session IV. (9 concurrent sessions)
12:30-1:30 Lunch Hour
Special luncheon caucuses
1:30-3 Session V.
3:30-5 Session VI.
5-6 Conversation Sessions
7:30-9:30 Documentary Screening: "Got2B There"
Canadian filmmaker José Torrealba will discuss his new documentary on the gay party circuit ("Got2BThere"), which offers VIP access into the hedonistic epicenter of drugs, sex, and partying. Torrealba's provocative film draws out the central issues surrounding the party world through interviews with circuit luminaries, critics, and several unlikely participants. The film includes great footage of legendary parties from Hotlanta to the GMHC Morning Party and a who's-who line-up of commentators including party promoter Jeffrey Sanker, circuit critic Michelangelo Signorile, DJs Susan Morabito, Warren Gluck, and Buc, social critic Richard Goldstein, and a young man from Chumukla, Florida named Denny Segrest, who just can't stop dancing.
Sunday, August 1, 1999
9:30-11 a.m. Sessions VII.
11-12 noon Check out time / Networking Hour
12-1:30 Closing Plenary Session: "Beyond Pathology, Beyond Boulder"
The final and critical plenary session will feature a closing address articulating key themes of the summit focused on directions forward, giving specific attention to the position of men under 35 in gay men's health movements and the role of leadership in regenerating activism and health promotion. How can we create healthier communities by building on unique strengths and values of various gay male communities and subcultures? The session will include reports of various follow-up projects to the summit, announcements of future efforts focused on gay men's health, and a closing ritual for participants.
Concurrent Sessions
The previous email had the overall schedule for the summit. These are the "break-out" session occurring on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the summit, though the specific times have not yet been assigned.
Developing an Activist Agenda Around HIV Prevention Science
While gay men have been in the streets for much of the past twenty years concerning access to HIV treatments and service delivery, there has been very little activism around prevention science and sexual technologies which could reduce transmission of HIV and STDs. This session explores key ways in which biomedical and technological advances such as vaccines, microbicides, and the Reality condom could play a more prominent role in enhancing gay male health and well-being, and ways to generate activist projects and organizing efforts focused on HIV prevention science.
Sam Avrett, executive director, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.
Bill Snow, activist and member of the Office of AIDS Research Vaccine Advisory Committee.
Steve Wakefield, Co-Chair, National Community Advisory Board, HIV Net.
Michael Scarce, author, Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (Haworth, July 1999). San Francisco, CA.
The Post-AIDS Generation: Health Promotion Strategies by and for Younger Gay Men
Four urban gay men between the ages of 25 and 30, of different races and serostatuses, explore cultural contexts and health promotion strategies of and for their generation. Addressing prevelant gay media portrayals that young gay men are irresponsible and nihilistic, these activists, writers, and health workers will cover topics including non-HIV related physical and mental health issues, HIV prevention, sex/party cultures, and the needs of young HIV-positive and HIV-negative gay men.
Julian Olivas, Kaiser Permanente Spanish Module Clinical Health Educator, San Francisco, CA
Alex Garner, AIDS cultural activist, Los Angeles, CA
Michael Scarce, author, Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (Haworth, July 1999). San Francisco, CA.
Tony Valenzuela, writer/activist, Los Angeles, CA (moderator)
What is Our Relationship to the Women's Health Movement and What Should It Be?
This explosive session focuses on gay men's relationships to the women's health movement, lesbian health movement, women's anti-violence movement. It will address issues of sexism, inequitable allocation of resources, lesbian separatism, and men learning to work equitably with women and examine a number of important questions: In what ways is our work influenced and inspired by concepts, projects, and models developed by women? What can a gay male health movement learn from feminist women's health organizing of the past 30 years? How can gay men individually and collectively support lesbian health organizing? What is the relationship between lesbian and gay male health movements--one movement, two movements, movements in opposition?
Chris Bartlett, SafeGuards Project. Philadelphia, PA
J. Carlos Velazquez, M.A., Executive Director, District 202. Minneapolis, MN
Willa Young. Director, Student Gender and Sexuality Services; Lecturer, Women's Studies, The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH
Latino Gay Men Seeking Health Services
An interactive and participatory session to explore why, how and when Latino Gay Men (LGM) seek access to health care services. Health issues affecting LGM can vary as in other gay men; however there are some important issues to be considered, such as: language, acculturation, health beliefs, immigration status, education, self-esteem, etc. that affect the decision making process to seek access to health care. The power to be a pro-active self-advocate is strongly linked to a behavioral change process. The concept of preventive versus emergency care will be analyzed. Emphasis will be placed on STD's and AIDS and its impact in morbidity and mortality at the local and national level.
Dr.Anibal Sosa, Director of Community Health, Latino Health Institute, Boston, MA
Beyond HIV: Gay Men Dealing with Chronic Illness
As we all live longer, there are many health concerns with which gay men are grappling. We need to be knowledgeable of these illnesses, methods of their prevention and the realities of living with them. These include preventable cancers, coronary artery disease, and erectile dysfunction, to name a few. This session will highlight key issues related to these challenges, and look at special issues which may arise for gay men with chronic illness.
Patrick A. Tranmer MD, MPH; Department of Family Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago. Chicago, IL.
Chris Carmichael, Ph.D.; Oakland, CA.
Creating and Sustaining a Gay Men's Health Project: Philadelphia's SafeGuards Project
The presenters will discuss the SafeGuards Project, Philadelphia's gay men's health initiative, and its move over the past five years to expand its mission to look at a broad range of gay men's health concerns. Join us as we discuss practical gay men's health programs that challenge your community of gay men to think about their overall health needs. The presenters will provide in-depth descriptions of innovative programs, including gay men's health counseling, STD screening partnerships with the Philadelphia health department, and an intergenerational program that brings together younger and older LGBT folks. We will also make recommendations about how to build a gay men's health movement that is based upon the needs of your particular community and makes use of the
energies of local gay men to drive that agenda.
Chris Bartlett & Ryan Goldner, the SafeGuards Project. Philadelphia, PA.
Bears and Health
The various worlds and phenomena we call the bear movement or community are wondrous for their celebrations of age and maturity, of the masculine body natural, of bellies and hair, of heft and bulk. As a subculture, however, we are vulnerable to a number of health problems that are common among the overweight--sleep apnea, arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, and various gastrointestinal disturbances. The bear movement and gay health forums give us the opportunity to begin to have dialogue about these issues and to seek new ways of providing information and services.
Lawrence D. Mass, M.D., physician and writer, co-founder Gay Men's Health Crisis, unit director. addiction treatment services, Beth Israel Medical Center and Greenwich House, New York City.
New Directions, Models, Paradigms and Ways of Thinking About HIV Prevention for Gay Men
This session attempts to distinguish between the ubiquitous "new thinking" rhetoric about HIV prevention and gay men, and authentic departures in vision, paradigms, and concepts from the status quo. While some believes prevention has worked and simply needs to redouble its efforts and recast itself for a new era, others believe radical changes are necessary. Where should HIV prevention for gay men be heading after two decades? Why do some people feel that much of what passes as HIV prevention for gay men is irrelevant to the real issues facing gay men? And what could HIV prevention work look like if it truly were reconceptualized?
Hepatitis C and the Gay Community: Sex, Testing, Treatment, Services, Politics
Hepatitis C is a great global pandemic that is already four times the size of AIDS. It has been described by Dr. Mary Jeanne Kreek, a world-renowned authority on addiction, as "the emergent and preeminent public health problem of the twenty-first century, surpassing that of HIV." Although it is clear that hepatitis C is not nearly as sexually transmissible as hepatitis B or HIV, it can be transmitted sexually, and we do not yet know, in fact, to what extent it may be emerging in the gay community as an STD. Gay community practitioners need to begin routinely testing their glbt patients and become of aware of new and promising treatment options. Where practitioners are not testing routinely for hepatitis C, glbt patients need to request it.
Lawrence D. Mass, M.D., physician and writer, co-founder Gay Men's Health Crisis, unit director. addiction treatment services, Beth Israel Medical Center and Greenwich House, New York City.
Why the Phobia in Homophobia?: What It Means and What We Can Do About It?
They call us "faggots" and we call them "homophobes". We both lose. We worry a lot about what kind of people have homophobic attitudes, what purpose those attitudes serve, but then what? We don't ask - "What are they really afraid of?" "Can we de-construct that fear?" There are some very specific answers to these questions. The presenter proposes to identify eight different categories of "fear of homosexuals or homosexuality" and suggests that by understanding the reasoning behind these beliefs we can respond and defuse them of their potential harm. This will carry the "debate" forward from psychological name-calling into a more construcive dialogue with conservative critics and the religious right.
Bea Green, PhD. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Milwaukee, WI.
Forgotten Soldiers: Confronting Violence, Addiction, and Disease among Inner-City Veterans of Color.
Sometimes regarded as closeted outsiders by gay-identified, white middle class health bureaucracies, the health needs of inner city men of color who have sex with men are complex and varied. This session reports on fieldwork conducted by a social worker and cultural anthropologist at a large urban VA hospital, which explores and analyzes the health needs and cultures of urban men of color who may not take on explicit gay or bisexual identities. This session presents the powerful voices and diverse experiences of this vulnerable and hidden population, including Veterans' strategies for emotional and physical well-being, while critically exploring the health care policies of the Veteran's Administration, which paradoxically follows the largest caseload of HIV patients in America, while refusing to count untold numbers of gay/bisexual soldiers who still often live in a culture of secrecy. How do MSMs fit into the mission of our emerging gay men's health movement? What commitment do we maintain towards institutions such as the military, which play central roles in communities of color? Concepts such as "structural and clinical violence", will be presented within a framework which strives to better understand, and thereby support, the health, safety and self-determination of this multiply-challenged population.
Mark Nallia, MSW, J.D.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
(visiting 1999-2000)
Doctoral Candidate in Anthropology, The Graduate Faculty, New School for
Social Research, New York, NY
Public Places, "Private" Acts: A Forum on Commercial and Public Sex Environments
Why are many gay men drawn to commercial and public sex environments? What is the allure? What do we get from them? And what are the real and imagined costs associated with engaging in "private" acts in public places?
This forum explores the contested and the sometimes volatile and dangerous nature of public places as social and sexual milieus for gay men. From backrooms, bathhouses and sex clubs to the bushes in Griffith Park, gay men are having a wide range of sex in places that most people would consider less private than the "bedrooms and boardrooms" of a heteronormative community. This forum presents a unique opportunity to frankly explore the nature of "public places" and the emotions/ideas we attach to the abstract concept of place. We will also invite an open dialogue on what we as individuals and communities get from--and the price we pay for--performing "private acts" in public places.
J. Dallas Dishman, Ph.D. candidate. Social Science Researcher and Project Director, USC Department of Geography (Medical Geography) and the USC Gender Studies Program University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA
Ralph Bolton, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology, Pomona College. Claremont, CA
Anal Sex, Common Anorectal Disorders and STDs: Finally Answers to Questions You've Carried Around for Too Long
Dr. Stephen Goldstone, an eminent surgeon specializing in the treatment of gay men and their anorectal disorders found that men who have sex with menoften have no one to turn to for answers to their questions regarding anal sex. Women have long been conditioned to talk to their gynecologist, but because of embarrassment or homophobia most gay men have no one to turn to. Even if they do ask, doctors, knowing little of gay sexual practices other than its implication in the transmission of HIV, are ill prepared to address concerns. Many gay men fear that any anorectal disorder will lead to instant outing (false!) and put off seeing a physician. Conditions that might have been cured easily at the start, then become much more complicated. Since AIDS, gay men have been taught that condoms prevent HIV infection - but we've forgotten about all the other STDs that pass with just skin to skin contact. Most men wear a condom for anal sex, but not for anything else and this is when so many other STDs can pass from one unsuspected partner to another. The talk will focus on all aspects of analsex, including how to prevent injury, toys, fisting and complications. Diagnosis and treatment of STDs will also be addressed. Special attention will be paid to the growing problem of human papillomavirus (morethan half of all gay men are carriers), the rising incidence of anal cancerand the importance of Pap smear screening. Dr. Goldstone dose not want anyone to leave this session with unanswered questions.
Dr. Stephen E. Goldstone, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center.Author of The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex: A Medical Handbook for Men (Dell, 1999). New York, New York
Is That a Nightstick in Your Pocket...Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?
It's bad enough that gay men and men seeking sex with other men are subject to harassment and arrest when they make their approaches in public or semi-public places. But too often the "gay community" fails to be concerned about the illegal police practices and joins in the condemnation and ridicule of the men so caught. Furthermore, male sexual activity in general is held to a different standard, leading to denigration and shame, but also to creating further risk to the safety and well-being of sexual gay men. the successful work of The Triangle Foundation, in Michigan, to hold police responsible for illegal entrapment operations, and other "sting" operations that are aimed to shut down both public and private sex venues, has changed the way the media reports on so-called "sex crimes," and alleged "offenders," and the way that gay sex is reported in general.
Jeffrey Montgomery, a gay civil and sex rights activist from Michigan, is Executive Director of The Triangle Foundation.
We Are All Matthew Shepard: Cruisers, "Trade," and Anti-gay Violence,
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs Annual Report of Anti-glbt violence states that America is in the midst of an "epidemic" of hate violence directed against the gays. Beyond the 33 reported homicides documented, are hundreds of assaults that are characterized by brutality, savagery, and atrocious violence. Research has shown that gay men get killed in much the same way as women: savagely, brutally, as if we are not human.
Significant victimization of gay men results from activities that begin as social cruising or potential sexual encounters with partners who are, in reality, homophobic perpetrators, out to hunt gay men for sport. Those "perps" prey on the sexual culture of the community and are the real "carriers" of the infection that fuels the epidemic of hate violence. This session will grapple with the topic of anti-gay violence in the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard, help men understand the particular health risks related to cruising--particularly cruising rough trade--and propose ways to play safe (and we're not talking condomsS).
Jeffrey Montgomery, Executive Director, Triangle Foundation. Detroit, Michigan.
Smearing the Queer: Anal Cancer Screening and Pap Smears for Gay Men
Rates of anal cancer in gay men are higher than rates of cervical cancer in women. Pap smears can screen for both diseases, affording prevention and early treatment. So why aren't queers being smeared? Find out who is at risk, why, and how to organize for access to this important health technology.
Michael Scarce, author, Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (Haworth, July 1999). San Francisco, CA.
Inside Out: Developing a General Gay Health Strategy Within an AIDS Service-Specific Organization
As AIDS specific service organizations fight for limited funding many gay-specific programs within these institutions have begun to feel the pressure in unexpected ways. AIDS work has taught us that a generalized health care approach is the top priority for the well-being of the gay community. Unfortunately the crisis in funding has meant that gay programs within AIDS service organizations have had to retrench their focus and limit it to HIV/AIDS services. Join in this session for an informal but painfully honest discussion on the challenges of organizing towards a general health approach within the limitations of an AIDS specific service organization.
Andres Duque, Coordinator of Mano a Mano Network of Latino LGBT Activists, Director of the LGBT Initiative at the Latino Commission on AIDS and Co-chair of Colombian Lesbian and Gay Association (COLEGA). New York City, NY.
Empowering Young Fags--A Working Plan
This workshop will cover program development and marketing strategies for a series of issues that relate to young gay men, primarily in their 20s. Issues related to sex, drugs, self-esteem, general health, and HIV will be included. This will be offered from a multi-racial perspective.
George Weiss, young men's community organizer, Gay City Health Project.
Seattle, WA
Wes de Vera, young men's community organizer, Gay City Health Project.
Seattle, WA
CeyJay C. Jumao-as, Neighborhood Mobilization Coordinator, AIDS Action Committee
Boston, MA
Setting a Mental Health Agenda for the New Millennium
Where have we been? Where are we now?:
In 1974, the American Psychiatric Association removed Homosexuality as a diagnosis from its diagnostic and statistical manual. Further, the American Psychological Association and other professional organizations have advocated in removing the stigma associated with homosexuality. Since that time, what progress has been made in the area of gay men's mental health? To what degree does stigmatization still permeate mental health service delivery for gay men? This session aims to provide a clear sense of where the field of mental health currently stands in study of mental health and gay men.
Specifically, the session will provide a backdrop of what areas are currently being studied, what is needed to adequately address the mental health needs of all gay men in this country and how does grassroots activism play a more active role in helping shape an gay men's mental health agenda. A small panel representing gay mental health professional will provide a foundation for interactive discussion in relation to what is currently occurring in the field of mental health and what gaps still exist.
How Have Two Decades of Decimation Affected the Mental Health of Gay Men?
The AIDS epidemic continues to dramatically influence gay men's cultures and communities in both overt and subtle ways. With no cure in sight and continued uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of continually changing medical treatments, HIV has become woven into the fabric of the gay men's subculture. What does that mean to gay men's emotional well-being? How does the event of AIDS impact the day to day functioning of gay men?
The purpose of this session is to begin to develop a framework for understanding the interplay of HIV/AIDS and gay men's mental health. This includes but is not limited to the HIV infected gay man, HIV affected gay men, serodiscordant couples, AIDS related trauma, the sociocultural context of AIDS and its impact on coming out, dating, self esteem, sex practices. A panel of researchers, clinicians and will share their perspectives and research findings regarding this topic. An interactive discussion will follow.
The Emerging Gay Men's Mental Health Agenda
Over the last 20 years, advances in technology, the gay rights movement and the changing demographics of this country has created new opportunities and challenges in the development of a healthy gay identity. The emotional struggles facing are more varied. What does it mean to come out on the Internet? What struggles do gay fathers (single or coupled) face? How does the emerging multiculturalism of this country impact on mental health? What can we learn from resiliency in gay men? How can increased visibility of role models provide a buffer to internalized homophobia?
This session looks toward the future and aims to identify emerging issues which will impact psychological functioning of amongst gay men in this country. This includes examining preventive models to assist gay men to grow to their full potential. A panel of mental health providers will lead an interactive discussions with the goal of identifying the new challenges for gay men'' mental health.
Gay Male Sex Addicts: Who Are They and How Do We Help?
As sexual behavior choice becomes an increasingly divisive issue among gay men, it is more and more difficult to accurately assess, treat and support gay men who may be sexually addicted. The term itself, "Gay Male Sex Addict" invites heated debate and scathing challenge in today's highly politically-charged/challenged environment. Is it possible to address the questions about sexual addiction among gay men so that care might be considered or provided to those who might truly need it? This presentation seeks to clarify and provide clinical understanding about sexual addiction, offering an opportunity to resolve prejudice and myths, answer questions and suggest modes of intervention.
Robert Weiss LCSW, CAS. Clinical Director, The Sexual Recovery Institute. Los Angeles/Orange County, CA
A Healthy Movement Needs Spirit!
This workshop addresses spirituality as it contributes to the overall health of gay men. Just as negative religious indoctrination can undermine the self-esteem and physical health of gay men, a positive non-reactive spiritual basis can give hope and meaning to every aspect of gay male life and culture. How does healthy religion promote gay men's health? What is the connection between sexuality and spirituality? Why is it important for health educators and providers to understand the importance of religion? How can religious communities be significant intervention points for issues relating to gay men's health? Two recent experiments in San Francisco will be examined: a collaboration between a gay church and an HMO in providing HIV Support Groups, and a spiritually conceived techno-ritual held at a gay dance venue. The workshop will conclude with an optional experiential component.
Christian de la Huerta, founder, Q-Spirit; author, Coming Out Spiritually (Penguin, 1999).
Rev. Jim Mitulski, Pastor, MCC San Francisco. San Francisco, CA.
Gay Male Activists....Then and Now"
Examining the issues of engaging gay men in activism on issues affecting the community - focusing on gay male health advocacy - and why so many segments of our community are no longer active. The discussion will include possible causal topics such as the mainstreaming of the queer movement, complacency within segments of our community, burn-out, as well as classism and racism within the gay community and their affect on advocacy. The session will consider these issues and others that affect activism and will begin to develop preliminary strategies to engage non-activist men in gay male healthcare advocacy.
Randy Allgaier, Director, HIV Advocacy Network, Public Policy Department, San Francisco AIDS Foundation. San Francisco, CA
HIV Vaccine Issues & Decisions Around Trial Participation
Participants will have an opportunity to look at current HIV Prevention Vaccine clinical trials with a chance to discuss when informed consent is truly informed for Gay Men. This will include a look at potential social harms to trial participation. There will be a brief look at the impact of prevention vaccine trials on community prevention efforts. Advance registration participants will also receive a handbook on community perspectives on research, advocacy and progress toward a protective vaccine.
Steve Wakefield is a health care advocate and health editor of Venus Magazine which targets Black Lesbians and Gays. Currently on the NIH AIDS Research Advisory Council and AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Board, Steve directs a non-profit organization and volunteer on the City of Chicago Department of Pubic Health Board. Chicago, IL.
Proyecto P.A.P.I.: Changing Times for HIV Prevention
This facilitated discussion will present how some changes in the epidemic and in the population have forced our HIV prevention programs to question our focus, goals, objectives, methods, and thinking. Some of the ideas discussed will be: Moving from latex education into sex education for gay men; developing programs that are sex affirming not just sex positive; identifying issues for a new generation of gay men (crisis? MSM? Community?); understanding short term vs. long term prevention efforts; and building the context for gay men's health. As a starting point for the conversation, presenter(s) will show concrete examples of implementing some of these ideas in a program for Latino gay and bisexual men living in New York City, particularly young immigrants.
Daniel Castellanos, Program Manager, Proyecto P.A.P.I.,Gay Men's Health Crisis. New York, New York.
EMERGENCY: Does the Crisis Construct Hinder Gay Liberation and Place Gay Men's Health at Risk?
The media frenzy following the murder of Matthew Shepard, the cultural panic around barebacking, the Cunanan affair, and pointed attacks on circuit culture all galvanized focused community response--but to what ultimate ends ? This session will begin with a stirring presentation which critically examines various community "crises" and their short-term impacts and long-term effects. Participants then will examine ways that these crises may serve to alienate gay men from the actual strategies that would help promote their health and well-being. Hard questions will be asked: To what extent can we envision a queer world that involves less crisis and more action ? How can we respond when very real challenges facing our communities are exploited as media issues of the moment ? If some gay men no longer relate to AIDS as a crisis, what is the spur to their involvement in a community health movement ? Together, we'll develop action steps for analyzing and responding to community crises as they arise.
Chris Bartlett, Project Coordinator, The SafeGuards Project. Philadelphia, PA
Liver Soup: Hepatitis A, B, C, D
This panel discussion will summarize briefly why this liver condition is perilous to gay men, distinctions between various hepatitises, and what innovative strategies to prevent infection against an alphabet soup of viruses have been achieved. Discussion of gay male specific programs, outreach, materials, and tactics will be key to the discussion.
Ask a Q Health Provider
This broadly-conceived session will consist of a moderated panel of queer health care providers here to answer your non-HIV related questions. Why can it be nice to have a gay provider? How do you manage those pesky warts? Should we be concerned about anal cancer--as if we don't have enough to worry about? All questions submitted will be
answered!
Making New Friends while Mobilizing Statewide Action Against STDs
Minnesota AIDS Project's successful multi-year activist campaign focused on STDs will be prominently featured in this session. The group's lobbyists got buffed-up to add bulk to HIV prevention by increasing public funding to stop STDs. They've since endured lawmakers who thought they were talking about an auto fuel additive, found social conservatives with their pants down and revealing their newest anti-gay/anti-sex agenda, and pressed against public health's institutional resistance to dealing with queer health. These activists have managed to increase STD funding and change service availability as a safety-net of STD prevention and treatment services is being reestablished in the state. The workshop will review what has and has not worked so well in Minnesota, while helping participants plan an STD advocacy regimen of their own.
Bob Tracy, Director, Community Affairs & Education. Minnesota AIDS Project. Minneapolis, MN.
Jeremy Hanson, Community Affairs Manager. Minnesota AIDS Project. Minneapolis, MN.
Bruce Maeder, Community Prevention Educator. Minnesota AIDS Project. Minneapolis, MN.
Mobilizing Young Gay Men of All Colors as Health Advocates: The Real Deal
Young gay men are usually looked upon as either too young, not experienced or simply not interested in health related issues. This appears true in communities of color and the white gay community. This session aims to engage participants in a dialogue on how they can effectively mobilize young gay men (age 30 and under) in their communities, using their strengths and energy to prepare the next wave of leaders. Through the presentation of various programs that have succesfully incorporated and utilized young gay men in their program development and implementation, participants will acquire a greater understanding of the importance and benefits of involving young gay men in health promotion. This interactive workshop will engage participants in exploring innovative approaches to use the strengths and talents of young gay men of various races and ethncities as health advocates. Bring your knowledge and experience, and learn from others as well.
David Velez, Bilingual Trainer, Latino Health Institute. Boston, MA
Beyond the Barriers: Health Advocacy for Rural Men.
In this working meeting we will discuss the importance of not letting existing barriers get in the way of effective rural work. Workshop participants will begin to develop a creative, comprehensive plan to address health issues beyond HIV for rural gay men. Come prepared to actively participate! Aloisi has been a rural gay men's advocate since the early 90's and coordinated a day-long rural MSM summit at the 1997 national Lesbian and Gay Health Conference.
Facilitated by Tom Aloisi, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT.
Rural Programs That Work.
In this workshop, several comprehensive health education programs for rural men will be presented, including The Montana Gay Men's Task Force, directed by David Herrera and the Brattleboro, VT Gay/Bi Men's Program, coordinated by Carey Johnson. Issues discussed will include creating a sex-positive program, creating networks of support for isolated men, and the imact of the Internet on the coming out process. Participants will also discuss the importance of modifying existing urban-designed programs for use in rural areas. Both Johnson and Herrera have many years of experience in developing effective programs for rural men, and have presented at several national conferences.
David Herrera, Montana Gay Men's Task Force, Helena, MT.
Carey Johnson, Brattleboro Area AIDS Project, Brattleboro, VT.
Facilitated by Tom Aloisi, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington.
Nuts and Bolts: Developing Gay Men's Health Programs
If we are to effectively tackle some of the health challenges facing gay men, we need to see a vast increase in health projects--formal and informal, institutionalized and grassroots. The new generation of program planners who will design these projects, develop funding and marshall support, need to have the skills to create an effective program. This skills-building workshop, coordinated by Tom Aloisi, Oscar Lopez, and Rodney Vanderworker, will focus on the development of comprehensive health programs for MSM. Issues addressed include community needs assessment, focus groups, creating goals and objectives, and evaluation. This workshop is for people who have never before developed a program, or for those who would like a program planning "refresher". Aloisi works throughout Vermont providing support for a variety of rural health programs for gay men and other communities. Lopez is an advocate for people of color with HIV at the National Minority AIDS Council. Vanderworker helps to coordinate the Hepatitis A Vaccination Project at Fenway Community Health Center.
Tom Aloisi, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT.
Oscar Lopez, National Minority AIDS Council, Washington, D.C.
Rodney Vanderworker, Fenway Community Health Center, Boston, MA
History Lessons: Applying What We've Learned from AIDS to Strengthening Gay Men's Health Work.
Whether it's to treat the prostate, heart, or any other organ or bodily system or function, all gay men should receive the same kind of sensitive, comprehensive health services provided to those with HIV/AIDS. John-Manuel Andriote, author of the just-published book Victory Deferred: How AIDS Changed Gay Life in America, will discuss how the gay community's response to AIDS created models of integrated health services that can be applied to the broader health needs of gay men. Andriote, a Washington, DC journalist, has been writing about HIV/AIDS and other health and mental health issues since the early eighties for the gay and mainstream press
John-Manuel Andriote, author, Victory Deferred: How AIDS Changed Gay Life in America (University of Chicago). Washington, DC.
Gil Gerald, President, Gil Gerald & Associates, Inc. San Francisco, CA
George Weiss, young men's community organizer, Gay City Health Project.
Seattle, WA
Community Building as HIV Prevention: The Gay City Experience
Four years ago, Seattle's Gay City Health Project emerged as a distinct alternative to the HIV prevention status quo, focusing on community building and holistic health promotion rather than condoms. Come to this session and learn how to revitalize tired prevention programs with innovative programming ideas and creative social marketing.
John Leonard, Gay City Health Project. Seattle, WA
Conditional Past, Future Perfect?
Five years of short term intervention groups for gay and bisexual HIV- men. What will we offer in the next five years?
Jarvis T. Chen, SM, Fenway Community Health Center. Boston, MA
Gail Beverley, MPhEd, Site Coordinator, Fenway Community Health Center. Boston, MA.
The Gay Male Alcoholic: Victim of Circumstance, Social Identity, or Passing Phase? Complicating Factors in Treating Alcoholism in Gay Men
Les Wright, Ph.D.
What makes a person alcoholic? The explanations have been numerous and contradictory. In working with recovering alcoholics and studying psychotherapeutic treatments for alcoholism, I have found certain key dynamics, in particular as they affect gay men, have remained unidentified in the literature and not put into clinical practice. Today the "disease model" of alcoholism is being challenged by new discoveries in genetics, neurobiology ("hardwiring" of the brain), trauma studies, and other fields. Twelve-step recovery programs, which rely upon this approach, not only helped to lessen the stigma attached to alcoholism, but opened a Pandora's box of unforseeable consequences (the recovering alcoholic as celebrity, AA as social fashion, talk shows as freak shows featuring addicts, perverts, queers, and every other type of "freak").
Following a quick review of recent formulations-both clinical and popular--I wish to explore three underlying dynamics in this presentation: (1) alcoholism as a response to underlying trauma, (2) gay socialization (a) the complex trauma of growing up gay (socialization as males, homophobic social conditioning in childhood, childhood sexual abuse) and (b)socialization as adult gay men (dynamics of alienation, isolation, self-estrangement, and powerlessness), and (3) the dynamic underlying our consumer-capitalist system, which relies heavily upon the dilemma of "instant gratification and eternally deferred satiety" as a self-perpetuating model for addictive behavior. From the larger context suggested by this presentation, I hope all participants will together explore possible next steps in treating alcoholism in gay male populations.
In part, this presentation draws upon empirical and theoretical background of Freaks Talk Back (Joshua Gamson), Abused Boys (Mic Hunter), Growing Up Gay in a Dysfunctional Family (Rik Isensee), Shattered Assumptions (Ronnie Janoff-Bulman), Men of Color: A Context for Service to Homosexually Active Men (John F. Longres), The Culture of Recovery (Elayne Rappoing), The Natural History of Alcoholism Revisited (George Vaillant), and Gay Men, Drinking, and Alcoholism, (Thomas S. Weinberg).
Les Wright, Ph.D. Health Science Dept., Worcester State College; National Center for Death Education. Fitchburg, MA.
Gay Parenting: Health Considerations and Consequences
Issues around parenting for gay men will be discussed, including methods and their costs, insurance, health requirements and agency expectations. Various resources on and for parenting will be presented. Social and health consequences of parenting will also be
discussed.
Patrick A. Tranmer MD, MPH; Department of Family Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago. Chicago, IL.
Daniel P. Ryan, EdD; National Louis University. Evanston, IL.
Transform Your Health with Jin Shin TARA Self-Care
Jin Shin TARA is a powerful energetic system that empowers individuals to take charge of their own well-being. Whether your needs are primarily physical or emotional, this hands-on, easy to learn approach will stimulate your vitality, your immune response and your joy in life. Jin Shin TARA activates the body's natural healing capacities through touch, utilizing the oriental energy points, like those used in acupuncture. Jin Shin TARA is a program of The Dom Project, who's mission is to build a community of empowered healers who use Jin Shin TARA to transform life threatening illness into soul purpose. This workshop will be participative and experiential.
Stephanie Mines, PhD is on the faculty of The Naropa Institute and has studied the oriental healing art of Jin Shin for over 20 years. Boulder, CO
Jeffrey Najarian, CMT began practicing the Jin Shin TARA in 1998 and his T-cell count 10 year high of 250 was elevated to 420. Boulder, CO
El Silencio de Violencia: Gay Latinos Speak Out Against Domestic Violence
The interactive workshop will create a safe space for Latino men and their allies to talk about their experiences in working through the network of domestic violence services. The invisibility of services for gay men of color will be highlighted so as to draft a call for action. Issues of documentation, language barriers, and shelter exclusion will be discussed. Upon completion of the workshop participants will be able to identify barriers to services for Latino gay victims of domestic violence; identify key strategies to address the multi-faceted issues that hamper service delivery systems for victims; and create a forum for continued dialogue about domestic violence in communities of color.
J. Carlos Velazquez, M.A., Executive Director, District 202. Minneapolis, MN.
Swallowing It Whole: The Context and the Facts of Oral Sex
This workshop will attempt to provide a forum to review what is known about oral sex and HIV transmission, and to integrate the information with current community-oriented messages about safer sex and harm reduction. Ken Mayer, the medical director of Fenway Community Health Center and Professor of Medicine at Brown U., will discuss the biological issues related to oral sex; Rob Guzman, a health educator at the SF Department of Health will discuss some of the case studies of men who recently became infected via oral exposure to HIV and place the information in a public health context. David Ostrow, of Howard Brown Clinic and a Professor of Psychiatry at Chicago's Loyola Medical School, will discuss the behavioral issues related to how gay men incorporate information regarding the relative risks of oral sex in making decisions about sexual practices based on less-than-optimal data. The participants in the workshop will be challenged to forge an agenda for future laboratory, epidemiological, and behavioral research that can facilitate more informed decision-making about the relative risks of oral sex.
Taking the Pop Out of Popper Use
Poppers (volatile nitrites used to enhance sexual performance, relax the sphincter in anal sex, and facilitate orgasm) were initially suspected of being important co-factors in AIDS, particularly the development of Kaposi's Sarcoma. With the identification of HIV as the primary cause of AIDS and dramatic reductions in KS incidence among gay men, interest in these drugs as primary causes of physical health problems has waned.However, they continue to be widely used and are considered by many to be the prototypical "gay drug of abuse." This panel will look at the current patterns of popper use and their potential contributions to physical and mental health problems among gay men. The panel will be moderated by Hank Wilson, founder of the Committee to Monitor Popper Use and a long time advocate of education regarding popper use; Dr. Kenneth Mayer of the Fenway Community Health Center will summarize data on the known medical complications of popper use; Dr. David Ostrow of Loyola University of Chicago will discuss findings from the Coping & Change Study regarding factors associated with the use and cessation of use of poppers; Dr. Michael Gorman of the University of Seattle will discuss the roles of both poppers and crystal (methamphetamine) as sex-drugs.
Hank Wilson, founder, Committee to Monitor Popper Use. San Francisco, CA.
Dr. Kenneth Mayer, Fenway Community Health Center, Boston, MA.
Dr. David Ostrow, Loyola University. Chicago, IL.
Dr. Michael Gorman, University of Seattle, Seattle, WA.
Limiting the Risks of Drug Use
A panel of leading researchers and prevention theorists will discuss the state-of-the-art knowledge about substance use patterns and interventions aimed specifically at gay men. A focus of this session will be drug/sex interactions. How are drugs ascribed different values vis-a-vis sex? A series of three panels have been scheduled to highlight the continued risks which the use of psychoactive substances pose to the health of gay men and their communities. This is the first of the panels
George Marcelle, Co-founder, National Association of Lesbian and Gay Alcoholism Professionals/NALGAP. Los Angeles, CA.
Dr. David G. Ostrow, Director, AIM Project, Howard Brown Health Center. Chicago, IL.
Ronald Stall, Ph.D., Investigator, UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. San Francisco, CA
Michael Gorman, Ph.D., University of Washington's Addiction Research Center)
Richard Elovich, Education Director, GMHC. New York, New York.
Drug Use at Circuit Parties - New Data
A range of ethnographic studies exploring circuit parties and drug use/abuse are currently in the field or approaching publication. To date, there has been little coordination across projects, and no synthesis of findings or attempt to prioritize future directions for research. For the first time, researchers and health activists will gather to present findings and discuss the implications for intervention and health promotion efforts. Areas of discussion will include: new data on drug use at circuit parties; findings from a British study on the long-term effects of ecstasy; and testosterone and other hormones/precursors as sex drugs. The session will conclude with a discussion of future research directions and models of intervention and education that work for circuit partiers. A series of three panels have been scheduled to highlight the continued risks which the use of psychoactive substances pose to the health of gay men and their communities. This is the second panel.
Sex, Drugs and Mental Health
This session focuses on the relationships between sexual abuse, substance use, mental health and AIDS. A series of three panels have been scheduled to highlight the continued risks which the use of psychoactive substances pose to the health of gay men and their communities. This is the third panel.
GHB/GBL: A Volatile Drug Has Changed the Landscape of Recreational Drug Use
While GHB has been around for almost five years, its chemical precursor, GBL made a meteoric rise to prominence last summer in the form of over-the-counter "sleep aids" called Blue Nitro, Renewtrient, and Revivarant. The widespread availability of these products, combined with their volatility and low cost, represent a major risk awareness and overdose prevention challenge. A panel that includes front-line researchers and overdose treatment experts will discuss the biology of GHB/GBL, how it is used, and why its rapid adoption as the recreational drug of choice has galvanized even the most unlikely prevention advocates.
Dr. Francis P. Kohrs, MD, MSPH, University of Kentucky
Christopher R. Mann, D.O., Founder, MedEvent
Christopher Carrington, PhD, San Francisco State University
Let Them Eat Beefcake
How do gay men reconcile their self-image with the hypermasculine ideal? Critics claim that an entire generation of gay men is shopping for self-esteem at the gym. Steroids have fundamentally changed the image we project as individuals and as a community. Both HIV positive and HIV negative men have found value in these drugs, but what have been the consequences for non-users? Why have the shifting sands of masculinity moved to a place where physique is paramount to identity? For this session, several mental health professionals will interview a small group of gay bodybuilders who have agreed to participate in an open focus group-like discussion.
Craig Waldo, PhD, UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. San Francisco, CA.
Speaking In Tongues: Promoting Health To Savvy Drug Users
Many gay men have accommodated a high level of risk into their lives, with respect to both sex and drugs. This session delves into the rapidly evolving idea of risk. Where is the line between drug use and abuse? Can gay men use drugs and have sex and do it within their bounds of safety? What are the mental health implications of frequent exposure to drug-induced fantasy-as-reality? If critical decisions about sex are being made in altered states of consciousness, what vernacular of prevention will translate at the critical moment? Broadening ownership of the health challenges we face as gay men depends on our ability to redefine risk with a new vocabulary of words, symbols, values, and behaviors.
Marketing Prevention: Gay Consumerism & Health
Gay identities have become commodities that are bought, sold, and traded for market share in the film industry, TV, news media, and in the marketing of consumer products. Huge sums of advertising dollars from the deep pockets of HIV drug manufacturers flows into the gay media. This session will address the commercialization of gay culture, gay men's symbolic identification with products and ideas, and the implications for health promotion.
Heshie Zinman, DuPont Pharmaceuticals. Philadelphia, PA.
Virtually Out: Gay Identities and Health Promotion in Cyberspace
Two scholars will present research findings about gay men's use of the web, and the session will include a live web crawl. Noted author and health researcher Dr. Michael Ross (Univ. of Texas School of Public Health) will discuss the emergence of cyberspace as a venue for health promotion and HIV counseling, and will outline findings from his recent research into both the advantages and challenges facing health advocates and researchers who use the web. J. Dallas Dishman, a PhD Candidate at USC, will discuss how gay men use cyberspace for social, sexual, cultural, and intellectual development. Are chat rooms healthy social spaces? Why do so many men create false identifies on the web? Has instant access to gay people, gay images, and gay cultural information on the web speeded up the coming out of America, or simply provided bigger closet?
Presenters: Michael W. Ross, University of Texas School of Public Health;
J. Dallas Dishman, Ph.D. candidate, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Eric Rofes. Author, Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures (Haworth, 1998). San Francisco, CA.
What States Can Do To Address Gay Men's Health Issues: A Case Study of Massachusetts
A GLBT employee support group at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has grown into the GLBT Health Access Project. The project has studied gay men's access to health care, conducted focus groups on health care needs of bisexual men and transgendered people, created community standards of practice for GLBT clients, and is training providers on those standards. Among the health issues examined through this project are defining quality care for gay men, disclosure of sexual orientation to health care providers, primary health care, and substance abuse. The project has become a focal point for improving health care for gay men and ensuring an inclusive approach by health care providers statewide and might be considered for adaptation to other states.
Stewart Landers, Senior Consultant, John Snow, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts
The Gay Health Advisory Committee: Oregon's Answer to Inclusion of Gay/Bi Men in the Public Health Policy Decision Making Process.
What should we ask of states which purportedly support the health and well-being of gay male communities? Is there a role for state health departments to play in gay men's health beyond HIV? This workshop shares the history of the development and the on-going efforts of Oregon's Gay Health Advisory Committee (GHAC), a statewide advisory committee which provides input to the state's health work and offers linkages with gay communities and cultures throughout Oregon. The presentation will outline the specific roles and responsibilites, the challenges, and the successes of this public health advisory body. Participants will be given material that can be used as a template for guideing them through the process of organizing and developing an advisory body in their own state and discuss issues related to urban, small town, and urban men; moving beyond HIV; and addressing controversial issues surrounding gay men's cultures..
Sean David Griffiths. Oregon Department of Health. Portland, Oregon
What Men Who Have Sex With Men Need To Know About Safer Sex With Other Genders
"Gay" does not always mean "only sleeps with men"; "man" does not always mean "born male." Studies indicate that 10-50% of gay men also have sex with women (born female or male) or men born female. Some gay-identified men are born female themselves. What do a man who has sex with men and his partner(s) need to know when he has sex with Born Females, FTMs, MTFs, and others? An expert panel will outline how to play more safely with partners who are not male or were not born male, and how men who sometimes sleep with people other than Born Males can encourage health-care providers and community organizations to provide comprehensive information on mixed-gender risk reduction for all STDs and all genders throughout the Gay/Queer Communities. The panel will cover not only HIV, but as many STDs and medical issues as we have knowledge and time for.
Peter A. Chvany, Ph.D., Activist, Bisexual Resource Center, Boston MA;
SDAC Phase I Coordinator, Harvard School of Public Health/Frontier
Science, AIDS Clinical Trials Group. Boston, MA.
Action Session: Mapping the Course of Gay Men's Health: An Empowerment Algorithm for Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Health providers often lack sufficient awareness and knowledge of gay men's health, resulting in negligent and insensitive care. This is an opportunity for gay male patients to articulate a set of expectations and standards to our providers, emphasizing patient empowerment and informed consumer advocacy. Help us create a road map that demonstrates a general approach to clinical experiences for our health concerns.
Michael Scarce, author, Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (Haworth, July 1999). San Francisco, CA.
Pleasure, Danger, and Kink: Health and Safety for Contemporary Gay Leathermen (and Boyz)
This informal session is intended to bring together folks interested in leathersex, SM, kink, and the health needs of kinky gay men for a discussion of issues related to our desires, sexual activities, and physicial, emotional, and spiritual well-being. While it will begin with a presentation touching on the history of controversies surrounding gay male leather communities and health issues (HIV transmission, safe/sane/consensual activities, domestic violence), it is hoped the conversation will quickly deteriorate into an informal discussion of integrating kink safety into an overall agenda of gay men's health.
Eric Rofes. Author, Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures (Haworth, 1998). San Francisco, CA.
Supporting HIV+ Gay Men As They Return to Work: A Checklist of Critical Items
This session will highlight a checklist of items to consider when .HIV+ gay men are returning to work either part-time or full-time. Topics include SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, COBRA, Pre-Existing Conditions, and ADA. This focuses on the process of making sense of one's life with HIV in the workplace.
Frank Pizzoli, Executive Director, Positive Opportunities, Harrisburg, PA.
Responding to the Health Concerns of Homeless Sexual Minority Men
An interactive workshop that will enable participants to walk in the shoes, sleep on the grates, and bathe in the fountains, encountered by sexual minority men coping with a barrage of health issues. Participants will be urged to problem solve culturally appropriate strategies that will enable homeless sexual minority men to access health care systems."
A Billy S. Jones, seasoned gay activist and health advocate for ethnic and sexual minorities. Washington, DC.
Mid-life Gay Male Sexual Replenishment: Viagra and Testosterone
Masculinity in a wide range of variations is generally celebrated in most gay communities. How do we, as aging gay men, regardless of HIV status, adjust as our sexual masculinity or virility begins to show signs of fading? How does this affect our sense of ourselves, as men and, especially as gay men? Do we, like our baby boomer straight brothers, embrace medical means to replenish testosterone and pelvic blood flow? What is our gay male experience with medicines: androderm and viagra?
Robert Penn
Not Only An Exit: A Historical Survey of Anal Sexuality and Implications for Contemporary Health and Wholeness
This presentation will begin with a historical survey of visual and literary references to anal sexual activity. From pre-history to the present: from Greece, Rome, pre-Columbian America, to Africa, China, Japan and beyond; the pleasure of this orifice has been celebrated. Secondly, the history and variety of enemas will be examined. This hygienic and delightful activity will lead into issues of health and anal sexuality. An understanding of the anatomy and physiology of this area is essential to safe and pleasurable exploration. Finally concepts for spiritual awakening through exercise and massage for the anus, rectum and prostrate will be postulated discussed.
Bartholomew T. Casimir MFT, Intern
Edward R. Kelley Ph.D.
Beyond Sucking and Fucking: Mapping the Domain of Gay Male Sexuality
Most research on gay male sexuality focuses on a limited set of sexual behaviors, notably oral and anal sex. However, sexual encounters typically include a much broader range of erotic activities. Understanding how gay men think about sex requires attention to the full spectrum of actions that may occur in a sexual encounter. This conversation will deal with the methodological issues involved in mapping sexual cognition and the implications of such work for understanding the relative importance of risk and pleasure in the sexual lives of gay men.
Ralph Bolton, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, Pomona College, editor of The AIDS Pandemic: A Global Emergency (Gordon & Breach, 1989) and Rethinking AIDS Prevention: Cultural Approaches (Gordon & Breach, 1992). Claremont, CA.
Safer Barebacking: Feasibility and Implementation of Condomless Harm Reduction"
Mainstream HIV prevention has abandoned men who have made informed decisions not to use condoms for anal sex outside the realm of negotiated safety. Bareback subcultures need and deserve a culturally-specific model of health promotion. What kinds on non-condom strategies are most feasible for reducing the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections? How might such a model threaten or bolster larger efforts in safer sex education?
Michael Scarce
Of Microbes and Men: What Do We Really Know About STD Transmission and How Can this Assist Approaches to Prevention?
What is our most current understanding of how STDs are transmitted, and how men's immune systems respond to different types of infections? Concepts discussed in this research-based session will include how infectiousness is measured, the immunology of different mucus membranes that may be exposed to STDs, whether reinfection may occur, and how the biological information can lead to the development of prevention strategies (e.g. vaccines, microbicides, etc.). Participants will be encouraged to discuss how the information that is known can be best used in community education, and how activism can mobilize support to fill in the many large gaps in our knowledge about these issues. The presentation will focus on HIV, but also discuss the role of other STDs.
Ken Mayer, MD. Medical Research Director, Fenway Community Health Center;
Professor of Medicine and Community Health, Brown U
Creating a Gay Men's Health Conference in a Rural Area
Are rural men ready to become involved in gay men's health issues in a big way? Will our efforts fall on disinterested ears? Is "gay men's health" an urban construct? This presentation takes as its case study this spring's successful and well-attended Gaymen's Health Conference in rural Maine. In an attempt to broaden and strengthen their work in the gay, bisexual, and MSM communities, two groups--Down East AIDS Network (DEAN) and Coastal AIDS Network (CAN), organized a one-day conference in May. While the two organizations have been providing HIV prevention services for over twelve years, this conference represented a deepening of their commitment to placing that work in an holistic, multi-issue context. The groups' programs historically have varied from outreach targeting public sex environments to educational and support retreats for the gay and bisexual male community. At the core of all of these HIV prevention programs is a holistic approach to community building.. Information about the needs assessment, design, publicity, and presentation of the conference will be provided.
The catchment areas of both DEAN and CAN are rural, with no town having a year round population larger than 10, 000. Maine's population is predominantly white with less than 2% African-Americans and ethnic minorities. Within the gay bisexual and MSM population there is much age, education, and indigenous versus immigrant population diversity. The area is affected by a large influx of summer tourist and summer residents.
Ron King, Down East AIDS Network and Coastal AIDS Network, LOCATION?, Maine.
Health Concerns Behind the Chain Link Fence
Gay men are in jails and prisons. How can their health needs be addressed? Specific topics to be disucssed include hepatitis B & C, HIV, institutional recovery programs, mental health, and the health ramifications of prison rape.
Ray Hill, for the past 19 years, producer and host of The Prison Show, a two hour weekly broadcast of KPFT in Houston, and local glbt activist. Houston, TX
Performance: Ray Hill's The Prison Years and The Sex Police
For the Boulder Summit, veteran Texas gay and prison reform activist, Ray Hill is preparing a special mix of his performance material. Hill will perform from his works "The Prison Years" (about the obvious) and "Ray Hill & The Sex Police" (about Hill's forty years of running battles with Houston's vice cops) two one-character performance pieces. Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, Edward Albee thought the combinition of material from Hill's two works would make, "intriguing theater" and would be a "tough evening." (Houston Chronicle review, May 23, 1999).
Ray Hill, for the past 19 years, producer and host of The Prison Show, a two hour weekly broadcast of KPFT in Houston, and local glbt activist. Houston, TX
HIV+ And In Control: An Interactive Dialogue for HIV+ Gay Men About Sex and Drugs, Not to Mention Life and How to Live It...
This session will allow HIV poz gay men a chance to talk with each other frankly about such issues as dating, disclosure, barebacking, self-esteem and HIV/STD risk. Given the media's sensationalizing of bareback sex, and the ensuing community controversies, this session will allow poz gay men a chance to discuss this with other poz gay men, to create a dialogue about health, risk and survival strategies.
Mike Shriver, Co-Director for Community Initiatives, AIDS Policy Research Center. San Francisco, CA.
Action Session: A Public Statement from Gay Men 35 and Under
Come to this working session if you are a queer/gay man age 35 and under and eager to participate in drafting a public statement, manifesto, list of principles, or other public document which captures your generation's perspective on identity, health promotion, AIDS, and community. Young gay men increasingly are characterized as narcissitic, hedonistic slackers unconcerned about their own health or those of their peers. Meet with others to hash out the issues, prioritize your sentiments, and get it down on paper!
Matt Brown (facilitator). Boulder, CO.
Tony Valenzuela (facilitator). Los Angeles, CA
Action Session: Beyond Boulder: How Do We Continue The Work and the Spirit of this Summit?
What organizations, forums, or venues are available for continuing to build a gay men's health movement at the local, statewide, and national levels? Is our Boulder Summit truly a one-shot deal or will this effort continue annually or every other year? Should someone take the lead on reviving a national gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender health conference? Organizing in a decentralized manner may be fun and wildly anarchistic, but some of us think it's worth getting together to discuss where we take it after Boulder. All interested parties, eager organizers, or jaded hangers-on welcome at this session!
Eric Rofes, Author, Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures (Haworth, 1998). San Francisco, CA.
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