AIDS Issues Update Blog
-
Bernie Sanders Bill Funds Global AIDS Drugs by Patent Buyout
Housing Works has been advocating (along with our friends at VOCAL-NY and Health GAP) for a global Robin Hood Tax—a small tax on the wealthy that would create a fund for HIV treatment access for people across the globe.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill that will soon be analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office that would do something very similar!
The Huffington Post reports that the bill S.1138 which has been proposed by Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, “would set up a $3 billion-a-year prize fund to buy out existing and future patents for AIDS drugs. The fund would compensate drug companies and researchers for their work. The patent would then be placed in …
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:15 pm
-
Four Cynical Reasons for Obama’s Marriage Evolution
OK so I hate to be the cynic in the lovefest. But as historic and groundbreaking as it was to have a sitting US President declare his support for the legalization of same-sex marriages, let’s look at the reasons why this was good politics more than a moral imperative.
1. Obama needs gay money. According to Buzz Feed, that announcement alone raked in the dough. Within 90 minutes of the endorsement, his re-election campaign received $1million in donations. They also report that 1 in 6 of Obama’s top fundraisers are gay men. In 2011, the New York same-sex marriage bill happened in large part because four Republican NYS legislators went against the GOP and supported the bill and were rewarded
…Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:33 pm
-
GENDA Battle Heats Up in Albany
Empire State Pride Agenda Equality & Justice Day Calls for Transgender Rights
By: Carmelita Cruz, Director of NYS Advocacy & Organizing
Housing Works transgender activists and allies joined hundreds of activists from across New York State on Tuesday, May 8th for the Pride Agenda’s annual Equality & Justice Day. The focus of this year’s event was transgender rights: passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), transgender healthcare issues and LGBT youth housing.
The day held workshops, caucus’, legislative office visits and a rally that was moved inside due to the weather. But it didn’t dampen the spirits of the folks in the room. Chanting and applause could be heard throughout the Concourse during the afternoon in-door rally where …
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 10:05 am
-
ADAP Watch: AIDS Drug Wait List Hits 2,704
As of May 3rd, the wait list to receive lifesaving AIDS medication through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs had hit 2,704 people across 10 states.
The number of people waiting to receive medication through state-run AIDS drug programs has increased more than 5,000 percent since August 2009, according to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors. The federal government has reacted with little urgency, however, allotting just $25 million in additional dollars to the program for FY 2012.
To help readers keep tabs on the growing ADAP crisis, we are now …
Posted on May 8, 2012 at 11:03 am
-
STUDY: Lack of Housing Most Important Health Risk for People with HIV
A new study shows that housing and food are the biggest predictors of health than for people with HIV.
The study was conducted by University of California at San Francisco on 288 homeless men with HIV over a six year period (a similar study was done last year with homeless women and had similar results).
The SF Gate reported on the research study, and noted “Lacking basic necessities had a larger negative health effect than drug abuse, the virus in their blood or lack of treatment. Even among patients who were getting drug therapy for their HIV, the effects of being homeless offset most of the positive effects of treatment. But for many very poor patients, being homeless keeps …
Posted on May 1, 2012 at 3:32 pm
-
For 5th Time, GENDA Passes NYS Assembly
GENDA is beginning to feel like the Susan Lucci of Albany bills—always a nominee, not yet winning the prize. Hopefully it won’t take 19 times for this bill to become law (which is what it took for Ms. Lucci to win an Emmy for playing legendary “All My Children” Erica Kane).
Yesterday, GENDA was passed by the NYS Assembly for the 5th time, and awaits a hearing by the New York State Senate, which is where it has always died. Advocates remain hopeful that the Senate will take the cue of the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which recently banned discrimination against transgender people in federal agencies.
Housing Works has been organizing transgender activists who have been taking …
Posted on May 1, 2012 at 11:55 am
-
Action Alert: Tell Prez Obama To Stop Abstinence Only Programs
Hasn’t the Obama Administration promised to end AIDS? Not if we consider what they’re funding!
Heritage Keepers, an abstinence-only-until-marriage program, has been included on a very short list of HHS-approved programs eligible for implementation with federal funds by Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative grantees.
Like most abstinence-only programs, Heritage Keepers:
- employs gender bias, telling girls they must “dress modestly” so as not to provoke “lustful thoughts” in boys;
- misleads young people about protection from HIV, STIs and pregnancy, providing no discussion of the benefits of using condoms and contraception; and
- reinforces homophobia: its focus on heterosexual marriage ignores and stigmatizes LGBT youth, who still cannot marry in most states and at the federal level.
Heritage …
Posted on May 1, 2012 at 9:32 am
-
ADAP Watch: AIDS Drug Wait List Hits 3,109
As of April 26th, the wait list to receive lifesaving AIDS medication through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs had hit 3,109 people across 10 states.
The number of people waiting to receive medication through state-run AIDS drug programs has increased more than 5,000 percent since August 2009, according to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors. The federal government has reacted with little urgency, however, allotting just $25 million in additional dollars to the program for FY 2012.
To help readers keep tabs on the growing ADAP crisis, we are now posting the Read More
Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:43 am
Donate Today
Join our healing community by becoming a member today
