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    AUGUST 2010

    IN THIS ISSUE
    [Click on the link to go to the story]
    1. AALUSC Mourns Passing of Candice Boyce
    2. NYS State Budget Impacts LGBT Health Network Funding
    3. Pride Agenda hails historic decision striking down Prop. 8
    4. ESPA Endorses Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General
    5. Director of The Bridge Steps Down
    6. National Coalition applauds appointment of Dr. Berwick to CMS
    7. American Lung Association releases report on LGBT tobacco use
    8. National Coalition Announces Fall Meeting and New Web Site
    9. New SIECUS State Profiles highlight shifting momentum to more comprehensive sex ed
    10. National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council issues first status report
    11. HRC, GLMA issue Healthcare Equality Index 2010
    12. Insurance coverage for part-time workers lags
    13. New policies and training lead to culturally competent care for LGBT patients
    14. SAGE to hold conference on the future of aging
    15. Forum on improving health outcomes now open
    16. Funding Opportunity: Partnerships Active in Communities to Achieve Health Equity (PAC)
    17. San Diego Site of 28th Annual GLMA Conference!
    18. AMA Journal of Ethics Devotes Its August 2010 Issue to LGBT Health Care
    19. SAMHSA, HRSA Seek Grant Reviewers
    20. Institutional Discrimination Is Bad for Mental Health
    21. Transgender Patient Reports "Ridicule" at Indiana Hospital
    22. U.S. Rep Says Lift the Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood
    23. Federal Judge Blocks Arizona From Implementing State Law Eliminating Domestic Partner Benefits
    24. Lawsuit Involving Gay Couple Separated by County Officials Settled

  • 1. AALUSC Mourns Passing of Candice Boyce
    The African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change expressed their deep sadness on the passing of Candice Boyce, community activist, leader, warrior, icon and co-founder of Salsa Soul Sisters, Third World Wimmin Inc. aka African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change, at 6:45pm on August 2, 2010 after a long illness. "Candice was the living embodiment of a Black lesbian consciousness that embraced everyone with compassion and love."

  • 2. NYS State Budget Impacts LGBT Health Network Funding
    Last week the NY Senate passed the revenue portion of the state budget, which was the last remaining element that was delaying the completion of the budget. This means that state agencies are now approved to execute contracts for the current fiscal year.
           Jonathan Lang, Empire State Pride Agenda Director of Governmental Projects and Community Development expressed the frustration RAI and other members of the Network have felt over the past months. "This has obviously been a very frustrating process and I appreciate everyone's willingness to do whatever was needed to protect as much of our funding as possible. This budget is far from perfect; even though the LGBT community did better than most, this is little comfort to the many organizations that will be forced to make painful decisions due to lost funding. There may be opportunities to advocate for funding in the future, and the Pride Agenda will continue to provide our expertise in order to maximize our efforts."

  • 3. Empire State Pride Agenda hails historic decision striking down Prop. 8
    The following statement was issued by ESPA following the historic decision striking down California's Proposition 8: "We are emboldened by the recent victory on marriage equality in California and in the federal justice system. Proposition 8 was a cruel and unconstitutional attack on LGBT families, and we are very pleased that the court has understood the need for all loving, committed couples to have the protections they need to care for each other and their children."

  • 4. ESPA Endorses Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General
    The Pride Agenda recently announced its endorsement of Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General, saying "we know it takes more than passing laws to secure equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families. We need an attorney general we can rely on to make sure those laws are carried out and that statewide policies and standards are in place to protect the entire state, including LGBT people. Schneiderman is that candidate."
           During his tenure in the State Senate, Schneiderman has gone above and beyond voting for LGBT rights: advocating for us in his district, marshalling pro-LGBT votes from his colleagues and leading floor debates on marriage equality. He is exactly what we need in a statewide elected official.
           Eric Schneiderman voted to pass the Hate Crimes Bill and the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA). As a lead sponsor of the Dignity for All Students Act, which passed the Senate on June 22 with a bipartisan 58-3 vote, Schneiderman helped create legal protections for public school students from harassment and bullying, marking the first time that protections based on gender identity and expression would be included in state law. He is a cosponsor of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which would ensure that all transgender New Yorkers are free from discrimination.
           From fighting for marriage equality to ending bullying in schools to cracking down on big pharmaceutical corporations that are cheating New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS, Schneiderman will be an attorney general who never backs down in the pursuit of justice. He has promised to vigorously enforce every statute that protects the rights of the LGBT community and be a steadfast ally every step of the way.
           Visit the ESPA web site to make a donation to the ESPA PAC or sign up to volunteer in this critical race.

  • 5. Director of The Bridge Steps Down
    Andrea Adams, Director of The Bridge, serving the North Country's LGBT community for more than four years announce last week that she is stepping down from her position. "After four plus years doing all I could possibly do to bring an LGBT community center to our area," Andrea explained, adding "I've decided to move on and turn the Bridge over to someone who cares as much as I did in attempting to get badly needed funding and establish a community center. Unfortunately...[our] state funding was recently lost...That 40K was going to open our community center." Andrea said she will offer full and complete training to whoever succeeds her. "Now that we have achieved our 501(c)(3) status, the Director needs only to keep a few programs current and planned, running them sometimes via volunteers, often hands-on, and continue to seek out other funding sources and reduce our reliance on state funds." Anyone interested in the position should contact Andrea to discuss the details [director@thebridgeglcc.org]

  • 6. National Coalition applauds appointment of Dr. Berwick to CMS
    The Coalition strongly supports President Obama’s recess appointment of Donald Berwick to head the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). Dr. Berwick has long been a champion of patients’ rights, the development of community health care centers, and ensuring high quality of care. While there have been mixed responses to the mechanism used to fill this position, President Obama pointed out that “many in Congress have decided to delay critical nominations for political purposes. These recess appointments will allow three extremely qualified candidates to get to work on behalf of the American people right away.” The Coalition remains optimistic that Dr. Berwick will oversee robust reform implementation.

  • 7. American Lung Association releases report on LGBT tobacco use
    A new report titled “Smoking Out a Deadly Threat: Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community” found that smoking rates among the LGBT community appear to be double the national average. Contributing factors include high rates of stress and the role of “bar culture” as a social venue for the LGBT community, which has normalized tobacco use. Leaders of the American Lung Association stated that it is difficult to find additional data or to gain attention for this issue, as few national studies include a question asking the sexual orientation or gender identity of survey participants. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, and any group that smokes at a higher rate is likely to suffer illness and death at a higher rate, as well.

  • 8. National Coalition Announces Fall Meeting and New website
    The fall meeting of the National Coalition for LGBT Health will be October 25-27 in Washington, DC and will focus on the impact of healthcare reform as well as opportunities to influence state and federal action on LGBT health. (The date coincides with the Coalition's 10th Anniversary.) The organization also announced their brand new website [www.lgbthealth.net] which is filled with a wealth of resources. Of special note are new fact sheets about Affordable Care Act implementation and a fact sheet about the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans (PCIPs), one of the largest and most immediate initiatives under the Affordable Care Act. PCIPs are designed to offer coverage for uninsured Americans who have been denied insurance because of past illness and are now open for enrollment in many states.

  • 9. New SIECUS State Profiles highlight shifting momentum to more comprehensive sex ed
    Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) recently released the 7th edition of its State Profiles: A Portrait of Sexuality Education and Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in the States. The profiles, covering Federal Fiscal Year 2009, demonstrate a growing trend towards more comprehensive sexuality education, thanks in part to 190 million dollars in new funding from the federal government for evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention initiatives. While this is a positive trend, this shift is concurrent with the resurrection of the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program, which passed in the new healthcare bill.

  • 10. National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council issues first status report
    The National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council recently issued its first status report to Congress. The report begins the Council’s process of creating a National Prevention and Health Promotion strategy, which will focus on community-based prevention. Chaired by Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and composed of senior government officials across many departments, the Council represents a new opportunity to put prevention at the forefront of the healthcare initiative and to coordinate government actions across the public and private sectors. The Coalition is working to make sure that the Council’s work is inclusive of the needs of the LGBT community.

  • 11. HRC, GLMA issue Healthcare Equality Index 2010
    The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) recently issued the 2010 edition of its Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). HEI reports the results of an annual survey on healthcare facility policies on issues of concern to the LGBT community, including patient non-discrimination and visitation policies, cultural competency training and employment benefits. Two of the important policies covered in this edition include President Obama’s order for regulations prohibiting discrimination in hospital visitation based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and the required LGBT-inclusive patient-centered care hospital accreditation from the Joint Commission.

  • 12. Insurance coverage for part-time workers lags
    According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, less than a third of employers that offer health insurance make it available to their part-time workers. While the healthcare reform bill promises that state-based exchanges will offer subsidized health plans and other forms of coverage for those who do not receive coverage through their work, these options will not be offered until 2014. In the interim three years, many part-time workers (particularly those with chronic diseases) may be at a loss for coverage options. Primary care services programs and employer-offered limited-benefit plans often cost more and offer less than insurance plans available to full-time employees. Community health centers offer an affordable alternative. However, while employers may be penalized for not covering full-time employees beginning in 2014, there will be no consequences for not covering those who work less than 30 hours per week.

  • 13. New policies and training lead to culturally competent care for LGBT patients
    The University of California at San Francisco Medical Center received two consecutive perfect scores in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the only institution in the United States to do so. This is due to the Center’s comprehensive inclusion strategies, which include altering registration forms, visitation policies, electronic systems, and verbal communication protocols to make them more inclusive. Ongoing cultural competency training and education makes the Center safe and welcoming for the LGBT community.

  • 14. SAGE to hold conference on the future of aging
    The Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE) will host a conference in New York from November 11-13 titled “The Future of Aging is in Our Hands: A National Conference and Expo for LGBT Older Adults.” The conference will bring together hundreds of older LGBT adults and their allies to share wisdom, experience, and expertise in exploring solutions to challenging issues that shape the lives of the elder LGBT population. A detailed agenda and registration information will be available in August. To participate in planning the conference agenda through a quick survey, please click here.

  • 15. Forum on improving health outcomes now open
    The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is soliciting ideas on how communities can use the County Health Rankings to mobilize action to improve health outcomes. To do so, the Foundation has launched on online forum for public health and community leaders across the country to post ideas on how communities can, using the Rankings as a catalyst, start, expand or renew efforts to address the many social, economic, environmental and behavioral factors that affect health. Visit the forum to share your ideas on what motivates communities to take action, how to engage and mobilize partners across all sectors, and what types of tools, training and assistance can help communities improve health outcomes.

  • 16. Funding opportunity: Partnerships Active in Communities to Achieve Health Equity (PAC)
    The Office of Minority Health through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is offering competitive grants to applicant organization that represent an integrated community-based network that includes a variety of healthcare, social, and support service entities. Between 8 and 10 awards will be given, ranging from $400,000 to $500,000. Grants must be applied towards improving the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of programs and policies that address gaps and disparities. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. EST on August 2, 2010.

  • 17. San Diego Site of 28th Annual GLMA Conference!
    GLMA’s 28th Annual Conference, the world’s largest gathering of LGBT healthcare professionals, offers continuing medical education (CME) credits, continuing education units (CEUs) and the opportunity to network and socialize with LGBT healthcare professionals and allies from across the United States, Canada, and from other countries. The conference will be held in San Diego from Sept 22-25.

  • 18. AMA Journal of Ethics Devotes Its August 2010 Issue to LGBT Health Care
    In its current edition, posted on 8/2/10, Virtual Mentor American Medical Association Journal of Ethics addresses sexual orientation, gender Identity and patient care. The Virtual Mentor website explains: “as this month’s authors assert, physicians must develop greater comfort in discussing sexuality and greater competence in caring for members of LGBT communities.” GLMA Secretary, Henry Ng, MD, and former GLMA President Kate O’Hanlan, MD, were both contributors to this issue. To read the AMA Journal of Ethics August issue visit http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/

  • 19. SAMHSA, HRSA Seek Grant Reviewers
    As posted in a 7/27/10 email, the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, in cooperation with the National Coalition for LGBT Health, is proud to partner with the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute’s Presidential Appointments Project to find and assist potential LGBT and allied grant reviewers for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
           This is an opportunity to not only ensure that LGBT and allied voices are at the decision-making tables, but also for you to gain valuable insight into the HHS grant-making process. We also hope that any GLMA members who have served as HHS grant reviewers in the past will share their experiences with us to improve our effectiveness.

  • 20. Institutional Discrimination Is Bad for Mental Health
    In a 7/30/10 Huffington Post blog, a UNC-Chapel Hill sociologist reports that institutional discrimination contributed to the worsening of mental health for gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults in states banning marriages of same-sex couples. Citing a March 2010 study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health, Philip N. Cohen concludes that “…mental health worsened more for the GLB folks in the amendment states than for their hetero neighbors, and more than for the GLB respondents in the non-amendment states.” Read GLMA's report “Same-Sex Marriage and Health,” which documents the large body of scientific research indicating that the denial of marriage rights to gay men and lesbians can negatively impact their health and well-being and that of their children. For the entire Huffington Post blog content go to h ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-n-cohen/institutional-discriminat_b_664917.html

  • 21. Transgender Patient Reports "Ridicule" at Indiana Hospital
    In an 8/2/10 broadcast, FOX59 News in Indianapolis reported on the claims by a transgender patient that she was ridiculed and refused treatment by staff at Ball Memorial Hospital. Advocacy groups have filed complaints against the hospital saying that the patient, Erin Vaught, was “…inhumanely treated, dehumanized, and disrespected.”
           Earlier this year GLMA worked with several organizations to make the policies of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami more inclusive of the needs of the LGBT community.

  • 22. U.S. Rep Says Lift the Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood
    In a July 26 opinion piece for U.S. News & World Report, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) calls for lifting the ban that prevents gay and bisexual men from donating blood: "Rather than perpetuating a flawed practice based on outdated science, we need a policy that prevents people who engage in high-risk behavior from donating while permitting low-risk donors to do so."
           For years, GLMA has been working to persuade the U.S. government and the public health community to oppose the FDA’s ban on blood donation by men who have had sex with men since 1977. For the U.S. News & World Report opinion column go to http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2010/07/26/rep-mike-quigley-healthy-gay-men-should-not-be-banned-from-donating-blood.html

  • 23. Federal Judge Blocks Arizona From Implementing State Law Eliminating Domestic Partner Benefits
    As reported in The Arizona Republic on July 24, U. S. District Judge John Sedwick issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the State of Arizona from enforcing a law passed by the legislature in 2009 that would have prevented the domestic partners of lesbian and gay state employees from receiving health insurance benefits. Read GLMA's report “Same-Sex Marriage and Health,” which documents the large body of scientific research indicating that the denial of marriage rights to gay men and lesbians can negatively impact their health and well-being and that of their children. For The Arizona Republic article go to http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/07/24/20100724gaybenefits0724.html.

  • 24. Lawsuit Involving Gay Couple Separated by County Officials Settled
    A July 25 San Francisco Chronicle article reported that Clay Green, a 78-year-old openly gay man, will receive a $653,000 settlement from Sonoma County, CA. Greene said the county forced him and his longtime partner into separate nursing homes and kept them apart until the partner died. For the San Francisco Chronicle article go to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/25/BARH1EJA0S.DTL&type=printable

    [Information in this report is compiled from the Gay and Lesbian
    Medical Association’s LGBT Health Digest, the National Coalition
    for LGBT Health's Updates and other LGBT health resources.]

    This page was updated on August 30, 2010

    Rainbow Access Initiative is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational and charitable organization created to address the educational needs of medical and social service professionals regarding the genuine heath and human service issues of the LGBT communities. We have two primary goals: the training of health and human service professionals regarding LGBT people, and the empowerment of health care consumers who are LGBT. We are particularly sensitive to the needs of the underserved members within the LGBT community and those with less access to quality health care. This includes people of color, those who are poor, those living in rural areas, families and youth, and those who are elderly or living with chronic or terminal health conditions.