Center Blog

June 27 was National HIV Testing Day, which gave us another opportunity to remind our constituents that beginning in July the Center will be offering on-site rapid HIV testing. For more information, please contact our Community Services Department at: 646-556-9300. You can learn about all of our HIV/AIDS related programs and services by visiting our website.

The Center is also gearing up for Cycle for the Cause– The Northeast AIDS Ride. More than 100 riders will cycle from Boston to NYC over three days to raise awareness of those living with HIV and AIDS, and to honor those who have passed from this disease. Cycle for the Cause takes place on September 21-23, 2012 and will raise vital funds for the Center’s HIV/AIDS related programs and services. The funds raised by Cycle for the Cause allow the Center to direct its focus on three areas – prevention, support and testing. Learn more about how to sign up to ride or be a part of the crew at cycleforthecause.org, and read this excellent feature article about the event in EDGE.

Below please also read a White House statement on National HIV Testing Day

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 27, 2012

Statement by the President on National HIV Testing Day

National HIV Testing Day highlights the importance of HIV testing and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Of the over1.1 million Americans living with HIV, more than 200,000 are unaware of their infection, and may unknowingly be transmittingthe virus to others. Knowing your HIV status is a vital step toward accessing life-extending treatment for HIV, and thanks to ongoing research, that treatment is more effective than ever.

In July 2010, my Administration released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which emphasizes the goals of reducing infections, improving health outcomes, and reducing HIV-related health disparities. Two years into its implementation, the Strategy continues to focus Federal, State, and local efforts on improving the delivery of HIV/AIDS services, including expanding outreach, testing, linkage to care, and treatment.

Testing remains a special priority – and thanks to quick and accurate tests, finding out your HIV status has never been easier. The Affordable Care Act now requires many health insurance plans to provide recommended preventive health services with no out of pocket costs, giving millions of Americans better access to HIV testing. Another CDC program, the Expanding Testing Initiative, has conducted 2.8 million tests in its first three years. Together, these and other efforts will help prevent new infections and ensure that people living with HIV lead healthy lives – moving us towards our goal of an AIDS-free generation.

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This Pride season the Center would like to take a moment to fill you in on all the programs, services and events we offer to transgender and gender non-conforming people, through our Gender Identity Project (GIP).

“We’re thrilled about the expanded services we’re able to offer this year,” said Gender Identity Project Community Prevention Coordinator, Cristina Herrera. “We have two exciting new groups: ‘Stories’ for trans and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people on the feminine spectrum, and ‘Voices’ for trans and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people on the masculine spectrum. We’ve also added Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services, and this July we’ll begin rapid HIV testing at the Center.”

The Gender Identity Project (GIP) was founded in 1989 and is the first transgender-driven project initiated and fully supported within a Community Center, and focused on the needs of the greater queer community. The GIP works to foster the healthy development of transgender and gender non-conforming people, partners, family and community. Through the delivery of a range of supportive services, advocacy, outreach, education and capacity-building, the GIP creates a safe and productive atmosphere for community-building, wellness and self-care, and leadership development.

The GIP is also the first transgender peer counseling and empowerment program in New York State. This landmark program serves 850 transgender clients yearly:  75% are transgender women, 30% are Black, 3% API, 53% Latino.  Annually, these clients receive individual 230 counseling and referrals visits and made 620 visits to drop-in groups and events.  The GIP offers bilingual services by staff members and peer interns, as well as outreach materials printed in Spanish, which are specifically designed for transgender immigrants. 

As touched on above by Cristina Herrera, in addition its numerous regular offerings, the GIP most recently added several new services to meet the emerging needs of the community. The Trans/Gender-Non-Conforming (GNC) Feminine “Stories” Group is a weekly discussion group on topics including: gender pride, assertiveness skills training, managing relationships and coping skills.  Members of the group are also encouraged to share their personal stories in a safe & supportive environment.  The group meets for 6 week cycles, 3 times a year for a total of 18 meetings a year. The Trans/Gender-Non-Conforming (GNC) Masculine Spectrum “Voices” Group, a weekly discussion group on topics including: community building, emotional health, gender pride, managing relationships, role models and sexual health.

The Center’s (GIP) services have never been more vital. According to a report released earlier this year by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), “transgender people face unrelenting discrimination in virtually all aspects of their lives.”

Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey was published in February and revealed widespread discrimination experienced by transgender and gender non-conforming people across the board.

Here are the key findings:

• Discrimination was pervasive for all respondents who took the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, yet the combination of anti-transgender bias and persistent, structural and individual racism was especially devastating for Latino/a transgender people and other people of color.

• Non-citizen Latino/a respondents were often among those most vulnerable to harassment, abuse and violence in the study; their experiences are noted throughout this report.

• Latino/a transgender people often live in extreme poverty with 28% reporting a household income of less than $10,000/year. This is nearly double the rate for transgender people of all races (15%), over five times the general Latino/a population rate (5%), and seven times the general U.S. population rate (4%).iii The rate for Latino/a non-citizen respondents was 43%.

• Latino/a transgender people were affected by HIV in devastating numbers. One in twelve Latino/a respondents were HIV-positive (8.44%) and an additional 10.23% reported that they did not know their status. This compares to rates of 2.64% for transgender respondents of all races, .50% for the general Latino/a population, and 0.60% of the general U.S. population. The rate for Latino/a non-citizen respondents was 23.08%

• Forty-seven percent (47%) of Latino/a respondents reported having attempted suicide.

• Latino/a respondents who attended school as transgender people reported alarming rates of harassment (77%), physical assault (36%), and sexual assault (13%) in K-12; harassment was so severe that it led 21% to leave school. Nine percent (9%) were also expelled due to bias.

• Respondents who were harassed and abused by teachers in K-12 settings show dramatically worse health and other outcomes compared to those who do not experience such abuse. Peer harassment and abuse also had highly damaging effects.

The Center’s GIP program is well aware of those alarming statistics and works tirelessly 365 days a year to help thousands of transgender and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people. Here are just a few recent examples:

- On December 13, 2011, Director of Center Wellness Andres Hoyos, joined Center clients in testifying before New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration as it looked into how NYC immigrants are treated in detention centers. Cecilia Gentili, a Gender Identity Project Peer Educator and transgender immigrant from Argentina told her story of how she faced both sexual assault and verbal abuse in detention centers before she was ultimately granted asylum after being in this country for 10 years.

New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration

 - As a community center, the Center works to ensure adequate resources to address the evolving needs of LGBT people, with a focus on New York City and State. At a hearing held by the City Council Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health on December 16, 2011, Gender Identity Project Community Prevention Coordinator Cristina Herrera, Lesbian Cancer Initiative (LCI) Coordinator Cristina Moldow, and LCI Peer Intern Kaz Mitchell, urged the City Council to bolster efforts by the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to require trainings that ensure all LGBT people are treated with respect in city hospitals, and develop robust standards to evaluate these endeavors.

New City Council's Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health

- 2012 marks the third year of the Gender Identity Project’s (GIP) TransLatina collaborative. TransLatina offers supportive services to Latina transgender women, including support services on self-defense, trauma and stress reduction, and medical services including STI screening. On January 31, over 60-participants gathered at the first TransLatina social event of 2012 which was held in collaboration with Community Health Care Network, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, AIDS Center Queens County, and Make the Road New York and hosted at the Queens Pride House.

- The Gender Identity Project’s (GIP) Trans Hand-on Team (T-HOT) conducted three community needs assessments in March and early April. The meetings were held at the Center, at the AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC) in Woodside and at Make the Road in Bushwick. They addressed a wide array of concern impacting the transgender and gender non-conforming communities focusing on the needs of communities of color. Dr. Paul Weiss presented on chest and breast reconstruction surgery for transgender men and women to over 65 participants at the March 23 GenderTECH 2012 event.

- On April 27, the Center’s Gender Identity Project hosted the Lorena Borjas Community Fund (LBCF) – Ribbon Cutting Event, sponsored by Sylvia Rivera Law Project, the Community Healthcare Network and the TransLatina Network of NYC. Lorena is a transgender Latina activist and facilitates a group for the GIP’s Trans-Latina project. The LBCF is a volunteer-run project to help low-income LGBT immigrants.

Lorena Borjas Event at the Center, April 2012

- The GIP’s peer team lead by Community Prevention Coordinator, Cristina Herrera, participated in the 11^th annual Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference from May 31 to June 2. The GIP presented TransLatina Stories, a workshop that focuses on the GIP’s unique community-driven approach to successfully engaging and empowering transgender women from Latin America and the Caribbean to live healthier lives while promoting overall wellness.

- On June 12 changes were announced to the New York City Police Department Patrol Guide that will help ensure that police officers treat transgender and gender non-conforming people with dignity and respect. The patrol guide changes are the result of nearly 18-months of negotiations between LGBT advocacy groups including the Center, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office and the NYPD. They address an array of unique problems that transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers face when they are arrested, processed and detained in police precincts.

Center's Director of Community Services, Carrie Davis (NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member)

The GIP is honored to do this work every day on behalf of the community—and the testimonials below confirm why it’s so important:

“I am a proud partner of a transwoman for the last 20 years. I was connected by my partner to the counseling services at Center’s Gender Identity Project which also provides services to partners and families of the transgender community.  I was assigned a counselor who has helped me feel much better and was able to understand my concerns as a partner of a transwoman. I am no longer feeling highly stressed because I had someone to talk about things that I have held in for years.  It has helped me improve the condition of my relationship, which was rocky when I started counseling.  My counselor helped me process my difficult history and the Center was a safe space for me to talk about the stressors such as having a HIV positive partner. Today, I feel happy because of the help I received from the Center.  For that, I am very grateful.”

Carlos- Gender Identity Project Client

“The Center helped me tremendously. You gave me a sense of worthiness and the strength to become a productive member of society. That ultimately led to my favorable asylum decision.”

Cecilia Gentili- Gender Identity Project Peer Educator and transgender immigrant from Argentina

For more information GIP’s vast set of resources, please visit us here on our website.

Happy Pride to the entire community!

Guest Post by Allie Axel

America has a great memory for moments of heroism but bouts of amnesia for those times when we falter. Like when President Reagan refused to acknowledge a crisis that wiped out more Americans than those killed in the Vietnam War. How many of us learned about the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. in school? Even high school lesson plans on HIV/AIDS are brief and insufficient. The new documentary 30 Years From Here serves as an “AIDS 101″ course for the American people. In its digestible 52-minute format, the film presents the history of the virus, the untold stories from those who lived through the crisis, and a present-day assessment of the effect it has on our lives now.

On the evening of March 13, every seat was filled  and there were a dozen people standing in the back, leaning against walls as the film, 30 Years From Here played at the Center. The audience seemed to be composed of people who had lived through the start of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s to those who gained awareness in the late 90s. Although the film targets teenage audiences, few people under twenty were present. But that does not mean under-twenties will not see the film.

The beauty of 30 Years From Here is that it is designed to be viewed on TV, thus reaching a far larger audience, especially those flipping channels and coming across a shocking subject they know nothing about. After the film screened, there was a Q & A session with the director, Josh Rosenzweig. Hands were slow to raise at first but then the questions started rolling, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere of curiosity, concern and frustration. The overarching question that the director and audience hoped to answer: How can we overcome the stigma of AIDS and promote awareness among today’s youth? 30 Years from Here is the first step to finding an answer.

Starting Friday, September 16, 2011, more than 120 riders will begin a three-day cycling journey from Boston to New York City. With the support of 50 volunteer crew members, they will ride 285 miles to the steps of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, demonstrating their resiliency and dedication to stopping HIV/AIDS.

They are riding to raise funds for the important life-saving HIV/AIDS services of the Center, which assist thousands of people living with HIV who have limited or no financial resources to cope with this disease. Money raised by the event also supports key youth HIV prevention programs at the Center.

They are also riding because of these alarming statistics:

* More than one million people in the United States have HIV.

* Every year for the past decade there have been 50,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. and a quarter of the new cases are young gay men.

* This year alone, thousands of Americans will die from AIDS-related complications.

The crisis must stop and these riders are doing everything they can to make that a reality. This year’s ride will include Centerpieces, a cycling team comprised of Center staff, and supporters. Riders also include a devoted group of cyclists called Positive Pedalers, who master the hills with signature orange flags on their bikes announcing themselves as HIV+. Positive Pedalers break the cycle; they thrive with HIV and demonstrate why the Center’s work is vital.

Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony, hosted by out lesbian country singer Chely Wright, will be held at 5:00 PM on Sunday, September 18th, when loved ones, family and supporters gather outside the Center on West 13th Street to welcome back the riders and crew members. The celebration will continue inside the Center with a Victory Party sponsored by GO Burger and Brooklyn Brewery. The GO Burger Truck takes the gourmet burger experience on the road and is proud to support Braking the Cycle. Google is a presenting sponsor for Braking the Cycle.

In its nine-year history, Braking the Cycle has raised over $2.5 million for the Center’s vital HIV and AIDS services. To learn more about the HIV/AIDS services of the Center, visit us online. You can also read more about the event in this Edge article.

The Center is extremely sad to hear that our friend and tireless supporter Mark “Spanky” Bialous has passed away this week after battling cancer.

Spanky was a beloved member of Team Eagle, an amazing group of cyclists who consistently raise the most money for the Center’s annual Braking the Cycle fundraiser, a three-day bike ride from Boston to New York, which supports the Center’s vital HIV/AIDS Services. Team Eagle raised a hundred thousand dollars for the Center in 2010.

He was truly a special character and a few of his friends shared these wonderful Braking the Cycle memories about him:

“He had all of his outfits custom made for the ride and they had labels inside that said “petite” because ‘when you go custom they’ll do anything you want.’ He was about 6′6″”

“One night at dinner in PA on the old G’burg/NYC route, ride organizer Eric Epstein was making his announcements and a cell phone started ringing. It was Spanky’s who of course was dressed up like a French maid. As you and I both know, pockets are not always available so he had it shoved down his cleavage. He dug it out – seriously – whole arm down the front of his dress and got it turned off. He was 20 shades of red. About 30 seconds later Eric was back doing his announcements talking about route safety or hydration or something and Spanky’s phone said “message received” with perfect timing.”

The Center extends its deepest condolences to Spanky’s family, friends and his comrades on Team Eagle. He will never be far from our hearts and we’ll be remembering him fondly on this year’s Braking the Cycle ride.

Location:
Buckley Funeral Home
509 Second Avenue
Asbusy Park, NJ

HIV and AIDS remains pandemic, killing 1.9 million people in 2009 worldwide, nearly 30-years after AIDS was first recognized. 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2009 and  40 percent were young people aged 15- 24.  In New York City young gay and bisexual MSM and transgender people of color in particular are at extremely high risk.

The Center is helping to get the word out about a very important event later this week. The United Nations is seeking young leaders to lend their voices to a one day conference on HIV and AIDS this Friday, April 8 at the UN. The 2011 Civil Society Hearing on AIDS is a series of interactive discussion panels convened by the President of the General Assembly, with leaders in the AIDS response from around the world. With people, communities and countries at a critical crossroad, the AIDS epidemic and the people whose lives it touches must help shape the future of the AIDS response. With 40 percent of new infections globally, young people are at the center of the AIDS epidemic and must therefore be at the center of the AIDS response.  In the lead up to the June 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, this historic event will help ensure the voices of those most affected can influence the negotiation process for a new declaration, which will shape the AIDS response in years to come. Join the dialogue to create a new generation of diversity, shared action and community participation.

Events like the 2011 Civil Society Hearing on AIDS, programs like the Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES) and Center CARE and fundraising activities like Braking the Cycle and AIDS Walk New York, which benefit the Center’s HIV and AIDS services, help keep the spotlight on a disease that impacts so many members of our communities.

Here’s detailed information for those interested in participating in the United Nations Event:

LOCATION: United Nations HQ, General Assembly Hall (1st Avenue at 45th Street)

TIME: Friday 8 April, 10am – 5pm

RSVP REQUIRED: (By 5pm, Thursday April 7) to bienenstockr@unaids.org, including your full name and e-mail.

REGISTRATION: Use the entrance at 1st avenue opposite 45th street. You will need to pass through security, so do not bring large bags. Tickets can be picked up at the registration desk in the visitor’s foyer, adjacent to the information booth. Please arrive at 8.30AM to ensure there is time to pass through U.N Security and collect your ticket.

Last week staff members from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center participated in New York State’s Latino AIDS Advocacy Day in Albany. George Fesser, LMSW, coordinator of the Center’s LGBT Immigrant Services, along with other activists from across the state urged the Governor, members of the Assembly, state senators, and officials from the New York State Department of Health to increase their commitment to maintaining a healthy New York, specifically focusing on Latinos impacted by HIV/AIDS and other health conditions. 

Latino Commision on AIDS

According to 2008 data, there are 126,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in New York, and Latinos make up 31percent of this population despite making up only 16.3 percent of all New Yorkers. In our current political and economic environment, it is important to enhance the state’s comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, and our staff reminded members of the new Cuomo Administration of the necessity to respond to the public health crisis fueled by HIV/AIDS and other health challenges. 

In addition to participating in Latino Advocacy Day, the Center’s George Fesser and his colleague Cristina Herrera, a Gender Identity Project Counselor, also delivered workshops at the Latino Commission on AIDS Reunion Latina 2011 Training Institute.  This year’s theme:  “Addressing HIV/AIDS in the Context of Health Care Reform.” Herrera’s workshop focused on working with adolescents, TransLatina health and sexuality and building unity within our diversity.  Fesser presented information on HIV prevention and treatment; healthcare and public policy; and migrant/immigrant health issues.

The Center is committed to sharing our expertise on vital topics that directly affect our diverse constituency and building a wider community of support at conferences and gatherings like those held in Albany last week. We can make significant change in our world through sustained education and advocacy efforts.