READ ABOUT “A Call to Action” and JOIN IN
VORA, with the State's HIV Community Planning Committee, is sponsoring A Call to Action for Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men who have Sex with Men
We Support this CALL TO ACTION
The following Individuals are Committed to taking Personal Actions — and to Promoting the Call to Action to Others …
* Baker, Mark Anthony
* Beale, Meyoni M.
* Bronson, Heather
* Brown, Minister Almetrice D.
* Brown, Rev. Gail M.
* Cabrera, Thomas
* Carpenter, Alilsha
* Clayborn, Denise
* Cousar, Rosalyn, RN
* Delgado, Hugo
* DeWitt, Lee C.
* Dolan, Carrie B.
* Downing, James M.
* Flannagan, Jennifer
* Fordham, Gregg
* Gandhi, Ami
* Greene, Nathan
* Hall, Richard
* Higgins, Thomas G.
* Hines, Jerry M.
* James, Martina
* Johnson, Deidre
* Johnson, Reverend Dr. Dale L.
* Lees, Martha
* Marie, Angel
* Martin, Elaine
* Mattson, Nicholas
* McHugh, Isabelle
* McIntyre, Michael
* Rees, Rachel
* Roane, Ryland R., Jr.
* Rowland, Sue
* Royster, Ruth
* Taylor-Donahue, Shelley
* Vermillion, John E.
* Williams, Anthony
The following Organizations are Committed to Promoting The Call in their work …
* ACCESS — AIDS Care Center Education & Support Services
* AIDS/HIV Services Group (ASG)
* AIDS Response Effort (ARE)
* Dignity, Northern Virginia
* Eastern Virginia HIV CARE Consortium
* Fan Free Clinic
* Greater Hampton Roads HIV Health Services Planning Council (Ryan White Title I)
* Healing Rivers Grief Education
* Joy Fellowship Community Ministries; Rev. Barbara Nollie, Pastor
* National Coalition for LGBT Health
* National Latino AIDS Awareness Day Committeee of Virginia
* Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry
* Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge
* Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth (ROSMY)
* UVA Pride, the LGBT Faculty, Staff and Graduate student Association at University of Virginia
* Virginia HIV Community Planning Committee
* Virginia HIV/AIDS Resource & Consultation Center / Eastern Satellite Office
* Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS (VORA)
* Whitman Walker Clinic
PLEASE JOIN WITH US.
WHY? Here's Why ….
"I've attended, and presented, at Gay Men's Health Summits, and LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) Health Summits, over the past decade. Our communities have shown great heroism in the face of underfunding, ignorance, and outright bias, by working together to address our health disparities and to optimize our health assets. In many cases, we've triumphed over great adversity; but always new challenges confront us. Many in our communities face what we call 'AIDS fatigue': emotional exhaustion from being constantly afraid and alarmed and alert about AIDS. Some have found themselves so afraid, and some have become so care-less, that they ignore information about AIDS that can save lives, including their own HIV status, the status of their partners, and ways to prevent transmission of HIV. We need to take a new look and make some fresh starts from what we've been doing. We need to ask ourselves, individually and as entire communities, what will work, and what we will do, to keep ourselves and our communities healthy. So, I am glad to share the Call to Action with friends and colleagues, at home, around Virginia, and also around the country. I recently requested one of my professional associations to endorse the Call. They did. I also sent out word about it, to a national electronic news list that I'm a part of, that focuses of gay men's health news. Some on that list were the first to write calls to action in other communities. What we are doing in Virginia draws from, and contributes to, a large national discussion. I'm proud to be part of the discussion. And, I'm glad we're not alone, and that each of us has something to contribute."
Edward Strickler, Jr, University of Virginia
The purpose of this CALL is to ENLIST the COMMITMENT of community based organizations, AIDS service agencies, clubs, churches, bars, friends, and more — to revive the discussion among Gay and Bisexual Men about their own Health and Well Being — about HIV and how to prevent its spread.
Do you know that in Virginia, a new diagnosis of HIV is given to someone about once every 2.5 hours during any given 8 hour work day? That's right — in our State. Do you know that VDH estimates that another 7,000 people with have HIV by 2010!
That's why VORA is supporting this CALL TO ACTION ….
PLEASE, READ "THE CALL" BELOW — AND THEN COMMIT YOUR ORGANIZATION — COMMIT YOURSELF
As Gay and Bisexual Men, we know that we are born with the same and equal dignity as all human beings. Knowing this, we seek, with our best abilities, and with mutual support for one another, to build whole, healthy and happy lives.
We actively seek our health and well being in all ways: physical, emotional, social and spiritual.
We acknowledge that our health and well being are linked to others. We respect our families, friends, coworkers, communities, and our neighbors near and far, and seek their health and wellbeing, along with our own. We join others to support the common good and good health of society.
We accept our own responsibilities for gaining and maintaining good health that carries us through our daily lives, to the end of our lives. We ask our peers, friends, partners and lovers to join us in good health practices. We seek the information, guidance and assistance that we need to be healthy, and help keep others healthy. We expect and demand that health and other agencies, public and private, address our questions, concerns and needs without bias, and that they respect us equally with all others they serve.
When our concerns are not heard or not addressed, we speak up and self-advocate. When others abuse us, we seek safety. When we suffer bias and prejudice, we defend and exercise our rights and equality. When our rights are challenged, we demand justice. We do this for our own health and well being, and for the health and well being of all others.
We make this call to action to benefit ourselves, and to benefit others. We accept, both personally and as a community, the challenges of healthful decision making and behavior.
We face many challenges and opportunities to improve our health and wellbeing, and all deserve our attention. But among these, the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to impact us after more than two decades. We were among the first afflicted with HIV/AIDS, and we were among the first to fight back, demand research and services, and provide care and support for ourselves and all others afflicted by the pandemic. We continue to fight back against HIV/AIDS.
Gay, Bisexual, and other men who have sex with men must act against the behaviors and attitudes responsible for the increased spread of HIV. By the end of 2005, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men accounted for 35% of those living with HIV in Virginia, which is twice that of those with a heterosexual risk. HIV rates among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men increased by 25% between the end of 2003 and the end of 2005. By the end of 2005, 60% of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who are living with HIV were between the ages of 20 and 34.
Alcohol and party drugs continue to have a negative impact on safe behaviors. Most recently, methamphetamine (meth, crystal) has been strongly associated with unprotected sex and an increased number of partners, including anonymous partners, resulting in higher rates of HIV.
Every Gay, Bisexual, or other man who has sex with men is responsible for the health and well-being of the community. Our sexual relationships should be passionate, healthy, consensual, honest, and respectful. We are accountable for our behavior to ourselves, our sex partners, and our community.
• Knowing your HIV status is a part of good health. Transmitting HIV is avoidable; its transmission is unacceptable.
• Disclosing HIV/STD status does not negate the necessity to practice safer sex.
• Transmitting HIV knowingly is a felony under Virginia Law.
All Gay, Bisexual, and other men who have sex with men must care about health – their own, the community’s, and each person’s by:
• Joining together to make sex safer.
• Educating friends and loved ones about the consequences of their actions.
• Advocating for information, access to treatment, and an end to discrimination.
Men who are HIV positive must take responsibility for not transmitting the virus, to demonstrate compassion for all and to show our concern for our communities.
Men who are HIV negative or do not know their HIV status must take responsibility for not acquiring HIV and getting tested regularly.
Men who do not know your HIV status … please, GET TESTED NOW!
We Support this Call to Action
The following Organizations are Committed to Promoting The Call in their work …
* Virginia HIV Community Planning Committee
* Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS (VORA)
* ACCESS — AIDS Care Center Education & Support Services
* AIDS/HIV Services Group (ASG)
* AIDS Response Effort (ARE)
* Dignity, Northern Virginia
* Eastern Virginia HIV CARE Consortium
* Fan Free Clinic
* Greater Hampton Roads HIV Health Services Planning Council (Ryan White Title I)
* Healing Rivers Grief Education
* Joy Fellowship Community Ministries; Rev. Barbara Nollie, Pastor
* National Coalition for LGBT Health
* National Latino AIDS Awareness Day Committeee of Virginia
* Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry
* Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge
* Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth (ROSMY)
* UVA Pride, the LGBT Faculty, Staff and Graduate student Association at University of Virginia
* Virginia HIV/AIDS Resource & Consultation Center / Eastern Satellite Office
* Whitman Walker Clinic
The following Individuals are Committed to taking Personal Actions — and to Promoting the Call to Action to Others …
* Baker, Mark Anthony
* Beale, Meyoni M.
* Bronson, Heather
* Brown, Minister Almetrice D.
* Brown, Rev. Gail M.
* Cabrera, Thomas
* Carpenter, Alilsha
* Clayborn, Denise
* Cousar, Rosalyn, RN
* Delgado, Hugo
* DeWitt, Lee C.
* Dolan, Carrie B.
* Downing, James M.
* Flannagan, Jennifer
* Fordham, Gregg
* Gandhi, Ami
* Greene, Nathan
* Hall, Richard
* Higgins, Thomas G.
* Hines, Jerry M.
* James, Martina
* Johnson, Deidre
* Johnson, Reverend Dr. Dale L.
* Lees, Martha
* Marie, Angel
* Martin, Elaine
* Mattson, Nicholas
* McHugh, Isabelle
* McIntyre, Michael
* Rees, Rachel
* Roane, Ryland R., Jr.
* Rowland, Sue
* Royster, Ruth
* Taylor-Donahue, Shelley
* Vermillion, John E.
* Williams, Anthony
PLEASE JOIN WITH US.
TO DO THAT, PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE PDF FILE, FILL IN THE BLANKS, AND FAX TO 703-494-1489 OR 804-644-5420.
OR for more information — CALL SUE AT 703-626-7392 OR MARTINA AT 804-565-1604.
THIS CAMPAIGN RUNS UNTIL DECEMBER 1, 2006 —
Download a PDF version of this flyer