Poll: New Yorkers split on same-sex marriage
(Albany) The latest poll shows New Yorkers are split on whether to legalize same-sex marriage even as the state Legislature moves closer to the landmark action.
The Quinnipiac University poll finds 46 percent favor legalizing same-sex marriage, and 46 percent were opposed. In a 2004 poll, Quinnipiac found 55 percent of …
“TEST ME / for hiv” challenges assumptions about HIV risk in the Asian and Pacific Islander Communities
On May 19 2009, A&PI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, APICHA will be joined by elected officials and community leaders on the steps of City Hall to launch the campaign and urge the public to take control. May is also Asian Heritage month.
Currently, A&PIs are the only racial/ethnic group in New York that have not experienced a decline in the number of new HIV diagnoses, but only six percent (6%) of A&PI New Yorkers report that their doctor recommended an HIV test. This presents a major public health concern that could have a far-reaching impact.
APICHA has identified limited access to HIV testing as a critical unmet need that requires the attention of doctors and the community. Often, doctors have preconceived assumptions about the sexual risk factors and lifestyle choices of A&PIs based on the stereotype of Asians as “the model minority.” APICHA seeks to change attitudes among doctors by encouraging A&PIs to begin the conversation in an effort to address this major public health problem.
The heart of the campaign will be a coordinated effort to have volunteers visit their doctor’s office wearing a tee shirt that reads “TEST ME / for hiv”. The action is meant to initiate conversation and create an opportunity to educate doctors about the discrepancy.
APICHA hopes that the earned media in both mainstream and ethnic press and work with religious and community leaders will expand the discussion about HIV in various A&PI communities. The campaign will also disseminate information about the issue, and educate A&PI community members about obtaining an HIV test.
APICHA’s mission is to combat HIV/AIDS stigma and related discrimination, to prevent the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Asian & Pacific Islander communities, and to provide care and treatment for Asian & Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS and their families. The organization was founded twenty years ago and remains the only Pan-Asian HIV/AIDS organization devoted to working with A&PI communities in New York City.
“I applaud APICHA for empowering Asian and Pacific Islanders to take control of their health,” said Dr. Monica Sweeney Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Health Department’s Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. “As long as there are people out there who are unaware of their HIV status, there is a great risk of transmission. If you do not know your status, you cannot access the care you need and you can unknowingly spread the virus to others. Everybody needs to know their status.”
APICHA’s Chief Medical officer and Executive Director will brief the media about the issue and the campaign at the May 19 press conference and can be made available for interview prior to the announced. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor David Patterson and other elected offices have been invited to attend the press conference.
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/test-me-for-h…
Historic effort to boost HIV/AIDS testing in Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities.Set
NEW YORK, NY, – Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Inc. (APICHA) will announce the launch of “TEST ME / for hiv”, a historic effort to address a major discrepancy and public health problem – very limited access to HIV testing and increasing infection rates in the Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities.
On May 19 2009, A&PI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, APICHA will be joined by elected officials and community leaders on the steps of City Hall to launch the campaign and urge the public to take control. May is also Asian Heritage month.
Currently, A&PIs are the only racial/ethnic group in New York that has not experienced a decline in the number of new HIV diagnoses, but only six percent (6%) of A&PI New Yorkers report that their doctor recommended an HIV test. This presents a major public health concern that could have a far-reaching impact.
The heart of the “TEST ME/for hiv” campaign will be a coordinated effort to have volunteers visit their doctor’s office wearing a tee shirt that reads “TEST ME / for hiv”. The action is meant to initiate the conversation and create an opportunity to educate doctors about the discrepancy.
APICHA’s Chief Medical officer and Executive Director will brief the media about the issue and the campaign at the May, 19 press conference. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor David Paterson and other elected officials have been invited to join in launching the campaign.
APICHA’s is the only Pan-Asian HIV/AIDS organization devoted to working with A&PI communities in New York City.
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/historic-effo…
Poll: Gay marriage gains support, but not NY gov. Newsday
New York Gov. David Paterson‘s popularity in the state continues to tank, but his effort to legalize same-sex marriage has the support of a majority of voters, according to a poll released Monday.
The Siena College Research Institute poll found the Democrat is now viewed unfavorably by 63 percent of New Yorkers, down from 58 percent last month.
His job performance rating stood at 81 percent negative after a series of missteps eroded the strong public support he enjoyed when he was thrust into office 13 months ago as the state’s first black and legally blind governor.
Earlier polls have shown several issues hurt Paterson, including his secretive budget process that raised taxes but cut spending less than he promised, and how he handled filling Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton‘s vacated Senate seat, a botched process that ended in unfounded leaks of accusations against one-time candidate Caroline Kennedy. See Poll: Gay marriage gains support, but not NY gov. Newsday
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/poll-gay-marr…
Rights Groups Release Updated Guide For New York Same-Sex Couples Married Out of State
(New York) — Lambda Legal, Empire State Pride Agenda, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union have released a guide outlining government protections and obligations for same-sex couples in New York who married out of state. The new guide is released as the first anniversary of Martinez v. County of Monroe draws near, and in light of last week’s decision in Lewis v. New York State Dept. of Civil Service – both notable appellate court rulings that upheld government recognition of out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples.
The document, titled: Your Government Respects Your Marriage: Developments in New York State Agency Recognition of Same-Sex Couples’ Out-of-State Marriages, details many of the ways state agencies around New York accord legal respect to married same-sex couples. Lambda Legal, NYCLU, Empire State Pride Agenda and ACLU worked closely with state agencies to confirm and clarify the legal rights afforded to same-sex couples married out of state. The summary offers an overview of some of these statewide protections.
“The guide is a crucial primer for same-sex couples who are recognized as spouses in New York,” said Susan Sommer, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, who has litigated many of the cases confirming marriage respect for same-sex couples. “It shows significant areas in which these couples now are protected, ranging from access to health insurance, to accurate birth certificates for children born to same-sex couples, to important workers’ compensation benefits if tragedy strikes. But until New Yorkers in same-sex relationships can marry in their home state, they are still vulnerable to discrimination.”
“Couples in New York who have never known true security for their families are finally getting a taste of the family protections other married couples and their children enjoy,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The governor’s determination was based on the NYCLU’s victory in the case Martinez v. County of Monroe, in which an appeals court unanimously ruled that New York State must recognize valid out-of-state same-sex marriages. We commend the governor and our state agencies for following the law and standing up for fairness. But lasting progress requires leadership from both the judicial and legislative branches. It’s time for our political leaders to do what’s right. New Yorkers should not have to leave the state to protect their families.”
“Policymakers and elected officials in New York should recognize that we’re already living in a state with marriage for same-sex couples. Unfortunately, these couples currently have to go out of state to have their weddings performed,” said Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “Not only does this mean a loss of literally millions of dollars to New York’s economy, but it is also patently unfair to same-sex couples. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to go elsewhere to get married when they want to stand up in front of friends and family right here and get married in their home state.”
To read the document in its entirety visit: http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/lgbt/ny_governor_respects_marriage.pdf
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/rights-groups…
Rights Groups Release Updated Guide for New York Same-Sex Couples Married Out of State
(New York, January 26, 2009) — Lambda Legal, Empire State Pride Agenda, New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union have released a guide outlining government protections and obligations for same-sex couples in New York who married out of state. The updated guide is released as the first anniversary of Martinez v. County of Monroe draws near, and in light of last week’s decision in Lewis v. New York State Dept. of Civil Service — both notable appellate court rulings that upheld government recognition of out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples.
The document, titled: Your Government Respects Your Marriage: Developments in New York State Agency Recognition of Same-Sex Couples’ Out-of-State Marriages, details many of the ways state agencies around New York accord legal respect to married same-sex couples. Lambda Legal, NYCLU, Empire State Pride Agenda and ACLU worked closely with state agencies to confirm and clarify the legal rights afforded to same-sex couples married out of state. The summary offers an overview of some of these statewide protections.
“The guide is a crucial primer for same-sex couples who are recognized as spouses in New York,” said Susan Sommer, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, who has litigated many of the cases confirming marriage respect for same-sex couples. “It shows significant areas in which these couples now are protected, ranging from access to health insurance, to accurate birth certificates for children born to same-sex couples, to important workers’ compensation benefits if tragedy strikes. But until New Yorkers in same-sex relationships can marry in their home state, they are still vulnerable to discrimination.”
“Couples in New York who have never known true security for their families are finally getting a taste of the family protections other married couples and their children enjoy,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The governor’s determination was based on the NYCLU’s victory in the case Martinez v. County of Monroe, in which an appeals court unanimously ruled that New York State must recognize valid out-of-state marriages of lesbian and gay couples. We commend the governor and our state agencies for following the law and standing up for fairness. But lasting progress requires leadership from both the judicial and legislative branches. It’s time for our political leaders to do what’s right. New Yorkers should not have to leave the state to protect their families.”
“Policymakers and elected officials in New York should recognize that we’re already living in a state with marriage for same-sex couples. Unfortunately, these couples currently have to go out of state to have their weddings performed,” said Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “Not only does this mean a loss of literally millions of dollars to New York’s economy, but it is also patently unfair to same-sex couples. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to go elsewhere to get married when they want to stand up in front of friends and family right here and get married in their home state.”
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/rights-groups…
Binge drinking linked to increased HIV risk
(New York City) New Yorkers who binge drink tend to have many more sex partners, putting themselves at an increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases compared with those who drink less or don’t drink at all, according to a new Health Department.
The report – Alcohol Use and Risky Sex in …
