Amplify Issues - Livingpositive

Think Before You Leap

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:39:00 -0500

I currently have an internship at local highschool in North Carolina with a teen prevention program that aims to give students to skills to make good decisions and become peer educators (like me!) in their communities and to students in the local middle schools.

These are all kids in 10-12 grade, so when we talk about sex I get all kinds of questions and I am grateful to be able to give them medically accurate information. (I hear some crazy stuff) However, today the topic of homosexuality came up.

One student, asked me "Miss. Amara, if a guy performs oral sex on a guy because he just wants to try it... doesn't that make him gay?" Before I could answer, she continued "And if a girl does it to another girl, she is just experimenting or is she bi (bisexual)?" I smiled. Everyone was listening intentally, closer then they had all class period. I told them that no one can tell anyone else what their sexual orientation is. Only YOU can make that decision, it is not up to anyone but themselves. If they want to experiment that's fine (as long as they protecting themselves) but no one can make that decision for them but them. I encouraged them to be careful about how they identify other people because again that isn't their decision and as peer educators you have to encourage others to educate themselves.

I may have gotten a little radical, had a small flashback to Creating Change. By saying "You realize that these identities that you speak of such as performing a certain behavior makes you a certain way, someone else created those and they (whoever they are) do the same to people based on their race and class. So remember that before you tell someone who THEY are. Don't play a part in the same oppression that oppresses you.

Love.

For HIV-positive patients, Church still pushing abstinence as ideal

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:09:00 -0500

While flipping through the Chicago Tribune yesterday morning (yes, the actual print version), I was pleased to see an article about World AIDS Day. There was a large color photo of a Reverend offering host to a parishioner and I was curious what angle of the HIV/AIDS epidemic the article would approach the issue from. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed that the headline’s “search for an ideal” wasn’t for a cure, comprehensive education, or accessible resources- but abstinence.

The journalist chose to speak with ministers and caregivers who counsel HIV-positive patients in Catholic hospitals or at their churches. I appreciate attention being given to religious figures who offer care and compassion to those whose disease the Church has long stigmatized, but it made me angry that their good intentions were still laced with judgment, stereotypes, and a lack of understanding for the realities of these patients’ lives.

They acknowledge that condoms aren’t the only solution and abstinence is ideal. But all human beings are works in progress, they say, and not encouraging condoms for a promiscuous person carrying a chronic disease that can be fatal creates an almost unbearable moral dilemma.

1) I acknowledge that there are people who have been led to believe that condoms are not an option for them. But when you have an HIV-positive person who is sexually active or who wants to be sexually active, and you say that the don’t have to rely on condoms, you are leaving them with no options to realistically avoid infecting their partners.

2) Abstinence is ideal for those who choose to be abstinent. For those who are HIV-positive and wish to be sexually active, abstinence is only an option. The ideal in any sexual situation is being able to safely choose with your partner to do or not do what you want based on your interest and comfort level. Abstinence is not the ideal for most people, regardless of their HIV status.

3) It is inaccurate and stereotypical to associate condom use and an HIV-positive status with promiscuity. Some who use condoms do so with a monogamous partner and some who are HIV-positive have never had sex. The association and assumption are old, and it is partly the fault of the Church for discouraging condom use and stigmatizing sexuality that the assumptions persist.

4) In this context, saying that “human being are works in progress” implies that those who are not abstinent are imperfect. It prescribes that those who are HIV-positive should ignore or repress their natural sexual desires to be intimate with a partner and that if they don’t there’s something wrong with them. This adds shame and stigma to an already difficult diagnosis.
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The time of our lives

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:11:00 -0500

Growing up in an environment where childhood was a story we once heard and a dream we taught was never going to come true, but as usual we were just engulfed in our world of fantasy. The ghetto was our only place for solace and the streets our home.ma mom is visually impaired, a single mother of three and she sure has to take care of us since our father had to leave claiming he made a mistake taking our mother as wife. We have to live from hand to mouth...now that means if you don’t have a meal today then you should not be surprised and having a full meal that gets you satisfied meant there had to be a whole lot of work done either by ma mom or by ma elder sister. I was younger, innocent, full of life and expectant of what the future held for me; definitely hoping for the best days ahead never knew those hopes were going to be short-lived.at six months I became a compulsory pupil because no one had the time to baby sit any child at home not even my mother (of course she had to work or else how are we going to eat) ma siblings headed for the streets to seek for green pastures. At three, my father came back and with so much innocence I taught he was coming to make a change I didn’t know he came to explain the difference between a father and a man who just had a child attended a mission school and that meant they had to know your dad before you are released to anyone...been security conscious. Never knew the horror was about to happen. I got home safe but the rest of the day was a nightmare – I was kidnapped and raped by my beloved dad. Helpless as May mom was the police were on the lookout for me and i didn’t return home till the next day with a torn underwear filled with sperm. “How infantile of my father”,my mother exclaimed. She made a rule that no one was allowed t see me anymore. I was always the most vulnerable amongst ma siblings. In the quest to find green pastures, we had to relocate. Mama had to come first then we all had to follow to get ourselves enrolled into school.ma sister attended a public school and i was to go and live in the barracks so history did not have to repeat itself again: but that did not change the inevitable. At six another rape traumas ensued but this time it was mama’s friend and that broke the ice for everybody. Security on the children was tightened and we had so many restrictions. Which meant we didn’t really have a childhood but we survived?
This story may not make a whole lot of sense to someone but all am saying is it’s about time we stop child negligence, STAND UP against rape related issues and DEFEND the rights of women and children. This is the time of our lives where we cause a positive CHANGE. It’s DO or DIE!

Weekly Round-Up: 5/15- 5/21

Wed, 25 May 2011 17:52:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

May 15- May 21

Stats for this week: 44 posts by 17 writers

My Experience With Operation Shine- by Jordan

Inside this post:

Jordan shares her experience at a speak out/vigil she attended and spoke at at Rutgers University, about LGBT homeless youth.

Scientifically Rating Beauty/ I Call It BS!- by Bree_YWOC

Inside this post:

Bree excellently calls out Satoshi Kanazawa’s Psychology Today article that ranks physical beauty by race.

Breakthrough in HIV Research- by AFY_EmilyB

Inside this post:

A study of 1,763 “serodiscordant” couples, where one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative, found that beginning ARV (antiretroviral) therapy early led to a 96 percent reduction in HIV transmission.

Learning to accept GLBTQ people in sports- by AFY_EmilyB

Inside this post:

Emily summarizes the past month in sports, from homophobic slurs to speaking out for acceptance.

HIV/AIDS doesn’t discriminate…National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day- by altafmysistahs

Inside this post:

Altaf brings attention to the fact that the Asian and Pacific Islander communities are often left out of the dialogue about HIV prevention and treatment.

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

Why The Anti-Universal Healthcare Movement Will Always Be Ableist, Transphobic, and Anti-Feminist

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:43:00 -0500

I live in a conservative county in New Jersey, and at a Wal-Mart down the road from me, one will see a tea party protest from time to time. Although their main target is the substandard and pro-corporate Obamacare, its safe to say that any mention of a true single payer system would send these people into a tizzy of bloviating about "Kanadian Kommie Kare" and wait times, etc.

Is any healthcare system perfect? The answer is no; anything as large as the NHS or Health Canada is bound to unfortunately screw up from time to time. I had an aunt die from cancer due to wrongful reading of an X-ray as well as accusations of gold-bricking by the hospital that she worked at. However, the preponderance of evidence states that countries which have universal healthcare have greatly benefitted. (You can read about a Canadian's perspective on their healthcare system here and here). Whenever I see these people express their bootstrap fetishism and "Don't Tread on Me" tropes, it hearkens back to "Segregation Today, Segregation Tommorrow, Segregation Forever".

Healthcare equality is a civil rights issue, both for class and ability, and they are trying to erase this struggle in the most insidious way possible; case in point, Sarah Palin who tries to scare PWDs and their allies with the death panel lies, as well as carrying her Down Syndrome child (another name for Down Syndrome, Tri(somy) G) around, as Andrea Fay Friedman puts it, like a loaf of bread, and trying to use her child for political gain and to erase a civil rights struggle for people with all types of disabilities by creating imaginary death panels while supporting the real death panels, which is the health insurance industry.

All Americans will benefit from something such as HR 676. However, universal healthcare would most benefit those with disabilities such as myself (mental/neurological). Medicaid, which is the public healthcare system for the poor and disabled, has a reputation for being substandard. I have to travel to Newark to fix my dental issues due to a 5-year wait time at Jersey Shore Medical Center, and a private dentist declined my Medicaid due to me also having third party insurance (even though it was allowed). Not to mention the steep learning curve of healthcare bureaucracy (which in and of itself is ableist for those with learning differences), the payback provision (what country with SPHC seizes ones assets upon death to pay back the government), and the exclusion of the working poor (this does not encourage people with disabilities to go back to work. We've learned to have a "free appropriate public education" for those with disabilities, how about "free appropriate public healthcare" for all.

But as a transgender person who is low-income and disabled, services are hard to come by.
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HIV/AIDS doesn't discriminate... National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:59:00 -0500

The Asian American community is not the only community where the feeling of "HIV/AIDS doesn't happen to our people" is pervasive. But today is the National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day so no time better than now to reflect on how HIV/AIDS affects that community.

One of my favorite articles on the topic is this one by journalist Rong Xiaoqing because it incorporates how HIV/AIDS in the Asian American community intersects with race (aka the "model minority" myth that Asian Americans don't have health problems). The myth has real health consequences, like doctors not thinking that Asians could get the virus:

"Even doctors don’t often associate Asians with AIDS. According to the New York DOH [Department of Health], only 6 percent of Asians have ever been pushed to take an HIV test by their doctors, 24 percent lower than the citywide average and the lowest among all ethnic groups."

Then there's the fact that the stigma within the community itself, around discussing the topic, leads to miseducation:

The patient, a young second generation Chinese living with his parents, [said] that since his parents heard he got HIV, his life has been totally changed.

“He told me that every time he used the bathroom, his mother would wash the toilet thoroughly. And once he and his father went to a funeral together, the father pointed to the coffin and said, you’ll be in there soon. He couldn’t bear his parents any more, but he could not afford to live independently in New York either, so he thought the only thing he could do is to move out,” said Murayama. “We have many cases like this. Clearly, Asians’ knowledge of HIV is at least 10 years behind many other communities.”

The stigma also affects whether those with HIV/AIDS within the Asian American community speak up about the issue, thus leaving those with a recent diagnosis alone and with few places to turn to:

“I visited some websites for HIV-positive people, but found most people talking there are older white men. Few are minority young people, and almost no Asians. There is a dearth of resources for young people, especially people of color,” said Ching.

Feelings of shame can also lead to people presenting later in the course of the disease than necessary, or not getting testing when they should. In fact, the theme for this year's National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is "Saving Face can't make you safe."

Of course, all these factors ultimately combine to create a very difficult and negative environment within which the issue of HIV/AIDS exists in the Asian American community.

But! Positive strides have been made through groups like Banyan Tree Project that are dedicated to raising awareness around the sensitive subject. The video linked above is one of their many videos. Check them out, spread the word, and here's to never forgetting that HIV/AIDS knows no racial or ethnic boundaries!

Stop the Apathy! Tell Them Something!

Mon, 02 May 2011 14:26:00 -0500

If you’ve spent any time trying to keep up with politics lately, I’m sure you can agree that deciphering through the media’s biases is a difficult feat. It’s not any easier for politicians. They have their personal beliefs and their parties, but they also have you, their constituents.

Like many of our legislators, my political knowledge is specialized. I can only give my educated opinion on a handful of topics.

We have this huge campus next door to the State House. Why aren’t eager students flooding the steps to make their opinions heard? We all have specialties. Inform your politicians about what you believe is important for our state.

I’ve taken an interest in reforming state policies that have an impact on sexual health statistics in the state. I see that the state spends $180,000,000 a year on unintended pregnancies. South Carolina is also an “HIV Hot Spot.” I inform legislators that investing in prevention programs result in saving 17 times what they invest! Currently, South Carolina allows schools to teach unscientifically founded information with regards to sex education and to give false information about contraceptives. So, I advocate for reforming the education system to teach scientifically based facts, educate about contraceptives, and to inform students how to obtain contraceptives. I follow an organization that organizes the public interests. I get an email from TellThemSC.org (nonprofit/nonpartisan) once a month that keeps me up to date with changing legislation.

I challenge you to become specialized in one aspect of your community’s policies. Do something and get someone to help you out.

Cross-Posted from The Buzz

Weekly Round-Up: 4/3 - 4/9

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 02:20:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

April 3- April 9

Stats for this week: 52 posts by 35 writers

Obama Administration to Colleges: Address Sexual Assault on Campus- by dandaman6007

Inside this post:

Dan, who is excited to be starting college this fall, talks about the alarming fact that “1 in 4 college-age women will be victims of sexual assault,” and discusses what the Obama administration is asking universities to do to help.

What does this say about the respect young people have for each other on campus? I want college to be a profoundly empowering experience, both for myself and for my peers. The disempowerment that can accompany sexual assault is heartbreaking.

Miley Cyrus Sex Doll. Seriously?- by KarachiYWOCLC

Inside this post:

It bothers me that sex toy producers like Pipedream are allowed to exhibit this kind of disgusting behavior in the name of enterprise and the enhancement of sexual pleasure. By all means, make your sex dolls and sell them to those who enjoy using them. I draw the line at this kind of blatant sexualization, especially in a case where the young lady concerned is supposed to be a role model.

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MTV "Ignites" Change in Kenya, Zambia, and Trinidad & Tobago

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:26:00 -0500

Can a TV show cross boundaries and change perceptions? Can it spark discussions and erase stereotypes? Most importantly, can it stop the spread of AIDS?

The impact of a MTV show in three developing countries demonstrates that the answer to all of three of these questions is a resounding “yes”.

In 2010, MTV created the Ignite Campaign in partnership with UNICEF as part of MTV’s larger HIV/AIDS Campaign called Staying Alive. MTV used what it knows best – gripping TV dramas that spark conversation (The Hills, anyone?) – to start a dialogue around HIV/AIDS in three countries: Zambia, Kenya, and Trinidad and Tobago. In the words of the producers, these dramas “will take a microscopic lens into the lives of young people who could be you, your best friends, your cousins or just random people you want to invite into your homes. You’ll love them, you’ll hate them, and you’ll want to see how their stories end”.

All dramas were locally shot and produced, featuring actors from the target countries. In the words of one MTV executive, the messages are almost “subliminal”. Shuga, the title of the drama broadcast in Kenya and Zambia, tells the story of a group of young in people living in Nairobi. The three-part drama addresses HIV/AIDS from all facets, using complex characters and relationships to tackle stigma, safe sex, and testing within the realities of modern life. The characters party, get drunk, and have sex, but they are anything from one-dimensional. The main character, that has a devoted boyfriend, is mistrustful of men after her father left her, her mother, and her sister. The “top dog”, who drives fast cars and constantly drops money on cigars and alcohol, lost his wife to pneumonia, leaving him with a daughter with whom he unable to bond. Another girl, who lost a close family member to AIDS, is committed to remaining a virgin until she meets the right man. A playboy who has slept with a string of girls must face reality. A character that is HIV-positive pretends to be a virgin in order to protect her secret. In the last episode, one character grapples with his fear of getting tested for HIV after having unprotected sex, and all of the characters learn what it means to live positively.

The reach and impact of Shuga has been staggering. The campaign reached 64% of youth in Kenya, while the MTV-produced dramas in Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia reached 8% and 4% of youth, respectively - more typical numbers for a TV show. All young people who had seen the show could identify its main issues and lessons. 50% reported that they had talked about the show with someone else, including family members and acquaintances. 90% of Kenyan viewers said Shuga had an impact on their thinking – 84% of participants said it changed their thinking on having multiple sexual partners, 85% on HIV testing, and 87% on people living with HIV/AIDS. They also reported an increased likelihood of getting an HIV test after watching the drama. Teens in Trinidad and Tobago reported a more positive attitude towards PLWHA and a more negative attitude towards multiple partners based “on how much they liked the show” and how realistically the show depicted relationships.

The show worked because it wasn’t simply a show – it was a reflection of daily life for thousands of teens. The teens saw themselves in the characters. Even I, as an American, saw traits of my friends and myself in the characters despite our lack of common background. The gripping nature of the drama created water-cooler talk that changed perceptions and influenced thinking, and not in the artificial way that many American dramas do (as in, “You know, I really want a pair of gladiator sandals after Hanna wore them on Pretty Little Liars last night”). The drama spoke to an audience that was first drawn to the plot, and then heard and understood the messages. (Click here to see a video from CNN about Shuga).

Given the spread of technology to countries worldwide, how can technology be used to spread information about HIV/AIDS? Are TV shows the best way to change perceptions? MTV used character blogs and community boards on a website devoted to Shuga to spark conversation – how can Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites be used in the same manner?

Hey bro did you know?

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:05:00 -0500

IN MARCH 2008 A CDC STUDY RELEASED AN ESTIMATE PROVED THAT ONE IN FOUR YOUNG WOMEN BETWEEN AGES 14 AND 19 IN THE UNITED STATES THATS 3.2 MILLION TEENAGE GIRLS IS INFECTED
WITH
1
OF
THE MOST
COMMON
AND
OR
INCUREABLE
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
IT IT NOW
2011.

HEY BRO DID U KNO?

America's Future Depends On Children: Talk It Out

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:06:00 -0500

There are two things that bother me more than anything: willful ignorance and people who hurt the defenseless. Setting a hateful example for your children does both.

Firstly, the point must be made that a nation’s youth are, logically, the future of that nation. Anything that affects youth will directly affect the future of their country. This much is obvious.

Secondly, adults have the power to influence the opinions of children around them, and often do so unintentionally. For example, studies have proven that children who are beaten or see their siblings beaten by their parents have a higher chance of becoming abusive later in life than children who are raised in a loving home. One might think that these children would become kind, gentle adults because they do not want to put others through the same pain they endured, but it is shocking just how far children can be influenced in their early years – to be compassion or hurtful, to nurture relationships or abuse others, to wipe away tears or cause them – and this behavior is difficult to change later in life.

Beyond abusive households and other dramatic situations are far more delicate atrocities. Let us consider those older men and women who smoke cigarettes. Let’s say, for the purpose of this blog, that these people we’re considering are parents. We don’t know that they’ve always been smokers or how much they smoke every day, but it is irrelevant anyway. What really matters is that their child, that young boy or girl, is watching them put that nicotine to their mouth. Watching, just watching – and breathing in a little, too. Mommy and daddy can tell their son or daughter how bad it is, and to “do what I say, not what I do” as much as they like, but would they really be doing it if it was that awful? Smoking must be okay, because parents do it! Maybe it’s not healthy, but it’s alright! After all, every time those parents tuck in their little sweetie, he smells the ash on their clothes. It’s almost comforting, attached with such a nice memory.

Again, we notice something interesting from a study conducted. Apparently, young children who have smokers as parents are far more likely to smoke themselves than a child with guardians that are sober. It’s hardly surprising.

Now, let’s apply all of this to a federal situation. Where should we start? Should we focus on drugs and elections, maybe? No, absolutely not. Let’s talk about regular, entirely human issues. Things that affect people every single day, like violence, greed and intolerance, are far more important topics to discuss with children. Some may argue that there is no need to expose them to such traumatic issues, but it’s inevitable so you might as well do it right.

How will you tell your future children about war? Is it justified in certain cases, like terrorism, or entirely wrong? Should Americans trust everything our president says is okay, or question words that we deem suspicious? Think hard about this.

Just how will you explain racism and sexism? Is America a melting pot of diversity, or a land of one prioritized race? Is it okay to judge someone because they look different? Are women inferior to men? Should men pay for dates and open doors for ladies? It’s not hard to rationalize.

What does immigration mean to your family? Are people unwelcome in this country because they weren’t born here? Should we kick people out because they mess up or don’t follow our rules? Why don’t we kick out Americans who break the rules? Hmm, hmm.

America is known for helping other countries. Should our government always step in, or let foreigners take care of themselves? Should we help our allies defend themselves, or is it too risky for us? Should we give food and clean water to starving, ill African folk, or is it just too expensive? You decide.

It’s not to say that American youth are completely defenseless (I think Amplify has proven otherwise), but very small children are extremely trusting… too trusting in this harsh world, really, though that isn’t their fault.

It’s the adults, the youth of the past, who poison them with hatred. It is their parents, and their parent’s parents, who poisoned them with bigotry. Not all are guilty, but the control should never be denied.

Where does that leave us? It’s simple – we have a choice to make. Will we, the young people of the present, continue to pass on outdated beliefs and propaganda? Or will we bring about a new generation of bright young people who thrive when given knowledge and excitedly rejoice in diversity?

YOU decide the future for children who will make decisions about yours, no matter what you choose to do in life. Even if you have no children at all, consider your feelings and what you say around them. Think about how it will affect them later in life, because one day, you will be the one sitting in your recliner and just hoping they get it right.

Thanks for reading.

2/7/11

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:21:00 -0500

Hello all!

As you may already know, today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

For me, it is an awful truth to know that my people make of 13% of the American population, but what's worse is knowing that 49% of that small minority are infected with HIV/AIDS.

I ponder about these shocking statistics; why are Black people so disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS?

There are so many different factors that are the cause for that question.

* Lack of education about safe sex

*Lack of resources available to Black communities

* Socioeconomic issues

* The fear of getting tested

* Relationship issues

* Drugs and violence in our Black neighborhoods

The list goes on.

Recently, I went to a panel discussion held by SF State University's Africana Studies Department about the rise of HIV/AIDS in the Black Community. In this excerpt, Prof. Dr. Richards discusses the stigmas and stereotypes of HIV/AIDS and how it negatively affects Black people.

No more homeless, no more degenerates

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:31:00 -0500

So, while I was reading the news today- I can across this video discussing the forced sterilization of HIV-positive women in CHILE... my only reaction is what is the world coming to and how does this keep happening? And why does this keep happening to women of color and "marginalized" women?

To give you some background - Forced sterilization is the process of permanently ending someone's ability to reproduce without his or her consent (webster.edu). Forced sterilization has been going on for many years- even in the United States (land of the free huh?)...

In Nazi Germany four 400,000 men and women were forcibly sterilized. In Sweden 63,000 people, mostly women, were sterilized. Over 800,000 men and women in Japan as well as 11,000 women from Finland were also sterilized without consent. These have all happened in the recent past. However, Australia's figures are astounding because there have been over one thousand cases since 1992 (Yamaguchi, 1997). The United States had a eugenics program that was meant to perfect the gene pool with the elimination of mental illness, homelessness, and crime. Current day, many countries use forced sterilizations on poor and illiterate communities to control their reproduction of so called degenerates of society.
The thing that blows my mind is the lack of prosecution of medical professionals who perform this technique without regard for patient rights and the lack laws that support patient rights....

To read up more on what's happening in regard to forced sterilization in PRESENT DAY Chile: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/01/hivpositive-chilean-mothe_n_790663.html

More info for sterilization around the world...
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/forcedsterilization.html

Confused with Queer Terminology? Hope this helps!

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:09:00 -0500

While on tumblr calming myself from another crazy day of Lexi's life I came across the "Queertionary 2.0" and an updated list of queer terminology:

Queertionary 2.0

Ace: (orientation) shortened version of and slang term for Asexual, and slang term for Aromantic.

Agender: (gender) see Genderqueer, a- meaning non; being of no gender.

Ally: a person who is not queer/LGBTQ but supports and promotes rights and equality for queer/LGBTQ people.

Androgynous: (gender) the presentation of ambiguous gender, one who presents in such a way.

Aromantic: (orientation) a- meaning non; the lack of romantic attraction, and one identifying with this orientation.

Asexual: (orientation) a- meaning non; the lack of sexual attraction, and one identifying with this orientation.

Bi: (orientation) shortened version of and slang term for Bisexual/Biromantic.

Bigender: (gender) see Genderqueer, bi- meaning two; being of two genders, typically masculine and feminine, but not necessarily.

Biromantic: (orientation) bi- meaning two; the romantic attraction to both male/men and female/women, and one identifying with this orientation.

Bisexual: (orientation) bi- meaning two; the sexual attraction to both male/men and female/women, and one identifying with this orientation.

Cisgender: (gender) cis- meaning on the near side, and opposed to trans-; when the sex of the body matches the gender of the mind, and one identifying with this.

Cissex/Cissexual: (sex) cis- meaning on the near side, as opposed to trans-; having been born in the correct sex body, and one identifying with this.

Cross Dressing: (gender) see also Drag; the practice or act of dressing as the other gender.

Demisexual: (orientation) demi- meaning half; the sexual attraction between sexual and asexual.
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Weekly Round-Up: 12/19-12/25

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:55:00 -0500

December 19- December 25

Stats for this week: 40 posts by 20 writers

“…and what have we learned today?”- by KarachiYWOCLC

Why I chose this post:

Karachi writes about the kind of sex education she received in Nigeria, and explains why it’s important for parents to make sure that their children know all that they can about safer sex.

In “Shameful Act,” Republicans Kill Bill to Prevent Child Marriage- by Amplify Staff

Why I chose this post:

Jodi Jacobson, Editor-in-Chief of RH Reality Check, writes this guest post about the untrue claims that House Republicans claimed for why they rejected an anti- child marriage bill.

Next time you see John Boehner cry, it will clearly not be for the plight of the young girls being forced into marriage.

Save a Life, It May Be Your Own: An NLAAD Blog- by acerrud

Why I chose this post:

…getting to meet this young man who in many ways was just like me, was life changing. In many ways I saw myself in him. We match every perceivable demographic yet our lives were very different in one way: our statuses . Getting to meet him and know him humanized HIV/AIDS. Getting to hear his story and know who he was allowed me to see how real and significant HIV/AIDS is in our community and in our lives.

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