This past year, I became more aware of the plight of undocumented youth who are trying to pursue a college education. In the United States, it seems quite evident that in order for you to be considered human, it is necessary for one to have documentation. Many undocumented individuals in the United States are being exploited on a day-to-day basis.   Undocumented youth, women and men are being raped, abused, and attacked. Shockingly, most do not report these attacks against humanity because they fear that they might be deported, and in terms of financial aid for college, it is extremely difficult for undocumented students to get sufficient funding.

I was impressed this year at one of my fellow colleagues at Georgetown named Francisco Gutierrez, who created an organization that focuses on spreading awareness about issues that undocumented people face in the United States. Through his persistent activism, Georgetown was able to attract four individuals who walked from Florida to Washington D.C. for the passage of the DREAM Act. In short, the DREAM Act aims to provide documentation for undocumented students who are trying to pursue a college degree. When I heard about their struggles, it moved me to tears. It never dawned on me that I took my privilege for granted. I am able to work, receive financial aid, and legally travel anywhere in the United States; some of my friends do not have this privilege. They have to struggle, wonder whether or not they will receive a letter of deportation, or even speak to their family through webcam, whom they have not seen for years, from another country because they were deported.

The four DREAMers from Florida who were at the Georgetown rally spoke about their daily struggles as immigrants. These youth DREAM’ed of an education, and to spread awareness about the injustice in the federal system, they walked from Florida to Washington, D.C. They went to many college campuses and different communities to share their message. Now, you may wonder how this pertains to the LGBT community. Well, one of my favorite quotes says that “injustice for one is injustice for all”. As LGBT individuals, we must acknowledge that there are intersecting issues which affect our community as a whole. Two of the DREAMers from Florida named Juan Rodriguez and Felipe Matos are partners. Not only are they DREAMing for and education, but as Felipe said, “They are DREAMing for a shot at love”. If one looks at the larger picture, it seems quite evident that the LGBT community and the DREAMers are fighting for the same issue: documentation to grant access to benefits.

I am extremely grateful that this year I have been exposed to the plight of undocumented individuals in this country. Whether you are on the fence with the current immigration issues, it is important to recognize that we are all human and deserve a right to education, safety, and liberty. So Congress, it is time to pass the DREAM Act!

Finally, I would also like to take this time to recognize undocumented individuals who are not able to speak out in this country, and it is my privilege to do as such. Please check out these sites for more information

Dream Act Information
http://dreamact.info/

Article on Juan and Felipe
http://www.dreamactivist.org/about/our-stories/queer-undocumented-students-await-dream/juan-and-felipe-love-is-not-illegal/

Dream Walkers Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCsp_2I5L8Q

  I have to make a confession: I am obsessed with video games! Well I’m not obsessed, but I do read Gameinformer, Gamespot, watch Angry Video Game Nerd know about the new games that are coming out, and I have actually spent hours training with my Crimson Viper and Chun-Li from Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV (the latter has two Ultra Combos you can choose from). But I have noticed something in the gaming world. Quite often I have received messages saying “You are such a FAG, you only pick girls”. But wait a minute; is it my fault that I love playing with women who wear high heels to defeat heavy sumo wrestlers? Maybe it’s the feminist in me, or I just like women. Regardless, at times I am enjoying myself and then I receive a homophobic remark that can ruin my gaming experience. Why is it that we hear homophobic and sexist remarks from some gamers? Personally, I believe that sexism and homophobia are interlinked. Where there is sexism, more than likely homophobia will be present. This is due to the assumption that men associate women and LGBT people as a weaker group.

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 In order for one to fully comprehend issues that affect marginalized groups, it is imperative to incorporate the intersections that might exist within these groups. Recently, the gay movement has gained ground through the media. Whether there is a gay character on a show or romance, being LGBT is gradually becoming more acceptable in today’s society. The issue that arises within the gay community is the isolation that exists when acknowledging other communities.  In this society, being gay is seen as a unitary issue, thus LGBTQ racial minorities are marginalized since the plight of reconciling their racial heritage and LGBTQ identity is often ignored. The most prevalent issue encountered by LGBTQ youth of color is the lack of visible role models. In our media, the majority of the representation of the gay community is white and middle class.

If one looks at the current shows to date such as Glee, Will and Grace, and Queer as Folk, one will notice that these shows barely have a diverse representation for the youth of color, thus these youth do not have someone to look up to because the media confines the representation of the gay community to the majority. Most of these shows do not even explore these intersections of identity. They fail to delve into the difficulties in reconciling racial identity and sexual identity. Thus, racial minorities may have a hard time relating to these characters.

This limited portrayal may also affect the majority community’s perception of minorities if their only exposure to these communities is through the news, books, and television. If all they have seen are stereotypically gay characters or white characters then their perceptions are flawed or lack inclusivity; this may cause LGBT racial minorities to disidentify with their own community and adopt an identity that does not take into account their racial background.  The media’s portrayal of LGBT adolescents is exclusive, and in order to rectify this problem, there needs to be a shift in society’s attitudes on what is an unacceptable representation of LGBT youth. If you are an lgbt racial minority, here are some support groups you can turn to that will aid you in your walk.

http://www.generationalalliance.org
http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/youthresource

. I just finished a documentary called I Love Being HIV+. In this documentary, a British journalist searches for HIV- individuals who actively engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners so that they can get the HIV virus. Some of these “bug chasers” believe that the risk or the thought of contracting the virus excites them and gives them a rush. One person in particular said that he would rather take the risk of getting HIV than having safe sex. The journalist asks him why he takes these risks and he said that although he seems fine in the exterior, internally he is struggling through many issues.

As youth, at times we forget about the dangers of HIV. HIV diagnoses are increasing at disproportionate rates. The groups most affected by this virus are: LGBT individuals, women, racial minorities, and youth. In order to help diminish HIV in these groups, it is extremely important that we educate ourselves and advocate for culturally competent programs that can help spread awareness about behaviors that increase the risks of coming in contact with the virus. Similarly, these programs should promote a healthier lifestyle by providing information about condom usage and the benefits of remaining abstinent.

Although HIV is considered to be a deadly virus, it is not a “death sentence” anymore. New breakthroughs in medication have helped prolong the life expectancy in HIV+ individuals. The sad truth is that the introduction of this new medication and the common saying that HIV is not a death sentence has also created a subculture in the LGBT community in which HIV is not perceived to be a serious disease. Thus, one can infer that many individuals are not familiar with the negative consequences of HIV and how this disease can affect ones quality of life.

As a gay man, it scares me that some people are willing to contract this virus for the sake of making sex pleasurable. Yet I wonder if this is only because these individuals want to have unprotected sex to make it feel better, or if there are other deep rooted issues that may explain this behavior.

Resources:

HIV and Youth
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/youth.htm

Youth AIDS Coalition
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/

United AIDS Project
http://beyondstatus.org/

My name is Ben and I am this year's summer intern in the HIV/STI department specializing in anti-homophobia and transphobia. I am a student majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Latin America. Growing up in the Dominican Republic for twelve years has given me the opportunity to learn about different cultures. In Latin America and the United States, Christianity was central to the country's historical development. As a Christian who grew up in a fundamentalist church, I had a difficult time reconciling my faith and sexuality.

Recently I watched an informative documentary that highlighted some of the misconceptions people have about what the Bible says about homosexuality called For The Bible Tells Me So. As LGBT individuals, quite often we hear that God does not love us or accept us for who we are. The most notorious group that we often hear about in the media — Westboro Baptist Church — goes as far to say that "God Hates Fags" and that the cause of the end of the world is due to homosexuality. But there is a flaw in this argument, LGBT individuals have been around since the beginning of time. Alexander the Great, and even the ancient greeks engaged in same gender loving relationships, if LGBT persons are going to be the cause of the apocalypse, then our world should have ended centuries ago.

As a gay Christian it is hard to reconcile your religious and sexual identity. In terms of the media, gay Christians have had a difficult time gaining ground. Jason and De Marco, Jennifer Knap, and Ray Boltz are gay Christian artists who sing about the unconditional love of God. The Christian community for the most part, does not recognize them as Christian singers. In fact, neither of these artists’ merchandise is available in Lifeway stores, which is one of the most popular resources for Christians. Thus, the visibility of gay Christians is very limited.

If you are reading this and are struggling with your religious identity, there are many resources you can look into. When I first realized I was gay and questioned my faith, I visited websites and checked out gay affirming churches in the area. Many youth struggle with these issues on a day-to-day basis, and although I am confident that God made me this way, it is still taking time to come to terms with it since the church I grew up in was not supportive of LGBT individuals. These are some resources that will aid you if you have any questions about your faith and sexuality.

Resources

For The Bible Tells Me So
http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org/indexb.htm

Gay Christian Network
http://gaychristian.net

Soul Force
http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible