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Q-NOTES • FEBRUARY 12 . 2005
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by David Stout
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National >
Tolerance week observed
NEW YORK, N.Y. — “No Name-Calling
Week,” a middle school campaign initiated
two years ago by the Gay, Lesbian &
Straight Education Network to promote
tolerance,’was observed the last week of
January despite opposition from conserva
tive groups.
Before kick-off, GLSEN announced that
5,100 educators from 36 states had regis
tered for the effort, up from 4,000 the pre
vious year. “No Name-Calling Week” is
endorsed by the Girl Scouts, the national
associations of elementary and secondary
school principals and the National
Education Association.
In an attempt to sink the campaign
anti-gay organizations like Concerned
Women for America argued that it is “a
platform for liberal groups to promote their
pan-sexual agenda.” But Jerald Newberry,
head of the NEA’s health information net
work, countered, “People who would criti
cize this, regardless of who came out with
it, are people with bad hearts.”
Gay buying power tops $610 bil
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite the
tepid national economy, the total buying
power of LGBT adults in the U.S. surged by
$30 billion the past two years.
A joint study by Witeck-Combs
Communications, a marketing company spe
cializing in gay consumers, and Packaged
Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com,
estimates that gay and
bisexual buying power will
top $610 billion in 2005.
Bob Witeck (pictured),
CEO of Witeck-Combs,
said population samples
suggest that between six
and seven percent of the
adult U.S. population self-identifies as gay,
lesbian or bisexual — or between 14 and
16 million individuals.
“Validating buying power is a reliable
business tool for companies and policy
decision-makers,” Witeck said. “It pro
vides the most compelling snapshot of the
economic activity of America’s diverse gay,
lesbian and bisexual population.”
Packaged Facts’ Don Montuori added,
“Buying power is one key signal of the growth
and size of the GLB consumer market.”
HIV vaccine studies advance
NEW YORK, N.Y. — TWo potential
HIV/AIDS vaccines are advancing to the
next round of clinical testing. One candi
date, developed by drug maker Merck &
Co., is headed for the second step of the
three-phase process, while the other,
backed by the U.S. Department of Defense,
becomes just the second proposed vaccine
in history to reach the third and final round
of testing. (The previous Phase III candi
date failed in 2000.)
The Merck vaccine uses mutated cold
virus to introduce engineered
HIV genes to the lx)dy’s killer
T-cells to trigger an attack.
According to Sarah B.
Alexander (pictured), associ
ate director of the international
coalition managing the trials, it
is “the most
promising candidate that
we’ve seen so far.” In Phase
I the treatment “generated
strong and durable cellular
immune responses against
HIV,” said Merck spokes
woman Janet Skidmore.
Both the Phase II and Phase III studies
are currently enrolling volunteers.
HIV testing in baths at risk
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The L.A.
County Health Department has ended its
support of HIV testing in area bathhouses
and sex clubs even though studies show
that men tested in such facilities are more
than twice as likely to be positive than
those tested in public health clinics.
The County Board of Supervisors voted
unanimously last February to regulate
bathhouses and sex clubs. An ordinance
was supposed to be written and imple
mented within 90 days, but a year later the
effort remains unresolved. The County’s
contract with the AIDS Healthcare
Foundation, the group that administers
HIV tests in participating baths and sex
clubs, expired December 31 and officials
have declined to renew it.
AHF continues to provide testing at the
facilities, but officials said prevention
efforts are constrained without County
help. They want a new contract and a
mandate in the proposed ordinance forcing
all baths and sex clubs to allow on-site HIV
testing.
Composer's lover awarded $2 mil
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Mark Taylor, the
partner of deceased composer Leonard
Bernstein, was awarded $2 million in his
wrongful termination suit against New
York University Medical Center.
Before being fired in 1997, Taylor
worked as the center’s director of external
affairs. He was outed in a 1994 biography
on Bernstein, legendary composer of such
musical hits as “West Side Story” and “On
The Town.” He said a copy of the book
with highlighted references to him was cir
culated through the office, sparking ongo
ing ridicule from his colleagues.
The chief offender was allegedly co
worker Peter Ferrara. When Ferrara was
promoted to department head, he fired
Taylor. Jurors deliberated less than a half-
hour before declaring that Taylor was the
victim of anti-gay discrimination.
Taylor met Bernstein in 1989, just
before the composer became ill. He cared
for him until his death the following year.
NYU plans to appeal the decision.
Schools failing LGBT youth
WASHINGTON. D.C. — A national study
by PFLAG and researchers at the University
of Maryland shows that schools are not
responding to the needs of LGBT students.
Ninety-five porcent of schools had little or
no gay. lesbian or bisexual resources in their
counseling services and only one percent
had transgender resources.
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