The data comes from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), conducted every two years by DC Public Schools in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007 marked the first year that the local version of the survey asked questions about GLB identity. Questions about sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression have been included in YRBS surveys in more than a dozen states.

The DC fact sheet does not explain what accounts for the numerous health disparities including crystal meth use, but is likely in part related to a school climate that can be hostile and unsafe. An analysis of similar data collected in Massachusetts found that "at-school victimization" is associated with differences in health risk behaviors. (Bontempo DE, D'Augelli AR. Effects of at-school victimization and sexual orientation on lesbian, gay, or bisexual youths' health risk behavior. J Adolesc Health. 2002 May;30(5):364-74.) GLB students in DC Public Schools reported similar concerns about safety:

* 26.3 percent of GLB identified students in DC Public Schools report that they have stayed home from school one or more days in the past month because they felt unsafe in school or on their way to school.

* 30.6% of GLB identified students were bullied at least once on school property in the last year.

More information about the survey is available on The DC Center Website.

Building on its proven success, eQualityGiving is now expanding its reach by using similar technology as MySpace and Facebook, but applied to grow and support a donor community.

In describing this expanded online donor community, Dr. Juan Ahonen-Jover, cofounder of eQualityGiving stated "To get legal equality that some people oppose you need extraordinary focus and dedication." He continued, "eQualityGiving provides tools to all of those determined to reach legal equality faster."

eQualityGiving provides a safe online community in which donors can interact with other donors and thought leaders without any pressure to donate. Donors are able to read confidential reports, vote online regarding different issues, respond to articles written by experts, participate in conference calls, vote online on different issues, and blog about their strategy for giving.

Dr. Ken Ahonen-Jover, co-founder of eQualityGiving, explains "Our members know that their giving is not tracked and that they can participate without disclosing their private information to others. This creates a safe and strategic online donor community empowered with all the necessary tools to achieve legal LGBTQ equality through a shared conversation."

So far, 48 authors have written exclusive articles for this online community including Ambassadors, major and mega donors, executive directors and other thought leaders. More articles are continuously being added. Articles are considered as the reference material on a topic and authors have the capability to update the article in real time from their own computer, providing unique freshness to the information.

Some of the authors include:

• Ambassador Michael Guest writing about workplace discrimination in the Federal Government
• Chip Arndt, gay winner of The Amazing Race, writing about winning the race and becoming a strategic donor and fundraiser
• Robert Raben, president of the Raben Group, inducting Barney Frank as an Equality Hero
• Charlie Rounds, president of RSVP vacations, writing about his LGBT giving strategy for 2008

HIV/AIDS is appropriately described as a global challenge. Yet we know that the struggle against HIV/AIDS is not distant – our determination to take action must begin in our own communities.

A report released a few months ago on the state of HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia makes this point painfully clear. Over 12,500 people living in the District are known to have HIV/AIDS. One in 20 residents has HIV, and 1 in 50 has AIDS – the highest rate of infection of any city in the country. The impact is particularly grave in the African American community, as more than 80 percent of HIV cases identified in the District between 2001 and 2006 were African Americans.

The new Obama converts include Eric Stern, who headed up Edwards's LGBT steering committee, and longtime gay activist David Mixner, who famously campaigned for Bill Clinton in 1992, holding some of the first gay fund-raisers for a U.S. presidential candidate."

Last week, I traveled to Iowa to campaign for John Edwards in Des Moines, Ames and Iowa City.  The campaign set up a number of great local events where I had the opportunity to talk to Iowa’s voters about why I am supporting Edwards for President and to personally invite them to join our team.  Many of the events at which I would be speaking were geared towards Iowa’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.  However, as I learned quickly, every Iowa voter I encountered—whether on the plane, at the gas station or at a diner—was eager to talk about the caucuses and to learn more about why I had taken time off from work as a volunteer to campaign for Edwards.

WASHINGTON – One week after requesting to meet with Republican presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee, Jeanne White-Ginder, the mother of Ryan White, the Human Rights Campaign or The AIDS Institute, still have not heard from Gov. Huckabee or his campaign. The meeting was called in response to Gov. Huckabee’s 1992 remarks, that he refused to repudiate, when he said people living with HIV and AIDS should have been “isolated” even after it was determined the virus was not spread through casual contact. The morning after HRC and The AIDS Institute sent a letter to the Huckabee campaign requesting a meeting, the Governor said, “I would be very willing to meet with them.”

This Sunday’s edition of the award-winning CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes will include a story by correspondent Lesley Stahl about reports from Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) of a growing number of openly lesbian and gay troops in the United States armed forces. The segment will also feature an exclusive interview with SLDN client and openly gay Army Sergeant Darren Manzella, who has served a tour of duty in Iraq and is now serving inside Kuwait. Manzella tells Stahl that he has received overwhelming support from both his fellow soldiers and superiors since coming out last year. Stahl’s report also looks at SLDN’s work in assisting service personnel such as Manzella, and the organization’s campaign to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In addition to Manzella, Sunday’s segment also features SLDN board member Cholene Espinoza, an Air Force Academy graduate and the "It is perhaps only once in a lifetime that we are given the opportunity to do something of paramount importance, and I am honored to be able to use my voice to speak out on behalf of the countless lesbian and gay Americans currently serving in our armed forces."

While I believe that the Democratic Party has a tremendous field of candidates, I ultimately decided to endorse John Edwards for President and signed on as a volunteer adviser to his presidential campaign in January of this year. I initially got into politics and advocacy because of my passion for helping underserved communities. Edwards' focus on poverty alleviation and his REAL plan on universal health care and leveling the playing field in public education is unmatched by other candidates and, in fact, has forced the other candidates to re-focus on these issues.

The John Edwards for President campaign today announced the endorsements of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition and its executive director, State Rep. Mo Baxley. The group cited Edwards’ commitment to equal rights and fighting discrimination in all forms.

“I am proud to announce both our group’s endorsement, as well as my personal endorsement, of John Edwards for president,” Baxley said. “We took a long look at all of the candidates, we met with many of them, and in our judgment, John Edwards’ sincere commitment to battling discrimination and ensuring equal rights for every American is unparalleled. He and his wonderful wife Elizabeth have spent their entire lives fighting for those without a voice and standing up for what is right. John Edwards will be the kind of president we can trust to stand up for everyday Americans.”

“I am proud to have the endorsements of Mo and New Hampshire Freedom to Marry,” Edwards said. “NHFTM has done outstanding work advocating for LGBT families in New Hampshire. I am committed to equality for all Americans -- discrimination of any kind is morally wrong. I believe that all Americans should have the same freedoms and the same responsibilities.”

NHFTM is a statewide LGBT education and advocacy organization whose work on behalf of LGBT families has raised awareness of LGBT issues. NHFTM made its decision to endorse John Edwards after considering all candidates’ policy positions, voting records and their campaigns’ outreach to the LGBT community. They met with candidates and contacted leaders in the gay community in their home states as well as the other early caucus and primary states.

John Edwards opposes discrimination in all forms. He supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell as well as the full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. He supports equal rights for same-sex couples and believes that all Americans should have the same rights and responsibilities. As president, he will expand hate crimes legislation and will prohibit job discrimination.

Kaiser Daily: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, on Sunday said that he will not "recant" statements made in 1992 in which he called for people living with HIV/AIDS to be isolated from the general population, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports. Huckabee -- who made the statements in an Associated Press survey while running for Senate that year -- wrote that in order for the federal government to effectively address the spread of HIV, "we need to take steps that would isolate the carries of this plague." He added in the survey, "It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents" (AP/International Herald Tribune, 12/9).

From Kaiser Daily: NewYork City-based HIV/AIDS advocacy group Housing Works recently criticized former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, for his work on HIV/AIDS issues while in office, the Boston Globe reports. Giuliani "showed absolutely zero concern for people living with AIDS and HIV" during his eight years as mayor, Housing Works President Charles King said. He added, "We had to litigate against him from the beginning of his term to force his administration to follow New York law with regard to the provision of services and care to persons with AIDS and HIV."

Stern has been one of the most active Edwards for President LGBT supporters. In addition to his work with Stonewall, Stern formerly served as the Director of LGBT Outreach for the Democratic National Committee and a Regional Field Director for the Kerry-Edwards Campaign in Davenport, Iowa.

Edwards has laid out one of the most progressive and specific set of proposals on the issues that matter most to the LGBT community. The details of his policy proposals can be found on his website: http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/lgbt/

TUESDAY, DECEMBER, 11, 2007
LGBT Happy Hour
6:00PM
Blazing Saddles
416 E. 5th Street
Des Moines, IA

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2007

LGBT Meet & Greet Event
12:00PM
Legends American Grill
119 Stanton Ave, #117
Ames, IA

LGBT Coffee House
5:45PM
House of Aromas
118 S. Clinton St.
Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa GLBT Allied Union Meeting
7:00PM
LGBT Resource Center
125 Grand Avenue
Iowa City, IA

For more information about these events, please call 919.636.3203

AIDSVote.org: The Web site -- launched by Housing Works, Gay Men's Health Crisis and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago -- is a nonpartisan voter and candidate education project. The site includes the results of a poll conducted among 16 presidential candidates about HIV/AIDS issues. It also includes GMHC's report about candidates' views on HIV/AIDS topics, as well as a chart that compares the candidates' HIV/AIDS-related voting record and positions. The site will track the candidates' positions up until the November 2008 election. Visit the site at www.aidsvote.org.

Marking the 14th anniversary of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, the Human Rights campaign has asked the leading Democratic candidates for President to respond to the question, “If you are elected President, what concrete steps would you take to overturn ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?’

Barack Obama responds on HRC Backstory

Fourteen years ago, the Democratic Party faced a test of leadership, and our party failed that test. We had an opportunity to be leaders on the World stage in eliminating discrimination against gay and lesbian service members, to recognize the patriotism and heroism of the hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian citizens who have served our country. Instead, we bowed to fear and prejudice.

Fourteen years later, the United States of America lags far behind. We lag behind our military allies, who are repudiating discrimination against lesbian and gay soldiers in ever increasing numbers — in Great Britain, Canada, Israel, nearly every NATO member in Europe — all with no impact upon military readiness and performance. And our politicians lag behind the American people, who now call for the repeal of Don’t Ask,Don’t Tell in super-majority numbers. It is time for a change.

As president, I will work with Congress and place the weight of my administration behind enactment of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which will make nondiscrimination the official policy of the U.S. military. I will task the Defense Department and the senior command structure in every branch of the armed forces with developing an action plan for the implementation of a full repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And I will direct my Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to develop procedures for taking re-accession requests from those qualified service members who were separated from the armed forces under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and still want to serve their country. The eradication of this policy will require more than just eliminating one statute. It will require the implementation of anti-harassment policies and protocols for dealing with abusive or discriminatory behavior as we transition our armed forces away from a policy of discrimination. The military must be our active partners in developing those policies and protocols. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office.

America is ready to get rid of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. All that is required is leadership.

Marking the 14th anniversary of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, the Human Rights campaign has asked the leading Democratic candidates for President to respond to the question, “If you are elected President, what concrete steps would you take to overturn ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?’

John Edwards responds on HRC Backstory

“It is long past time to end the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy and to allow openly gay men and women to serve in the military.  It is critical to our national security that we have the best people in our military. Gay men and women have continually served our country with honor and bravery, and we should honor their commitment and never turn away anyone who is willing to serve their country because of their sexual orientation."

"This is an issue of fundamental fairness – and our military ought to treat everyone fairly. ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ did not become wrong.  It was always wrong. Instead of fumbling when people question the morality of the 12,000 gays and lesbians who have unjustly lost military careers, we must repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

Marking the 14th anniversary of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, the Human Rights campaign has asked the leading Democratic candidates for President to respond to the question, “If you are elected President, what concrete steps would you take to overturn ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?’

Here's is Hillary Clinton's response from HRC Backstory

"I strongly believe that anyone who has the courage, strength, and valor to serve our country should be able to do so. We are at war and our top generals are warning that America’s military is stretched to the breaking point, yet we have a policy that dismisses good people from our ranks. Even service members with critical skills such as Arabic language skills are being discharged because they are gay. Senior retired military officials who can speak freely say this law does not serve our national security interests. These same military leaders are confident that repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell won't lessen standards of behavior or lower morale.

As President, I will work with high-profile military leaders, such as former Joint Chiefs chairman John M. Shalikashvili and Retired Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to achieve the rank of three-star general in the Army, who have called for repeal of the law. I will stand with soldiers like retired Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, the first American soldier to be seriously wounded in Iraq, and retired Army Sgt. Jose Zuniga, former Army Soldier of the Year, who are shining examples of why this law no longer makes sense.

Over the last seven years in the Senate, and as a member of the Armed Services Committee, I have built relationships with members of Congress and senior military officials through my work on the Armed Services Committee. When I am President, I will bring this strength and experience to bear to end this outdated and outmoded policy."

The questions are:

• Do you support the Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA), which expands Medicaid for HIV-positive people who would otherwise need to become completely disabled in order to qualify for Medicaid-covered services?
• Do you support the replacement of funding for international and domestic "abstinence only" HIV prevention programs with scientifically based, comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education programs?
• Do you support access to sterile syringes, as a means of protecting public health, by lifting the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange? (Survey text, 11/28).

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, both of whom are running for the Republican presidential nomination, declined to answer the questionnaire. The remaining Republican and Democratic candidates did not respond, according to the AP/Journal.

The coalition in a statement said there has been a "lack of leadership at all levels that has allowed HIV to continue to spread through inaction and failed promises." The other agencies involved in the questionnaire include the American Red Cross Central Iowa Chapter, Lutheran Services in Iowa Refugee Cooperative, Urban Dreams, Community HIV/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network and Creative Visions (AP/Sioux City Journal, 11/29).

The survey is available online.

Leadership means taking the lead and it also means taking risks. Whenever leaders announce their personal political endorsements it spurs discussion, debate and disagreement, and I have decided to go public with my presidential endorsement for the 2008 election. I have endorsed John Edwards. My endorsement is not the endorsement of any organization I am affiliated with, it is my personal choice alone. And I hope it will bring other Edwards supporters out of the closet.

Continue reading this article at Bilerico

Hillary Clinton will be participating in a Global Summit on HIV/AIDS and the Church, according to a report in Newsmax.  Clinton was invited to speak by evangelical power-player Pastor Rick Warren.  The event takes place at Warren’s Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.

Warren is best known as the other of The Purpose Driven Life, and been a strong HIV Advocate for HIV/AIDS.  Warren has often criticized the evangelical church, and Baptists, in particular for being  "known for what we’re against rather than what we’re for.”

This is not the first time a Presidential Candidate has appeared at the Saddleback Church.  Barack Obama appeared at the 2006 Summit on HIV/AIDS, where he delivered his most substantive speech on HIV/AIDS of this campaign.

Evangelicals were once considered the core of the Republican Party, but are now considered a more diverse group of voters.  Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean recently addressed the National Baptist Convention, and the Democrats Faith in Action Program, created by Dean, has been reaching out to people of all faiths.