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  • 365 Gay News » News

    The daily news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community


    • Gay pride march banned in Serbia

      (Belgrade, Serbia)  Serbian authorities have banned a gay pride march and an anti-gay protest planned in the nation's capital this weekend to avoid violence. When two similar events occurred side by side in Serbia's capital last year, about 100 people were injured, cars were burned and shops were looted in clashes between police and the anti-gay, far-right extremists. So the gay pride march and the anti-gay protest planned in Belgrade on Sunday have been banned "to avoid bloodshed," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Friday. Anti-gay prejudice is widespread in Serbia, a predominantly conservative Balkan country. The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, has called gay pride marches a "parade of shame" that are "foreign to our history, tradition and culture." But Serbia has been urged by the West to protect the human rights of gays and other minorities, if it wants to one day join the European Union. On Friday, Serbia's President Boris Tadic backed the ban of Sunday's events, saying it was imposed to "prevent violence and the possible loss of lives." Gay pride organizers said the ban represents a defeat for the state and shows that authorities have not cracked down on the far-right extremists since the clashes a year ago. "It is totally unbelievable that police have not clamped down against the extremists," said Goran Miletic of the organizing committee. "We have spent four months preparing the gay pride march, and the authorities have done nothing." But the ultranationalist Obraz, or Honor, group said that the ban presented a "victory for the Serb patriots." Police said anti-gay extremists had planned to set buildings on fire in the suburbs of Belgrade on Sunday and to clash with police in the center of the capital. Foreign diplomats had planned to attend the gay pride march in a show of support for human rights in Serbia. Minister Dacic said the ban would prevent a possible repeat of the burning of U.S. and other Western embassies in the capital that occurred in 2008 during protests against Kosovo's declaration of independence.


    • Withers: This is it

      For this  final post, let's return to the first. It was September 2007. We were Visiblevote then. The staff was me, Jay [1], Pauline Park [2], and John Polly of NewNowNext [3]. My first post was a disaster. Our writing program kept jamming, the photo didn't format correctly, and the writing was drivel. Screamed at the computer that entire morning. The insanity was so over the top that poor Billie [4] looked at me, slowly got up, and found a more comfortable spot to dream of snacks and tennis balls. In that September, Democrats and Republicans were gearing up for the 2008 primary season. The lines were drawn in the sand. Anything we wrote that was remotely negative about then Sen. Hillary Clinton was quickly dismissed as "Hillary hate." Words that weren't supportive of the guy with the funny name, and big ears, were called press releases from Camp Clinton. [5] Despite those partisan charges, our coverage of the 2008 election season matches anything done. Anything. Jay, John, and Pauline  made me a better writer and thinker. I thank them for that. While the thanks are being dispensed, I must talk about Ali Davis [6]. If you need to listen to a crazy man [7] bring Ali along. She wears the best shoes. Sooooooo many Beck fans asked me about her  sneakers. Ali: I better get an invite to the commitment ceremony between you and Melinda. She loved you! Also want to give thanks to John Culhane, Lisa Neff, John Corvino, and Emma Ruby-Sachs. I've learned much from your words. Have to give Jay a big hug. She's unparalleled as an editor. Always willing to listen. Here is what you need to know: any decent post of mine is because of her. All the lousy ones? My sole responsibility. This site's success is due to her efforts. Before this turns into the last episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show [8] (don't mock Polly!), kudos to those who gave us your time. I can be found here [9]. Drop by and cuss me out. Best of luck. Keep keeping on. Peace. [1] http://www.JenniferVanasco.com [2] http://www.paulinepark.com/ [3] http://www.newnownext.com/ [4] http://whattheworlddoesnotneed.blogspot.com/2008/10/billie.html?zx=90880988f9d4a64c [5] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/News-foggy-road-top.jpg [6] http://www.365gay.com http://davisexmachina.wordpress.com/ [7] http://www.365gay.com/topics/news_politics/fear-and-learning-at-the-glenn-beck-rally/ [8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKwZ_aejLw8 [9] http://whattheworlddoesnotneed.blogspot.com/


    • Goodbye, from Ali Davis

      During the run-up to the 2008 election, I started phone banking to try to stop Prop 8. I’m an introvert, and phone banking involved plunging into a room full of strangers to call more strangers to talk about one hell of a touchy political issue. Also there was occasional motivational chanting. I called my friend Jenny Hagel and ran out her voicemail wondering why I do these things to myself. After she was done laughing at me, Jenny suggested I get in touch with the wonderful Jennifer Vanasco and send her a piece about what it was like. Jay said my article needed to be at least 350 words long. I believe I sent her five pages. And thus one of my favorite freelancing relationships ever was born. In addition to working with one of my favorite editors ever, I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the site. 365Gay is the first place I turned when Prop 8 passed to try to make sense of things. It was a place to get real information, to see the story covered by the people it affected most, and to see the huge spectrums of reaction across the LGBT community. Reading 365Gay helped me sort out the difference between productive and unproductive anger and decide what I was going to do about it. I also got an education on how broad the LGBT political spectrum can be. Checking out the responses to articles – or simply discovering that a substantial portion of our audience hated, hated, hated “RachelWatch” – was interesting, funny, and infuriating. And it was a level of diversity in the community that I needed to know about. 365Gay is why I went to Washington for the Equality March and met so many cool readers… And then went back again to compete with the hilarious James Withers for Most Conspicuous Reporter at the Glenn Beck rally. It has tested my ability to research, explain, and make jokes on tight deadlines. And it has cemented my belief that making fun of bigots is good for the soul. 365Gay been a haven, a touchstone, and a place where I am schooled just when I think I have a handle on things. Thanks for the warm welcome, 365Gay staff, contributors, and readers. I will miss this place. Stay strong, smart, funny, and fabulous. I hope I see you on the outside.


    • US: military chaplains may perform same-sex unions

       (Washington) The Pentagon has decided that military chaplains may perform same-sex unions, whether on or off a military installation. The ruling announced Friday by the Pentagon's personnel chief follows the Sept. 20 repeal of a law that had prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. Some members of Congress have objected to military chaplains performing same-sex unions, saying it would violate the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. The Pentagon says a military chaplain may officiate at any private ceremony, but isn't required if it would conflict with his or her religious or personal beliefs. The Pentagon also says Defense Department property may be used for private functions, including religious and other ceremonies such as same-sex unions, as long as it's not prohibited by state or local laws.


 
 
  • 365 Gay News » Health & Science

    The daily news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community


    • The Week in Terrifying Science: Slip-Sliding Away

      This Week in Terrifying Plants Nerds the world over took a second, wary look at their lunches this week as news spread that a molecular biologist at China’s Nanjing University has discovered micro RNA from 40 different plants in the blood and tissues of plant-eating mammals. [1] Yes, I know: Duh. We eat them. Hang on, it gets freakier [2]. Turns out the plant microRNA can influence or inhibit the expression of human genes [3]. For example, they can jigger your body’s ability deal with cholesterol. There has never been a bigger reason to choose your meals wisely: Your food is messing with you. Your side dishes have been grabbing your internal steering wheel and throwing whatever switches it wants and you didn’t even know it. Your salad bar is now a terrifying Game of Thrones lineup of ever-shifting enemies and allies. “Cabbage doesn’t agree with me” has just taken on a whole new meaning. What if it makes you watch a Dancing with the Stars marathon when you really want to go kayaking? What if it goes all zombie ant fungus and forces you to climb up on the roof and order products of questionable worth from late-night infomercials? And didn’t you sprinkle some cabbage on your fish taco at the office Cinco de Mayo party last year just a couple of hours before you put Marty’s Blackberry in the blender, told the VP of Social Media Strategies that “learnings” isn’t a real word, and then vomited into the filing cabinet? (Though, in your defense, that lowest drawer did at least contain the right section of the alphabet.) Coincidence? I think not. And even more disturbing than the news that you might be onion-influenced is the idea that you might be Funyun influenced. Those things are definitely going to make you order infomercial junk. Not to mention pizzas. This Week in Terrifying Research And the “GOOD GOD, WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?!” award-winner of the week, maybe the decade, is upon us. Professor Wei Lu of the University of Michigan is working on a new, ridiculously smart and fast supercomputer. Take a moment to think of the worst possible model on which one could possibly base a ridiculously smart and fast supercomputer. If you are in touch with the horrific, primal fears that lurk in the dankest depths of the human soul, you just spat out your drink in horror and screamed “A cat’s brain!” [4] Bingo. I am going to go out on a limb and guess that Professor Lu is not a cat owner. Humanity has long feared the rise of computers because they have the potential for immense power, but lack the moderation of human emotions. That seems safe as a bubble wrap tuxedo compared to modeling them after nature’s most charming sociopaths. You know that scene in Young Frankenstein where Igor goes off to get a brain and ends up taking the jar that’s labeled “Abnormal?” When you’re choosing a cat brain, that’s every jar. To get system that could handle complex decisions and multitasking, Lu modeled it on a cat’s facial recognition centers, which is hilarious, because a cat’s facial recognition centers only utilize five categories: Home Team Cat [acceptable], Enemy Cat [destroy], Offers Tuna [acceptable], Might Offer Tuna [probationary], and Draws the Attention of She Who Offers Tuna [destroy]. So the new supercomputers will be flexible, stunningly fast, and they will know us. We will fall for them and bring them into our homes and willingly pay ridiculous amounts of money to computer repairmen. And when we screw up, they will spend a day and a half refusing to come out from under the desk and throw up wireballs into the bed. And then, one horrible day, they will figure out how to network to the can opener. This is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whisker. …That’s assuming, of course, that we’ll be able to make it out to purchase the feline processors in the first place. Harvard researchers have developed a whole new level of “slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces” (SLIPS), superhydrophobic surfaces [5] that, in addition to sounding like Mary Poppins will drop in to sing about them, can repel just about anything. Water, oils, and almost anything else you can think of slides right off, including bugs, which fall right off onto their smug little abdomens. Heh. The new SLIPS could be used to make everything from intravenous drips to graffiti-repellent buildings. (The SLIPS demos also make a point of how easily blood slides right off. I hope they’re not still thinking about buildings.) More to the point, the new SLIPS are also self-cleaning and self-repairing [6], which means they will also be in demand for windows (they can be transparent) and indoor walls. Perfect! SLIPS all around and a life of ease, or at least tidiness. And the inspiration for the new SLIPS come straight from nature! Specifically, from the carnivorous pitcher plant [7]. Welcome to your two-bedroom, one-bathroom chamber of death. Criminy, Harvard researchers, why don’t you just have us put kiddie pools of digestive juices in the living room to make it quicker? If there’s one thing science and history and glancing around in crowds have taught us, it’s that people are not good at restraining themselves. There is simply no way we are going to follow directions and only put the cool new self-cleaning ultraslip surface on just the walls. That stuff is going onto floors and beds faster than you can say “Do it yourself.” And then we will all sustain comical injuries from deliberately sliding around the apartment instead of just walking over to the bookshelf like a grownup and then those with insurance have to go to urgent care and those without will just have to be grateful yet again that blood slides so easily off the walls. But, as it turns out, that urgent care trip might be tricky, because, gee, did you put SLIPS on the doorknobs? Because they seem awfully hard to work all of a sudden, not to mention the facts that all the floors seem to be tilting just enough to roll you to the center of the room and your scrambling abilities suddenly seem to be severely impaired, and you’re starting to wonder if maybe you shouldn’t have made those unguarded remarks about your alfalfa sprouts. Tell the computer there is tuna outside. It’s your only hope. “Terrifying Science” may be ending this week, friends, but terrifying science will not. I will sleep more easily knowing you’re out there. Well, OK, I won’t really sleep, of course. But I will consider sleeping more easily knowing that we will all remain vigilant and keep watchful eyes on sentient robots, climate change, poison spiders, retroengineered dinochickens, intelligent mutant space squid, telepathy, monster jellyfish, zombie ant fungi, and reanimated undead rat parts. Please do not forget the reanimated undead rat parts. Thanks for reading, everyone. Stay afraid. Ali Davis is a writer and performer in Los Angeles. She would like to thank Jay Vanasco for bringing her onboard and letting her write this column and James Withers for being a delightful partner in crime. Ali will miss 365Gay and you. [1] http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/we-incorporate-genetic-information-food-we-eat-says-new-study [2] http://the-scientist.com/2011/09/20/plant-rnas-found-in-mammals/ [3] http://gizmodo.com/5842774/new-study-suggests-we-really-are-what-we-eat [4] http://io9.com/5842688/cat+inspired-computing-of-the-future [5] http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20947-carnivorous-plant-inspires-superslippery-material.html [6] http://io9.com/5842591/how-carnivorous-plants-could-give-us-self+cleaning-self+repairing-walls [7] http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/09/21/flesh-eating-plant-inspires-super-slippery-material-that-repels-everything/


    • This Week in Terrifying Science: Great Balls of Fire

      This Week in Terrifying Public Service Announcements How’s your weather lately? Relatively calm? No Biblical rains or searing heat waves? How about flaming bus-sized chunks of space junk hurtling out of the sky? Any of those? The answer might surprise you. NASA, evidently pushed to their breaking point by people bitching about the Shuttle program ending, has announced that a great big honking satellite will be swan-diving back to Earth this week [1]. For those of you who like specifics, “great big honking” is equivalent to about 6.5 tons and the plummeting debris in question is the defunct Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. …And that’s about as much solid information as we're getting right now. Re-entry should be Friday, or maybe Thursday or Saturday, and the flaming lumps of satellite chassis could hit anywhere between the latitudes of 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south. For perspective, that would be anywhere south of Admirality Island, Alaska or Gotland Island, Sweden, and anywhere north of the southernmost tip of Chile. So maybe bring a parasol out with you. (That faint tinging sound you hear is our brethren in the colder climes laughing into the hoarfrost at us. Most of those laughs freeze in the air, but one day soon, global warming will thaw all the frozen laughter in one glorious cacophony of mirth. It’ll make sinking into the ocean and getting stung to death by megajellyfish [2] a lot more pleasant.) Anyway, NASA says your odds of getting bonked on the head by a white-hot chunk of metal [3] from this particular bit of space junk are about 1 in 3,200. Do you feel lucky, punk? Oh, come on, of course you don't. We all know you wouldn’t be reading this column if you felt lucky. Just stick to sewers when you have to travel and don’t be shy about elbowing your way into doorways. This Week in Terrifying Research If there’s one lesson scientists have learned from the great stories and films of the ages, it’s about the dangerous hubris of trying to create life. I’m really glad that whole thing is taken care of. Wait, they what? This week the Internet’s nerdiest sites were bubbling with the news that a team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is well on its way to making completely synthetic living yeast [4]. The yeast is supposed to “evolve on command” [5] – because that always works out just like you’ll expect it to – so in the future you should be very, very careful about throwing around expressions like “Rats!” or “Leapin’ lizards!” if you are standing close to beer. At least amend it to “Leapin’ lizards that will NOT spring up and clamp onto my jugular vein or any other vital or cosmetically significant body part!” It’s way less pithy, but you’ll be glad you made the effort. We haven’t even gotten to the best part: Team leader Jef Boeke [6] said he started out by tossing out all the dumb old “junk DNA” that scientists consider insignificant because it doesn’t code for proteins. The term “junk DNA” is my all-time favorite slice of scientific arrogance. Can’t figure out what it does yet? Ignore it! It’s probably totally worthless stuff that has survived as part of the very building blocks of life for no particular reason! Chuck it out with the appendixes and dewclaws! So Boeke and team are assuming that nothing in that silly old DNA is involved in, say, suppression of a tendency to turn into an acid-blooded alien facehugger or promotion of chicken beaks over the Higgledy-Piggledy Razor Teeth of Death. It’ll be exciting to find out, won’t it? Plus it will give us something to worry about in between onslaughts from the metallic life forms [7] that researchers at the University of Glasgow are trying to create. Why are they doing this diabolical thing? To prove that it’s possible. That will be a great comfort when the nickelchickens have taken out your ankles and the steelslugs are twining their way toward your nostrils. “Well, they sure did prove the possibility of metallic life,” you’ll sigh to yourself. “Oh, God, I wish I hadn’t fallen on this spiky tungstengrass.” Don’t suppress your tears. Rust is your only hope. Until the BreadHeads come. Be afraid. Ali Davis is a writer and performer in Los Angeles. She already misses 365Gay so much her face hurts. Starting this week, you can catch Ali’s recaps of Dancing with the Stars on AfterEllen.com [8]. Yes, she realizes that Dancing with the Stars is pretty much the polar opposite of science. Please do not let the cognitive dissonance deter you from purchasing her hilarious and thoughtful book, in paperback [9] or on Kindle [10]. [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nasa-satellite-expected-to-hit-earth-this-week/2011/09/18/gIQARnpVdK_story.html?hpid=z4 [2] http://io9.com/5840467/are-giant-jellyfish-evolving-to-take-over-the-seas [3] http://www.space.com/12999-dead-nasa-satellite-falling-earth-sept-23.html [4] http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20909-synthetic-yeast-will-evolve-on-command.html [5] http://io9.com/5840465/synthetic-replacement-chromosomes-give-us-replicant-yeast [6] http://www.bs.jhmi.edu/MBG/boekelab/ [7] http://dvice.com/archives/2011/09/researchers-dev.php [8] http://www.afterellen.com/ [9] http://www.amazon.com/True-Porn-Clerk-Stories-Davis/dp/1448685249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316498604&sr=8-1 [10] http://www.amazon.com/True-Porn-Clerk-Stories-ebook/dp/B002MKOQUG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316498604&sr=8-2


    • This Week in Terrifying Science: Pleased to Meteor

      This Week in Terrifying Nature The second-most popular science story this week was a ghastly little number [1] about scientists isolating a gene in a baculovirus that causes gypsy moth caterpillars to climb high up into trees, where they are reduced to ooze, the better to drizzle more virus all over their friends and relatives below [2]. It would be a horrific story capable of invoking powerful cute-little-caterpillar sympathies except for one thing: I hail from central Pennsylvania, and one of my vivid childhood memories is of seeing miles of once-green rolling hills defoliated and turned grey-brown by those insensitively named little filthbags. So if you ever want to shout a motto and guarantee that I’ll join in and cheer along, “To hell with gypsy moths” is a really good start, though I’ll probably suggest a few helpful recommendations for stronger and more effective profanity. What I’m saying it this is one of the rare occasions when you’ll find me on Team Virus. So while I’m sure it’s awful for the tiny writhing creepdogs to be consumed from the inside out, forced up into the top of a tree during the harsh and dangerous daylight hours, and then liquefied, my only thoughts are “Well, it’s a start…” Scientists, please call me when you isolate a baculovirus gene that causes gypsy moth caterpillars to grow kidneys and then punch themselves in them. I’ll send over a case of champagne. This Week in Terrifying Research As I said, the gypsy moth caterpillars made an impressive showing, by far the most covered (and most e-mailed to me, thank you kindly) is a story that is safely back on the Team We Don’t Care for Viruses side. On the surface, the news is fantastic: Mayo Clinic researchers have genetically modified three cats [3] to make them resistant to FIV, the feline immunodeficiency virus. This is a huge step in fighting feline AIDS, which can strike anything from house moggies to endangered big cats, and could lead to important insights in fighting HIV. So far, so great. The only terrifying part here is one of those diabolical little grace notes that scientists can’t seem to help throwing in: The cats have also been given a jellyfish gene that makes them glow green [4] under ultraviolet light. I’ve seen a claim that this little genetic DVD extra makes it easy to see if the FIV-resistant gene made it into the cat’s cells, but let’s be honest here: This is solid proof that scientists get baked. But that’s not what’s unsettling here: We’re talking about cats – a new generation of luminescent kitties [5] has already been born – that can glow green. You think they won’t figure out how to control it and turn their new skill to their own mildly sociopathic ends? Every cat owner since the first domestication has been awakened before daybreak by a cat casually yowling, knocking things off of shelves, or just flat-out face-pouncing as a means of lobbying for an early breakfast. In fact, anthropologists no longer believe that our ancestors developed speech to cooperate while hunting; they’re pretty sure speech evolved so early hominids could yell “QUIET!” Soon you will miss those days. Look forward to opening your eyes in the pitch blackness to a green Cheshire face apparently hovering right over your face… If you’re lucky. Odds are far better that you’ll wake up every morning to glowing green cat butt. This Week in Terrifying Space Interference Back in the Earth’s wild younger days, almost all of the planet’s gold was pulled into its core. So how do we have so much of it lying around in the upper layers? Scientists at the University of Bristol have concluded that most of the gold humans can actually get to (molemen don’t count) is extraterrestrial in origin [6]. Specifically, they believe the loot was deposited by a sound meteorite pummeling. And, sure, that’s the most likely explanation. Or it’s exactly what alien species would want us to think if they were messing with us. Think about it: We’ve spent an awful lot of human history selling and warring and plundering just for a shiny yellow metal that’s too soft to make a useful sword out of. And now the six commercials on TV that aren’t for movies about people driving very quickly or pharmaceuticals that offer to clear up dry skin in exchange for major liver damage are for companies demanding that you buy and hoard overpriced gold coins to survive the coming apocalypse and companies that urge you to put your “unwanted” gold in the mail and sell it to them. Clearly the aliens don’t really want gold, although given the cycle they’re encouraging, they may enjoy melting and minting things. And they can’t really want the human money they’re making in profit. Ours was once based on a bunch of gold they hurled through space. Pretty easy to save a step there. The only possible explanation (other than random meteor showers, which, FINE, are totally possible) is that the aliens know we are easily distracted by shiny things and they want to program us to make foolish exchanges, ideally over the Internet. My best guess is that we’re only a few years away from trading our “spare” kidneys, eyes, and brain lobes for alien Bumpits and Viagra knock-offs. At least we’ll have awesome hair for those 4-hour emergency room trips. Be afraid. Ali Davis is a writer and performer in Los Angeles. Her book is about her time as an adult video clerk and is available in paperback [7] or on Kindle [8]. She will miss the hell out of working with Jay Vanasco and James Withers. But not for two more weeks. So in the meantime, let’s savor the terror. [1] http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/09/08/liquefying-virus-uses-one-gene-to-make-caterpillars-climb-to-their-doom/ [2] http://io9.com/5837426/scientists-identify-gene-responsible-for-zombie-caterpillars [3] http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20896-glowing-transgenic-cats-could-boost-aids-research.html [4] http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/genetically-modified-cats-resist-aids-and-glow-dark [5] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44476309/ns/health-aids/#.Tm7UkU_qIZN [6] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907132044.htm [7] http://www.amazon.com/True-Porn-Clerk-Stories-Davis/dp/1448685249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315890840&sr=8-1 [8] http://www.amazon.com/True-Porn-Clerk-Stories-ebook/dp/B002MKOQUG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1315890840&sr=8-2


    • Medical schools teaching little about gay health

      (Chicago) Future doctors aren't learning much about the unique health needs of gays and lesbians, a survey of medical school deans suggests. On average, the schools devoted five hours in the entire curriculum to teaching content related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients, according to the survey results appearing in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. A third of the schools had none during the years students work with patients. More than a quarter of the medical school deans said their school's coverage of 16 related topics was "poor" or "very poor." The topics included sex change surgery, mental health issues and HIV-AIDS. While nearly all medical schools taught students to ask patients if they "have sex with men, women or both" while obtaining a sexual history, the overall curriculum lacked deeper instruction to help "students carry that conversation as far as it needs to go," said lead author Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver of the University of California, San Francisco. Without such education, doctors are left guessing and can make faulty assumptions, Obedin-Maliver said. For instance, lesbians need Pap tests, which screens for the sexually spread virus that causes most cervical cancer, as often as heterosexual women do. But some doctors assume they don't need them. "I'm an ob-gyn and I have had lesbian patients come to me and say I haven't had a Pap test in 20 years because my doctors said I didn't need one," Obedin-Maliver said. Earlier this year, the Institute of Medicine reported that there's little research to guide doctors in the treatment of lesbians and gays. But some things are known: There are increased risks of depression, suicide attempts, homelessness and being victims of violence for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Lesbians and bisexual women may get less preventive care to stay healthy, and have higher rates of obesity and breast cancer. The Association of American Medical Colleges recommends that medical schools ensure students master "the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to provide excellent comprehensive care" for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender patients. The new findings are based on a Web-based survey that drew responses from 85 percent of U.S. and Canadian medical schools. That's a remarkably high response rate, which shows the deans believe it's an important issue, said Dr. Raymond Curry, vice dean for education at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. In an accompanying editorial, Curry wrote that the researchers missed the opportunity to find out how many medical schools have gay and lesbian faculty and how many have student groups for gays and lesbians. "Trying to assess the adequacy of a curriculum in addressing these issues is perhaps not best approached in counting hours of instruction," Curry said.


 
  • GLINN Gay News Distribution

    Gay news from Gay/Lesbian International News Network and GayData.Com


    • AAS CELEBRATES THE LATE DR. FRANK KAMENY'S LIFETIME EFFORTS FOR EQUAL EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS

      At its 219th semiannual meeting last week in Austin, Texas, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) presented a certificate of appreciation commemorating Dr. Frank Kameny's lifetime efforts to secure equal employment rights for all. In 1957 Dr. Kameny, a Ph.D. astronomer and member of the AAS, was unjustly fired...


    • Bear Weekend Returns to SF on Presidents Day Weekend

      SAN FRANCISCO (01-18-12) -- Furry bears and scruffy cubs all over the world have declared "We are the 99 FURcent!" with a grassroots, "2.0" version of their annual gathering, which takes place in San Francisco over Presidents Day Weekend.


    • NOVELIST DANIEL MCVAY IS FINALLY BACK IN PRINT

      (01-12-2012) -- Twenty years after the demise of Knights Press, author Daniel McVay's previously published comic novels (along with his fourth novel, which almost got published) have been reissued and are available on Amazon, plus several other online sources and from book distributors worldwide by way of CreateSpace.


    • Gay Gym Opens in Palm Springs

      (Palm Springs, CA 01-04-12) WorkOUT Gym (tm) is pleased to announce the opening of a New 4,000 square foot gay gym in North Palm Springs. The fitness club, formally a massage school, is conveniently situated at 2100 N Palm Canyon Drive next to Toucan’s, a popular gay club. The new personalized fitness facility features cardio equipment with individual viewing TV's, selector circuit machines, a free weight area, locker rooms with private showers as well as other special member amenities.


 
 
 
 
 
 
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