An Idaho federal judge has upheld a critical ruling that a proposed bill denying trans people the right to change their birth certificates is a constitutional violation.
The bill, HB 509, would specifically prohibit changes to gender markers, claiming that “biological distinctions between male and female are a matter of scientific fact, and biological sex is an objectively defined category that has obvious, immutable, and distinguishable characteristics”.
It also claims that changing someone’s biological sex on their birth certificate “impacts the health and safety of all individuals.”
The bill was opposed by the LGBT+ advocacy group Lambda Legal, which filed a lawsuit against the state. They argued that the law had already been ruled unconstitutional two years ago when Idaho tried to implement a similar policy against transgender people.
This policy was found to have violated the Equal Protection Clause as it endangered transgender people, who were opened up to threats and discrimination when forced to show inaccurate IDs. It led to a permanent injunction which prohibits anti-transgender discrimination by the state.
In proposing HB 509, the state of Idaho was attempting to “pretend the previous lawsuit never happened” by passing a new law and simply giving it a different bill number, the court was told.
Deputy attorney general Steven Olsen insisted that his bill was different, and suggested that the legislation needed to go into effect before any harm to transgender people could be proven.
Fortunately judge Candy Dale, who passed the first ruling two years ago, did not agree with him.
Idaho attempting to ‘turn back the clock on trans equality’.
“The plain language and objective of the order and judgment entered in this case permanently enjoin [the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare] from infringing on the constitutional rights of transgender individuals,” judge Dale wrote in the order on Monday.
She also warned state officials for their “experimentation with disobedience of the law” in flouting the permanent injunction issued in 2018.
The court made clear that if officials attempted to reinstate the ban on changing birth certificates, even if directed by state law, they would be in violation of the federal injunction.
“Like obeying speed limits and paying your taxes, Idaho state officials are not exempt from the duty to follow a court order,” said Peter Renn, an attorney for Lambda Legal.
“Here, the court’s 2018 order plainly instructed state officials not to block transgender people from accessing accurate identity documents. The court has now confirmed that what was discriminatory in 2018 remains discriminatory today.”
Lambda Legal staff attorney Kara Ingelhart added it was “remarkable” that the state had attempted to bring the issue back into court in the first place.
“[It is] a direct result of efforts by the Idaho legislature and governor Little to turn back the clock on equality,” she said. “To force this law through, even as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more inexcusable.”
Grindr said it will remove the racial and ethnic filter from its popular gay dating and social-networking app, citing user feedback and a commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We will not be silent, and we will not be inactive,” the company said in posts on social media Monday. “We will continue to fight racism on Grindr, both through dialogue with our community and a zero-tolerance policy for racism and hate speech on our platform. As part of this commitment, and based on your feedback, we have decided to remove the ethnicity filter from our next release.”
Grindr’s response came after several days of violent protests across the U.S., sparked by the murder of George Floyd, who died May 25 while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
Currently, the Grindr app allows paying users to set preferences for “ethnicity,” among other criteria specifying the kinds of people they want to connect with.
On Monday, Grindr said it is making donations to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and Black Lives Matter, and it urged others “to do the same if you can.”
In a post on Instagram, Grindr said it was planning to announce its #PridePerseveres initiative today, “but in light of the ongoing violence and injustices against our POC family, that no longer feels appropriate. How can we launch a month of celebration when so many of us are hurting? How can we celebrate Pride without acknowledging that we wouldn’t even HAVE a Pride month if it weren’t for the brave black, brown, trans, and queer folks whose uprising against the police at Stonewall gave birth to the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement?”
The company added: “It is our responsibility to speak out against the hate and violence that such a vital part of our community continue to face.”
Grindr said it will announce its plans to celebrate Pride Month on Tuesday, “but in a different light. Yes, we can still come together in the spirit of Pride, but Pride this year has an added responsibility, a shifted tone, and a new priority that will be reflected in our programming — support and solidarity for queer people of color and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.”
In March, Beijing Kunlun Tech Co., a Chinese gaming company, announced that it was selling Grindr — in which it had first acquired majority stake in 2016 — for $608.5 million — a move prompted by the U.S. government’s concerns about the privacy of the app’s users. Grindr’s new owner is San Vicente Acquisition, a group of entrepreneurs and investors in tech, media and telecommunications sectors, Reuters reported.
Grindr, first launched in 2009, says it is today “the largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.” The app uses geolocation features of mobile devices to let users connect with others in their area, similar to Tinder.
Tony McDade, a Black trans man, was shot and killed by what is Florida’s third fatal police shooting in two months.
On Wednesday (May 27), Tony McDade was shot and killed by a white police officer in Tallahassee, north Florida.
Local news, which along with the Florida Police Department initially misgendered McDade, reported that he was a suspect in a fatal stabbing.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell told reporters at a news briefing at the scene on Wednesday: “The suspect from that stabbing fled on foot, and a description was provided to responding officers.
“The suspect description that was broadcast was a black [male, wearing] all black, bald, armed with a pistol and a knife.”
A lot of people out here at Holton street apartments and they’re visibly upset. Dozens of people crying. Officers are investigating right now. All they can tell us is that an officer shot someone in this complex. @abc27
Tony McDade’s death arrives ‘as America is roiled by the murder of George Floyd’.
Officers were called to Saxon Street at 10.45am, shortly after the unidentified man had been stabbed. He later died from his injuries.
Fifteen minutes after being provided with his description, officers confronted Tony McDade on nearby Holton Street in the Leon Apartment complex.
He was shot by an unnamed white police officer and died in hospital.
At least 11 other trans or gender-nonconforming people have been fatally shot or killed by other violent means in 2020, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which tracks anti-trans violence in the US.
“Tony’s death brings national scrutiny and is a stark reminder of the epidemic of violence that disproportionately claims the lives of Black transgender people in America,” said LGBT+ advocacy group Equality Florida in a statement.
“His death arrives as the country is roiled by the murder of George Floyd by law enforcement in Minneapolis and the police brutality that disproportionately targets communities of colour.”
The police murder of unarmed black trans man #TonyMcDade yesterday struck close to me as a trans person. It was racially motivated. Trans people also face gross police violence, which I read about often.
Here are Black trans men I’ve read on their experience of police brutality.
Multiple reports by local news and on social media said that McDade was unarmed and had not been warned before the officer began shooting. This has been disputed by the police, who said that McDade was armed with a gun and “made a move consistent with using the firearm against the officer”.
Asked by reporters at the briefing, Revell said he did not know whether body-camera footage of the incident was taken, and he also did not know how many shots were fired.
Revell added that there was “no indication” of wrongdoing by the police or of a “racial motivation” for the shooting.
The officer was unhurt and has been placed on administrative leave.
On Wednesday evening, neighbours gathered in Leon Apartments to mourn McDade and set up a makeshift memorial next to the palm tree near where he was shot.
Around 20 to 30 people gathered, lighting candles and leaving flowers and posters.
The posters said “Black lives matter” and “Justice for Tony”.
A petition calling for “justice for Tony McDade” has been signed by more than 50,000 people.
The New York Times made an impact with a front page dominated by the “incalculable loss” of 100,000 people who have tragically died of coronavirus in the US.
The grim milestone puts the US far behind every other country in the world in dealing with the pandemic, and the death toll continues to rise day by day.
“They were not simply names on a list. They were us,” the paper read on Monday (May 25). “Numbers alone cannot possibly measure the impact of the coronavirus on America.”
So instead, the entire page was filled top to bottom with death notices of victims from across the country. Names, ages, hobbies, professions, personalities and favourite sports teams were among the personal details included to convey the sheer size of the tragedy.
It was a far cry from how the same paper reported the same number of deaths 29 years ago — the only difference being that this epidemic was HIV, not coronavirus.
The New York Times did not devote a front page to the first 100,000 people who died of AIDS.
On January 25, 1991, the death toll for AIDS in the US reached the same staggering number of 100,000. But because the bulk of those deaths were gay men, their plight didn’t warrant a front page headline.
Nor was it found on the second page, or the the third. The story was shunted back to page 18, hidden below the halfway fold of the paper. No pictures, and no names.
It apparently deserved less prominence than an article about the US Postal Service’s newest stamp.
“US reports AIDS deaths now exceeds 100,000,” the tiny headline read. Below it was a story written by the Associated Press — the New York Times hadn’t bothered to write their own — its cold language characteristic of the way “the gay plague” was viewed at the time.
“The death toll from AIDS in the United States has climbed to more than 100,000, with nearly a third of the deaths occurring last year, federal health officials said today,” the article began.
“The [Federal Centre for Disease Control] said the death toll is climbing and its researchers projected that in the next three years up to 215,000 more Americans will die of AIDS.”
The number of AIDS deaths in the US would eventually exceed 700,000, each one just as much as tragedy as those lost to coronavirus, even if the world refused to acknowledge the scale of the tragedy at the time.
As the New York Times says of the coronavirus victims, “none of them were numbers”. They were friends, lovers, children, siblings, parents, every bit as human as the COVID-19 dead. And they deserved just as much respect.
Movies, television shows and ads can help change attitudes about and erase prejudices towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.
That’s the big takeaway from a new study conducted by advocacy group GLAAD and Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser. It found that 48 percent of non-LGBTQ people became more accepting of gay and lesbian people over the past few years because of their representation in media, significantly higher than reported for those who did not see LGBTQ people in the media. Seventy six percent said they were comfortable seeing LGBTQ characters in films like “Love, Simon” and shows like “Pose.”
Moreover, 80 percent of those surveyed said they had become more supportive of equal rights for LGBTQ people after being exposed to them on television or at the movies, while only 70 percent of those not exposed to LGBTQ people in the media felt this way. The survey was conducted online between Nov. 20 to Dec. 3, 2019, and polled more than 2,000 non-LGBTQ American adults.
“The findings of this study send a strong message to brands and media outlets that including LGBTQ people in ads, films, and TV is good for business and good for the world,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, when media consumption is up and when media outlets serve as lifelines for LGBTQ people in isolation, companies should recognize that now is the right time to grow the quality and quantity of LGBTQ people in advertising.”
The poll also found that 45 percent of respondents who had been exposed to LGBTQ people in the media say they are more accepting of bisexual people over the past few years, while 41 percent are more accepting of nonbinary people. Some 72 percent of respondents were more likely to be comfortable learning that a family member is LGBTQ compared to the 66 percent of respondents who had not been exposed. That shift in attitudes comes as more people report having LGBTQ people in their social circles. Eighty six percent of non-LGBTQ people say that they know someone who is LGBTQ.
That move towards broader acceptance is manifested in other ways. Seventy nine percent of respondents who had been exposed to LGBTQ people in the media are comfortable having a new LGBTQ family with children move into their neighborhood, while roughly 70 percent of respondents are comfortable starting a conversation with a person whose gender is unclear, and 81 percent are comfortable chatting with a person whose sexual orientation is different than their own.
Non-LGBTQ people have been far more exposed to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people on film and television than in advertising. Within the past three months, 70 percent were exposed to members of the LGBTQ community in movies and on the small screen, whereas 52 percent saw LGBTQ people in advertisements.
The Hallmark Channel may have made waves last year for pulling TV ads featuring same sex couples (it later re-instated them under public pressure). Despite the controversy, people looked favorably upon companies who included LGBTQ people in their advertisements. Some 86% of respondents believe it reflects the company’s support of LGBTQ rights, while 85 percent of respondents believe it illustrates the company’s commitment to offering products to all types of customers. Some 75 percent of people were comfortable with ads that showed LGBTQ people and 70 percent were comfortable with seeing commercials with LGBTQ families with children.
On a conference call with media on Wednesday, Ellis said that the results should embolden marketers and companies to highlight LGBTQ consumers.
“This is a permission slip for brands to go out and embrace the LGBTQ community,” said Ellis.
A new study has revealed that nearly a third of trans and non-binary young people have attempted suicide in the past 12 months.
More than 25,000 queer young people between the ages of 13 and 24 were surveyed for the peer-reviewed study by researchers at The Trevor Project, which has been published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Of the trans and non-binary youth young people responding to the survey, 78.2 per cent said that they have experienced discrimination because of their gender identity.
Trans and non-binary youth report depression, physical abuse and thoughts of suicide.
Asked about their experiences over the past 12 months, 29.7 per cent of trans and non-binary youth said they had been physically threatened or harmed.
82.8 per cent reported a depressive mood, 54.2 per cent had seriously considered suicide, and 28.6 per cent had attempted suicide.
Four in five trans and non-binary youth reported a depressive mood – while a quarter have attempted suicide
Even compared to their cisgender LGB+ peers in the Trevor Project survey, young people who identify as trans and non-binary are still more than twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide, and attempt suicide – adjusting for age, family income and ethnicity.
Young people who identify as trans and non-binary are most at risk of depression and suicide. Trans males are the the highest-at risk group, with 35 per cent having attempted suicide in the past 12 months – but trans females and non-binary youth were also significantly more likely than cisgender LGB+ youth to report seriously considering suicide, according to the research.
Transgender young people ‘particularly vulnerable to poor mental health’.
The study corroborates findings from previous research on the issue, which has long indicated that trans youth have a greater risk of suicide.
Amy E Green, director of research at The Trevor Project, said: “Prior to this study, there was a clear lack of research on the differences in mental health and suicidality within different sub-groups of LGBT+ youth.
“These results underscore that transgender and non-binary youth are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes and suicide risk compared to their cisgender peers within the LGBT+ community. Furthermore, they show how LGBTQ-based discrimination and victimisation contribute to these increased mental health disparities.”
Research scientist Myeshia Price-Feeney, added: “At The Trevor Project, we hear from trans youth in crisis every day and we understand the detrimental impacts discrimination and harassment can have on their mental health and well-being.
“We hope this data will encourage more robust nationwide data collection on LGBT+ youth mental health, and that policymakers and health care providers will use these insights to create policies and safe spaces that protect and affirm trans youth everywhere.”
If you are in the UK and are having suicidal thoughts, suffering from anxiety or depression, or just want to talk, you can contact Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. If you are in the US call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
Ben Rimalower, 44, has been vacationing on New York’s Fire Island since 2005. The island’s Pines section, a popular beach destination for gay men dating back to the 1920s, has been a reliably safe and sunshine-filled locale for Rimalower and his friends, primarily other gay men, to spend the summer.
“I first fell in love with Fire Island from afar while in college in California during the early ‘90s,” he told NBC News. “It seemed like Shangri-La to me.”
Rimalower said even on the “queerest blocks” of New York City, where he lives, he’s “uncomfortable kissing or holding hands” with another man, “but on Fire Island, I’m free.”
Ben Rimalower, center, with friends in Fire Island Pines the summer of 2019. Courtesy of Ben Rimalower
This year, however, his annual trip to Fire Island Pines is shrouded in uncertainty.
“If we can go at all, it will be with lots of changes,” he lamented. “I hope we can be safe on the beach, because that’s my favorite part.”
“This is all so new and complicated,” he said, adding there’s still a chance he and his friends will cancel their trip. “We haven’t even broached the topic of house rules yet, but I imagine at least at first we won’t be having any hookups or friends over.”
With the typically busy summer season kicking off, LGBTQ beach destinations in the Northeast — a region particularly hard-hit by the global coronavirus pandemic — are bracing for a new normal, and some of their loyal patrons are apprehensive.
New York’s Fire Island
Fire Island is a narrow, car-free, barrier island just south of Long Island and not far from the ritzy beaches of the Hamptons. While Fire Island boasts 15 communities, two of them have long been popular with LGBTQ beachgoers, with the Pines historically catering to gay men and Cherry Grove to lesbians.
The Pines only has one hotel, which is currently closed, so nearly all visitors rent houses during their stay. According to a community newsletter published May 14, brokers shared that vacation renters “have generally made their last payments and are planning to come to the Pines this summer, even if bars and restaurants are not open.”
Scenes from the Invasion of the Pines in Fire Island Pines, N.Y., on July 4, 2008.Julia Weeks / AP file
P.J. McAteer, a co-owner of the Outpost Pines, which make up the majority of the Fire Island Pines’ commercial businesses, opened two of his restaurants May 15 for to-go service, and he plans to continue opening additional venues and expanding services as Suffolk County and Gov. Andrew Cuomo allow.
At his businesses, there will now be temperature and hand sanitizing stations at the entrances, a 50 percent capacity maximum and a mandate that employees wear masks and other personal protective equipment.
McAteer, who typically employs about 40 people during the summer months — from event photographers to drag queens — said his employees are eager to get to work.
“All of my staff and entertainers are chomping at the bit to come back,” he said. “They all cannot wait to be back here and bring back the life that is Fire Island Pines.”
“The gay community is very creative and inventive, especially in a crisis … We survived the HIV epidemic and made a comeback. I think the same thing about this. Those same creative energies will be out this summer.”
JAY PAGANO, FIRE ISLAND PINES PROPERTY OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
And when beachgoers return to the island for the summer, they won’t be alone. Jay Pagano, president of the Fire Island Pines Property Owners’ Association, said occupancy has been higher than usual over the past few months, because many homeowners opted to quarantine on the island starting in mid-March.
“A large number of residents chose to spend the pandemic in the Pines,” he said in early May. “They thought it would be a safer or nicer venue to be locked down in. I’m guessing that’s probably 200 to 250 homes are occupied full-time right now, and that’s unusual this early.”
And while there hasn’t been much to do over the past two months, there’s always the beach.
“The beaches are open, and they will remain open,” Pagano explained. “We have a wonderfully wide beach this summer. We are going to encourage the residents to use it, but the requirements for social distancing and masks will be implemented on the beach as in the community, and the police will be enforcing those requirements.”
An American flag and an LGBTQ Rainbow flag are displayed on the ferry dock in the Fire Island community of Cherry Grove, N.Y. , on June 23, 2013.Seth Wenig / AP file
In neighboring Cherry Grove, the beach is also open to sunbathers, swimmers and strollers.
“It’s as safe here as it is anywhere,” Diane Romano,president of the Cherry Grove Community Association, said, adding that “the people in Cherry Grove have been really great at implementing social distancing.”
And for those thinking about heading to Fire Island’s Cherry Grove section, Romano said, “We want to make sure you’re someone that will follow guidelines and work with the community to make sure you protect yourself and others.”
In order to ensure everyone’s safety, Romano said local law enforcement, starting in mid-June, will patrol the beach to make sure everyone is following proper social distancing guidelines, which include limiting large groups from congregating.
Fire Island regulars, such as Rimalower and Zach James, who reserved a house for a week in July, are preparing for a different Fire Island experience than they’re used to, which typically includes large beach dances, drag shows and house parties.
“It’s going to be an isolated house trip without the fuss, which will be just fine,” James said. “We will change what we do out there to be in line with the world we live in.”
Two vacationers wear masks as they visit the Cantine in Fire Island Pines. Courtesy of Alexander Kacala
Arguably the most popular event in the Pines — the annual Pines Party dance and fundraiser, which is typically held the last weekend in July and draws an estimated 3,000 attendees — will not go on as planned this year. However, Guy Smith, the event’s creative director, said his group is “hard at planning” an alternative “to bring together our community and continue the Pines Party magic.” He said this year’s event will include live performances streaming from the Fire Island Pines that will “broaden the reach of our event and raise much-needed funds for our 2020 beneficiary, Stonewall Community Foundation.”
As for ferry service — the only way in and out of Fire Island unless you own your own boat — the schedule is more limited than recent years due to a decline in ridership amid the pandemic. The boats will be running at a maximum of 50 percent capacity, and all passengers must wear face coverings.
“Fire Island has so much beauty, and there’s so many things out here to do,” McAteer said, looking ahead to the next few months. “Whatever the new normal is, it’s going to be OK; we’re going to figure it out.”
“Summer 2020 is not canceled in my book,” he added. “Summer 2020 is just going to be done differently.”
New Jersey’s Asbury Park
Asbury Park, a 1.6-square-mile city located along the Jersey Shore, has been attracting an increasing number of LGBTQ homeowners and beachgoers since the ‘50s, when New Yorkers started purchasing and restoring Victorian homes, leading to the city’s rejuvenation.
While the city’s beach and boardwalk had been closed due to the pandemic, they recently opened ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, officials have put a number of new measures in place.
“We know our residents are looking forward to summer, and Asbury Park has always welcomed visitors — we know how much they help our economy,” Mayor John Moor said in a statement. “That said, this is not a normal summer season. We are in the middle of a pandemic, and we need to be smart. We are going to have to limit numbers, practice social distancing, wear face coverings and masks, and make the experience as contactless as possible for the safety of beach visitors and our staff.”
People visit the beach during Memorial Day weekend on May 26, 2019 in Asbury Park, N.J.Kena Betancur / Getty Images file
The city’s measures, which can be found on its website, will include the limited sale of beach passes, which are required for beach entry; one-way travel in each direction on the boardwalk; and a face mask requirement except when sunbathing or swimming.
“The next few weekends are going to be our tests to figure out how to do this, because all of this is so new, and we are learning as we go,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said. “If people do not respect these rules, we will make changes.”
Michael Cook, who has lived in Asbury Park since 2005, said he’s preparing for a “Jersey Shore summer with a twist.”
“We all will learn a slightly new way of living this summer,” he said.
As for the shops and restaurants that line the city’s downtown area — including the popular gay venue Paradise — they remain closed.
“Right now, the music isn’t playing, and the cocktails are not flowing, but this is simply a moment,” the last post on Paradise’s Instagram reads. “We will all dance together again.”
Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach along Delaware’s coast has for decades been a popular beach destination with LGBTQ travelers from Philadelphia down to Washington, D.C. The resort town boasts over 200 gay-owned businesses, according to GayCities, and its Poodle Beach section is particularly popular with queer beachgoers.
While Delaware has not been as hard hit by the coronavirus as New York and New Jersey, Rehoboth Beach Mayor Paul Kuhns said the town is taking precautions and heeding the governor’s guidance on reopening.
“About 80 percent of the homes in Rehoboth are owned by people from out of town. What we have seen is a lot of those second-home owners have come to Rehoboth in order to get away from where they were, but they have been very positively practicing social distancing,” Kuhns said earlier this month. “It has been very manageable, but as we get more crowds coming in, it will be a difficult situation.”
Crowds enjoy Rehoboth Beach in Delaware on July 2, 20011.Chuck Snyder / AP file
As of 5 p.m. Friday, beaches along the Delaware coast will be open for exercising, sunbathing and swimming. Guidelines, which can be found on the state’s website, require social distancing among those from different households and encourage face coverings. There is a catch, though: Those who reside out-of-state will have to maintain a 14-day quarantine upon entering Delaware in order to enjoy what its beaches have to offer.
Kuhns, however, said, “We will not have police at the entrances of Rehoboth checking your ID and making sure you live in town or not.”
As for the town’s shops and restaurants, many will be open with restrictions, with most offering only curbside pick-up.
Massachusetts’ Provincetown
As the artist’s colony in Provincetown began to thrive in the early 20th century, so did its gay community. By the 1970s, the bohemian village at the tip of Cape Cod became known for its cabaret and drag scenes. Today, Provincetown boasts around 300 businesses that are part of the Provincetown Business Guild, an organization that focuses on drawing LGBTQ visitors to the destination.
“We are spending a lot of time talking about what the P-Town experience is going to look like this summer and trying to reimagine the Provincetown experience, because we believe there will still be people that come here,” Bob Sanborn, executive director of the Provincetown Business Guild, said. “We have a lot of these large-scale events and theme weeks that won’t happen as they have historically happened. With that said, we aren’t expecting the up-swells and crowds that traditionally happen here week to week.”
Crowds fill Commercial Street in downtown Provincetown, Mass. on July 10, 2019.John Tlumacki / Boston Globe via Getty Images file
During the typical summer peak season, Provincetown has a population of about 30,000 to 50,000, with peak holidays and events seeing nearly 100,000.
“Eighty percent of the homes are second homeowner owned, so those people will still come with their house guests,” Sanborn speculated. “And we still believe there will be some tourists. So it’s going to be a slower but steady summer.”
Both of the region’s most well-known beaches — historically gay beach Herring Cove and Race Point — are part of the Cape Cod National Seashore and have not been closed amid the pandemic, though their operations have been limited. The area’s smaller beaches, those around the harbor, have been closed, but will open on Memorial Day. Social distancing will be expected on all beaches: Household clusters will be allowed to gather, but larger groups, especially with 10 people or more, will be prohibited.
“This summer will still be uniquely Provincetown,” Sanborn explained. “It will be a special summer. Many people are saying this will be like Old Provincetown, before the big theme weeks became such a part of our culture. People used to flock here years ago for the sun and the fun and the joie de vivre and the simple, colorful life. We believe it will be a summer like that.”
And, just like in years past, Sanborn and other community leaders acknowledged the resiliency of the LGBTQ community when unforeseen threats arise.
“The gay community is very creative and inventive, especially in a crisis,” Pagano said. “We survived the HIV epidemic and made a comeback. I think the same thing about this. Those same creative energies will be out this summer.”
GlaxoSmithKline said an injection every other month of its cabotegravir drug was shown to avert an HIV infection more effectively than Gilead’s daily Truvada pill, potentially giving its ViiV unit a foothold in HIV prevention.
The drug trial involving men who have sex with men was stopped early by an independent monitoring board after cabotegravir was found to be 69 percent more effective than the current standard of care, Truvada, the British drugmaker said on Monday.
But the market segment GSK is eyeing is about to become more competitive as cheaper generic versions of Truvada are expected to be launched in the United States in September, as the patent expires.
Gilead, for its part, hopes that Truvada users will opt against the cheaper copies and switch to its new daily pill Descovy, approved in October 2019 after it was shown to be less toxic to the kidneys and bones.
Truvada generated $2.8 billion in sales last year, both from treatment and preventing an HIV infection.
Kimberly Smith, ViiV’s head of research, said a long-acting injection was a better route of administer because users have shown to struggle with a strict routine of daily pills, heightening the infection risk.
“Individuals have to show up every eight weeks in the clinic for the injection but in-between there is not a need to take a pill daily, so you really change the equation for adherence with a long acting (drug),” Smith said.
GSK, which is trailing Gilead in the HIV treatment market, will speak to drug regulators about a possible approval of cabotegravir based on the prevention trial, a spokesman said.
Prevention “has turned into a multi-billion opportunity for Gilead but we think consensus estimates include little or nothing for GSK in this market,” UBS analysts said in a research note.
GSK has won approval in Canada for cabotegravir as one of two key ingredients in long-acting HIV treatment combination Cabenuva, whereas in the United States, the company has run into delays seeking the go-ahead for Cabenuva.
An initial readout from the trial, which started in late 2016, was previously not expected before next year.
A similar trial to test the cabotegravir injection to prevent HIV in women, is still ongoing.
Pfizer and Shionogi & Co Ltd hold small stakes in GSK’s HIV-focused ViiV Healthcare division.
Today we are all adapting to the complications of COVID-19 and its impact on our daily life. As we abide by current “stay-at-home” orders, we are learning how this reality may affect others in our communities. Researchers have found that social isolation and the subsequent feelings of loneliness can be lethal. The AARP Foundation put some perspective on this when it announced that social isolation can cause similar health effects to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
While we are all experiencing some level of isolation, the difficulty truly is compounded for some at-risk communities. Perhaps these feelings are no greater than for our LGBTQ older adults, who already have a higher percentage of health issues (Williams Institute) that could lead to more serious risks from COVID-19. Their need for accessible connected technology may exceed those of other communities; a high-speed broadband connection to shop for groceries at home, communicate with healthcare providers without leaving home, and stay informed with news and information from the immediate community as well as broader public health updates.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed existing inequalities, and exacerbated struggles already present for vulnerable populations. Reports estimate that there are around 3 million LGBT adults over age 50, and by the end of this decade the number will grow to around 7 million. LGBT older individuals’ loneliness and isolation are compounded by several factors: they are twice as likely to live alone; four times less likely to have children; often confront discrimination and social stigma; and are more likely to face poverty and homelessness and be in poor health. The Williams Institute has revealed that older LGBT adults face social and health disparities in a number of critical areas, resulting in worse physical and mental health compared to heterosexual older adults.
The current economic conditions add another layer of stress to an already burdened community. While many have experienced financial hardship during this pandemic, LGBT people collectively have a poverty rate of 21.6%, which is much higher than the rate for the cisgender straight people of 15.7%.
All of these factors contribute to the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ older adults during this COVID-19 pandemic. For all LGBTQ individuals, going online has always been a “must-do” activity. Research conducted by The LGBT Technology Partnership has revealed that 80% of LGBTQ respondents participate in a social networking site (such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) compared to 58% of the general public. Searching the internet for health information is particularly important for lesbians whose unique health needs are often overlooked.
The LGBTQ older community are a critical at-risk segment within the larger digital divide plaguing our aging population. With only a little over half of those age 65 who now have broadband at home (Pew Research), the opportunity for older “at risk” communities existing in isolation without a tech “lifeline” raises great concern.
We suggest that a multi-pronged approach is essential to serve this underserved community. First, the policy world needs to increase efforts to expand telehealth services, especially for older patients, to help combat the realities of the coronavirus.
Additionally, as the country moves to contact tracing it is vital to remember that any tech-heavy solution may have a disparate impact on seniors who may be less tech savvy than other populations.
Finally, support must be maintained and even increased to community and social organizations that target older LGBTQ individuals. Community centers, places of worship and social organizations that cater to this community need to receive special training, education and resources that can help protect this vulnerable population.
The COVID-19 virus will continue to affect each of us, but the increased vulnerability of our senior and LGBTQ communities requires unique strategies to ensure everyone stays as safe and healthy.
Carlos Gutierrez is Deputy Director & General Counsel for the LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute, which works to improve access, increase inclusion, ensure safety and empower entrepreneurship for LGBT communities around technology. Debra Berlyn is executive director of the Project to Get Older Adults onLine (Project GOAL) and president of Consumer Policy Solutions.
GlaxoSmithKline said an injection every other month of its cabotegravir drug was shown to avert an HIV infection more effectively than Gilead’s daily Truvada pill, potentially giving its ViiV unit a foothold in HIV prevention.
The drug trial involving men who have sex with men was stopped early by an independent monitoring board after cabotegravir was found to be 69 percent more effective than the current standard of care, Truvada, the British drugmaker said on Monday.
But the market segment GSK is eyeing is about to become more competitive as cheaper generic versions of Truvada are expected to be launched in the United States in September, as the patent expires.
Gilead, for its part, hopes that Truvada users will opt against the cheaper copies and switch to its new daily pill Descovy, approved in October 2019 after it was shown to be less toxic to the kidneys and bones.
Truvada generated $2.8 billion in sales last year, both from treatment and preventing an HIV infection.
Kimberly Smith, ViiV’s head of research, said a long-acting injection was a better route of administer because users have shown to struggle with a strict routine of daily pills, heightening the infection risk.
“Individuals have to show up every eight weeks in the clinic for the injection but in-between there is not a need to take a pill daily, so you really change the equation for adherence with a long acting (drug),” Smith said.
GSK, which is trailing Gilead in the HIV treatment market, will speak to drug regulators about a possible approval of cabotegravir based on the prevention trial, a spokesman said.
Prevention “has turned into a multi-billion opportunity for Gilead but we think consensus estimates include little or nothing for GSK in this market,” UBS analysts said in a research note.
GSK has won approval in Canada for cabotegravir as one of two key ingredients in long-acting HIV treatment combination Cabenuva, whereas in the United States, the company has run into delays seeking the go-ahead for Cabenuva.
An initial readout from the trial, which started in late 2016, was previously not expected before next year.
A similar trial to test the cabotegravir injection to prevent HIV in women, is still ongoing.
Pfizer and Shionogi & Co Ltd hold small stakes in GSK’s HIV-focused ViiV Healthcare division.
