Study finds epigenetics, not genetics, underlies homosexuality

KNOXVILLE – Epigenetics – how gene expression is regulated by temporary switches, called epi-marks – appears to be a critical and overlooked factor contributing to the long-standing puzzle of why homosexuality occurs.

According to the study, published online today in The Quarterly Review of Biology, sex-specific epi-marks, which normally do not pass between generations and are thus "erased," can lead to homosexuality when they escape erasure and are transmitted from father to daughter or mother to son.

From an evolutionary standpoint, homosexuality is a trait that would not be expected to develop and persist in the face of Darwinian natural selection. Homosexuality is nevertheless common for men and women in most cultures. Previous studies have shown that homosexuality runs in families, leading most researchers to presume a genetic underpinning of sexual preference. However, no major gene for homosexuality has been found despite numerous studies searching for a genetic connection.

In the current study, researchers from the Working Group on Intragenomic Conflict at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) integrated evolutionary theory with recent advances in the molecular regulation of gene expression and androgen-dependent sexual development to produce a biological and mathematical model that delineates the role of epigenetics in homosexuality.

Epi-marks constitute an extra layer of information attached to our genes' backbones that regulates their expression. While genes hold the instructions, epi-marks direct how those instructions are carried out – when, where and how much a gene is expressed during development. Epi-marks are usually produced anew each generation, but recent evidence demonstrates that they sometimes carryover between generations and thus can contribute to similarity among relatives, resembling the effect of shared genes.

Sex-specific epi-marks produced in early fetal development protect each sex from the substantial natural variation in testosterone that occurs during later fetal development. Sex-specific epi-marks stop girl fetuses from being masculinized when they experience atypically high testosterone, and vice versa for boy fetuses. Different epi-marks protect different sex-specific traits from being masculinized or feminized – some affect the genitals, others sexual identity, and yet others affect sexual partner preference. However, when these epi-marks are transmitted across generations from fathers to daughters or mothers to sons, they may cause reversed effects, such as the feminization of some traits in sons, such as sexual preference, and similarly a partial masculinization of daughters.

The study solves the evolutionary riddle of homosexuality, finding that "sexually antagonistic" epi-marks, which normally protect parents from natural variation in sex hormone levels during fetal development, sometimes carryover across generations and cause homosexuality in opposite-sex offspring. The mathematical modeling demonstrates that genes coding for these epi-marks can easily spread in the population because they always increase the fitness of the parent but only rarely escape erasure and reduce fitness in offspring.

"Transmission of sexually antagonistic epi-marks between generations is the most plausible evolutionary mechanism of the phenomenon of human homosexuality," said the study's co-author Sergey Gavrilets, NIMBioS' associate director for scientific activities and a professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

###

The paper's other authors are William Rice, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Urban Friberg, a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden.

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Citation: Rice WR, Friberg U, Gavrilets S. Homosexuality as a consequence of epigenetically canalized sexual development. The Quarterly Review of Biology. Published online 11 December 2012.

New Study Shows Structural Factors Play Major Role in Access to HIV Services for Gay Men Worldwide

Global survey finds homophobia, comfort with service provider, and community engagement make significant impact on access to condoms, lubricant, HIV testing, and HIV treatment

OAKLAND, Calif.  -- A large-scale study of gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), conducted by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), indicates that only one third of MSM can easily access condoms, lubricant, HIV testing, and HIV treatment. Combining a multi-lingual online survey and focus group discussions, the study suggests that structural barriers like homophobia play a significant role in blocking access to HIV services for MSM, while greater comfort with health service providers and more community engagement are associated with higher levels of service access.

The MSMGF's study aimed to identify factors that affect access to HIV services for MSM. The online survey conducted earlier this year included 5779 men from 165 countries.  In addition, the MSMGF collaborated with African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) to conduct focus group discussions with 71 MSM across five cities in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Of men who participated in the online survey, only 35% reported that condoms were easily accessible, 21% reported easy access to lubricant, 36% reported easy access to HIV testing, and 42% reported easy access to HIV treatment. Levels of access differed by country income level, with reduced access to services more commonly reported in lower income countries.

"Such poor levels of access at the global level are unacceptable," said Dr. George Ayala, Executive Director of the MSMGF. "The differences in access by country income are especially important to note as the Global Fund moves into a new funding model where countries are grouped into bands by income level. Even in upper middle income countries, MSM still have extremely low access to services. Without targeted funding to MSM and other key populations, the new funding model may continue to deteriorate levels of access for the groups most affected by HIV."

The MSMGF research team also conducted analyses to identify barriers (factors associated with lower access) and facilitators (factors associated with higher access) that impact the ability of MSM to obtain condoms, lubricant, HIV testing, and HIV treatment.

Adjusting for country income, greater access to condoms, lubricants, and HIV testing were associated with less homophobia, greater comfort with health service providers, and more community engagement. Among participants living with HIV, higher access to HIV treatment was associated with less homophobia and greater comfort with health service providers.  Greater access to lubricants and greater access to HIV testing were also associated with less outness (the degree to which others know of one's sexual orientation) and fewer negative consequences as a result of being out, respectively.

"As we collectively forge ahead into the new territory of treatment-based prevention, it is clear that many of the old challenges remain," said Noah Metheny, Director of Policy at the MSMGF. "Addressing structural barriers remains essential to realizing the potential of HIV interventions for MSM, and it becomes more important with each new prevention and treatment option that is made available. Investments in the development of new interventions must be accompanied by efforts to increase access."

The quantitative data from the online survey was supplemented with qualitative data from focus group discussions, helping to place barriers and facilitators in the broader context of the sexual health and lived experiences of MSM. Focus group discussion participants identified barriers and facilitators that were highly consistent with those found in the online survey, and many participants explained the ways that structural barriers at the policy, cultural, and institutional levels cascade down through the community and individual levels to block access to services for MSM.

Focus group discussion participants described how structural barriers like stigma, discrimination, and criminalization force MSM to hide their sexual behavior from health care providers, employers, landlords, teachers, and family members in order to protect themselves and maintain a minimum livelihood. The inability of MSM to reveal their sexual behavior to health service providers was linked to misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and delayed treatment, leading to poor health prognosis and higher risk of transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections to partners.

Conversely, focus group discussion participants explained that the negative consequences of structural barriers were moderated by the existence of safe spaces to meet other MSM, safe spaces to receive services, access to competent mental health care, and access to comprehensive health care. Participants described MSM-led community based organizations as safe spaces where they could celebrate their true selves, receive respectful and knowledgeable health care, and in some cases receive mental health services.

"The study's findings underscore the urgent need to improve access to essential HIV services for gay men and other MSM worldwide," said Dr. Ayala. "Interventions must both disrupt the negative effects of barriers and bolster the protective effects of facilitators. Study participants clearly indicated that community engagement and community-based organizations are central to moderating barriers and promoting service access. Successfully addressing HIV among MSM will require a real effort to address structural barriers, and the findings from this study suggest that investing in MSM-led community-based organizations may be the best way to do that."

Entitled, "Access to HIV Prevention and Treatment for Men Who Have Sex with Men: Findings from the 2012 Global Men's Health and Rights Study (GMHR)," the full report can be found on the MSMGF's website at: http://www.msmgf.org/files/msmgf//documents/GMHR_2012.pdf

Episcopal Church same-sex blessing resource excerpts available online

“I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing”

[November 27, 2012] The Episcopal Church’s liturgical rite for blessing same-sex relationships, authorized by General Convention for use in the Episcopal Church beginning the first Sunday in Advent, December 2, is now available online free of charge.

The rite and a short theological summary, both excerpted from the report of the Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) titled “I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing,” are posted here.

The rite, which must be approved by each diocesan bishop before it is used in individual dioceses, is authorized by General Convention for provisional use until 2015.

“We learn as we pray,” explained the Rev. Ruth Meyers, Ph.D, Dean of Academic Affairs and Hodges-Haynes Professor of Liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific and SCLM Chair. “During the next three years, the rite will be reviewed by clergy who use it and the couples whose unions it blesses. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music will compile those reviews and make a report to General Convention 2015.”

Resource
The online excerpt includes the liturgy and a summary that includes themes for theological reflection and spiritual practice. “Our covenantal life with God is expressed in relationships of commitment and faithfulness, including those of same-sex couples,” the report reads. “It is the Church’s joy to celebrate these relationships as signs of God’s love, to pray for God’s grace to support couples in their life together, and to join with these couples in our shared witness to the gospel in the world.”

The full text of “I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing,” available for purchase from Church Publishing, Inc., includes:
Introduction
Faith, Hope, and Love: Theological Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships:

•      Preface
•      Overview: Theological Reflection on Same-Sex Relationships
•      1. The Church’s Call: A Focus on Mission
•      2. The Church’s Joy: A Theology of Blessing
•      3. The Church’s Life: Covenantal Relationship
•      4. The Church’s Challenge: Christian Unity and Biblical Interpretation

The Church’s Canon Law and Laws of the States
Hearing, Seeing, and Declaring New Things: Preparing Same-Sex Couples for a Liturgy of Blessing
The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships
Discussion Guide to I Will Bless You, and You Will Be a Blessing
Appendices:

•      A Review of General Convention Legislation
•      Glossary

The print and eBook versions containing the full resources are available from Church Publishing here.

Episcopal, ELCA Presiding Bishops issue World AIDS Day 2012 statement

[November 30, 2012] Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have issued a joint statement for World AIDS Day 2012.

The text of the statement follows:

World AIDS Day, on the first of December each year, offers an opportunity for reflection.  On this day, people around the world pause to grieve the 30 million human beings who have died from HIV and AIDS in the last three decades, and unite in solidarity toward the goal of a human race free of AIDS.

This year World AIDS Day falls on the eve of Advent, a time when we wait in joyful expectation of the Savior who takes on human flesh to dwell among the poor and the vulnerable.  We join Mary, the mother of Jesus, in praise of the God who exalts the humble, meek, hungry, and sick:

     ‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
     for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.’

We live out her vision of God’s Reign by embracing the sick and lifting up those whom society has cast aside.

Our task is great: thirty-four million people around the world today are living with HIV or AIDS.  Infection rates are growing in many parts of the world despite innovations in medicine and technology that could eliminate the virus entirely.  Last year, 2.5 million people were infected with HIV and 1.7 million died from AIDS-related causes.  Each year, 50,000 new cases of HIV infection are reported in the United States alone.

Vulnerable populations continue to face disproportionately high rates of infection and shrinking access to life-sustaining treatment.  Our silence, and the stigma often attached to those living with HIV or AIDS, perpetuate the poverty that so often surrounds this disease.  That poverty becomes endemic and expanding through discrimination, homelessness, malnutrition, sexual violence, and incarceration.  All those realities facilitate the further spread of the virus.  Silence and stigma often cause HIV-positive Episcopalians and Lutherans to feel invisible, even in their own church communities.

Yet Advent is a time of hope, particularly in the ways in which God’s love and healing are evident in the progress made in the work against AIDS.  Today more than 8 million people around the world receive life-saving treatment for HIV.  Globally, fewer people are dying of AIDS and several countries have reduced their high infection rates (particularly for newborns) by more than 50 percent. People with HIV and AIDS who have access to basic treatment are now living long and productive lives, and women infected with the virus are giving birth to healthy children free of the virus. 

This year has seen significant progress toward the end of AIDS.  The cost of HIV treatment has fallen dramatically with increased efficiencies and greater access to generic drugs.  Countries with high infection rates have increased their participation in programs to fight the virus.  Leaders in Africa, the region most affected by the pandemic, recently committed to increasing their domestic investment and taking greater responsibility for eliminating AIDS in their populations.

This is a critical time in the fight against AIDS.  We urge the United States government to strengthen its leading effort toward “getting to zero” infections.  We urge President Obama to reverse proposed cuts to PEPFAR, to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to domestic programs that provide affordable access to antiretroviral treatment, palliative care, and health services.  We also urge him to recommit to funding strong, comprehensive HIV-AIDS programs in his second term. 

We wait in hope this Advent season for the coming of the one who shows us how to lift up the humble, meek, hungry, and sick.  We look to God with confidence, grateful for what has been done, and hopeful for what God will continue to do through us as we look for ways where we can partner to heal humanity of HIV and AIDS.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson 
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

EQCA and NCLR to Participate in Event on Increasing Access to Family Building for LGBT and Single Parents

(San Francisco) On Thursday, November 29, Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights will join prospective parents, families, health providers, and community organizations for an evening of celebration and education at an event that will honor the courageous, visionary leadership of AB 2356 author Assemblymember Nancy Skinner. AB 2356, signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on September 24, 2012, allows people seeking to conceive using a known sperm donor access to certain fertility services on the same terms as different-sex couples. This bill is a historic achievement for same-sex couples, single women, and transgender men trying to conceive through insemination with a known donor. The event will also recognize the staff of EQCA, NCLR, and the many organizations, health providers, and families who told their stories and helped in the passage of AB 2356.

“AB 2356 removes the obstacles that LGBT and single women faced when they sought medically-assisted insemination,” said Assemblymember Nancy Skinner.  “I am proud to have authored legislation that will eliminate those barriers and level the playing field for all women seeking medical services in their effort to conceive.”

 

“The decisions regarding building a family are a core freedom in California. Same-sex couples have faced many barriers in forming families, including unequal access to fertility healthcare,” said Clarissa Filgioun, Equality California Board President. “This unequal treatment has, heartbreakingly, denied many couples the opportunity to conceive a child of their own. Signing AB 2356 works to remedy that disparity, putting the joy of having a child and building a family within the reach of all loving families. We thank Assemblymember Skinner for her leadership on this bill and Governor Brown for removing one more barrier to a state of equality.”

“This new law will allow many LGBT people to access an affordable, effective fertility service, and will greatly benefit many families who would otherwise be unable to conceive children,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights Family Protection Project Director Cathy Sakimura, Esq.

The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Rockwood Leadership Institute, 426 17th St, 4th Floor, Oakland, CA. Featured speakers include Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, introduced by Maddie Flood of Rockwood Leadership Institute; Leland Traiman, RN of Rainbow Flag Health Services, introduced by Keiko Lane, MFT and Lisa Denenmark of City Visions, KALW; Kim Klausner, co-producer of the documentary film “Choosing Children” (GroundSpark Films, 1984), introduced by Maya Scott-Chung, MPH; Legal update and Q&A with National Center for Lesbian Rights Family Protection Project Director Cathy Sakimura, Esq., and Alice Kessler of Equality California. The program will include an open mic time for families, health providers and others to speak about the importance of the passage and implementation of AB 2356.

The event will be live broadcast from 6:30-7:30 pm with Michelle Meow from SWIRL RADIO www.SwirlRadio.com. 

 

RSVPs should be directed to Maya Scott-Chung at 510.381.0876 or EqualFertilityAccess@gmail.com, and online reservations can be made at http://AB2356FamilyBuildingAccess.Eventbrite.com. 

 

Event co-sponsors include:

Hosts: Rockwood Leadership Institute  www.rockwoodleadership.org

Alameda County Paul Robeson Chapter of the Northern California American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) www.paulrobesonaclu.org

Arizmendi Bakery www.arizmendibakery.org

CA LGBT Health and Human Services Network & Health Access http://www.eqcai.org/site/c.mtJYJbMKIoE/b.4442755/k.B995/Health.htm

Charles Spiegel Law www.charlesspiegellaw.com

Children of LGBTQ Parents Everywhere (COLAGE) www.colage.org

Deborah Wald Esq http://waldlaw.net/

Equality California (EQCA) www.eqca.org

GayFutureDads www.gayfuturedads.org

GroundSpark: Igniting Change through Film www.groundspark.org

Keiko Lane, MFT www.keikolanemft.com

Laurel Fertility Care www.laurelfertility.com

Lolo Health Center www.lolocenter.com

Maia Midwifery and Fertility Services http://www.maiamidwifery.com/

Michelle Borok, LM, Take Root Home Insemination Services http://michelleborok.com/take-root/

National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) www.nclrights.org

Our Family Coalition (OFC) www.ourfamily.org

Rainbow Flag Health Services http://www.gayspermbank.com/

STRONG FAMILIES/Forward Together http://forwardtogether.org/strong-families

The Donor Source www.TheDonorSOURCE.com

The Surrogacy Source www.TheSurrogacySOURCE.com

Transgender Law Center www.transgenderlawcenter.org

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to a state with some of the most comprehensive protections in the nation. Equality California has partnered with legislators to successfully sponsor more than 90 pieces of pro-equality legislation. EQCA continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.nclrights.org

American Jewish World Service Condemns Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill and Stands in Solidarity with LGBT Ugandans

NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2012  -- Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), today issued the following statement about Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which may be voted upon by that country's parliament in the coming days:
Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill is an abhorrent violation of human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and a grave threat to civil society in Uganda. Whenever basic human rights such as equal treatment under the law and the rights to safety, assembly, association, expression and privacy are denied, we are compelled to speak out.
The most tragic chapter of Jewish history provides a bitter lesson that the stripping away of human rights from specific minorities is often a precursor to the targeted destruction of oppressed people.
We stand in solidarity with Uganda's LGBT community and with the defenders of human rights in Uganda, who work tirelessly to safeguard the rights and dignity of all.
First introduced by the Ugandan Parliament in 2009, the bill's many cruel and unconscionable provisions include a punishment of three years' imprisonment for any person who fails to report, within 24 hours, the identity of anyone perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The law also seeks to criminalize the "promotion of homosexuality," which includes funding organizations that serve LGBT people or that support the human rights of sexual minorities.
AJWS is the leading Jewish organization in the world focused on realizing human rights and ending poverty in the developing world and currently supports 34 organizations that are working to promote LGBT rights in 17 countries. To learn more about AJWS's work on LGBT rights in Uganda and elsewhere in the developing world, read AJWS's 2012 special report: "The Jewish Voice for LGBT Rights Worldwide."
American Jewish World Service
Inspired by Judaism's commitment to justice, American Jewish World Service works to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world. www.ajws.org

Conversion Therapy Suit Sparks Hope for True Change

KEW GARDENS HILLS, N.Y.,  - A group of men dissatisfied with an organization offering therapy that promised to rid them of their homosexual attractions have filed a lawsuit in New Jersey court alleging consumer fraud. The Community Guardians Group, a New-York based organization that seeks to engage the spirit of Torah values in dialogue with American society, released the following statement.

"The allegations stated in the complaint against JONAH, as reported by the press are disturbing to any G-d fearing person," said Dovid Z. Schwartz, Director of the CGG. "If these accusations are true, many vulnerable young people may have been grossly mistreated by the very people they sought to help them.

"Everyone has a unique set of challenges, but the Almighty Creator endowed every human being with the ability to rule over his or her desires. The impulse of sexual attraction may require a person to struggle for control just as much as the impulse for violence to others. These men and women who feel betrayed by therapy should never lose hope of realizing the true strength of their souls."

According to the tradition of Judaism, the Torah that G-d Almighty gave the Jewish people also contains a universal code of laws applicable to all mankind. Called the "Seven Laws of Noah," this code contains the foundations of human society, including a prohibition against acts of homosexuality, alongside murder, theft and cruelty to animals. The Community Guardians Group is a grassroots organization based in the New York City area that seeks to engage the spirit of the eternal values of the Torah in dialogue on matters that confront American society.

More Than Half Of Young HIV-infected Americans Are Not Aware Of Their Status

Too many young people continue to become infected and few are tested for HIV

ATLANTA, Nov. 27, 2012  -- Young people between the ages of 13 and 24 represent more than a quarter of new HIV infections each year (26 percent) and most of these youth living with HIV (60 percent) are unaware they are infected, according to a Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most-affected young people are young gay and bisexual men and African-Americans, the report says.

The analysis looks at the latest data on HIV infections, testing, and risk behaviors among young people and was published in advance of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.

Overall, an estimated 12,200 new HIV infections occurred in 2010 among young people aged 13-24, with young gay and bisexual men and African-Americans hit harder by HIV than their peers.  In 2010, 72 percent of estimated new HIV infections in young people occurred in young men who have sex with men (MSM).  By race/ethnicity, 57 percent of estimated new infections in this age group were in African-Americans.

"That so many young people become infected with HIV each year is a preventable tragedy," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.  "All young people can protect their health, avoid contracting and transmitting the virus, and learn their HIV status."

According to CDC experts, a number of factors contribute to the high levels of HIV in young people and vary by population. HIV prevalence is higher in some communities than in others, which can increase the likelihood that a person will be exposed to infection with each sexual encounter. Previous research has also found that other factors can increase risk of infection, such as higher levels of unrecognized and untreated infection, as well as social and economic factors, such as poverty, lack of access to health care, stigma, and discrimination.

Despite recommendations from CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics that call for routine HIV testing of youth in medical settings, the analysis shows that 35 percent of 18-24 year olds have been tested for HIV, while only 13 percent of high school students (and 22 percent of sexually experienced students) have ever been tested.

Partially as a result of lower testing levels, HIV-infected people under the age of 25 are significantly less likely than those who are older to get and stay in HIV care, and to have their virus controlled at a level that helps them stay healthy and reduce their risk of transmitting HIV to partners.

CDC also examined risk behaviors among high school students in 12 states and nine large urban school districts, and found that young MSM reported engaging in substantially higher levels of risk behavior than their heterosexual male peers:

    --  Young MSM were more likely to report having had sex with four or more
        partners or ever injecting illegal drugs.
    --  Among students who were currently sexually active, young MSM were more
        likely to have used alcohol or drugs before their last sexual
        experience, and were less likely to have used a condom.
    --  Young MSM were also less likely to report having been taught about HIV
        or AIDS in school.
"We can and must achieve a generation that is free from HIV and AIDS," said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC.  "It will take a concerted effort at all levels across our nation to empower all young people, especially young gay and bisexual youth, with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves from HIV infection." These efforts are underway as part of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

CDC works with partners across the country to help prevent HIV and other STDs among young people. These efforts include encouraging HIV education and testing, funding the delivery of targeted testing and prevention services for youth at greatest risk, and working to address the social and environmental factors that can place some youth at increased risk. CDC also provides data and support to help communities develop effective school- and community-based HIV and STD prevention efforts.

More information about the Vital Signs release is available at www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom.

AIDS Is a Deeply Personal as Well as Societal Concern For Young Americans of Color

Survey finds Black and Latino Youth "Very Concerned" about Impact of HIV on Themselves and Others Their Age; Black Youth Most Likely to be Offered and to Get a Test for HIV
 
MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 27, 2012 -- Nearly three times as many Black teens and young adults, and twice as many Latino youth, say HIV/AIDS is an issue that concerns them personally as compared to whites the same age, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey of 15-24 year olds in the United States.
One in two (49%) Black youth say they are "very concerned" personally about HIV/AIDS today, another 21 percent say they are at least "somewhat concerned;" by comparison, only a third of whites express any personal concern (17% "very" and 18% "somewhat").  Latinos of the same age fall in the middle with 32 percent saying they are "very concerned" personally, and another 16 percent, "somewhat concerned."
Three in four youth today say HIV/AIDS is a serious issue for their generation (44% "very" and 34% "somewhat").  As with personal concern, young people of color – those from communities that have been disproportionately affected by the disease – are more likely to see HIV/AIDS as a significant issue for others their age.  Twice as many Black (62%) and Latino youth (61%) say HIV/AIDS is "very serious" issue for their generation, as compared with whites of the same age (32%).
These differences correspond with the disproportionate affect HIV/AIDS has had on minorities, especially Black Americans, who account for nearly half of new infections in the U.S. today, while representing just 13 percent of the population.  Latinos, in particular young gay men, are also among those at greatest risk.
"For many young Americans, especially youth of color, HIV/AIDS is not just a societal issue, but also a deeply personal one," said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice President and Director, Health Communication & Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation.  "The survey provides hope that young Americans can be engaged, finding that over half say they see themselves as having a role in ending HIV/AIDS."
While young people are concerned about HIV/AIDS and its effect both on themselves personally as well as for their generation, most appear to have a generally realistic understanding of HIV/AIDS today.  Most agree – 25 percent "strongly" and 54 percent "somewhat" – that "it is possible for people with HIV to live healthy, productive lives."
Stigma Persists as Barrier to Overcome
More than 30 years since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed, one in three (33%) young people say there is still "a lot" of stigma around HIV/AIDS in the U.S., and another 51 percent say there is at least "some."  When asked about their own feelings about HIV, a majority say they would be "comfortable" having a close friend who is HIV-positive (58%) or working with someone who is positive (54%), yet 62 percent say they would be uncomfortable having a roommate who is positive and 86 percent say they would be uncomfortable being in a relationship with someone who is positive.
Acknowledging the gaps in their knowledge and understanding of the disease, many young people say there is more they need to know about HIV/AIDS, including even the most basic facts.  A third (36%) say they would like more information about "how to prevent the spread of STDs, including HIV," about as many as say they would like to know more about who should get tested (35%) and how to talk about testing (34%) and protection (27%) with a partner.  Young people of color (54% of Blacks and 61% of Latinos) are more likely than whites (34%) to say that they would like to know more about any of the topics asked about.  Younger teens, those ages 15-17 (53%), are more likely than young adults, ages 18-24 (40%), to say they want more information.
Black Youth More Likely to be Offered and to Get Tested
One in three (34%) sexually active young people – and 20 percent of all 15-24 year olds – say they have been tested for HIV.  Black youth are twice as likely to report having been tested than whites (50% vs. 25% among those who report having had sex).  A third (36%) of Latinos the same age who report having had sex say they've been tested.  At least some of the young people who say they've been tested may be mistaken, as 24 percent said they did not actually discuss it, but rather just assumed it was included with other tests or was a routine part of the exam.  Most (65%) of those who say they have been tested for HIV indicate it was part of another health visit; 21 percent say they went specifically to get tested.
For about half (48%) of those who report being tested for HIV, having their health care provider recommend they do so was a motivator in their decision.  Yet few health care providers seem to be suggesting testing to their younger patients.  Only 21 percent of sexually-active young people – and 13 percent of youth overall – say a health care provider has ever suggested they be tested for HIV.  Black sexually active youth are significantly more likely to report having had a test suggested by a health care provider (48%) than whites (13%) or Latinos (21%).  For those who report being sexually active but say they have not been tested, the most often cited reason is not believing themselves to be at risk (64%).  The next most common response was because their doctor had not suggested it (41%), reinforcing the role of health care providers in testing decisions. 
View of the Future and Their Role in It
At a time when many experts are saying an AIDS free future is within reach scientifically, most young people – 74 percent –say they are not overly optimistic about the prospects of seeing the end of AIDS in their lifetime.  But, there is hope they can be engaged.
When asked what, if any, role  they might play in realizing this potential, most say they see at least some role for themselves with 14 percent saying they see themselves having "a big role" and another 45 percent saying they have "a small role" in helping to end AIDS.  Black youth are more likely to see an opportunity to make a difference.  One in four (25%) Black young people say they have "a big role" to play in achieving this goal, and another 45 percent see at least some role.
On World AIDS Day – December 1^st – I'm Positive, a new documentary special developed with the Kaiser Family Foundation that explores what it means to be young and HIV positive in America today, will debut on MTV (7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT).  Produced by Lauren Dolgen, the award-winning creator of MTV's 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom, together with Dr. Drew Pinsky, the one-hour show follows the lives of Kelly, Otis and Stephanie, three young Americans living with HIV in 2012.  From the challenges they face to their hopes for the future, the show provides an up-close and personal look at HIV/AIDS.
I'm Positive is presented by GYT: Get Yourself Tested, a campaign to encourage testing for STDs, including HIV.  GYT is produced as part of a 15-year public information partnership between the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV to address sexual health issues facing young people.  Gilead Sciences provided funding for the production. 
Whether positive or negative, the show encourages all young people to consider their role in ending AIDS.  For more information visit:  gytnow.org
Methodology
The poll, designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation, was conducted Sep. 21 ‐ Oct. 1, 2012 among a nationally representative online sample of 1,437 youth ages 15-24 living in the United States.  The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 4 percentage points.  For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher.
The National Survey of Teens and Young Adults on HIV/AIDS, including a chart pack and the full question wording and methodology of the poll, can be viewed online.
The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California.

Episcopal Church same-sex blessing resource excerpts available online

“I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing”

[November 27, 2012] The Episcopal Church’s liturgical rite for blessing same-sex relationships, authorized by General Convention for use in the Episcopal Church beginning the first Sunday in Advent, December 2, is now available online free of charge.

The rite and a short theological summary, both excerpted from the report of the Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) titled “I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing,” are posted here or http://library.episcopalchurch.org/link/liturgical-resources-1-i-will-bless-you-and-you-will-be-blessing.

The rite, which must be approved by each diocesan bishop before it is used in individual dioceses, is authorized by General Convention for provisional use until 2015.

“We learn as we pray,” explained the Rev. Ruth Meyers, Ph.D, Dean of Academic Affairs and Hodges-Haynes Professor of Liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific and SCLM Chair. “During the next three years, the rite will be reviewed by clergy who use it and the couples whose unions it blesses. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music will compile those reviews and make a report to General Convention 2015.”

Resource
The online excerpt includes the liturgy and a summary that includes themes for theological reflection and spiritual practice. “Our covenantal life with God is expressed in relationships of commitment and faithfulness, including those of same-sex couples,” the report reads. “It is the Church’s joy to celebrate these relationships as signs of God’s love, to pray for God’s grace to support couples in their life together, and to join with these couples in our shared witness to the gospel in the world.”

The full text of “I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing,” available for purchase from Church Publishing, Inc., includes:
Introduction
Faith, Hope, and Love: Theological Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships:
     Preface
     Overview: Theological Reflection on Same-Sex Relationships
     1. The Church’s Call: A Focus on Mission
     2. The Church’s Joy: A Theology of Blessing
     3. The Church’s Life: Covenantal Relationship
     4. The Church’s Challenge: Christian Unity and Biblical Interpretation
The Church’s Canon Law and Laws of the States
Hearing, Seeing, and Declaring New Things: Preparing Same-Sex Couples for a Liturgy of Blessing
The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships
Discussion Guide to I Will Bless You, and You Will Be a Blessing
Appendices:
     A Review of General Convention Legislation
     Glossary

The print and eBook versions containing the full resources are available from Church Publishing here or https://www.churchpublishing.org/products/index.cfm?fuseaction=productDetail&productID=9743

For more information contact sclm@episcopalchurch.org

Landslide Victory for LGBT Equality Up and Down the BallotLandslide Victory for LGBT Equality Up and Down the Ballot

From marriage campaigns to reelecting President Obama and other priorities, LGBT Americans were the big winners on election night

WASHINGTON, DC - Today the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, reacted to the overwhelming electoral victories for LGBT people, calling it a milestone year with a clear mandate for equality moving forward.  For the past two years, HRC has been laying the groundwork for our largest mobilization effort ever to ensure 2012 is a turning point year for LGBT equality.  HRC and our energetic supporters have raised and contributed more than $20 million to reelect President Obama and to advance marriage equality and other electoral priorities this cycle.  On marriage equality, HRC invested $8.4 million this cycle to include $5.5 million in the four marriage ballot measure states.

HRC President Chad Griffin released the following statement:

"When the history books are written, 2012 will be remembered as the year when LGBT Americans won decisively at the ballot box.  The dreams of millions of fair-minded Americans were realized as discrimination crumbled and equality prevailed."

Marriage Wins at Ballot Box for First Time
"For the first time, voters in Maine and Maryland voted to allow loving couples to make lifelong commitments through marriage - forever taking away the right-wing talking point that marriage equality couldn't win on the ballot.  No amount of well-funded lies about our families could deceive Mainers and Marylanders.  We await results in Minnesota and Washington State but remain optimistic that they will be successful as well.  The momentum for marriage equality has never been stronger, and with poll after poll showing a growing majority of support, we have a renewed certainty that we will win this fight.

Pro-Marriage Equality President Wins Reelection
"As millions of Americans celebrate President Obama's reelection tonight, the LGBT community is particularly elated to return the most pro-equality President ever to a second term.  There is no doubt that we will continue to see tremendous strides forward like we've made during his first four years with our Ally-in-Chief back in office.  While some pundits predicted the President's support for marriage equality would hinder his campaign, we know the opposite is true.  His historic and heartfelt declaration that all loving and committed couples should be able to marry further motivated millions of voters and sparked conversations that led to wins for marriage at the ballot box.  His win is further proof of the marriage equality movement's momentum.

First Openly Gay Senator
"Another milestone was celebrated as Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin has again earned her spot in the history books. As the first openly gay person elected to the United States Senate, she is a role model for LGBT youth and all young women across the country. With a relentless focus on the issues that matter most to Wisconsin voters - economic security, access to healthcare, and fairness and inclusion for all - Senator-elect Baldwin earned the respect of all her constituents, gay and straight.

Pickup of Fair-Minded and Openly LGB Members of Congress

"For LGBT youth who aspire to public service, we have shattered a glass by sending Tammy Baldwin to the Senate and increasing the number openly LGB members of Congress.  In the Senate we have at least three new marriage equality supporters who proudly declared their support for marriage for gay and lesbian couples on the campaign trail.

Voters Retain Iowa Justice Who Decided for Marriage
"It appears that Iowans have made a strong statement for judicial independence and refused to let politics get in the way of judges doing their duty to uphold the law. Anti-gay groups trying to exact political retribution on judges should learn their lesson.  Marriage equality remains the law of the land in Iowa and judges like Justice Wiggins will continue to do their jobs.

LGBT Voters Flex Political Muscle, Break for President
"Our community has flexed our political muscle with exit polls showing an increase from 4 percent of the vote in 2008 to 5 percent this year.  And the President gained many more supporters among lesbian, gay and bisexual voters - jumping seven points to garner 77% of our vote.

Moving Forward
"Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow morning we get up and get back to work so that the victories we hail tonight are felt everywhere across this great country.  Too many people are denied the ability to marry.  Too many people go to their jobs without workplace protections.  Too many young people go to bed at night and stare at the ceiling, sleeplessly wondering what awaits them the next day at school or at church or in their own home.  Thanks to all the hard work in achieving tonight's victories, we finally have momentum on our side and we will not rest until the promise of equal justice under the law is realized for every single person living in every single corner of this vast country."

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Future of Continuing Indaba secured by ACC vote

A wide variety of members presented the report from the Continuing Indaba program at the meeting today of the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Auckland, New Zealand. The word indaba is a Zulu word for decision making by consensus common in many African cultures with parallels in many societies globally.

Canon Phil Groves began the presentation and indicated he would “report of good news from Kenya to Canada: from Hong Kong to Ghana and England and Jamaica”

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of South Africa spoke of the origins of bringing the Indaba process to the Lambeth Design Group. His intention was to help the Communion reconnect with gospel-shaped approaches. 

“This is not” he said” about competitiveness, dominance, power, polarisation and adversarial attitudes.”

Explaining how the process had run over the past few years, Canon Groves said that Continuing Indaba conversation involved three dioceses from different Provinces in the Anglican Communion. Convened by bishops, conversations were between men and women – both lay and ordained – who are involved in local mission. An important part of the experience was to encounter each other’s Mission contexts.  Through facilitated conversations they encouraged and challenged one another in order to further mission in each place

The core values of the Continuing Indaba were defined in a paper  by John Mark Oduor of Kenya He summoned the community to meet under the cross of Christ,” for the healing, reconciliation and unity of the community and the world” The core values he identified are:

• The priority of Relationship
• The need for Conversation
• The significance of A Place of Meeting
• The Appreciation of our Uniqueness within a whole community
• Forgiveness and healing

Other members: Ms Suzanne Lawson (Canada) Rev. Canon  Janet Trisk (South Africa) Archbishop Paul Kong (Hong Kong)and the Rev Canon Dr  Dickson Chilongani (Tanzania) spoke with enthusiasm about their participation in the Continuing Indaba process.

The Primate of Scotland the Most Rev David Chillingworth concluded the presentation emphasizing that  Continuing Indaba is a “miracle of grace that  is not a program or a project but a way of being God’s church, a way of open conversation leading to mission that takes seriously the  local context.” He explained to members that Indaba created the right relationships that enable the difficult questions to be addressed.

When the time came for the ACC to vote on a proposed resolution regarding the future of Continuing Indaba, several delegates suggested further additions, including a suggestion from Bp Samson Mwalunda of Kenya, that Continuing Indaba should be a process to undergird all pan-Anglican conferences. There was another suggestion that Continuing indaba should have a commitment to the ultimate resolution of issues.

ACC Chair, Bp James Tengatenga, offered the members a motion to seek to refine the resolution, or to vote on the existing one. By a narrow margin, the ACC voted to not accept any amendments, and a majority then voted in favour of the unamended resolution.   

One who voted against the resolution was The Most Revd Ikechi Nwachukwu Nwosu, who said afterwards that he gave his full support to Continuing Indaba, but that he wished that the resolution had been strengthened.

Consultative Council discussing ‘Symphony of Instruments’

Two-day discussion on evolution, relationship of communion’s leaders

[Episcopal News Service -- Auckland, New Zealand] The Anglican Consultative Council began a two-part discussion Nov. 2 (local time) here about the past, present and possible futures of the instruments of communion.
The previous meeting of the ACC in Jamaica in 2009 asked, via 14.09(g), the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) to study the role and responsibilities of the archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference of bishops, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates Meeting; the ecclesiological rationale of each, and the relationships between them, and to report to this meeting.
Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Assistant Bishop Stephen Pickard told the council that the 68-page report “Towards a Symphony of Instruments: An historical and theological consideration of the Instruments of Communion of the Anglican Communion” is the result of what is anticipated to be an at least two-step process. It began with history and theology, he said, because “it would be difficult, if not impossible” to find ways of enhancing the instruments without first understanding their history.
“The overall purpose is to explore the effectiveness of instruments of communion and ask how we may enhance deeper harmony among the instruments. How do they work together?” he said. “How might they be creatively part of the process of evolution of the Anglican Communion?”
“We do not yet see clearly what they shall become,” added Pickard, who is the vice chair of IASCUFO.
The report, he said, suggests that the instruments be seen as “gifts of and for communion.”
“The instruments of communion can lose their focus,” Pickard said. “Their primary concern is the mission of God. Their horizon should be God’s work in the world. All deliberations, arguments [and] desire for corporate discernment, ought to be directed to God’s work in the world.”
A summary of the key issues in the report also suggests that the communion “needs to recover a stronger relationship between the instruments of communion,” not be a renewal but “a deeper harmony.”
The detailed report notes in a number of places that there exists no body in the communion with the “legislative authority to determine matters of faith and doctrine for the whole communion” and that no such body can “in a communion of churches where the accent is upon local autonomy and interconnecting links through which a wider fellowship of churches is built.”
This is the case despite, in the words of paragraph 5.3.4, “recent controversies in the communion have led many to call for sanctions, for authority with bite and the capability to enforce decisions.”
The current instruments “cannot administer discipline that is legally binding, but can only exercise the force of moral suasion,” the report says, calling that suasion “a discipline of persuasion and mutual accountability.”
“Some will say ‘that’s not much’ and will want something far stronger, but that will require a different kind of Anglican Communion,” paragraph 5.3.5 concludes.
In paragraph 5.4.4, the report notes the presence of laity in the ACC and suggests that if the ACC were to work with the Primates Meeting to set strategic goals for the communion “such a move might go hand in hand with a deeper engagement and participation of the laity in global Anglicanism.”
The provinces need to develop “an Anglican theology of communion … from within the fractures and wound of the life of the body of Christ,” the report suggests.
“Because the body of Christ is an unfinished reality and its pilgrimage is undertaken amidst the struggles of being human together – with all its conflicts, friction, fractures and regrets – the instruments of communion will be signs of the as yet unrealized communion that we hope and pray for,” the study says, noting that “it is deeply attractive” to try to resolve disputes “either too quickly or via solutions that are essentially political and/or ecclesiastical but lack a critical theological element.”
The wound in Anglicanism needs something more than a “puncture repair kit,” paragraph 6.6.8 says, adding that “healing and repair can only come through deep listening and forbearance … there are no quick-fix solutions to the need for careful and respectful listening.”
The instruments “are uniquely placed to intentionally and prophetically recall the communion to its true purpose in God’s kingdom” by being “less reactive and more proactive in their work.”
“However this requires a new level of cooperation with each other and with the purposes of God,” the report concludes. “Through such a cooperative engagement with God and with each other the church will be enabled to move towards a greater symphony of the instruments of communion.”
On Nov. 3, the ACC members will have another discussion of the report.
ACC background
The ACC is one of the four instruments of communion, the others being the archbishop of Canterbury (who serves as president of the ACC), the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops, and the Primates Meeting.
Formed in 1969, the ACC includes clergy and lay people, as well as bishops, among its delegates. The membership includes from one to three persons from each of the Anglican Communion’s 38 provinces, depending on the numerical size of each province. Where there are three members, there is a bishop, a priest and a lay person. Where fewer members are appointed, preference is given to lay membership. The ACC’s constitution is here.
The council meets every three years or four years and the Auckland meeting is the council’s 15th since it was created.
The Episcopal Church is represented by Josephine Hicks of North Carolina; the Rev. Gay Jennings of Ohio; and Bishop Ian Douglas of Connecticut.
Jefferts Schori is attending the meeting in her role as a member of the Anglican Communion Standing Committee, which met here prior to the start of the ACC meeting. Douglas is also a member of the Standing Committee.
A complete list of the ACC15 participants is here.
All ENS coverage of ACC15 is here.
– The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is an editor/reporter for the Episcopal News Service.

"Reclaiming Our Ancestral Light"

November 1, 2 and 3, 2012

 

The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (CLGS)

at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709

Our Thursday Evening Welcome Dinner starts at 6:00pm.

Registration begins at 3:30pm.

SPECIAL SUMMIT EVENT

Thursday Night Opening Service

"Reclaiming Our Ancestral Light"

Join with other transgender people of faith and our allies as we honor our ancestors and look forward to a rewarding and enlightening Summit.

SPECIAL SUMMIT EVENT

Open Door Coffee House

On Friday night we will have an Open Door Coffee House presented by Joni Christian from the United Church of Christ.

Come prepared to share a poem, song, or personal story.

Event held 4:45pm - 6:15pm at the PSR Dining Commons. $9 for dinner.

SPECIAL SUMMIT EVENT  

Bring a personal, spiritual, or religious icon to share with the other Summit attendees. Add your religious expression to our community altar.

See you soon at the Summit!

Co-sponsored by:

Light in the Closet Ministry, Nehirim, and

Starr King School for the Ministry of the Graduate Theological Union

To Register go to:

http://2012transsummit.eventbrite.com

Registration includes: Thursday night dinner, Friday and Saturday breakfast and lunch.

For Travel and Lodging Information go to:

http://www.lightinthecloset.org/posting_travel.html

For information please contact:

Randi Klein, 2012 Summit Organizer, Light in the Closet Ministry

925-586-4651

rklein@lightinthecloset.org

-or-

Deseree Fontenot, CLGS Program and Administrative Associate

clgs@clgs.org

For more information visit: www.CLGS.org