OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – The Joint Commission has released a new field guide on LGBT patient-centered care. The guide, titled Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Community, urges U.S. hospitals to create a more welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for LGBT patients and…
DES MOINES, Iowa – Democrat Liz Mathis has defeated Republican Cindy Golding in the Iowa Senate District 18 special election. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) endorsed Mathis is a pro-equality candidate and her victory means Democrats will retain a 26-24 advantage in the Iowa Senate and be able to turn back controversial legislation from the Republican-dominated…
QUITO, Ecuador – Fundacion Causana, an influential Ecuadorian LGBT human-rights organization and a coalition of other LGBT groups are calling on Ecuador’s minister of health to immediately close 200 so-called “ex- gay clinics” that still remain open. The organization also wants the government to investigate reported accounts of torture and abuse. Sources claim that Ecuador…
I have memories from my childhood of my mother and father getting up at the crack of dawn Thanksgiving Day to make sure the turkey got in the oven on time. Marinated with butter and herbs, it seemed to cook for hours and hours – filling the house with that classic Thanksgiving smell. Looking back,…
A transgender person was shot dead in Hollywood, the body discovered late Thursday night near Gower Street and Lexington Avenue. An investigation is underway to determine if the shooting was a result of a hate crime. ABC News 7 reported that Los Angeles police responded to reports of gunfire, but by the time authorities arrived…
Even though the anti-gay group Stop SB48 failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for a referendum that would have appealed the pending legislation, the group is up to it again. This round, Stop SB48ers will aim to remove all language that references lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from student curriculum. The group will…
A new study shows that young, gay and bisexual black men are most significantly affected by a rise in sexually transmitted diseases, the New York Times reports. A rising concern is the prevalence of syphilis. Rates of the diseases ordinarily fell by 1.6 percent in 2010 for most all demographics and populations – however, for…
Time keeps flying by. It’s almost Thanksgiving Day – the day that begs for the day after to come quickly – for the sake of Christmas shopping. Yay for Black Friday! I’ve been taking it easy and laying low, as I had to go in again for knee surgery. A couple of Christmases ago I…
The Clean Syringe Exchange Program received its 1.5 millionth dirty needle in 2011, having broken the one million mark in 2010. The program started in 2002 as an attempt to stem increases in infections from HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. Two discreet mobile units in downtown San Diego and North Park allow drug addicts twice a…
The San Diego LGBT Community Center is participating in Our Greater San Diego Vision, an effort being billed as an “unprecedented” plan for the future of the greater San Diego region. Center officials are asking for input from the community. “We’d like you to participate as well,” read a statement in The Center’s weekly e-newsletter….
