Author Archives: D Gregory Smith

The San Diego Experience

by D Gregory Smith

It’s been great so far. I’ve experienced gorgeous weather, beautiful people- both inside and out, spent time with two mommies and their baby, quality time with Ken, a gay dog show with Greg Louganis, Pride Parade with a VIP wristband on (free liquids and shade), margaritas and parties and beach and good food and breakfast with Gregory Hinton….

Life can only get better. That’s a rule.

That includes making it better by getting rid of that hate-filled Montana GOP platform plank.

I may be on vacation, but rest assured, I’ve not forgotten. And I’m going to make sure you don’t either.

New National HIV Strategy Unveiled

by D Gregory Smith

“The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”

A  visionary national strategy (the first!) for dealing with HIV has been unveiled. Read it here.

Whatever you might think, this is the first time an administration has actually had a plan that specifically deals with gay/bi men in a light that’s not defamatory and shameful sounding. The government has also appropriated $25 million dollars for ADAP, The AIDS Drug Assistance Program.

From the response by NAPWA, the National Association of People with AIDS:

Overall, the plan is thoughtful and lays down some meaningful and aggressive goals to reduce the number of new infections and improve access to care for persons living with HIV.  President Obama, as part of his campaign for President, promised the nation that he would develop such a strategy; NAPWA thanks the President for fulfilling this important commitment.

Frank Oldham, President and CEO of NAPWA stated “On behalf of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, I wish to thank the President and Jeff Crowley for releasing this long awaited document.  NAPWA promises to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure that this becomes a living breathing document that has a meaningful and fruitful impact on the lives of people living with HIV.”

Overall, the strategy has three basic goals, which NAPWA wishes to comment on:

(1) Reducing new HIV infections, with a particular focus on communities where HIV is concentrated.  The Administration’s goal of reducing new infections by 25% is an important goal that we must all work together to ensure is not only met, but exceeded.

(2) Increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for people living with HIV.  NAPWA particularly applauds the goals of establishing a seamless system of care for people when they are diagnosed with HIV, increasing the number of HIV clinical care providers, and addressing the complex co-morbid conditions of many individuals living with HIV, including issues such as access to housing.  In light of the current AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) crisis, with over 2,200 individuals on waiting lists for HIV medications, it is very apparent that this goal will only be met with the significant introduction of new federal resources to meet the growing demand for HIV services.  The Administration and Congress must step up to the plate to provide new federal funding not only to address to the ADAP crisis, but also to help meet the goals laid out in this important plan.

(3) Reducing HIV-related health disparities, including recognizing the role that stigma continues to play in reducing access to care and getting people tested. We at NAPWA recognize on a very person level the major and ongoing role that stigma continues to play in the everyday lives of people living with HIV, including promoting fear, inhibiting disclosure, and reducing persons access to the HIV care they need and deserve.  In order to effectively address the HIV epidemic, reducing stigma must play a major role in any strategy.

Stated Matthew Lesieur, Director of Public Policy, “The release of the nation’s first National AIDS Strategy is only the beginning.  Now the long road ahead lies in making this strategy a reality that has value to the average person living with HIV. ”

Founded in 1983, NAPWA is the first coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world as well as the oldest AIDS organization in the United States. NAPWA is the trusted, independent voice of the more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in America.

For more information, visit http://www.napwa.org.

7/15 Update: Dan O’Neill’s excellent analysis here.

Vacation, Doctors and Friends

by D Gregory Smith

In the next few days I’ll be driving to Spokane and Seattle, then flying to San Diego and back again.  I get to meet with my general doc and my HIV doc in Seattle, and see some dear friends there. Then it’s off to be with my husband, Ken, his sister, her wife and their daughter. (Wow, tough sentence.). I also get to meet two of my heroes (and correspondence and phone friends), Gregory Hinton and Gregory Louganis for the first time. Not all together- it’s going to be on two separate occasions. I wish we could all get together and have a Gregory Summit.

Now that would be cool. Hmmm…. food for thought.

Anyway, I’ll sort of be trying to recreate and chill, so posts may not be so frequent. BUT, do not give up talking to your friends, neighbors, family and political representatives about the MT GOP Bigotry and Why Montana Matters.

It’s important.

Stay cool, my people. You make the world better.

The Co$t Of MT Republican Bigotry

by D Gregory Smith

She said “stupidity”, I said “bigotry”, but even if MTCowgirl and I can’t agree on semantics, I like her take on economics.

Bipartisan Curious: Legalize Queer

by D Gregory Smith

Matt Singer from Left In The West has added some excellent points to the conversation about my ongoing struggle to publicize the latest Republican debacle.

Check them out HERE.

Where’s The Outcry?

by D Gregory Smith

by Jamee Greer

Most of you have probably already heard that the MT GOP platform was reaffirmed on June 19th, and included a plank under the heading of “Crimes” calling for recriminalization of gays and lesbians. (http://www.mtgop.org/platform.aspx)

This reflects how much power the religious right has on the Montana Republican Party today.

MCA 45-5-505, the deviant sexual conduct code, was ruled unconstitutional in 1997 by the MT Supreme Court – and 2003 by the US Supreme Court. The law, which is still on the books despite multiple attempts at removal both before and after the court rulings, calls for up to 10 years in prison and/or $50,000 in fines. (http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/mca/45/5/45-5-505.htm)

LGBTQ Montanans are our family, friends, neighbors, firefighters, police officers, and small business owners. LGBT Montanans staff our hospitals, teach our children, build our towns, and pay taxes. We cannot be forced back into the dark and discriminatory shadows of this unjust law.


There are real and disastrous consequences associated with supporting recriminalization.

In 1995, the legislature tried to force lifetime registration of gay men and lesbians convicted under the law, that is, lifetime tracking and reporting through the sexual or violent offender registry simply for being gay or lesbian. The law, and its supporter’s rhetoric, is not just archaic and discriminatory, but can encourage violence against members of the LGBTQ community in Montana.

There’s been one press story on this that I know of, and it ran in the Missoula Independent.

(http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/lgbt/Content?oid=1273242)

There’s a growing chorus of voices upset by the fact that the MT Democratic Party hasn’t come forward in support of Montana’s gay and lesbian community.

I get the feeling as a gay man – and what the opponents like to call “professional homosexual” – that some in the party think talking about gays and lesbians hurts their chances at winning. When you’re talking about discrimination in the workplace, polling of likely voters suggests otherwise. Most Montanans support non-discrimination protections that give LGBT people equal protection under the law in housing, employment and public accommodations, like hotels and doctor’s offices.

The GOP has taken this to a new level and is calling for criminal status for all gays and lesbians! Both sides of the aisle should be coming alive, speaking out and taking action.

Beat the drums loudly. Talk about this on your blogs. Talk about it with your co-workers, your neighbors, your friends and your families.

I know this list is statewide, are there central committees interested in bringing forward resolutions condemning the platforms? Is there some statewide listserv to get that word out on? Can everyone commit to writing about this – and calling for both Democrats and Republicans – to denounce the platform?

Thanks to all. Let me know if I can be of any help.

Best regards,

Jamee Greer
Montana Human Rights Network
jamee@mhrn.org  406-241-7716


Where Are MT Democrats?

by D Gregory Smith

I forwarded copies of my post on The Montana GOP platform plank which proclaims the intention to criminalize gay people to our senators, governor and even our representative. So far, no response.

Not even the courtesy of a reply letter.

Does anyone have any pull here? Where are the Montana Democrats on this issue?

I suspect that just the word “homosexual” strikes fear into the heart of any democrat in Montana up for election, re-election or simply holding onto their office. It’s a divisive issue. But let’s face it, it’s a divisive issue simply because no one in high public office has had the balls to address the ignorance, flaming bigotry and simple unfairness of general public knowledge/attitudes on the part of some of the population of this state.

This is not about the gays. Well it is, probably too much so, especially in the minds of terrified up-for-reelection officials- but it’s got to move beyond that into the arena of fundamental human rights. This is about biology, psychology, sociology, and justice. It is not about weighing numbers, anticipating polls and writing religious beliefs into public policy. It’s about persecuted human beings. It’s about doing what’s right. It’s about looking at the signs of the times and preserving the legacy of Montana as a state interested in human rights, not turning us into a national joke.

Democrats, where are you?

HIV Vaccine Breakthrough

by D Gregory Smith

HIV

The Wall Street Journal announces, “In a significant step toward an AIDS vaccine, U.S. government scientists have discovered three powerful antibodies, the strongest of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains, more than any AIDS antibody yet discovered.”

We’ve heard news of breakthroughs before, but this sounds more statistically significant than any other.

Light a candle, cross your fingers, say your prayers….

Montana Cowgirl

by D Gregory Smith

If you want some interesting and sometimes provocative Montana political gossip and social analysis, go to the newest Montana page, Montana Cowgirl Blog. I’ve also linked to the page in my blogroll.

She’s kickin’ it!

Why Montana Matters

by D Gregory Smith

I’ve been getting some exposure over my post Montana Republicans Are Now Officially Homophobes and Bigots. Andrew Sullivan linked to my blog. Outrage was expressed on the Montana GOP’s Facebook page. Another Facebook page wants to “Tell MT Republicans to Remove Hate from their platform“. The Missoulian published my editorial. Several other media outlets picked up the story. I’ve been doing my best to keep the legs under this issue. Other people have been great at spreading the news.

It’s not enough.

People are asking me if I’ve lost my mind- “Why does this matter so much to you?” “Why can’t you let go?” Let me explain.

As long as that plank is in the Montana Republican platform, it sneers at all LGBT persons throughout the United States. As long as that plank exists, it allows bigotry and homophobia to claim official  sanction.  It encourages intolerance, hate and the violation of human rights. It promotes ignorance, both social and scientific. It takes a segment of human society and seeks to criminalize them because of their biology, their sexuality, their choice of self-expression. It creates confusion, shame and fear in the minds of children, parents, institutions and churches. It also creates attitudes of moral superiority and bullying, mocking that phrase “all men are created equal,” substituting Orwell’s “some are more equal than others”. In short, it’s in the best interests of every human being in this country to see that this plank is changed.

Why?

Because you never know who’ll be next.

Sure, Montana isn’t exactly the political mainstream- it isn’t mainstream at all, really. Sure, there aren’t a lot of LGBT persons here. Sure, there isn’t a lot of impact on the rest of you. But this is a STATE. One of Fifty. And along with Texas, it’s discriminating against a specific group of Americans. Where does the creeping stop? Will Wyoming jump on board? Is Idaho next? Utah? Nevada? Arizona? Alaska? Who knows?

Make fun of us if you want, but if you discount Montana and it’s impact on the United States of America, you misread history. Montana’s natural resources and people have nurtured this nation since Lewis and Clark pioneered the Missouri. This isn’t just the home state of Gary Cooper, Myrna Loy, Ivan Doig, Norman MacLean, Evel Knievel, Charlie Russell, Henry Plummer and Ted Kaczyinski. It’s the place that nurtured such prominent political and social figures as Mike Mansfield, Jeannette Rankin, Chet Huntley, Lester Thurow, Lee Metcalf, Jack Horner, David Lynch, Marc Racicot, etc. Political leaders have made this a place to see and be seen. Teddy Kennedy on a bucking bronc in Miles City, or candidate Obama marching in the Butte fourth of July Parade- in fact he was here twice- and returned as president.

It matters. Maybe not to you. Not yet.

But stopping this now will be a hell of a lot easier than later, when it’s YOUR bedroom they’re talking about.