5
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Reindeer return to SF
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Joan Brown's art
Softball lawsuit settled
Pages 10-13
The
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
HIV cure is the next frontier by Liz Highleyman
Vol. 41 • No. 48 • December 1-7, 2011
U.S. lags in suppressing viral loads
Castro holiday cheers
by Matthew S. Bajko
S
P
revention was the biggest AIDS theme of 2011, with new study findings showing that early antiretroviral treatment can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by nearly 100 percent, and Liz Highleyman data demonstrating Rowena Johnston that pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, can significantly reduce infection – at least for some people, some of the time. But many researchers and advocates are looking beyond the latest advances in antiretroviral therapy and biomedical prevention toward a goal that not long ago was considered too far-fetched to warrant serious discussion: a cure for HIV. “Cure is the next frontier,” said Rowena See page 21 >>
Rick Gerharter
T
he official lighting of the Castro holiday tree took place Monday, November 28. Azaria Stauffer-Barney, left, visited with Santa (Fred Bothe) and his elf, Seth Morrison. Local business and community leaders were also on hand and enjoyed entertainment that marked the beginning of the holiday season.
uppressing HIV viral loads in people with the virus has been proven to be an effective means in stopping HIV transmissions. Yet the majority of HIVpositive people in the U.S. continue to have viral levels that put their Dr. Thomas R. sexual partners at risk Frieden for contracting HIV. Nearly three out of four Americans living with HIV do not have their infection under control, according to a Vital Signs report released Tuesday, November 29 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ahead of the annual World AIDS Day observance Thursday, December 1. The authors contend that the low percentage is because one in five people with HIV do not realize they are infected and, of those See page 21 >>
Frank Milk-Moscone vigil draws crowd calls it D quits by David Duran
by Lisa Keen
S
omething changed for Representative Barney Frank between February and November of this year. In February, he announced he would seek re-election in 2012, to a 17th term in office. And on Monday, November 28, he announced this current term would be his last. The announcement was big Bob Roehr political news on Rep. Barney Frank the front pages of most media outlets this week, but it is more than just frontpage news for the LGBT community. It is the loss of the community’s most powerful player in the national political arena. Frank See page 20 >>
ozens gathered in the Castro Sunday, November 27 on the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. The event has been a city tradition since the murders. Milk was one of the first out gay politicians to be elected to public office in the country. But after serving in office less than a year, he and Moscone were shot to death inside their City Hall offices by disgruntled former Supervisor Dan White. This year’s vigil started at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro and was led by Stephany Joy Ashley, president of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. A beautiful memorial of flowers was placed to honor the lives of the men and candles were lit to help people take a moment to reflect on the impact of what Milk actually did for the LGBT community and for many other groups. The crowd was mostly of an older generation, and more and more gathered as the speakers were introduced. Folks passing by would ask what was going on and once they found out, they mostly gave a nod of acceptance but continued on with what they were doing. Longtime Milk friend and fellow activist Cleve Jones was one of the speakers. It was an emotional Jones who brought some in the crowd to tears. He touched on the smaller crowds that were coming year after year, a point
David Duran
A volunteer places flowers on the fence at Harvey Milk Plaza Sunday for the 33rd vigil for Harvey Milk and George Moscone.
made by others as well. “I want to turn that around. There needs to be more of us next year and more than that the following year,” he proclaimed. “I feel sorry for young people, they are with us and we need to reach out to them and they need to be encouraged. “Harvey Milk was a real man, he was a neighbor. He was an honest man and he
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changed the world,” Jones added. Many city politicians, including out city Treasurer Jose Cisneros, were in attendance and offered remarks. “When Harvey came to the Castro in the 1970s it was a much different place than it is now,” he told the crowd. See page 20 >>