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UCSF AHP cuts 5 staffers
Vol. 44 • No. 37 • September 11-17, 2014
Judges express doubt on marriage bans
by Matthew S. Bajko
F
aced with declining funding levels, the UCSF Alliance Health Project is eliminating five staff positions from its department that provides mental health and substance use services. Courtesy UCSF AHP While its HIV test- AHP Director ing and training pro- Lori Thoemmes grams will not be affected by the changes, the agency’s ability to provide individual counseling to clients will be scaled back. Currently, those clients wishing to see a therapist on a oneon-one basis face a two-month wait list. And people on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, who are not already clients are being referred to other agencies in town, AHP Director Lori Thoemmes told the Bay Area Reporter in an interview this week. “Right now, the folks that have the least impact are uninsured HIV-positive people,” said Thoemmes, due to the agency’s funding from the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act. “The most impacted are people with Medi-Cal.” Due to the national Affordable Care Act, more individuals are now eligible to sign up for federal health insurance and are receiving mental health benefits. Unfortunately, AHP is currently “at capacity,” said Thoemmes, and is unable to meet the increased demand for services. “The good thing is they can go to other places, but they might want to come here,” she said. “It is important folks know we are still very busy, still seeing lots of clients. It is going to depend on what is going on with the person and whether or not they are going to be eligible for services.” Founded in 1984 as the AIDS Health Project, the agency offers a variety of mental health and substance use services to the city’s LGBT and HIV communities, in addition to HIV testing and counseling at its 1930 Market Street location in the city’s Castro district. It changed its name a couple years ago. A program of UCSF’s Department of Psychiatry, the agency does not receive any direct funding from the university. Instead, it seeks out government contracts, such as from the city’s Department of Public Health, and relies on donations from donors and fundraising events, such as its Art for AIDS benefit, taking place Friday, September 19. Thoemmes told the B.A.R. that AHP has a current budget of $7.7 million, and after the staff cuts, will employ 82 people. The savings See page 9 >>
Plaintiff couples from Idaho stood outside the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals following oral arguments Monday and included, from left, Andrea Altmayer and Shelia Robertson; Sharene and Lori Watsen; Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights; Traci Ehlers and Sue Latta; and Rachel and Amber Beierle.
by Seth Hemmelgarn
A
panel of federal judges in San Francisco often appeared perplexed as to why same-sex couples shouldn’t be allowed to marry as they heard oral arguments this week concerning three states’ marriage bans. Regardless of what the three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decides in the Idaho, Nevada, and Hawaii
cases, some acknowledged that the issue of marriage equality is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorney Monte Neil Stewart, who defended Idaho and Nevada’s anti-gay laws in Latta v. Otter and Sevcik v. Sandoval, respectively, in court Monday, September 8, said Idaho has a “compelling” interest in banning marriage equality because same-sex marriage “undermines and weakens the social See page 10 >>
HRC apologizes to trans community, pledges push for broad LGBT bill Bill Wilson
by Chuck Colbert
He listed a number of ways HRC is working toward transgender equaln a gracious and surprising ity in the workplace and toward move, the president of the raising the visibility of transgender nation’s largest LGBT orgapersons through story telling. Grifnization offered an apology to fin asked that both he and HRC be the transgender community at held “accountable.” the same time he said the group He reaffirmed that HRC would would take a lead in advocatcontinue to press for a fully inclusive ing fully comprehensive federal Employment Non-Discrimination LGBT civil-rights legislation. Act, which would ban workplace “I want to cut right to the bias on the basis of sexual orientachase here today,” said Human tion and gender identity. Rights Campaign President But Griffin also pledged support Chad Griffin in Atlanta Friday, for broader protections. September 5, addressing several In the next Congress, he said, hundred people at the annual Courtesy TLC “HRC will lead the campaign for Southern Comfort conference, a Masen Davis, executive director Jane Philomen Cleland a fully-inclusive, comprehensive, major gathering for transgender of the Transgender Law Center LGBT civil rights bill. A bill with HRC President Chad Griffin people. non-discrimination protections “There’s an elephant in this that don’t stop at employment, but times you have been underrepresented or unroom, and, well, it’s me,” he said. that finally touch every aspect of our represented by this organization. What hap“So I am here today, at Southern Comfort, lives – from housing, to public accommodapens to trans people is absolutely central to to deliver a message. ... HRC has done wrong tions, to credit, to federal funding, to the eduthe LGBT struggle. And as the nation’s largest by the transgender community in the past, and cation we all need to succeed and thrive. LGBT civil rights organization, HRC has a reI am here to formally apologize,” said Griffin. “And I’m going to keep being honest with sponsibility to do that struggle justice, or else As he explained, “I am sorry for the times you, this is not going to be an easy fight.” we are failing at our fundamental mission.” when we stood apart when we should have HRC posted the text of Griffin’s 2,400Griffin’s speech also decried violence against been standing together. See page 9 >> transgender people, calling it a “national crisis.” “Even more than that, I am sorry for the
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