By Ramy Eletreby

Reaction to Deaths of Civil Rights Icons Parks and Roybal

Civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Congressmember Edward Roybal both died on Oct. 24, leaving behind millions inspired and humbled by their legacies.

Parks, 92, brought national attention to the fledgling civil rights movement when on Dec. 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., she refused a bus driver's order to give up her seat to a white man and move to the "colored" section at the back of the bus. The singular act of civil disobedience by the 42-year-old seamstress, who was involved with the voter registration movement and active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), inspired young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to lead the successful Montgomery bus boycott in protest against her arrest and the Jim Crow segregation laws. Parks became known as the "mother of the civil rights movement."

"Rosa Parks' death is a great loss for society. She epitomized the importance of integrity and the power of one. It is a lesson we can all benefit from today," Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute, told IN. The Institute continues the Parks legacy by recognizing "Heroes in the Struggle" against HIV/AIDS on Nov. 17 at the Directors Guild of America. For more information, go to www.blackaids.org.

"Parks' legacy should be a reminder to us all that it is our responsibility and right to fight injustice and inequity with every breath and step that we take in hopes of making this world a better place," says columnist and National Black Justice Coalition leader Jasmyne Cannick.

"We need to appreciate that this modest woman also was a dedicated member of a strategic, determined movement." Jenny Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal told IN. "Each of us should be grateful for the changes it has achieved, and should honor all of those civil rights heroes by doing our part to continue that legacy today."

Roybal's death also saddened many. In 1947, the World War II Army veteran helped found and became president of the Community Services Organization, which sparked the important Mexican American grassroots movement in Los Angeles. Two years later, Roybal became the first Latino in modern times to serve on the Los Angeles City Council and then the first Latino Californian elected to Congress in the 20th century. Roybal was 89 and the father of Congressmember Lucille Roybal-Allard.

"Congressman Roybal was a quiet champion who challenged the system," openly gay labor leader John Perez told IN. "He was a tireless advocate for health care and social services. At the onset of the AIDS crisis, he was a compassionate advocate for education and funding when others stood silently by."

"Edward Roybal fought for what was right, just and true," L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said of his friend. "Time and again he stood up and spoke out on behalf of those whose voices weren't heard. He leaves a legacy of leadership and justice that is unmatched." -- Karen Ocamb

Study Urges Circuit Parties to Address HIV

Circuit party promoters need to be more proactive in dealing with the spread of HIV during their events rather than just shutting the parties down altogether, according to a recent study published by the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care. Being Alive L.A. also notes the importance of addressing crystal meth use.

The study, Reducing HIV Infections at Circuit Parties: From Description to Explanation and Principles of Intervention Design by authors Amin Ghaziani and Thomas D. Cook of Northwestern University, states that unprotected sex is more rampant at circuit parties, with more than two-thirds of circuit partygoers admitting to engaging in this sexual behavior. "The parties are seen as gay celebratory events that elicit highly valued feelings of community by participants," Cook says. "That camaraderie, coupled with drugs, raise sexual appetites and distort judgment in a setting where an over-representation of HIV-positive men are engaging in unprotected sex."

Ghaziani and Cook insist that party promoters need to be more responsible by providing condoms and posting pointed prevention messages throughout the venue. The study has already had an effect on upcoming parties, including the annual Texas-based circuit party Jungle that will work with the Montrose Clinic in Houston. "You don't want to beat around the bush," Jungle co-producer Mike Collins says. "What we found is that it is very important to explicitly drive home the message."

Being Alive L.A. deals extensively with drug use. "A lot of our work, which focuses on the correlation between crystal meth use and HIV infections, is related to circuit parties because that's where crystal meth happens," says Being Alive L.A. Executive Director Demetri Moshoyannis. "It's not really where people are being put at risk but how people are being put at risk."

LGBT Groups Get Out the Vote

Stonewall Democratic Club has joined forces with the Alliance for a Better California to fight Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Nov. 8 ballot Propositions 74-78. The Log Cabin Republican Club, meanwhile, is working to support Schwarzenegger.

"Log Cabin is actively encouraging our membership to vote in the election," Log Cabin California Director Jeff Bissiri told IN. "The special election is not about the governor, but the critical need to reform state government. Log Cabin believes that defeating the proposed constitutional amendments next year should be the LGBT community's single focus."

In addition to getting out the vote, Stonewall President Michael Andraychak has sent repeated and extensive e-mails urging his membership to help the Alliance campaign by walking precincts or phone banking.

"Whether Arnold's nightmarish propositions are stopped will depend on whether each one of us reaches out to our family, friends, and acquaintances right now. We must [tell] them how important it is to vote in this election, and how harmful these propositions would be. We must reach out and talk with everyone we know, especially if we do not know where they stand. A strong message from you, person to person, will make all the difference in whether they vote, and how they vote," the Alliance for a Better California says on their Web site.

Stonewall is also working to elect two pro-gay Los Angeles City Council candidates: Herb Wesson for District 10 and Jose Huizar for District 14.

Log Cabin, meanwhile, is looking to the future, launching an online campaign to honor the "inclusive" legacy of the late President Ronald Reagan by donating to the Log Cabin political action committee targeting 2006 Congressional elections. "Thanks to the divisive social agenda being pushed by the radical right," states the LCR PAC campaign e-mail, "many of our closest Congressional allies will face stiff challenges in the 2006 mid-term elections. Many of our fair-minded friends could pay the ultimate political price because of the far right's refusal to come together around issues that unite all Republicans. The future of the big tent party that President Reagan fought for is at stake. Our Congressional allies have been willing to stand up and fight for us, Now it is time for us to stand with them."

For more information on the ballot propositions, go to www.logcabin.org/logcabinca/home.html, www.stonewall-dems.org, or www.betterca.com/la_county_offices.

Help LGBT Youth Have A Good Thanksgiving

On Nov. 19, C.I.T.Y. (Community Intervention Through Youth) X1, an LGBT outreach group raising health awareness among at-risk youth, hopes to host a Thanksgiving dinner at Metropolitan Community Church/Los Angeles, but they're a little short on funds.

The group, made up of youth ages 14-24, originated at Children's Hospital, then moved to L.A. Shanti, according to public access talk show host Jimmy Palmieri who chairs the LGBT youth subcommittee of the West Hollywood LGBT Advisory Board. After a dispute with Shanti, CITYX1 formed their own organization. Palmieri has been serving as a kind of facilitator.

"They have remained close together and strong and want to have their usual Thanksgiving youth dinner," said Palmieri. "Rev. Neil [at the MCC/LA] has been gracious enough to let them have it at the church, as a youth ministry until they find a permanent home. We need $1,000 as they have 65-75 kids attending. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's all about the kids!"

Tax-deductible donations should be made out to: "MCC/LA" and sent to MCC/LA c/o Jimmy Palmieri, 920 N. Kings Rd. #201, West Hollywood, Calif., 90069.

Santa Barbara Police Endorse Lesbian City Council Nominee

With three seats open on the Santa Barbara City Council in the upcoming election, openly gay former Air Force commander and non-profit administrator Loretta Redd has become the favorite to win one of the spots after earning an endorsement from the Santa Barbara Police Officer's Association. Now a full-time writer, Redd has already won endorsements from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, former mayor Harriet Miller, and the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee. With six candidates running for the three seats, and with two of the candidates being incumbents, only one open seat remains among the other four nominees. Local observers have positioned the last seat as a race between Redd and small business owner Grant House, who has also scored several influential endorsements, including one from the Firefighter's Association.

The Santa Barbara News-Press describes the race between Redd and House as being "one of the fiercest and most contentious in the city's history." If Redd wins the seat, she will become the first lesbian in Santa Barbara history to serve on the city council.

Community Coalition Confronts Meth

On Thursday, Oct. 27, a community coalition came together to announce the formation of a new initiatitive to address the growing epidemic of crystal meth use in the gay community and its contributing to higher rates of HIV infections. Representatives Act Now Against Meth coalition includes Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, The Wall-Las Memorias Project, Van Ness Recovery House, MSR, Midtowne Spa, Being Alive, IN Los Angeles magazine, and BiLatinMen.com. The group is launching a petition drive demanding increased funding for methamphetamine education, prevention and treatment, as well as better cooperation among HIV/AIDS, mental health, substance abuse and sexually transmitted disease programs and agencies that address part, but not all, of the problems created by methamphetamines. "Crystal meth is not being discussed in the gay community and there's no reason we shouldn't talk about it," Richard Zaldivar, president/founder of The Wall-Las Memorias Project, and the primary organizer of the coalition. "We have to educate ourselves about this drug, and we must talk about it and take action. Otherwise, crystal meth addiction has the potential to set us back decades in the fight against AIDS."