V1" Lags on LGBTHealth Awareness BY Ric KASINI Kl-\DOUR e third Annual National LGBT Health Awareness Week will take-place March 13- 19, 2005. Across the country, groups inmajor cities will organize events and activities to raise public awareness of the unique health concems_o_f the LGBT community. The awareness week is organized by the National Coalition for LGBT Health, a Washington, DC-based advocacy group. “LGBT Health Awareness Week is a very visi- ble way to promote a healthy lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans- gender community across the nation,” said Donald Hitchcock, the Coalition’s national field director. “Years of stigma and prejudice impact both the health of the LGBT community and the ability of health care providers to improve the wellness of their patients,” said Henia Handler, a Coalition co—chair. The Coalition hopes to raise awareness of the unique health concerns and health dis- parities among the LGBT com- munities by providing communi- ty health centers, local organiza- tions, and community represen- tatives with tools to amplify the national campaign at the local level. The event’s website offers fact sheets, posters, postcards, and advertisements which organ- izations and community organi- zations can use free of charge. While a number of community organizations,_ including some in the Northeastern US, are offering events to celebrate LGBT Health Awareness Week, Vermont organizations are not among them. In Boston, the GLBT Health Access Project is launch- ing their newest media campaign and Fenway Community Health is offering workshops for les- bians, bisexual women and transgender people on coming out to their doctor. In New York City, the V Bronx Lesbian and Gay Health Resource Consortium is present- ing a series of programs which address heart disease, diabetes, GLBT youth, and tobacco use. Other groups are offer- ing forums on health issues ranging from hepatitis to nutri- tion, domestic violence to mar- riage to mental health. In Washington, DC, the week coincides with a lobbying effort to provide a framework for the continued inclusion of LGBT issues as part of the national health policy dialogue. At press time, no Vermont organizations were I planning on participating in LGBT Health Awareness Week '“I have not heard of it,” said Vermont CARES Director ontpelier — Full equality lo transgender Vermont- er is the top legislative priority for LGBT community activists in Vermont this year. Representatives ol’ Equality Vcrmt . the R.U.l .2‘? Queer Community Center. and LGBT activists from across the state are rallying behind a bill to be introduced by state Rep. Bill tender identity or e.\;prcssion. As ot‘ press time the hill had not yet been introduced. raising concerns that there would not be time to take testimony or build sup- port belore “erossovcr." the mid—to— late March date on which bills cross between the House and the Senate. Rep Lippert was still seeking nsors for his bill. which. it‘ pt sed. would add “gender identity and expression" to the list ol‘ pro- s in Vermont la\v. Lip rt says he is unsure how the bill will play out in the current leg- islative session or whether it would be supported by Governor Jim Douglas (R). “We're still feeling our way to get a sense of what the timing is and what the best strategy is." he said. ''I think it is important to reco< i/.e that the bill is also an educational tool." of Prevention Peter J acobsen,. “That doesn’t mean we won’t [be participating] .” “We don’t have any— . thing specifically planned for that,” said Lluvia Mulvaney— Stanak, Outright'Vermont Co- Executive Director. “It’s actually related to that fabulous HIV funding thing because we don’t V have a programming staff posi- tion anymore.” “While R.U.1.2? Community Center is not partici- pating this year, it will likely participate next year,” said Executive Director Christopher Kauffman. . SafeSpace is looking into whether or not they may plan an event. While Vermont has been a leader on equality for the _ lgbt communities, it has fallen behind the rest of the country on Vermont law already pro- hibits discrimination on the basis ol‘ sexual orientation. Virginia Rciilrew. a repre- sentative ot‘ the statewide gay advo- ' 'oup Equality Vermont. said ge of the gender identity bill is important. ms-gentler Vermon 'iminated against. and Equality Vermont truly believes that all ‘rmonters should be free ol‘ discrimination." she told OITM. Christopher Kaufman, e.\’ecutivc director of the addressing health disparities and health promotion needs of sexual minorities. The Vermont Depar- tment of Health has no dedicated staff addressing the health needs of LGBT communities. State organizing “is sort of the next frontier,” said the Coalition’s Hitchcock. V For more information on Nation- al LGBT Health Awareness , Week, see: www.lgbthealth.net. Ric Kadour is a men’s health activist who splits his time between Shoreham and Montreal. Burlington—based R.U.l .31’ Queer Coinmun 1 Center. greed with Rentrcw. "It is unt'ortunatc that gen- der identity andexpression has never been covered before in many ol‘ Vermont‘s laws. although it is in the hate crimes law.“ he said. To rally support for the trans—inclusive anti—discrimination bill. the R.U.l .2‘? Queer Community Center hosted a Queer Summit on .lanuz 29 at the State House in Montpc lLl'. Nearly 50 people attended the all-day meeting lacilitated by Lisa Mottet. a repre- VCU Dissolves Burlington — According to a late-breaking press release, Vermonters for Civil Unions has ceased to exist. According to VCU Chair Susan Murray, “For us to continue our organization would be misleading. Civil unions were a step forward, but we remain committed to full equality for same—sex couples.” Murray emphasized that the work of VCU volunteers is far from over. “We’ll encourage our supporters to support the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force and the Vermont Fund for Families in every way they can. Both of these organizations are actively working for the right to marry for same-sex couples in Vermont.” ' VCU, incorporated in 2000, was a political action com- mittee supporting candidates who supported the civil union law. V scntalive of the National (' Lesbian Task Force (NGI. l. and Mara K ing. e.\'ecuti\'e director ol‘ the Washington. DC-based National Center for Transgender Equality. According to Mottet. the states (California. Illinois. Minnesota. New l\'le.\ico. and Rhode lslandl and approximately 75 cities and counties outlaw dis- crimination on the basis of gender identity and/or expression. The N(,il,.'l‘l“ also reports that only 37 percent o|‘.»\mericans li\‘c in juris- dictions that protect transgendcr residents com )ared to the -l7 per- cent of Americans living in _jurisdic— lions prohibiting discriniination on the basis ol’ sc.\'ual orientation. For her part. Keisling emphasized the importance of lob- bying legislators to support the bill. "Don‘t make the mistake ol‘ think- ing all Democrats are good and all Republicans are bad." she said. “Y u‘ll have many allies in the statehouse." V Paul 0/.s'('n /l\'(’.\' and imr/t’.\' in C0/('/I(’.S'I(‘I'. He (I/.\'I} 11'/'itz'.\'_fnr I/l(‘ B()_s'l(III-l)(!.\'(’(/ ln Newsweekly.