The Man That AIDS Forgot: Safe Sex Architect Richard Berkowitz

by Mark S. King

The New York City of 1979 shown during the opening minutes of Sex Positive, the documentary now available on DVD, is awash in gay sexual liberation.

Male couples strut their stuff arm in arm, sporting biker jackets and cocky mustaches and bulges in their denim that strain credulity (no fashion era has ever screamed “gay porn” like this one). It’s an almost quaint snapshot, in retrospect, taken just before the arrival of a major buzzkill in the form of a murderous pandemic.

Cruising amid the happy sleaze was gay S/M escort Richard Berkowitz , the man who would quickly and unwittingly become known as the “self hating enemy of gay people.” And all because, the documentary contends, he tried to save their lives.

Read more: The Man That AIDS Forgot

Report Shows Continued and Increasing LGBT Hate Violence

Anti-LGBT hate violence continues to be a pervasive social problem at the same time as vital resources and support for hate violence survivors are at risk amidst economic crisis according to a new report released by The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP).

The report states that murders are at the second-highest rate in a decade; that there was a spike in anti-LGBT violence at the time of federal hate crimes law passage; and that the Economic crisis is depleting resources for LGBT survivors of violence.

Read more: LGBT Hate Violence

White House Announces National HIV/AIDS Strategy

To combat the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS infections, the White House has released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and accompanying NHAS Federal Implementation Plan.

With approximately 56,000 people becoming infected with HIV each year in the United States, and more than 1.1 million Americans already living with HIV, President Obama said in a released statement that “I am committed to renewing national leadership to fight HIV/AIDS here at home, as we continue our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS around the world.”

Read more: National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Action Alert on Tax Increase

The Sacramento Metro Chamber has issued an action alert to show how local jobs will be affected by a proposed increase of the Business Operation Tax.

There will be a discussion of the tax increase at tonight's City Council meeting, The Sacramento Metro Chamber is urging you to attend and save your job.

6 p.m. Sacramento City Hall, First Floor Council Chambers, 915 I St.

Read more: Action Alert on Tax Increase