April 2008
Defying Science and Tradition
My general rule is to not assume anything, but I always thought it was pretty much a fact of science that men could not conceive and carry a child. However, I along with the rest of the world was proven wrong last week by the announcement that Thomas Beatie will be carrying his wife’s child—and he may not be the first.
In the eyes of some Beatie may not be a “real” man, but in the eyes of the law and Beatie’s wife Nancy, he’s just a loving husband who has offered to carry their child. Biologically speaking Beatie was not born male, but as both biology and gender evolve so must our expectations and traditions.
I myself had never given much thought to the “ethical” debate about FTM transgenders and pregnancy. To me, I always assumed (there I go again assuming things) that a biological woman who identifies more as a man would not feel compelled to conceive and give birth to a child. I never thought twice about them having children and raising a family, just choosing to carry the child is what surprised me. But, just because I had never given it any thought doesn’t mean that I don’t support it, because I do. And Beatie said it best himself when he wrote “Wanting to a have a child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire.”
Sadly as with almost any issue regarding transgendered individuals there are obstacles to overcome in the form of other people’s “morals and politics” in order to succcefully complete the process. While insemination would appear to be the most challenging hurdle, it was actually finding an OB/GYN that would treat Beatie once he was successfully impregnated. The doctors that Beatie and his wife first approached said they would need to consult with the ethics board of their hospital, and nine different doctors suggested that Thomas and Nancy consult a psychologist as well.
I will admit that the accompanying photo of Thomas, with his facial hair, double mastectomy scars and 22 week protruding belly, was a little shocking—but it’s only because I have been ingrained by the laws of science. And until now it was only tales of science fiction or results of digital photo manipulation that I thought I would ever see a pregnant man. As long as they promise to be loving parents and rear their child in a healthy and loving environment than I see nothing wrong with their decision and neither should any one else.
*The full story of Thomas & Nancy Beatie can be read online at the following website. It first appeared in the April 8th 2008 edition of the Advocate.*
http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52664.asp
HIV Epidemic in Pittsburgh
A startling statistic was released last week and the unfortunate thing about it is that there seems to be little action involved in preventing it. According the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF), the rate of HIV in Pittsburgh is rising. A 2007 anonymous testing program revealed that 2.3% of gay men in Pittsburgh are affected with the virus, a number that is more than twice the state average.
Ironically, Pittsburgh is known for its advanced programs helping in both treating those affected and education on preventative measures—not only through the help of the PATF, but many non-profit organizations and various AIDS programs available through Pittsburgh University. However, strangely, many people are not taking advantage of these services available to them.
In an effort to combat this trend, the PATF demands to know why people are not taking a more hands-on approach in fighting their illness and preventing transmission to others. To do so, they have developed a Needs Assessment survey, which they released in January. Its purpose is to gather information about what people are looking for as far as options and services.
The anonymous study asks participants about their thoughts on their HIV status, HIV related care and their physical and mental health status. Once the results are investigated, the PATF plans to implement any knowledge gained into incorporating better programs and perhaps reaching a wider audience. Thus far only about 150 surveys have been completed, but the goal is over 500.
The results and any subsequent changes to the programs won’t be released until this summer, so in the mean time the PATF (and I) urge everyone to continue to practice safe sex and be responsible. In addition to the rise in HIV infections, Pittsburgh is also noticing an incline in syphilis outbreaks. In fact, it is so prevalent that the Centers for Disease Control have actually sent a health advisor representative to Pittsburgh to help get the STD under control.
So to my readers: if you are living in the Southwestern PA area and are knowingly infected with HIV or AIDS, please take the time to complete the survey. It can be found on the website of the PATF which is www.patf.org. On the home page click on the blue green box that says “Are You HIV-Positive and Living in Southwestern PA?” It only takes 30 minutes to fill out. And while you’re there you can learn about what treatment programs are available to you and possibly get yourself some proper care. Many of the services are free and available to anyone affected with the disease.
So please—take care of yourself and others and use protection. There is no need for this terrible disease to be so out of control in the world of information that we reside in today.
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Shopping For Equality
I know the last thing on your mind when shopping is your rights, and if you’re like me you’re probably thinking of other things like “how am I going to afford all of this?” or “which is truly better reduced fat or low-fat?” But, in fact, as consumers we CAN make a difference. After all, companies wouldn’t be in business if we didn’t purchase their products; as shoppers we are keeping them afloat and putting money in their wallets. So wouldn’t you feel better knowing your hard earned dollar was supporting our rights while simultaneously filling your belly, keeping your skin looking fresh, making your hair smell good and look shiny, or propelling your car to run? I know I would!
Thanks to the efforts of the Human Rights Campaign we can now shop at ease knowing what products and what companies not only supports our rights and lifestyles, but also makes a genuine effort to contribute to them. Every year the HRC publishes their “Buying for Equality” guide and the updated 2008 version just hit the market. (You can get yours at www.hrc.org )
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this resource; it is a pocket sized guide that makes a great companion while shopping for everything from gasoline to groceries and banks to insurance companies.
Large companies can have a grand impact on our community—whether it is gay-friendly advertising, employment benefits for its LGBT employees, or monetarily contributing to organizations that support us. The HRC takes all of these factors into account when compiling the data used for their scoring of over 1,800 companies. 2008 saw a record trend—195 companies received a perfect score of 100, a significant increase from 2007’s 138!
In case you can’t get your hands on your own copy I’d like to break it down for you by category, while you wait for yours in the mail (hint order it now). Since 100 is considered a perfect score anything receiving an 80+ is very LGBT friendly and should be shopped most often. 46-79 is an okay score, they need improving, but anything lower than a 45 needs to be boycotted or purchased minimally. (Mind you it’s not my business telling you where or what to shop for obviously, I’m just trying to make you an aware consumer and inform you of your options.) Also keep in mind that a company may own the brand or label to more than one product. But do to limited space and time I will only provide the main company’s name, you can Google it to find out which other labels they may also own. For example if I list Gap they also own Banana Republic and Old Navy, so keep this in mind and do your research if you want to be a committed and informed consumer.
Where to Shop:
*80-100
Best Buy, Borders, Sears, Walgreens, Staples, Hallmark, Whole Foods, Home Depot, Rite Aid, Amazon.com, Food Lion, and Target.
*0-55 (These should be avoided)
Circuit City, Harry & David, RadioShack, Wal-Mart
Home & Garden:
*80-100
DuPont, Rubbermaid, Kenmore, Whirlpool, General Electric
*0-55
Emerson Electric and John Deere
Banking & Finance:
*80-100
American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, Wachovia, WaMu, Wells Fargo
*0-55
Dow Jones and BB&T
Apparel & Accessories
*80-100
Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, JC Penney, Liz Claiborne, Macy’s, Nike, REI, Sears, Target
*55-73
LL Bean, Tiffany & Co. Reebok, Lillian Vernon
Dining Out:
*80-100
Chili’s, TGI Friday’s, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Applebee’s, Olive Garden, Red Lobster
*15 Cracker Barrel (In fact they fired a manager about two years ago for being a lesbian. In court they refused to even issue an apology and stated they would rather go to court and lose money than employ a queer person. So their establishment should be boycotted just out of sheer ignorance and intolerance.)
Fuel:
*80-100
BP, Chevron, Shell
*0 Exxon Mobil (which includes Esso, Exxon and Mobil gas stations) received a big fat 0 and should be avoided at all costs unless you’re in the middle of the desert and you’re only other option is walking 100+ miles back to civilization
Food & Drink:
*80-100
Anheuser-Busch, Clorox, Coca-Cola, Coors, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Campbell’s Soup, Miller, Procter and Gamble
*0-45
Dole, Kellogg’s, Hain Celestial Group
Automotive:
*80-100
AAA, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Bridgestone
*0-33
Cooper Tire & Rubber, Navistar, AutoZone
Cosmetic & Pharmaceutical
*80-100
Bausch & Lomb, Eli Lilly, Estee Lauder, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer, SC Johnson & Son, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Kimberly-Clark, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Wyeth
*58-60 (not terrible, but not great)
Avon Products, and Colgate-Palmolive
Pet Care:
*80-100
EverFresh, Fresh Step, Scoop Away, Iams
*15
Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, T Bonz
Travel:
*80-100
American Airlines, Global Hyatt, Harrah’s Entertainment, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, US Airways, Walt Disney Co., Alaska Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Enterprise Rent a Car, MGM/Mirage, Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, and JetBlue Airways.
Entertainment:
*80-100
Time Warner (AOL, CNN, HBO, TBS, TNT) Walt Disney (A&E, ABC, ESPN, Lifetime), Viacom (BET, CMT, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Logo, Nickolodeon)
*75
GE (Bravo, NBC, USA)
Technology:
*80-100
Adobe, Apple, AT&T, Dell, Kodak, Google, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Sprint Nextel, Xerox, Yahoo, Verizon, Alltel, Comcast
*50-55
Qwest, McAfee, Nokia, T-Mobile
Insurance & Healthcare:
*80-100
Allstate, CNA, ING, Mass Mutual, Metlife, Nationwide, State Farm
*0-40
AEGON Insurance, Humana, AIG
Mail:
UPS scored 100 vs. FedEx who scored 55
Now you are on your way to shopping responsibly!
