PRIDE + Sass = Fab tees for marriage equality!

Courtesy: David Andrusia, Edge Publications, Monday Jul 20, 2009

"If you’re in a position to help someone, you should- and if you’re not, you’re missing the ball on humanity."

So believes Jason Vincik, the 33-year-old founder of Bitchyteez.com, a fashion t-shirt company whose recently launched 40 years of Pride shirt benefits the fight for marriage equality legislation in California and New York.

Bitchyteez.com began as the "whim of a small guy who could never quite find clothes that fit- even t-shirts marked ’small’ seemed too big." (This is probably as much a testament to Americans’ eating habits as anything else.)"I also wanted to wear something I hadn’t seen on a thousand other people. So I sketched out a design, had it screened on a t-shirt, and started wearing it to the bars- and tons of people asked me where I’d gotten it. It was a snowball effect from there."

Now, in addition to the company’s most popular fitted men’s t-shirt, there are classic, ringer, and other styles online, with a full complement of -yes, bitchy- sayings.

Take a tee and fund the fight!"I wanted these to have a catty perspective, as if a drag queen had written them," Jason says. The top seller? "I think your boyfriend is cheating on me."

Spurred by recent events, Jason designed the "40 years" t-shirt ($20, available on his site) to help fund the battle for marriage equality. ("Most people don’t realize how expensive this fight can be- with advertising, publicity, legal and travel fees, it’s incredibly expensive.") A full 25% of net sales from this tee will go to Equality California and the Empire State Pride Agenda. (To test your own knowledge of gay history, visit www.tinyurl.com/lgbtquiz As Jason rightly says, "Knowledge is power!")

Now based in New York, where he’s initiating discussion with major manufacturers to product the tees on a larger scale, Jason can see the fruits of his labors- beginning with his own family.

"My 29-year-old heterosexual brother, who’s an architect, has taken up the fight. My family has always been wonderfully supportive, but it wasn’t until after my brother learned more about gay history and the struggle for equality that he’s become fully involved. Now he’s constantly on blogs, in chat rooms, and doing other online networking to make sure people know why marriage equality legislation is so important to us all."

Get the tee at http://www.bitchyteez.com/

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New HIV Therapy Could Completely Eliminate the Virus - A Cure on the Horizon?

A team of researchers comprised of Canadian and American scientists believe they have discovered a way to eradicate HIV from the body.

There have been "promising" potential vaccines for HIV/AIDS over the years, all of which failed near the end of the human trial phase.

A new study shows a completely different approach to HIV therapy, not concentrating on developing vaccines, but actually eliminating the virus from the body altogether.

Findings from the study were published by Nature Medicine on June 21.

The research team has been focusing on finding the reason why antiretroviral drugs suppress the virus, but do not completely rid the body of it.

Since the 90s when antiretroviral drugs were beginning to be used by doctors to fight HIV, they were able to turn what was once a death sentence into a chronic illness.  The medications only diminished the disease, but never eliminated it.  Patients were doomed to take medication the rest of their lives.

"The minute the patient stops taking the therapy the virus is reborn," said Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy, associate professor of hematology at McGill University in Montreal.  "Then, the immune system is destroyed and the patient becomes sick again.

Patients become reinfected because HIV feeds from a resevoir of the virus contained within a cell.  Until now, we did not know why the resevoir was unaffected by antiretroviral therapy.

Researchers discovered that the HIV virus in the resevoir is unlike the typical virus.  It remains dormant while viruses treated by HIV drugs divide.  According to the researchers, if the cell lives, the virus lives.  Think of the resevoir as a feeding tube for the virus.  If the resevoir is treated with targeted chemotherapy, the virus is killed, thus removing the source of regeneration.  Without a "home-base" where the virus can hide, new copies of the virus can not be made.

The new treatment would be a combination of antiretroviral drugs and targeted chemotherapy:  chemo to kill the resevoir source and antiretrovirals to kill the virus in duplicated cells.

In theory, the findings of the study sound viable, and the researchers just may have made the next big breakthrough in unlocking the mysteries of the HIV virus.

Researchers warned that some patients do not respond to antiretroviral therapy.  Those patients may not likely see the same results as patients who do respond to the current HIV drugs.

Reportedly, $153 million has been invested in the study since the findings were published on June 21, which includes $60 million from the State of Florida and nearly $53 million matched by the city of Port St. Lucie where the study is based.

According to Calgary Herald, a study will begin in September to test the findings of the research.  If targeted chemotherapy eliminates the HIV, researchers say the feasibility of the treatment will be determined over the next two to three years, with medication becoming available a few years after that.

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BREAKING NEWS: Fort Worth Mayor Asks U.S. Attorney to Investigate Rainbow Lounge Incident

After the raid of Fort Worth gay bar, Rainbow Lounge, last Sunday, Mayor Moncrief released the following statement today:

"I have asked the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, James T. Jacks, to independently review the findings of the Fort Worth Police Department’s investigation to ensure the department has thoroughly and impartially carried out its obligation to all the citizens of Fort Worth. I encourage the TABC to follow the same course."

According to the statement, two independent investigations are underway to review the circumstances that took place on Sunday, June 28 when Fort Worth police officers raided a local gay bar, Rainbow Lounge, handcuffed and arrested patrons and even brutally beat a 26 year old man, Chad Gibson.  Gibson has suffered from severe head injuries and internal bleeding, according to family members.

The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC) and the Fort Worth Police Department's Internal Affairs Division will be conducting the investigations.

Said Moncrief, "The police department’s internal investigation and the outside review is meant to ensure all citizens are professionally and responsibly represented by our police department."

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New Gay Travel Network and International Home Exchange Emerges

Launched today is a new gay travel network and international home exchange that connects LGBT travelers to likeminded persons abroad.  Stay with Family.com is a subscription-based network for gay travelers and their straight friends, a hybrid concept that allows subscribers to post a personal profile with information about his travel needs or offerings. 

The Anything But Straight Advocacy Network has obtained a special 50% off registration coupon for readers of this blog.  Simply enter promo code javiblg09 when registering to receive the discount at http://www.staywithfamily.com/.

Here's how it works:

Lets say you want to go on a trip to Costa Rica, but you don't want to spend the big bucks on a hotel room.  Now, you can visit Stay with Family.com, search profiles of gay or gay-friendly persons in that region and make contact instantly.  Travel arrangements are made directly with the host, not the Web site.

The door swings both ways, so to speak, if you are interested in sharing a room in your home with travelers.

Register for a free acount by visiting http://www.staywithfamily.com/.  Complete your profile, adding information about yourself and photos.  The free account allows you to search profiles and check out the site.  But, you will need to upgrade to a premium account to unlock the contact information and other advanced features of the site.

Don't forget to use our promotion code to get 50% off registration!

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Candlelight Vigil for Chad Gibson - Victim of Police Brutality in Fort Worth Gay Bar Raid

A candlelight vigil for Chad Gibson will be held tonight at 8:30 p.m. central time at the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth, Texas.  Gibson was the victim of police brutality in an unexpected raid on June 28th in the cowtown gay bar.

The vigil is being coordinated by North Texas LGBT organization Queer Liberaction.

According to eyewitnesses, Gibson sustained multiple injuries to the head while police attempted to handcuff and arrest the 26 year old.  According to Gibson's family members, if the bleeding and swelling continues, surgery will be imminent.

Rainbow Lounge is located at 651 S. Jennings, Fort Worth, TX 76104.


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Gay Bar in Forth Worth Raided - Rainbow Lounge Documentary Call for Testimonials

A Fort Worth gay bar was raided by police officers on June 28th. A documentary is emerging, and a gay filmmaker, Robert Camina of Camina Entertainment, is calling for testimonials from eyewitnesses.

I was safely situated along the streets of New York City the weekend of Gay Pride, the 40th anniversary since the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969. Because I was entertaining out of town guests and enjoying the week-long festivities in one of the gayest cities in the world, I had no idea that nearly 4,000 miles away, a modern-day Stonewall riot was occuring.

In the big, small town of Fort Worth, Texas, a neighboring city to my hometown of Dallas, innocent bar patrons were taken by surprise when local police officers entered the building and began arresting people for alleged public intoxication. Many patrons proclaimed that they were not intoxicated and that the officers did not even question their sobriety. Protests from angry LGBT persons in the community have commenced on the city's Hall of Justice days following the event.

Ironically, the incident occured on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. In a time when many believe LGBT persons have made strides in civil rights equality, the raid of Rainbow Lounge reminds us that unjust practices, hatred and bigotry are still alive in America.

If you were an eyewitness to the Rainbow Lounge raid, please contact Camina Entertainment to be part of a a documentary: http://www.caminaentertainment.com/.

Also, join the Facebook Group of advocates here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=109253439840

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LGBT History Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Gay Marriage, Pride, Organizations and More

How much do you know about LGBT history? June is International Pride Month. Take this quiz to find out just how much you really know about LGBT rights, organizations and history of the community.  Subjects cover gay marriage, gay pride, history of LGBT organizations and more.

Access the Quiz Here

WHY I CREATED THIS QUIZ

In celebration of International Pride Month, I decided to create a survey that will test knowlege among the LGBT community.

Although an estimated 15 million Americans self-identify as LGBT (Witeck Combs), how many of us are knowledgable about our community's heritage? How many of us are active in the LGBT community? How many of us really know how it all started and what our brothers and sisters have faced for decades?

The results of the quiz are displayed immediately following completion, and include background information about each subject.

There is no better time to answer these questions and empower those in our community than 2009, the 40th anniversary since the Sonewall Riots.

Brush up on your knowledge; learn something new and pass this quiz along to everyone in the community. Armed with knowledge, we can mobilize, educate and move forward in our quest for equal and fair civil rights.

If there are questions you would like see added to the quiz, please contact me!

Happy Pride

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