The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, and the USBLN (US Business Leadership Network), the disability inclusion business resource, have announced that The Billion Dollar Roundtable has voted to expand their criteria of diverse businesses counted toward a corporation’s billion dollar supply chain spend on diverse-owned businesses to include: certified LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs), Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs®), Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBE™) and Veteran-Disability Owned Business Enterprises (V-DOBEs™).
“The inclusion of LGBT, disability, and veteran-owned businesses into the Billion Dollar Roundtable reflects the national best practice in supplier diversity of including all communities at the table of opportunity,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. “In the United States, LGBT-owned businesses are creating tens of thousands of jobs and adding over $1.7 trillion to the economy, much of that due to inclusion in corporate supply chains. We’re proud to see our businesses included in the criteria that rewards corporate excellence in creating new opportunities for diverse-owned businesses to thrive.”
The Billion Dollar Roundtable was created in 2001 to recognize and celebrate corporations that achieved spending of at least $1 billion with diverse suppliers. The BDR promotes and shares best practices in supply chain diversity excellence through the production of white papers, thought leadership, and annual meetings. The group encourages corporate entities to continue growing their supplier diversity programs by increasing commitment and spending levels each year.
“In a country where 1 in 5 Americans have a disability, corporations are realizing the importance of disability inclusion across the enterprise,” said Jill Houghton, president and CEO of USBLN. “People with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to be self-employed as people without disabilities, and nearly one in 10 small businesses nationwide are veteran-owned. The inclusion of disability and LGBT-owned businesses presents more opportunities for diversity in The Billion Dollar Roundtable and will lead to more economic opportunity for people with disabilities”
To date, the Billion Dollar Roundtable reports at least $72 billion in spend with diverse-owned businesses. That number is expected to continue climbing as corporations are encouraged and incentivized to work with LGBT, disability, and veteran-owned firms.
It’s no great surprise that cities and neighborhoods that boast significant LGBTQ populations tend to be the ones with the most gentrification. And while that’s great for local economies, it also means that many of the same queer folk who help make vibrant neighborhoods such attractive places to live are left priced out when rents inevitably tick ever more skyward.
Add to that the inherent historical challenges of finding queer-friendly housing, and securing a spot to rest your head can be an incredibly daunting task.
While panning for queer-friendly housing gold can still yield success on sites like Craigslist, more people are turning to a bevy Facebook groups across the nation to link up with potential like-minded roommates.
“Let’s keep our friends together in this beautiful city,” reads the tagline of Juanita’s List, a San Francisco group set up by local drag queen Juanita More.
Another group — Gay Area Housing — also connects queer and queer-friendly house hunters in the area.
With the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment clocking in at around $3500 a month in San Francisco, these groups are needed more than ever for the city to retain the identity that made it a mecca for queer people seeking community.
In New York, where the average rent for a one-bedroom will set you back around $3000, the Queer Housing New York City group has over 22,000 members.
Using one of these groups is easy — just request to join. Once you’ve been cleared by an admin (not as scary as it sounds), you’re free to post housing opportunities or respond to others’ posts to your heart’s content.
Here’s a handy list of some of the more popular groups operating on Facebook. Happy hunting!
In a sign of growing acceptance for transgender children, a new survey conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association finds 53% of American adults would support their teenage child’s request to transition to another gender.
Early intervention and family support are shown to improve mental, physical and emotional outcomes for children with gender dysphoria, broadly defined as a conflict between a person’s anatomy and the gender with which they identify.
The importance of family “Parents have a significant role in raising transgender kids,” says Laura Arrowsmith, DO, who practices at a transgender clinic in Oklahoma. “Once they get on board—often after stages of denial, rejection, condemnation and grief—they become powerful advocates at school and with extended family. This is crucial to the child’s well-being.”
Historically, transgender youth and adults experience higher rates of homelessness, substance abuse, HIV infection, depression, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts of suicide than the general population. Rejection by family and community are considered the main catalysts for these issues.
“Watch your child for eating disorders, self-harm, substance abuse and suicidal tendencies,” says Dr. Arrowsmith. “A mental health counselor who is familiar with transgender people and local support groups can make all the difference.”
Transgender and gender-expansive children do best when their family helps them cope with social pressure and bullying while affirming their journey. Simple actions can ensure a child feels safe and loved. In many cases, patience, support and careful listening are the best ‘medicine’.
What parents need to know “Trans children are living in a body that doesn’t match how they view themselves,” says Dr. Arrowsmith. “To address the dysphoria, some may wish to transition socially or to medically transition through gender-confirmation surgery and/or hormone treatment.”
For children who have not reached puberty, gender transition consists solely of social changes like name, pronoun and gender expression.
The clinical protocol for children indicates that when a child who has socially transitioned is “consistently” and “persistently insisting” they are transgender, they can be placed on puberty-blocking medications to postpone physical traits.
These medications prevent the child from developing the secondary sex characteristics of their birth gender, such as breasts for females or facial hair for males. Stopping the onset of puberty is reversible and makes medical treatment simpler if the patient decides to fully transition. On average, adolescents stay on the puberty-blocking medications from one to three years.
“We know that if a child persists through puberty in identifying as the sex not assigned to them at birth, then it’s pretty certain that they are transgender,” says Dr. Arrowsmith. “Should they decide to change course and stop the puberty-blocking medications, they will simply go through a delayed puberty of their birth gender.”
What parents can do Parents should understand that early intervention eases transition. A young patient may choose to delay the onset of puberty through puberty blockers, which prevent biological changes and allow additional time to consider transitioning—or not. Adolescents who initiate hormone therapy prior to puberty do not require the same level of medical care as a fully developed adult. Females transitioning to males take testosterone while males transitioning to females receive estrogen with an androgen inhibitor. Unlike social transitioning and puberty suppression, hormone therapy is only partially reversible after puberty.
Parents first need to educate themselves on gender dysphoria, gender identity and the complexities of living transgender. Often, support groups are the turning point for families who are struggling with accepting their transgender children, says Dr. Arrowsmith. Once they meet other parents and see children who have transitioned, they are more likely to be supportive.
Support is available to guide families and children through gender transition. Depending on the person’s age and individual needs, the steps may include medical, social, surgical and legal changes. For more information, speak with your physician. Additional resources are available online, including the Human Rights Campaign’s detailed reference guide Supporting & Caring for Transgender Children.
Survey Methodology This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of American Osteopathic Association from June 20-22, 2017 among 2,192 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Jessica Bardoulas.
Many of us in our 60’s or older are feeling that our community has moved on without us. While we were stuck with having to choose between “lesbian” or “gay,” “butch” or“femme, a whole new vocabulary is evolving (and our acronym expanding!) to describe an ever-expanding range of sexual preferences and gender identities. Many LGBT youth have also reclaimed the umbrella term “queer” that we who lived in less-accepting times grew to hate. Also meet-ups, websites, and on-line social media options catering to a wide range of LGBT interests have replaced the smoke-filled bars that were often our only option for socializing and dating.
Do we, as LGBT elders, continue to have a role in our community? If so, what do we have to offer our youthful counterparts? I am recommending an exciting forum for exploring answers to that question – the upcoming LGBTQ+ Summit scheduled for September 16th at Sonoma State University.
The LGBTQ+ Summit is the vision of Javier Rivera-Rosales, the director of Positive Images. With seed funding from the Community Foundations’ s LGBTQI Giving Circle Fund, Javi has put together a creative and diverse Summit planning team of individuals and agency representatives. The team is committed to producing an innovative event that will bring together a cross-section of Sonoma County’s diverse LGBTQ+ community with the intention of stimulating an ongoing collaborative approach to building safe, welcoming, inclusive communities for LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual preferences and gender identities.
It is important that we LGBT elders make sure our voices are represented in this effort. We have personally experienced our tumultuous history. In our fight for equality and for compassionate treatment of those affected by HIV/AIDS we learned the importance of working together. We also know how quickly our rights and protections can be lost if we do not maintain solidarity. We have the skills and experience to lay a strong foundation for collaboration. That is our collective legacy.
The planning team is making every effort to ensure that all segments of our community are represented including LGBT elders so I am encouraging my peers to seize this opportunity to contribute their rich history and wisdom in community-building that will ensure that future generations of LGBT and, yes,“Queer” individuals will not have to experience what we have. Registration is limited and will soon be open so you can continue checking the Summit website (www.lgbtqsummit.com) to learn when.
By the way, the planning team is seeking sponsors to provide help with funding and donated goods and services so that Summit participation can be offered at no cost. It is also seeking volunteers. You can do either or both at the Summit website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for you to contribute the legacy of our generation!
Buz Hermes is co-facilitator of the Sonoma Valley LGBT Seniors Group and a former staff member of Spectrum’s Senior Outreach Program. He is currently a consultant on LGBT aging and can be reached at GaryDHermes@comcast.net or (707) 227-6935.
When you think of a gay vacation in Illinois you immediately think of Chicago, which has an incredibly vibrant community and a city that embraces it. But, if you need a little R&R and want to get out of the big city, head about three hours from Chicago to the quaint historic town of Galena in Northwest Illinois about a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River.
Gay-friendly Galena is perfect for a romantic getaway where you can get lost in each other as you meander down Main Street by well-preserved buildings — some dating back to the Civil War. Here you can enjoy microbrews and locally made spirits, go antiquing, play a few rounds of golf, hit the slopes in winter and so much more to bring you and your significant other closer together.
When you get hungry or need a drink …
One Eleven Main – Romance is in the air at One Eleven Main, one of the more upscale yet very approachable Galena restaurants. With a farm-to-table menu featuring locally sourced ingredients from farmers, artisans and purveyors, the delicious options include poutine with homemade fries and cheese curds; almond-encrusted walleye with seasonal veggies and sour-cream mashed potatoes; and braised pork cavatappi pasta with bacon, spinach and onions. And many of the cocktails, beer and wine all come from places in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Otto’s Place – With the look and feel of an old country inn set inside a classic red building dating back to 1899 adjacent to the circa 1857 Train Depot, Otto’s is a great spot for breakfast and lunch. Come for butternut squash, kale and smoked gouda frittata; bread pudding French toast; and corned beef hash — and of course a Bloody Mary with homemade mix.
Fried Green Tomatoes – With a name like Fried Green Tomatoes, you’d think it’d be a country diner, but this Italian-inspired restaurant set inside a building once owned by Ulysses S. Grant’s father, offers hearty steaks, great seafood and a Wine Spectator-recognized wine list.
Little Tokyo – Yes, it may seem a little strange to get sushi in Northwest Illinois, but Little Tokyo has super-fresh fish for their sushi and sashimi. And they have other Japanese dishes like teriyaki chicken, shrimp tempura and a range of hibachi dinners including filet mignon, lobster tail and scallops.
Galena Brewing Company – When you want award-winning beers like IPA, hefeweizen and amber ale — all handcrafted on site — to go along with baked chicken wings; hefe lime nachos; and slow-roasted hand-pulled pork while listening to live music, you definitely want to be here.
Get active in Galena
Galena Wine Cellars Tour – What’s better than seeing a gorgeous country vineyard up close? Getting to taste through a bunch of their delicious wines! Take an approximately hour-long tour that first covers the history of the winery before you visit the vineyard to see the 22 grape varietals they grow. You’ll then tour the cellars before returning to the tasting room to get six half-ounce wine pours chosen from the 40 wines they make on site. Public tours cost $10 per person with an additional $7.50 admission fee.
Breakfast Diva Cooking Class at Farmers Guest House – You don’t have to book a room at Farmer’s Guest House to take advantage of the cooking prowess of Susan Steffan, a.k.a. the Breakfast Diva. The 90-minute classes cost $35 and Steffan will teach you how to make a multi-course meal with dishes like chicken piccata, barbecue ribs or some of her renowned breakfast desserts.
Blaum Brothers Distilling Co. Tour – Blaum Brothers is growing acclaim within the craft spirits world with its bourbon, gin, moonshine and other spirits and you can see how everything is made. The $10, 45-minute tours take place daily and you’ll learn about the entire process and end with a guided tasting.
Chestnut Mountain – Whether you want to check out the Alpine slide or go zip lining in summer or hit the slopes to ski or snowboard in winter, this year-round resort offers plenty of things to keep you moving.
Golf and Spa at Eagle Ridge Resort – The Galena area has 10 top golf courses, and you’ll definitely want to play some rounds at the award-winning Eagle Ridge. The property has four championship courses set among natural beauty. And when you’re done on the links, hit the Zen ambiance of the 6,000-square-foot Stonedrift Spa for facials, body work, couples massage and more luxurious indulgences.
Galena on the Fly– What better way to see the full scope of the countryside than from the basket of a soaring hot air balloon? Each balloon can hold up to 14 people and you can book a sunrise or sunset cruise and even get married at 3,000 feet up!
When you want to get your shop on
A Bushel & a Peck – About 25 minutes from downtown Galena, this country store is an antiquer’s treasure chest. Find vintage and reclaimed furniture, house wares and locally crafted foodstuffs including honey, maple syrup, cheese and eggs.
Galena Clay Works – If you love handcrafted functional objects like bowls, dishes and other beautiful pottery, you must make a stop at Kent Henderson’s adorable studio in Galena’s “Old Town” district. You’ll likely end up leaving with a bunch of goods.
Galena Canning Company – Discover a bounty of delicious sauces, jams, jellies, dressings, olive oils, barbecue sauce, seasonings, rubs, relishes, pickles, bloody mary mixes and even more to stock up your kitchen back home.
All That’s Vintage – For antiques right on Main Street, you can’t go wrong with All That’s Vintage. You’ll snag house wares, bake ware, vintage cameras, fancy hats and so much more.
And when you want to sleep
Aldrich Guest House – This gay owned, five-bedroom B&B about five minutes from Main Street dates back to a time when both President Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant roamed the halls. It has a very lovely, country feel with plush brass beds and rooms with sitting areas, free Wifi throughout, Beekman 1802 bath products, full hot breakfast and wine and snacks daily at 5 p.m.
Jail Hill Inn – The nicest thing about the Jail Hill Inn is that, unlike when it was a real prison, you actually get to leave when you want. But seriously, this charming inn set inside a 135-year-old building atop a hill overlooking the Galena countryside underwent a complete renovation in 2015. Today, the six-suite, four-story inn features rooms each boasting king size beds with luxe linens, Aveda products, fireplaces and Kohler bathrooms with steam showers or massage tubs. Guests are welcomed to their room with chocolates and Champagne upon arrival and enjoy three-course breakfasts each morning.
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa — In addition to golf and spa services, Eagle Ridge is the area’s premier resort set over 6,800 acres. You’ll find well-appointed rooms and villas, award-winning restaurants, hiking and biking trails, fishing, kayaking and a host of other activities.
Today, NMAC Launches “Save Our Services,” an innovative campaign created to empower Americans across the country in fighting the proposed federal budget cuts that would cause severe harm to vital HIV treatment and prevention services.
SOS will enlist the advocacy of community volunteers to contact their representatives in Congress both in their home offices during the August recess and on Capitol Hill for the official “HIV/STD Action Day” on Sept. 6. This Day of Action will precede the opening of NMAC’s annual U.S. Conference on AIDS, which will run from Sept. 7 – 10. More information about “Save Our Services” can be found at nmac.org/sos.“We are at a critical point in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The real possibility of ending the epidemic is in sight but only if we continue to use and fund the current tools we already have.,” said Paul Kawata, Executive Director of NMAC. “Through methods like Treatment as Prevention and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, we have seen drastic reductions in new infections around the country. But that progress is threatened by the cuts proposed by this Administration to HIV/AIDS services. These cuts could lead to a resurgence of HIV in America just as we have found a path to potentially end it.
If passed, the president’s budget would:
Eliminate the Secretary Minority AIDS Initiative FUND (SMAIF), a program that provides over $50 million in funding that helps get and keep people of color in care.
Decrease funding to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by $59 million thereby eliminating AIDS Education and Training Centers which would make it all but impossible for clients seeking HIV-related services to do so.
Cut $610 billion from Medicaid – one of the largest payers of insurance for people living with HIV.
Result in over one million fewer HIV tests each year, meaning thousands of people will be unaware of their status leading to over 30,000 more people becoming HIV-positive.
“These cuts would deprive communities of color – which are more greatly impacted by HIV – from vital treatment and prevention services,” said Kawata. “Make no mistake: these proposed cuts would lead to more people becoming sick, becoming HIV-positive, or even dying. We absolutely cannot back down in the fight against HIV/AIDS now that we are so close to a final victory in this decades-long fight.”
Clinical laboratories could significantly improve healthcare for the transgender community by using both sex and gender identity to make decisions about clinical testing, and by determining normal lab values for healthy transgender patients. A review published today in AACC’s Clinical Chemistry journal emphasizes these as critical steps on the road to eliminating the many hurdles that transgender individuals face when seeking quality healthcare.
Surveys show that 25%-30% of transgender people delay or avoid healthcare due to fear of discrimination, 15%-20% have been refused care by medical professionals, and 25%-30% have experienced harassment or violence in a healthcare setting. In addition to this widespread overt discrimination, many healthcare protocols do not account for sex/gender incongruence and little medical research exists on the effect of gender-affirming hormone therapy and surgery on physiology. In particular, these issues hinder the ability of transgender patients to get accurate clinical laboratory test results—which in turn can lead to incorrect diagnoses and treatments. One serious example of this is a case in which PSA screening was correctly ordered for a transwoman, but a large national reference laboratory failed to flag the elevated results indicating prostate cancer because her sex was listed as female. As a result, her tumor was not caught until much later, when it had already advanced to stage 3.
In this review, a team of researchers led by Dina N. Greene, PhD, of the University of Washington in Seattle recommend best practices for clinical laboratories to help ensure that transgender patients receive equitable care. One of the most important steps labs can take is to base decisions on a patient’s birth sex and gender identity. However, labs frequently don’t receive both of these pieces of information. Labs should therefore develop institution-wide protocols for identifying transgender patients that highlight the different electronic medical record systems where sex and gender identity both need to be listed. As an additional precaution, when sex-specific tests such as those for PSA or pregnancy are seemingly ordered for a patient of the opposite sex, labs should not cancel these tests and should always properly flag the results.
A critical need also exists for labs to develop precise reference intervals for transgender patients taking hormone therapy. Reference intervals are the range of normal test values appropriate for a patient population and are crucial for correctly interpreting test results. Sex-specific reference intervals are used for hormone-related tests in addition to several indispensable primary care tests, such as those for cholesterol, liver and kidney function, and red and white blood cell levels. Until such reference intervals are established for the transgender population, lab professionals should use hormone therapy status and clinical judgment to assess abnormal test results in transgender individuals.
“Understanding gender incongruence, the clinical changes associated with gender transition, and systemic barriers that maintain a gender/sex binary are key to providing adequate healthcare to the transgender community,” said Greene. “Transgender appropriate reference interval studies are virtually absent from within the medical literature and should be explored. The laboratory has an important role in improving the physiological understanding, electronic medical system recognition, and overall social awareness of the transgender community.”
Are you preparing to sell your home? If so, you probably have a dollar amount that you need to get in order to pay off your current mortgage or to purchase your next home. Ideally, though, you’ll get more than that. In order to get your asking price or more, you need to make certain your house is in the best condition possible. Before you list your home, here are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting your asking price.
The first thing you can do is paint. That may seem like a very small detail, but it can do a lot to make your home look better. Even if the paint doesn’t have any chips, scratches, or marks on it, chances are that it has faded. By putting down a new coat of paint, even if it’s the same color, you’ll make your home look better. Don’t forget to touch up the exterior, too. Your curb appeal is incredibly important. If the exterior has missing paint and is obviously dirty and dingy, you won’t get as many lookers. Even if you have recently painted, you might think about doing one new topcoat, especially over white or other light colors.
Take the time to de-clutter your home. You want a potential buyer to be able to imagine themselves living in your house, and it’s hard for them to do that if you have things spread out all over. Pick up laundry, put away your children’s toys, and straight up any piles of mail you have. Do whatever you can to make your home look as spacious as possible, even if that means putting some things in boxes or taking them out to the garage. If possible, you may even want to rent a storage unit and store a lot of your unused furniture and items there. The less stuff you have crammed in a room, the larger that room is going to look. That, in turn, will make it more attractive to the buyer.
If you’re going to continue to live in your house while it’s being shown to potential buyers, you have to keep it as clean as possible. In fact, you’re going to want to go above and beyond your normal level of cleaning. That’s going to be somewhat difficult to maintain, especially if you have children or pets, but do your best. If possible, clean some rooms and stop using them except when you absolutely need to. People will understand if you’re still living in the home, but remember, the cleaner, the better.
Pay special attention to the floors. In fact, you will want to have your carpets cleaned by a professional. Make sure the halls, entryway, and any other area with high traffic is given a very thorough cleaning. When someone walks into your home, they should see a pristine, clean area.
Your real estate agent may ask that you leave the home when someone comes to view it. Ask them to give you as much notice as possible so you can do some last-minute cleaning and straightening before you go. Don’t be alarmed at this request, either. Agents generally prefer to show an empty house. Potential buyers may get very nervous if you’re still there. They need to have the freedom to really look at the home and ask the agent any questions they might have.
Get the Yard in shape. Remember that one of the first things your real estate agent is going to do is take pictures of the property for its online listing. You want those pictures to look amazing. That means get your yard cleaned up, mowed, and looking as good as possible. Trim up the trees, get rid of any dead plants, and make sure there’s nothing overgrown or out of control. Even though the plants may not be a part of the house itself, people will assume you treat the house the same way you treat the yard. If it’s well-kept, they will assume the house is, too. If it shows that you don’t pay attention to it, potential buyers might assume you haven’t paid attention to any of the little details in the house, either.
Fix anything that’s broken or even slightly damaged. Light fixtures, windows, mirrors, towel bars, and anything else that is cracked or otherwise in need of repair needs to be fixed. What might seem like a minor thing to you may be a deal breaker to someone else.
Finding the right real estate agent is another key component of selling your home for your asking price. For those who are in the LGBT community, finding an agent who identifies as a member of that community can be a good idea. These agents will understand your particular needs and will be able to help you find buyers who will be interested in your home. You can find these real estate agents on www.GayRealEstate.com, a website dedicated to LGBT real estate.
Once you’ve found a great agent, as them to do a walk-through of your home and make notes. Your agent is going to know the market and what people are currently looking for. They will be able to make suggestions about what to change or repair in order to attract the most buyers. They may have a few ideas that aren’t on this list that buyers in your specific area have been asking for. Follow their advice—your agent is your best source of information.
With the right real estate agent on your side, you’ll be able to prepare your home to impress potential buyers. Just always do what you can to repair as much as possible and then keep your home clean. While it can be a challenge if you’re still living there, it will pay off in the long run.
INNdulge, a leading gay resort in Palm Springs, is inviting men to get in touch with their bodies and spirits this fall at NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND; three fun days of uninhibited camaraderie under the hot desert sun. NY artist Shungaboy will lead the festivities that include Naked Figure Drawing, a Naked Hike in the desert, Naked Yoga and relaxation by the pool. “All activities are optional, so men can enjoy the weekend at their own pace,” says Shungaboy. “It will also be a judgment-free weekend, meaning weight, fitness level, penis size and drawing skills don’t matter!” NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND takes place at INNdulge Palm Springs beginning Friday, Sept 29 and continues through Sunday, Oct 1, with an optional day on Thursday, Sept 28 for those who want to start the weekend early.
“As we navigate through our busy lives in these tech-driven times, it is important for men to be in touch with their bodies and spirits,” explains Shungaboy from his home in New York. “A deeper understanding of ourselves enables men to steer through the distractions and obstacles of life and work toward achieving our dreams and goals.”
“Being naked also peels away the outer layer most of us use to deceive ourselves and it encourages us to love who we truly are,” he adds.
The weekend’s signature activity is Naked Figure Drawing, a process that requires mental concentration. Artists need to be able to focus on the naked model and translate his figure into pencil lines on a piece of paper. The drawing itself isn’t the important thing; it’s the internal journey of the artist. Still, with time and practice, drawing skills do improve and Shungaboy is there to provide one-on-one drawing instruction to anyone seeking guidance. Sketchpads and pencils are provided, though guests may bring their own art materials.
Unlike traditional drawing groups, where the model is naked and the artists are clothed, everyone is naked at NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND. It encourages a camaraderie not found in traditional groups. Additionally, as there is no hired model; guests take turns posing for each other. Anyone interested in posing is encouraged to give it a try. “It’s empowering and a lot of fun!” says Shungaboy.
The Naked Hike allows men to commune with nature in the vast California desert. “It’s liberating to feel the breeze on your skin while trekking through the dramatic desert landscape with its immense flora and rocks,” says Shungaboy. Local members of the Naked Hiking in Palm Springs hiking club will lead the morning expedition. Of course, sun block, good walking shoes, a hat, and plenty of water are musts.
Following the hike, guests may choose to enjoy Naked Yoga. It’s a wonderful way for men to stretch out their muscles after the invigorating excursion. Then men may decide between sliding into the pool or hot tub or they can opt for Naked Massage. Massage is not included in the package cost, however, local masseur Larry is offering a discounted rate for in-room massages for attendees staying at INNdulge.
For those who want to venture on their own, away from the group, that’s ok too. There’s plenty to do in Palm Springs: from the springs to the golf courses and spas, to hiking along the numerous hidden trails in the Coachella Valley. There are also tons of gay bars, restaurants and nightclubs and the shopping cannot be beat, with major retailers in Downtown Palm Springs and on El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert.
Since the 1920s, the vintage resort town, world renowned for its midcentury-modern architecture, has been the desert playground for gay men and women. 50s-era stars like Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter made Palm Springs their second home because the town allowed them to escape the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and enjoy sexual freedom without fear of being outed. It is that same sexual freedom that continues to be a popular draw for gay travelers today.
NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND is sex-positive but it’s not a sex party. Says Shungaboy, “We believe erections are natural and we welcome them at any time.”
NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND will take place at INNdulge, a spectacular clothing-optional resort that has enjoyed a 21-year history in Palm Springs. It’s popular for its epic mountain views, marvelous courtyard with immaculately landscaped lawns and large sculptures, as well as its magnificent kidney-shaped pool and 12-man keyhole whirlpool spa. Jon Jackson and his partner purchased the property six years ago.
Shungaboy started NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS as an alternative to traditional figure drawing groups, but the therapeutic aspect at INNdulge inspired him to build a weekend of it. “Palm Springs is an ideal escape from the chaotic daily life most of us endure,” he explains. “This will be a time to connect with other men and recharge our spiritual batteries.”
For those who may feel reluctant to attend a nudist weekend, Shungaboy understands. “It’s perfectly natural as we have all been ingrained by media and society to be insecure about our bodies. We’re all friends at NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND, so c’mon and dive in! You’ll be glad you did.”
NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND at INNdulge Palm Springs takes place Sept 29-Oct 1, 2017. Optional early arrival on Sept 28. Register for NAKED ARTISTS & FRIENDS WEEKEND at https://www.mensnakeddrawing.com/palmsprings/. Out of town attendees can book their room at http://INNdulge.com.
Theratechnologies Inc. (Theratechnologies) (TSX: TH) announced Friday that it has been notified by its partner, TaiMed Biologics, Inc., that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for ibalizumab as a treatment for multidrug resistant Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (MDR HIV-1). If approved, ibalizumab will be the first antiretroviral treatment (ART) with a new mechanism of action to be introduced in nearly 10 years and the only treatment that does not require daily dosing.
“We are excited to be one step closer to potentially bringing an important new treatment, with a new mechanism of action, to patients whose virus has become resistant to therapies in multiple classes and have limited treatment options for the long-term management of their condition,” said Luc Tanguay, President and Chief Executive Officer, Theratechnologies Inc. “The granting of Priority Review status is important since it confirms that, if approved, ibalizumab would represent a significant improvement in the treatment of this serious condition,” added Mr. Tanguay.
The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of January 3, 2018, for the ibalizumab application. Priority Review status accelerates FDA review time from 10 months to a goal of six months from the day of acceptance. In addition, ibalizumab received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA in 2015, which is given if a therapy may provide a substantial improvement over what is currently available to address a serious and life-threatening condition. The FDA also granted Orphan Drug designation in 2014.
The BLA, submitted on May 3, 2017, is based on data from the phase III TMB-301 study, a single arm, 24-week study of ibalizumab plus an optimized background regimen (OBR) in treatment-experienced patients who had high pre-existing levels of drug resistance and advanced clinical disease.
As HIV multiplies in the body, the virus may mutate to produce drug-resistant strains. Viral mutations may mean that HIV medicines that previously controlled a person’s virus are no longer effective, causing treatment to fail. There are approximately 20,000 to 25,000 Americans with HIV-1 that are resistant to at least one drug out of the three different classes of antiretroviral therapies. Up to 12,000 of these patients experience a virological failure over a period of 48 weeks of treatment, requiring their physician to modify their treatment.
About ibalizumab
Ibalizumab is an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody being developed for the treatment of MDR HIV-1 infection. Unlike other antiretroviral agents, ibalizumab binds primarily to the second extracellular domain of the CD4+ T cell receptor, away from major histocompatibility complex II molecule binding sites. It potentially prevents HIV from infecting CD4+ immune cells while preserving normal immunological function.
Ibalizumab is active against HIV-1 resistant to all approved antiretroviral agents.
