Love After Loss: Photographs by Elena Rue

World AIDS Day Photography Exhibit

A poignant view into the lives of AIDS orphans in Ethiopia as they confront sorrow and find solace in reconstructed families.

November 30th through December 4th.

The World Bank
J Building Lobby
708 18th St NW

Sponsored by the World Bank, ACTafrica

Exhibit is free and open to the public.

CAVE Meeting December 9th

The next CAVE meeting will take place December 9th at 7:00 PM at the DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW Suite 350. Our meetings normally take place the second Wednesday of each month. The meeting will include a mini-presentation and discussion on The HIV Vaccine Trials Network Group Meeting recently held in Seattle. Please join us!

CAVE (www.aidsvaccine.org) is the community advisory board for the Vaccine Research Center. Capital Area Vaccine Effort is a volunteer panel of individuals from the general public and from the diverse communities affected by AIDS. CAVE is organized to assist and advise AIDS vaccine trials in the metropolitan DC area by:

• Assessing the concerns and serving as an advocate for AIDS vaccine participants and the general public.
• Acting as a liaison & ombudsman between AID vaccine researchers and those interested in AIDS vaccine research.
• Reflecting affected populations in its own composition.As appropriate, encouraging participation in AIDS Vaccine Trials, and acting as community educators on AIDS vaccine research
• Assessing ethical and social implications & impact of the AIDS Vaccine Trials

December 3rd: Hepatitis C And HIV Coinfection

Alpha Drugs invites you to attend their Survival Forum VII: Hepatitis C and HIV Coinfection: Current Issues and Challenges to Treating HIV presented by Dr. Michael Pistole, Private Practice HIV/HCV Specialist.

Thursday December 3rd at the Hotel Palomar (The Phillips Ballroom) - 2121 P Street, NW DC. (202)448-1800. (1/2 block from the Dupont Circle Metro).

Free Admission/Dinner Served
Registration: 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Dinner/Lecture: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Sponsored by Alpha Drugs and DC Community AIDS Network (DC CAN) 1638 R Street, NW, Suite 230, Washington, DC 200009.

RSVP AND INFORMATION CONTACT: leigh@alphadrugs.com - (202)265-5757

DC Fights Back 'Systems Failure' World AIDS Day March/Rally

What: Systems Failure - WORLD AIDS DAY Demonstration and Rally

When & Where: December 1st, 12:00 Noon, White House to the Wilson Building

It was just a little over three years ago when city leaders were "shocked" and "appalled" to find that one in 50 DC residents was believed to be living with full blown AIDS. We got another "wake up call" on March 17th of this year with the release of the new data revealed that that HIV & AIDS in the District is classified as a "severe epidemic" and another "wake up call" when the Washington Post exposed what many of us suspected.

How many "wake up calls" do we need? We were presented with plans that have no ambitious goals towards ending the epidemic. The FY 10 Department of Health Performance Plan's ( http://capstat.oca.dc.gov/Pdf.aspx?pdf=http://capstat.oca.dc.gov/docs/fy10/DOH.pdf ) ambitious goal for housing actually calls for 11 LESS units of HIV/AIDS housing than last year! Now DC's $12.2 million in federal HIV & AIDS Housing funding is threatened due to this gross mismanagement.

Today, our communities continue to be under attack and we will fight back! To end the HIV/AIDS epidemic we must fix the system!

Who: DC Fights Back, Campaign to End AIDS, Health GAP, Women's Collective; START at Westminster, National AIDS Housing Coalition, Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association, Housing Works, ACT UP Philly, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

We Are Demanding:

A Washington DC Comprehensive HIV & AIDS plan* that identifies the gaps, describes the services needed to fill those gaps and sets ambitious time-framed goals and targets, and includes a strategy for accountability.

Doubling of the city resources allocated for HIV/AIDS to include housing, substance use/abuse, mental health, prevention of violence against women, comprehensive sex/sexuality education, prevention, stigma as well as care and treatment.

This comprehensive plan must include:

A. AIDS treatment for every person in need and programs that ensure continuity of care.

B. Housing for every person on the HIV & AIDS housing waiting list, and developing a strategy to prevent the list from growing again.

C. Access to high quality substance abuse and mental health treatment as part of a continuum of care.

D. Expanded prevention programs including harm reduction and clean needle programs to reach all in need.

E. A strategy implemented to address the role sexual violence and violence against women play in rising HIV infection rates as well as barriers to education, care, and other supportive services.

F. Competent, science-based HIV/AIDS education to reach all students, parents, and seniors.

G. A campaign to build unity among dc residents to fight HIV and the stigma that blames and attacks people for illness.

H. Remove barriers that restrict employment rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

To end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we must fix the system!

For more information on how to participate, questions about transportation, to add your organization as a partner, and to rsvp, please contact Larry Bryant at 202.408.0305.

Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS

Join us Thursday December 10th as editor Philip Clark reads from his new anthology 'Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS.' Forty-five of the most admired poets who died of AIDS are remembered in this new and groundbreaking collection

From Reinaldo Arenas, Tory Dent, and James Merrill to Paul Monette, Essex Hemphill, and Joe Brainard, Persistent Voices memorializes these poets and many others by presenting their work--often dealing with AIDS but also about other enduring topics--in the context of an unending epidemic that has profoundly affected our literature.

This event takes place Thursday December 10th at 6:30 PM at the DC Center, 1111 14th St NW Suite 350.

The editors' advance and all royalties from this book will go to the PEN Fund for Writers and Editors with AIDS.

New Weekly Bar Night for POZ Guys & Allies

Motley Bar is launching a brand new bar night for HIV positive guys and guys who don't have hang-ups about dating HIV positive guys. The party starts at 9:00 PM on November 24th and every Tuesday at Motley Bar, which is located directly above EFN Lounge at 1318 19th Street NW.

Tuesday night will feature HIV positive bartenders and DJ's. The event is being organized by HIV positive party promoter Jacob Pring. Of course, everyone is welcome, whether you are HIV positive or not!

You may recall that we normally do Packing Parties at 7:00 PM on Tuesdays at Motley. Due to Thanksgiving week, there will be no packing party this Tuesday. But going forward, we'll have packing parties on Tuesdays at 7:00, followed by the weekly POZ bar night. And Motley will still have great drink specials including $8 pitchers.

For more information, Join the POZ DC Facebook Fan Page.

World AIDS Day at the World Bank

Keeping the Promise, Investing in the Future: Linking HIV/AIDS, Food Security, and Maternal and Child Health
December 1st, 8:30-10:45am
Preston Auditorim, The World Bank, 1818 H St NW

Please be sure to rsvp to worldaidsday@worldbank.org in order to arrange for a security pass, ideally before Nov 20th.

With the Obama Administration now shaping a new Global Health Initiative and global development program, WAD this year is a critical opportunity to underscore the progress made in the global fight against HIV and highlight the challenges ahead in scaling-up treatment, prevention, and integration of HIV programs with programs in maternal and child health, nutrition, and food security.

This will be a high-level panel featuring senior leaders for the World Bank, Global Fund, US Government, the research community and civil society. In addition to key agency leaders like Michel Kazatchkine from the Global Fund, one of our compelling speakers will be Beldina Atieno. Also at the event we will be releasing new research linking food security and ART effectiveness.

Speakers include: Robert Zoellick (President, World Bank), Michel Kazatchkine (Executive Director, Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria), The Honorable Jack Lew (Deputy Secretary of State), Ambassador Eric Goosby (US Global AIDS Coordinator), Jean Pape (Director, GHESKIO, Haiti), Joy Phumaphi (Former Minister of Health Botswana, Former Assistant Director General WHO); Beldina Atieno (HIV+ school teacher and mother from Kenya, featured in award-winning film "Courage and Hope" ); Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director, The World Bank.

The event will be moderated by Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Medica and Public Affairs, George Washington University. Formerly her was a bureau chief, anchor, White House correspondent, Senior Vice President of CNN.

Breakfast will be served.

"Beyond the Diagnosis" at Atlas Theater

Atlas Theatre is presenting "Beyond the Diagnosis", a collection of short plays developled in collaboration with HIV-positive people living in the D.C. area. These plays reflect the passions and challenges that HIV-positive people, and the health professionals who treat them, face everyday.

Come join us on November 19th, 2009

Show starts at 7:30pm

The Atlas Theater is located at 1333 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

To get there by Metro, take the Orange Line to Minnesota Ave or the Red Line to Gallery Place. Then hop on the FREE H Street Shuttle (Look for the passenger vans with green and white H Street NE logos). The shuttle runs from 5:00pm until the Metro closes.

For Reservations, call: 877-587-1701.

Our Heroes: 2009 World AIDS Day Reception

Join us on World AIDS Day, Tuesday December 1st, for a special reception at the Center featuring the Our Heroes Exhibit.

Our Heroes is a collection of 150 striking black and white photographs honoring the people, places, and events that marked or charged the history of HIV/AIDS in Washington, DC in the last 25+ years.  The exhibit will be on display at the Center for the month of December.

Join us for this special reception honoring all of the heroes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington DC. The Reception takes place Tuesday December 1st starting at 6:30 PM at the Center, 1111 14th St NW. Light refreshments will be served.

World AIDS DAY Luncheon: HIV Vaccine Research

Free World AIDS Day Luncheon
HIV Vaccine Research: A New Chapter

December 1st, 2009
12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM
HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave, NW
this event is free and open to the public

Speakers: Elizabeth Adams, DAIDS, NIH; Anthony Fauci, NIAID, NIH; Barney Graham, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH: Sanjay Phogat, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Mark de Souza, Afrims.

A question and answer session will be moderated by Mitchell Warren, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC).

Scientists have been searching for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection since the virus was first identified in 1983. Each clinical trial brings us one step closer to finding an effective vaccine. More than 25,000 HIV-negative individuals have participated in both government- and privately sponsored HIV vaccine trials.

This event will discuss current HIV vaccine research including the results of the 'Thai Study', and outcomes of the recent Paris HIV Vaccine Conference. Speakers will be announced shortly.

Sponsors: AIDS Action, AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, Aids Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC), Capital Area Vaccine Effort, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), Prevention Works, The DC Center, Us Helping Us, US Military Research Program, Vaccine Research Center, Whitman Walker Clinic.

 

Packing Parties Every Tuesday at Motley

Help us Keep DC Safer! Join the HIV Working Group every Tuesday Night at Motley Bar for Packing Parties. Volunteers assemble safer sex kits and enjoy great drink specials at Motley from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

The DC Center HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia. For more information, visit the HIV Working Group Page.

CAVE Meeting November 11th

The next CAVE meeting will take place November 11th at 7:00 PM at the DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW Suite 350. Our meetings normally take place the second Wednesday of each month. The meeting will include a mini-presentation and discussion on The Role of Community Advisory Board Members. We will also be finalizing our plans for World AIDS Day. Please join us!

CAVE (www.aidsvaccine.org) is the community advisory board for the Vaccine Research Center. Capital Area Vaccine Effort is a volunteer panel of individuals from the general public and from the diverse communities affected by AIDS. CAVE is organized to assist and advise AIDS vaccine trials in the metropolitan DC area by:

• Assessing the concerns and serving as an advocate for AIDS vaccine participants and the general public.
• Acting as a liaison & ombudsman between AID vaccine researchers and those interested in AIDS vaccine research.
• Reflecting affected populations in its own composition.As appropriate, encouraging participation in AIDS Vaccine Trials, and acting as community educators on AIDS vaccine research
• Assessing ethical and social implications & impact of the AIDS Vaccine Trials

Washington Blade Profiles Activist & Center Board Member Pat Hawkins

Dr. Pat Hawkins is featured in the Washington Blade Queery Column this week. Dr. Hawkins serves on the Board of Directors of The DC Center.

It’s been a year of change and transition for Pat Hawkins, one of the Rainbow History pioneers being honored this month. She was laid off Dec. 31 after nearly 20 years at Whitman-Walker Clinic where she worked as a psychotherapist. She spent most of the year consulting, doing private practice and working on getting the Ryan White act reauthorized. She was approached by Peter Metasatos to start a new venture, the D.C. Community AIDS Network, where she’ll work as a psychotherapist and behavioral health consultant. Hawkins, 69, says there are so many pressing needs facing D.C.’s HIV-positive residents, there’s room for many service organizations. “So many with HIV and AIDS are not receiving care,” she says.

continue reading this article on the Washington Blade website

Packing Party October 13th

Help us Keep DC Safer! Join members of the HIV Working Group on Tuesday, October 13th at Motley Bar for another Packing Party. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying great drink specials at Motley. 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

The DC Center HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia. For more information, visit the HIV Working Group Page.

October Stakeholder Conference Call
State Budget Cuts: Is California Our Future?
Tuesday, Oct 20th @ 1:00 PM (Eastern)/10:00 AM (Pacific)

Our October call will be on “State Budget Cuts: Is California Our Future?” Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 20th at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern)/10:00 a.m. (Pacific). The call in number is 1-605-475-6333; code: 481162. You may e-mail your questions to info@nmac.org or send them through Twitter: http://twitter.com/NMACCommunity

We will be joined by Anne Donnelly, from Project Inform; Julie Cross, a Health and Disability Policy Consultant; and Julie Scofield or Laura Hanen from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) who has done a summary of all 50 states and their HIV/AIDS state budgets.

Volunteer Opportunity: HPCPG Seeks New Members

The DC HIV Prevention Community Planning Group is looking for volunteers to help the DC Department of Health stop the HIV epidemic in the District. The group’s goal is to develop a comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan for the District.

The HPCPG is comprised of a diverse group of community members from different racial/ethnic, gender and age groups who represent the perspectives of the groups most affected by the epidemic, including injection drug users, heterosexuals and men who have sex with men,

The group includes individuals with expertise in behavioral science, epidemiology and evaluation, as well as individuals with knowledge of the HIV prevention needs of District residents. Approximately 20 percent of the members are people living with HIV.

The group meets approximately 8 times a year. Members serve 2-year terms.

We are seeking individuals who can represent the perspectives of various risk groups, either because they identify with or can advocate for these groups, including youth (men and women 13-24), PLWH, Black MSM, Black male IDUs, Black heterosexual men and women, and transgender women.

The HPCPG is also seeking behavioral scientists, epidemiologists and evaluators.

Applications may be submitted until October 26, 2009.

To obtain an electronic copy of the application or for additional information please e-mail donald.babb@dc.gov.

Free Training: Everything You Wanted To Know about STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) But Were Afraid To Ask

Free Training: Everything You Wanted To Know about STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) But Were Afraid To Ask
Thursday, October 15th 10am-4pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

We are very fortunate to have Melissa Sellevaag (Coordinator of Education, Training and Outreach at the DOH’s Bureau of Bureau of Sexually Transmitted Disease Control) facilitating this meeting! During this training you will learn all about the symptoms (or lack thereof), transmission, testing and treatment of those STIs that are sometimes overlooked because of our focus on HIV.

You will even learn how to perform the urine test for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea should you wish to expand your services.

In addition you will learn about:
Common misconceptions about STIs among health care providers
How to talk to your patients/clients about STIs
The relationship between STIs and HIV
What’s going on with STIs in DC
Resources for testing and treatment in DC
What the Bureau is up to and how they can help you
How to become more involved, expand, or improve your current service offerings

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to Mary Beth Levin (mailto:mlevin@preventionworksdc.org)%20to%20reserve a space.

HIV Working Group Meeting: Focus on HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials

The next meeting of The DC Center's HIV Working Group takes place Wednesday October 28th at 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St NW Suite 350.

This months meeting will include a presentation on HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials taking place in the District of Columbia. Participants will get an overview of what type of HIV/AIDS trials are happening in our area and how to find out about them. We'll also discuss how to decide whether or not a trial is right for you, and how community members have input into the research process.

The HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia. The group normally meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

Packing Party October 6th

Help us Keep DC Safer! Join members of the HIV Working Group on Tuesday, October 6th at Motley Bar for another Packing Party. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying great drink specials at Motley. 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

The DC Center HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia. For more information, visit the HIV Working Group Page.

Office of National AIDS Policy Washington DC Community Meeting

The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is leading the effort to develop a national strategy to achieve the following primary goals: 1. Reducing HIV incidence 2. Increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes 3. Reducing HIV-related health disparities

ONAP is sponsoring a community discussion in Washington, DC on Monday, September 21 from 6 pm to 8 pm to hear recommendations from HIV community stakeholders in the Washington, DC area for how to achieve the three goals outlined above. We encourage you to take the opportunity to share the HIV medical provider perspective.

The meeting will be held at the University of the District of Columbia Auditorium (building #46 on campus map) directions.

Registration:

Individuals interested in attending the Community Discussion may RSVP online at: http://www.cmpinc.net/ONAP. Please feel free to add this link to your website and distribute it widely to others who may be interested.

CAVE Meeting October 14th

The next CAVE meeting will take place October 14th at 7:00 PM at the DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW Suite 350. The meeting will include a mini-presentation and discussion on Research Ethics. We will also be planning upcoming events for World AIDS Day. Please join us!

CAVE (www.aidsvaccine.org) is the community advisory board for the Vaccine Research Center. Capital Area Vaccine Effort is a volunteer panel of individuals from the general public and from the diverse communities affected by AIDS. CAVE is organized to assist and advise AIDS vaccine trials in the metropolitan DC area by:

• Assessing the concerns and serving as an advocate for AIDS vaccine participants and the general public.
• Acting as a liaison & ombudsman between AID vaccine researchers and those interested in AIDS vaccine research.
• Reflecting affected populations in its own composition.As appropriate, encouraging participation in AIDS Vaccine Trials, and acting as community educators on AIDS vaccine research
• Assessing ethical and social implications & impact of the AIDS Vaccine Trials

Free Training: HIV Meds & Street drugs and Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users

Free Training: HIV Meds & Street drugs and Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users
Thursday, September 24th, 10am-4pm
Prevention Works!
2501 Benning Rd NE

This is part of our series of trainings facilitated by technical experts from the Harm Reduction Coalition in New York. The description is as follows:

HIV Meds and Street Drugs
In this current “abstinence only” culture, there has been minimal research conducted on how street drugs and HIV medications interact. This half-day course will take an honest look at how ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines can potentially have a negative interaction with HIV/AIDS medications. This course is a must for HIV/AIDS case managers!

Outreach to Crack and Methamphetamine Users
This workshop will demonstrate and discuss the techniques for working with crack and meth users, a community of people traditionally neglected by service agencies. This workshop will focus on specific outreach tools, materials, and harm reduction tactics that have been successful with this “hard to reach” population. Attendees will leave this training with practical ideas and skills that they can apply to their own setting and the people they work with.

Spaces are limited! To reserve a space, please email Mary Beth Levin (mlevin@preventionworksdc.org).

Safer Sex Campaign Recognized in Advocate Magazine

The FUK!T/TOOLK!T safer sex campaign is featured in the current issue of The Advocate.

Dr. Frank Spinelli writes "I was to shocked to read the report out of Washington, D.C., suggesting that the number of AIDS cases there among African-American men is 12 times the national average and the rate of HIV infection is higher than in some parts of Western Africa. So you can imagine my pleasure when I first logged on to DCfukit.org, a community-based prevention program and website developed to stop the spread of HIV among D.C. men who have sex with men."

click here to continue reading this article on the Advocate.com website.

Become A Sponsor of Fight HIV in DC

click here to download sponsor packages.

For over three years, the website www.fighthivindc.org has been the leading online source of information about local efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia.

This year the website came under the umbrella of The DC Center as we launched our new HIV Working Group. The website includes information about the efforts of the HIV Working Group, and continues to provide a broad array of information about HIV prevention, treatment, and research in the District.

Of course, this work is made possible through sponsors like you. I invite you to become a 2010 sponsor of the www.fighthivindc.org website. Sponsors will be announced when we hold our World AIDS Day event this year, and will be featured prominently on the website from December 1st, 2009 to November 30th, 2010.

This is an opportunity for you to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in the District, but also this is a tremendous opportunity to reach a specific and important audience: the HIV/AIDS community in Washington, DC.

Please review the included sponsorship information and consider sponsoring www.fighthivindc.org in 2010. Your support is greatly appreciated.

To download the sponsorship information, click here.

October CODE Party Benefits The DC Center

The October CODE Party will benefit The DC Center. CODE is a NEW monthly party on the first Saturday of every month at EFN Lounge, for guys who wear leather, uniforms, or other gear.

The October CODE Party features DJ Andre Xcellence, Destiny B. Childs, and live acts/demos including Jake the Barber. They'll also be plenty of Safer Sex Kits on hand. For more information, visit www.codedc.com.

October 3rd, 2009
EFN Lounge
1318 9th St NW
10:00 PM to 3:00 AM

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day 2009

October 15th is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, a day to talk about HIV/AIDS in the Latino Community.

Latinos in the United States continue to be affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, accounting for a greater proportion of AIDS cases than their representation in the U.S. population overall, and the second highest AIDS case rate in the nation by race/ethnicity. Studies have shown that Latinos with HIV/AIDS may face additional barriers to accessing care than their white counterparts (read the fact sheet here).

To learn more, visit the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day website at www.nlaad.org.

HIV Working Group Meeting September 23rd

The next meeting of The DC Center's HIV Working Group takes place Wednesday September 23rd 7:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th St NW Suite 350. The group normally meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

The HIV Working Group focuses on HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men in the District of Columbia.

Drag Queen Jello Wrestling Event Benefits the HIV Working Group

Come Join Mr & Ms Capital Pride Leather 2009 Matt Bamford & Jackie Thompson for a fundraiser with Special Guest Co Host Regina Jozet Adams for a night of Drag Queen Jello Wrestling, $1 Jello Shots, $3 Cover 18+ to party. Sponsored by Gun Oil Lube and The Leather Rack.

This is going to a special and fun night at EFN Lounge. Along with the normal Jello Wrestling that we will be doing we have a special treat for you!!!

Come watch your favorite Queens Ophelia Bottoms, Tatiyanna Voche, Ann Michaels, Veronica Blake, Shelby Stephyns, and a special guest Queen for one night only Sharon Husbands with a few more surprises to come wrestle IN DRAG in our pool of Jello! These girls will be wrestling for the title of Ms EFN Jello 2009 and a Beautiful Crown!!!

Tuesday, September 8th
9:00pm
EFN Lounge
1318 9th St NW
Washington, DC

Come out and join us for this once in a lifetime event to help raise funds for DCFUKIT/Toolkit Safer Sex Campaign and BHT and support these girls as they wrestle for a good cause!!!

Prizes for Regular Wrestling:
$100 Cash Prize (winner)
1 yr supply of Condoms
32oz Pump Action Bottle of Gun Oil Lube
$50 Gift Cert to the Leather Rack
$50 Gift Cert to Flowers on 14th

* This event is open to everyone and anyone! If you want to wrestle make sure you wear something you are comfortable in and ladies if you want to wrestle please do but make sure you have a sports bra or t-shirt to wear!!

click here to RSVP on facebook

Packing Party at Motley September 3rd

Help us Keep DC Safer over Labor Day Weekend. Join members of the HIV Working Group on Thursday, September 3rd at Motley Bar for another Packing Party. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying great drink specials at Motley. 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

RSVP on Facebook

Metropolitan Washington Regional HIV (Ryan White) Health Services Planning Council is Accepting Membership Applications

Metropolitan Washington Regional HIV (Ryan White) Health Services Planning Council, which serves people living with HIV/AIDS in the DC metro area, is looking for members to serve for three-year terms that will begin in March 2010. The Planning Council assesses the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and allocates funds to meet those needs.

Planning Council Members are unpaid and appointed. They must devote 8-12 hours a month to the Planning Council.

If you are interested in becoming a Planning Council Member, please contact Mark Hill at the DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS Administration at mark.hill@dc.gov or

If interested, please apply by 5PM on September 18, 2009.

Packing Party August 25th

Join members of the HIV Working Group on Tuesday, August 25th at Motley Bar for another Packing Party. Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying $8 pitchers & 2 FOR 1 drinks at Motley. 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St NW (9th St Between N and O). Have fun, volunteer, and enjoy great drink specials.

Grant Writing Training

You can now apply online for our free grant writing training. Space is limited. Remember the due date is Thursday, Aug 20th. Apply @http://tinyurl.com/qftk36

Fighting Tobacco Use Amongst People Living with HIV/AIDS

On September 16 and 17, there will be a training, Treating Tobacco Dependence in the HIV/AIDS Community, for medical/health professionals who treat or provide care for people in DC.

Goals for participants of the training are: to be able to assess and treat smokers living with HIV/AIDS, be able to prescribe appropriate medications that will not interact with smoking, be able to discuss motivational techniques with HIV positive smokers, to understand the broader implications of tobacco use in the HIV/AIDS Community.

To register, please email Phoebe Robinson at probinson@aladc.org or call 202-546-5864 x226. Registration ends on August 31, 2009

CAVE Meeting September 9th

Please join us for the next meeting of the Capital Area Vaccine Effort(CAVE)on Wednesday September 9th at 7:00 PM. We'll be meeting at the DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW, Suite 350.

CAVE is the community advisory board for the Vaccine Research Center. Capital Area Vaccine Effort is a volunteer panel of individuals from the general public and from the diverse communities affected by AIDS. CAVE is organized to assist and advise AIDS vaccine trials in the metropolitan DC area by:

• Assessing the concerns and serving as an advocate for AIDS vaccine participants and the general public.
• Acting as a liaison & ombudsman between AID vaccine researchers and those interested in AIDS vaccine research.
• Reflecting affected populations in its own composition.
As appropriate, encouraging participation in AIDS Vaccine Trials, and acting as community educators on AIDS vaccine research
Assessing ethical and social implications & impact of the AIDS Vaccine Trials

For more information, visit www.aidsvaccine.org or visit the new CAVE Facebook Group.

The DC Center Announces First HIV/AIDS Grant

The Board of Directors of the Metro DC Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Community Center (The DC Center) are pleased to announce their first HIV/AIDS grant.

The National HIV Vaccine Research and Education Initiative Grant is designed to create a supportive local environment for HIV vaccine research by educating key communities about this research in areas where HIV vaccine clinical trials are ongoing or planned. The DC Center is one of several organizations that will be funded under this grant.

David Mariner, Executive Director of the DC Center stated: “This grant provides a unique opportunity to educate the GLBT community about the importance of HIV Vaccine research. We’ll be coordinating activities of this grant closely with our HIV Working Group.”

The DC Center will continue to work with the local community advisory board for HIV Vaccine Research, the Capital Area Vaccine Effort, and the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH. This partnership first began when The DC Center organized an educational event on vaccine research on October 1st, 2007 at Dakota Cowgirl/Titan Bar. More recently, the groups collaborated on a community update on HIV prevention research, under the direction of The DC Center’s Crystal Meth Working Group, which was held at the HRC Equality Center on May 14th of this year.

About The DC Center HIV Working Group

Following a December 4th Town Hall on HIV/AIDS, The DC Center launched their HIV Working Group in January of 2009. The HIV Working Group meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at the DC Center, and meetings are open to the public. The group, chaired by Daniel O’Neill, currently distributes over 2,000 safer sex kits each week. More information about the safer-sex kit campaign is available at the website www.dctoolkit.org.

About The DC Center

The DC Center’s mission is to celebrate, strengthen, and support community among the GLBT residents and organizations of Metropolitan Washington, DC. Programs of The DC Center include: Career Development, The David Bohnett CyberCenter, CenterArts, DC Crystal Meth Working Group, DC for Marriage, Elder Think Tank, GLOV – Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (a Task Force of The DC Center), HIV Working Group, OutWrite Author Series, and the Tobacco Working Group. The DC Center issues a weekly newsletter of GLBT community events and information. For more information and to sign up for our newsletter, please visit www.TheDCCenter.org.

Safer Sex Kit Campaign Expands to New Locations

The DC Center's HIV Working Group TOOLK!T/FUK!T Campaign is expanding into two new locations. The TOOLK!T safer sex kits will now be available at Pulp (www.pulpdc.com) located at 1803 14th Street, NW and Commisary (www.commissarydc.com) located at 1443 P Street, NW. The TOOLK!T/FUK!T Campaign is now distributing over 2,000 safer sex kits each week. If you'd like more information, please click here to join the HIV Working Group Yahoo Group or send an e-mail.

Current Campaign Locations:

• Town Dance Boutique: 2009 8th Street, NW
• Ziegfeld’s/Secrets: 1824 Half Street, SW
• The DC Center: 1111 14th Street, NW
• Pulp: 1803 14th Street, NW
• Commissary: 1443 P Street, NW

Your financial support makes this campaign possible. click here to make a donation now.

National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2009

National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day takes place on September 27th, 2009. This event was started by the National Association of People with AIDS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than half a million gay men have died of HIV/AIDS in the United States. Fifty-three percent of new HIV infections occurred among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 2006. From 2001 to 2006, men who have sex with men (MSM) across all racial and ethnic groups were the only transmission category with significant increases in HIV diagnoses.

Here in Washington DC in 2006, there were 190 newly reported AIDS cases attributed to men who have sex with men accounting for 40% of males and 27% of all adults and adolescents who received a diagnosis of AIDS in the year. The District has seen recent increases in HIV infections amoung younger men who have sex with men. Among young people 13 to 24, newly reported HIV cases among men who have sex with men increaased by 32% between 2001 and 2006 (from 15 cases to 22 cases).

To learn more visit this squidoo page: HIV/AIDS and Gay Men in DC.

Help us raise awareness of this event: click here to RSVP on facebook

Free Training: Women and HIV Prevention: Strategies for Developing Innovative Programs

Prevention Works will be holding a one-day training program primarily for service providers with a background in HIV/AIDS. It will be held on August 20th from 10 am to 4 pm at 2501 Benning Rd. NE.

This is part of their series of trainings facilitated by technical experts from the Harm Reduction Coalition in New York, specifically their African American Capacity Building Initiative.

By the end of the training, participants should be able to identify the areas of influence that place women at increased risk for contracting HIV, identify the steps of conducting a community assesment, and develop a sample HIV prevention program plan.

Spaces are limited. To reserve a slot, please send an email to Mary Beth Levin: mlevin@preventionworksdc.org

Call With Dr Mary Wakefield

Stakeholder call w/ Dr. Mary Wakefield, Admin of HRSA on Wed, Aug 5, @ 1:00 p.m. EST Call In: 1-605-475-6333 and code: 481162 Email your questions to info@nmac.org