Monday, October 24, 2005
Another boycott
I was scoping through my Connexion webpage this afternoon on my lunch break and came across an article from GayWired.com regarding “Christian group threatens Walgreen Boycott for Gay Games Sponsorship.” First thoughts: “Now what?” Read the article and came to find out that Walgreens has donated $100,000 to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, IL. Wow! Well, the Illinois Family Institute is in an uproar again. A few months ago they had gone ballistic with Kraft Foods being a sponsor and called for a boycott then. Don’t think the boycott ever worked.
Anyway, back to Walgreens. According to a company spokesperson, Walgreens pharmacists have been serving HIV+ patients since the 1980s. Go Walgreens! Their sponsorship is a way of giving back to the community. I congratulate them on that. What is the response of the “Family Institute?” They are insisting that Walgreens pull the funding or the executive director, Peter LeBarbara, will encourage his members to boycott. His words: “The Gay Games are about homosexuality, and I think it’s wrong for Walgreens to sponsor it. If they want to donate HIV drugs, that’s one thing. Homosexual behavior itself is a leading cause of HIV.”
Back that g-damn bus up!!
Homosexual behavior is one of the leading causes of HIV?? Okay, I currently work in pharmaceuticals, am somewhat involved with HIV medication studies, have several friends and ex’s that are HIV positive, and had a lover die from it. I have pulled the research that I am able to locate and it does have a higher rate of risk within the gay community. But it is not one of the leading causes. It was first recognized in gay men back as early as 1978. But more recently it has risen among women, and is a leading cause of death among African-Americans. Promiscuity and sharing of dirty needles are your leading causes of infection, Mr. LeBarbara, not us queers. Even with the education out there, many people are still mis-informed.
The Gay Games was created back in the 1980s. Mission statement (of sorts): Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™, for more than 20 years the quadrennial Gay Games have helped to empower tens of thousands of LGBT athletes through fellowship and friendly competition.
Why? Because for some odd reason athletes don’t feel comfortable being out in the mainstream. This is a way for us to be able to get together among peers and have friendly competitions. I almost signed up this year, but due to current situations of not being sure where I will be living at that time, opted out in favor of trying to save some money up. Perhaps the next round.
Let us have our lifestyles and opportunities. As human beings, we deserve that as a basic right. ¶ 10/24/2005 10:40:00 AM
Anyway, back to Walgreens. According to a company spokesperson, Walgreens pharmacists have been serving HIV+ patients since the 1980s. Go Walgreens! Their sponsorship is a way of giving back to the community. I congratulate them on that. What is the response of the “Family Institute?” They are insisting that Walgreens pull the funding or the executive director, Peter LeBarbara, will encourage his members to boycott. His words: “The Gay Games are about homosexuality, and I think it’s wrong for Walgreens to sponsor it. If they want to donate HIV drugs, that’s one thing. Homosexual behavior itself is a leading cause of HIV.”
Back that g-damn bus up!!
Homosexual behavior is one of the leading causes of HIV?? Okay, I currently work in pharmaceuticals, am somewhat involved with HIV medication studies, have several friends and ex’s that are HIV positive, and had a lover die from it. I have pulled the research that I am able to locate and it does have a higher rate of risk within the gay community. But it is not one of the leading causes. It was first recognized in gay men back as early as 1978. But more recently it has risen among women, and is a leading cause of death among African-Americans. Promiscuity and sharing of dirty needles are your leading causes of infection, Mr. LeBarbara, not us queers. Even with the education out there, many people are still mis-informed.
The Gay Games was created back in the 1980s. Mission statement (of sorts): Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™, for more than 20 years the quadrennial Gay Games have helped to empower tens of thousands of LGBT athletes through fellowship and friendly competition.
Why? Because for some odd reason athletes don’t feel comfortable being out in the mainstream. This is a way for us to be able to get together among peers and have friendly competitions. I almost signed up this year, but due to current situations of not being sure where I will be living at that time, opted out in favor of trying to save some money up. Perhaps the next round.
Let us have our lifestyles and opportunities. As human beings, we deserve that as a basic right. ¶ 10/24/2005 10:40:00 AM
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