Author: Randy Slovacek

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Vaccine found to possibly clear the body of HIV virus

From Belfast Telegraph: An experimental vaccine could prove to be the ultimate weapon against AIDS, research suggests.

Studies indicate it has the potential to clear the body of all traces of the AIDS virus, HIV.

Uniquely, the injected vaccine is carried by a persistent virus which remains in the body for life.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) enables the immune system to be constantly on the alert for HIV.

Researchers in the US used different versions of the vaccine against a monkey form of the AIDS virus, Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV), with outstanding results.

More than half the rhesus macaques monkies treated responded to the point where even the most sensitive tests detected no signs of SIV.

To date, most of the animals have maintained control over the virus for more than a year, gradually showing no indication they had ever been infected.

Unvaccinated monkeys infected with SIV went on to develop the monkey equivalent of AIDS, caused by the collapse of their immune systems.

The findings suggest the vaccine could be effective enough to rid the body of immunodeficiency virus completely, according to the scientists writing in the journal ‘Nature’.

Conventional antiretroviral therapies are able to control HIV infection, but cannot clear the virus from its hiding places within the immune system’s white blood cells.

Study leader Dr Louis Picker, from Oregon Health & Science University’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, said: “The next step in vaccine development is to test the vaccine candidate in clinical trials in humans.

“For a human vaccine, the CMV vector would be weakened sufficiently so that it does not cause illness, but will still protect against HIV.”

CMV belongs to the herpes family of viruses, and like other members of the group never leaves the body once an infection has occurred.

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Delaware: Civil Unions bill signed into law!

Following the passage of civil union legislation by the Delaware General Assembly in April, Gov. Jack Markell (D) made good on a promise by signing the bill into law Wednesday night.

The law takes effect on January 1, 2012 and will make Delaware the nation’s eighth state to allow civil unions or domestic partnerships for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples.

Once the law takes effect, Delaware’s gay and lesbian couples will be able to obtain civil unions, thus gaining legal recognition by the state. With a civil union, loving and committed gay and lesbian couples will have access to many of the same legal protections currently available only to married couples.
(via GLAADblog.org)

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Minnesota Senate approves gay marriage ban referendum

Just sad news from Minnesota.

The Minnesota Senate voted on Wednesday to put a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the state to a voter referendum in 2012.

Minnesota already has a law banning gay marriage, but sponsors argued that the proposed amendment would take the definition out of the hands of a small group of legislators and even smaller group of judges.

After hours of debate, the Senate voted 38 to 27 in favor of advancing the proposal, with the vote largely along party lines in the Republican majority body.

Republican lawmakers introduced the proposed amendment in late April and it next needs approval in the Republican majority state House.

“I believe it is the people who should determine the meaning and structure of our policies through the process of political debate, a statewide community conversation and ultimately democratic voting,” said state Senator Warren Limmer, a Maple Grove Republican and sponsor of the proposal.

Democratic Governor Mark Dayton, who strongly opposes any constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, also would be bypassed by putting the question directly to voters.

“We are not going to have a conversation, we are going to have an ugly, angry, divisive campaign,” Senator Scott Dibble, a Minneapolis Democrat, said during the debate.

Dibble, who is gay and showed a picture of his partner in the debate, said Minnesota would be “profoundly changed through this 18-month experience that we are about to embark on.”

Senate Democrats also questioned the drive to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot less than two weeks before the end of the legislative session with the state’s $5.1 billion budget gap still unresolved.

“It sends a pretty clear message to me that Republicans in this body care more about passing their divisive social agenda than putting Minnesotans back to work or balancing the state’s budget,” Senate Minority Leader Thomas Bakk said.
(from Reuters)

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NY Gov. Cuomo: No Vote on Marriage Equality Unless Votes are There

A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage won’t be introduced in the Senate unless the votes to pass it are available, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.

Speaking at a news conference, the governor said votes were still being counted in the Republican-led chamber. Cuomo said the goal was to avoid a repeat of 2009, when a same-sex marriage bill was up for a vote in the then-Democratic-controlled Senate, but failed 38-24.

Cuomo, responding to a question about whether Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell jumped the gun on introducing his own measure and not wait for the program bill from the governor, said the focus remained on the Senate.

“This has never been about, on marriage equality, a vote in the Assembly primarily. The Assembly has passed it before. People expect it will pass again. The question is what’s going to happen in the Senate. The discussions that I’ve had with the collective group that is working on this in a unified way is we want to pass a bill. We don’t want to bring a bill up in the Senate that will fail, right? We don’t want to have an instant replay of last year. It’s not about having a vote for a sake of a vote. It’s about if it’s going to pass. and the conversations we’re having now will educate as to whether we’ll bring the bill to a vote.”

A coalition of advocacy groups was formed at Cuomo’s urging earlier this year with the goal of passing the bill this year. Cuomo himself has said same-sex marriage should be legalized by the end of this legislative session in June.

The pro-same-sex marriage group, New Yorkers United for Marriage, are lobbying Democratic and Republican lawmakers considered to be on the fence in the debate.

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Petition: Tell Ugandan President Museveni – Stop the “Kill the Gays” bill

This week, conservative lawmakers in the Ugandan parliament could pass a bill that would make being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender a crime that is punishable by death.

This gruesome legislation would strengthen an already brutal Ugandan criminal law against homosexuality by introducing the death penalty for “serial offenders.” People suspected of homosexual activity or individuals found to be HIV-positive could be tried and executed under the law.

The lives of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans are at stake. We must take action right now.

Tell Ugandan President Museveni: Stop the “Kill the Gays” bill. We’ll hand-deliver the signatures to Uganda’s embassy in Washington, D.C.

Click here to read more and sign petition.

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NY: LGBT Advocates rally in Albany for marriage equality

An estimated 1,000 gay-rights advocates rallied at the New York state capitol in Albany on Monday, hoping to convince the Republican-controlled Senate to legalize same-sex marriage this year.

“This is not a political issue. This is not about Republicans and Democrats. Marriage equality is an issue of civil rights, a basic issue of civil rights,” Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy told people who attended the Empire State Pride Agenda’s LGBT Equality and Justice Day.

The lieutenant governor said elected officials have a responsibility not just for what they personally believe in but for all the people they represent, “and we cannot represent all New Yorkers if we are closing the door on something so important.”

Now these are people speaking my language.  As many of you who read this blog know, I feel when civil rights are derived from a civil marriage license issued by a civil government, we are talking about civil rights.

Cuomo is viewed favorably by over 70 percent of New Yorkers and will begin a statewide tour Tuesday to build support for it and other agenda items.
(vis LGBTQnation.com)

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CNN Poll: Democrats up 4 points in battle for House

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday, the Democrats have a four-point margin over the Republicans in the battle for control of Congress.

The poll indicates that 50 percent registered voters say if the election for Congress was held today, they would vote for the Democrat in their district, with 46 percent saying they would cast a ballot for the Republican in their district. The Democrats’ four-point margin is within the poll’s sampling error.

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Sports agency shows intolerance; proclaims “not a bigot”

Todd Reynolds

After New York Rangers forward Sean Avery recorded a video in support of marriage equality, he was promptly criticized by a Canadian sports management executive, who took to Twitter with a series of posts knocking gay marriage.

Todd Reynolds, VP of Uptown Sports Management, which represents a handful of NHL players, tweeted that it was “very sad to read Sean Avery’s misguided support of same-gender ‘marriage’. Legal or not, it will always be wrong.”

Later in the day, his father compared gay marriage to bestiality.

However, once Reynolds took some heat for his views, he quickly response: “To clarify. This is not hatred or bigotry towards gays. It is not intolerance in any way shape or form. I believe we are all equal.”

Later on TSN Radio he said: If you oppose a viewpoint, you’re immediately targeted by some people as a hater, a bigot, intolerant, homophobic and many other terms. I don’t hate anyone and I’m certainly no a bigot, but I believe in marriage between one man and one woman.”

Someone should point out to the confused Mr. Reynolds the very definition of “bigot” – a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion; one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices.

Yep. I think we’ve now cleared that up.

This pretty much sums up Mr. Reynolds. He stubbornly adheres to his own opinions and prejudices.  It’s always amazing to see the old chestnut “I don’t think gays should have any rights, but that doesn’t make me intolerant.”

Hockey professionals quickly spoke out against the anti-gay comments made by Uptown Sports management:

Agent Scott Norton, who helped bring the Stanley Cup to last year’s gay pride in Chicago, told Outsports:

“I think they are very small minded comments. The world has changed, and people need to change also. Everyone in the world has rights, and one of the main rights is to have the ability to love and care for whomever you want, no matter race, religion or sexual orientation.”

Agent Andrew Warren told Outsports he is a big supporter and a good friend of Patrick Burke:

“I absolutely would support any client, friend, or family member who came out. I believe that public support of gay rights in sports will make it easier for those in the world of sports that may want to come out able to do so without apprehension or fear.”

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Jersey Shore taping in Italy delayed

From Entertainment Weekly: MTV has confirmed that production of Jersey Shore‘s fourth season, set to shoot in Florence, Italy, has been postponed, partly due to a visit from the country’s president, Giorgio Napolitano.

The network said in a statement, “Production on Jersey Shore will begin this week, following the Italian presidential visit to Florence. In the ongoing spirit of cooperation, we’re waiting until his official visit concludes to start filming.”

Reports say Snooki is very disappointed. She was really looking forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower.