Shout Out Health

Forgiveness and Faith: Do Anti-Gay Bakers Deserve LGBT Forgiveness?

A recent ShoutOutHealth post on the power of forgiveness generated a lot of discussion/debate, but now one gay activist is putting that often difficult practice to the test.

When Evangelical Christian (and gay man) Matt Stolhandske wrote this stunning piece in the Washington Post, he set off a firestorm of controversy in both LGBT and religious circles. Was he really going to help raise the astonishing sum of $150,000 to cover the punitive fine that Melissa and Aaron Klein -- the Portland-based Christian bakery owners who refused to make a cake for a lesbian couple’s wedding in 2013 -- received from the state of Oregon?

Stolhandske says following his faith and practicing forgiveness ultimately made the decision a (pardon the pun) straightforward one. He writes:

It wasn’t until I stepped away from the church, albeit briefly, that I was I able to find love and forgiveness for myself and the true heart of the Christian gospel; the love of a Father so stubbornly refusing to condemn that He would send His Son to die in my place. And that gospel has so deeply permeated my soul that I cannot find it in myself to hate the Kleins.

In the face of intolerance, I am yet called to love.

HIV Study Shocker: What Many Gay Men Still DON'T Know ...

In the "say what?" side of the news, a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed some pretty shocking evidience on level of ignorance about HIV/AIDS in the gay community. The highlights (or should we say, lowlights) include:

• Only a third of the participants knew that HIV infections are increasing among gay men.
• Not even half the men (46 percent) knew that doctors recommend that people who are newly diagnosed with HIV begin antiretroviral therapy immediately.

But perhaps the most disturbing findings seem to reflect a stunning failure taking place in health care settings. Consider this:

• 56 percent of the men surveyed said a doctor has never recommended that they get tested for HIV.
• 47 percent of the men said they've never discussed their sexual orientation with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Results like this shine a light on the fact that homophobia remains alive and well in doctor's offices around the country. Too many patients continue to refuse to even tell their primary doctor they're gay, and too many doctors are refusing to ask about their patient's sexual behavior, thereby endangering their patient's health.

Stunning progress has been made over the past decade to educate, test for and treat HIV, and many lives have been saved. But when it comes to even the basics of HIV education, apparently there's still a very long way to go.

Do these results surprise you? Leave your comments and discuss!

Say What? Are You a Homophobe-Phobe?

Are you a homophobe-phobe? Are you projecting homophobia onto friends, family, co-workers, or even people on the street that, in fact, doesn't exist?

While actual homophobia is of course all-too-real in the world, "Gay in Theory" by Butler University student (and Sigma Nu fraternity member for two years) Andrew Gelwicks is an eye-opening reminder that it's all-too-easy to project fear, potential rejection and/or judgment onto well-meaning, or even loving, people and situations.

After experiencing a mix of curious glances, dance floor discomfort, random encouragement ("You guys look so cute!" gushed a female wanting a picture), and one awkward tumble into an older fraternity brother while attending his frat's formal (with his male date), Gelwick had mixed feelings about the night, until this moment back at his hotel:

…an older brother in the house walked past, arm-in-arm with his girlfriend. He gave us a quick wink and a hint of a smile, and continued walking. I was surprised -- and that's when I saw how wrong I'd been. All those stares? My friends were probably worried about how skittish I was acting.

Gelwicks then summed up his experience this way:

In many ways, I felt I had betrayed my Sigma Nu brothers. I doubted their compassion when they had been nothing but loyal. After reflecting on this with a friend, I realized I was projecting my homophobia onto others. He declared me a homophobe-phobe. He may just have been right.

This mind-blowing session by author/self-help guru Byron Katie also explores the homophobe-phobe concept, with fascinating -- and spectacular -- results (watch the whole video, you'll be glad you did).

Is it possible you're (even occasionally) a homophobe-phobe, or do you think it's a ridiculous concept? Share your thoughts/experiences in the comments!

TAKE A POLL: Stigma, PrEP and HIV Prevention: Where Do You Stand?

Though the controversy over PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis therapy) and so-called Truvada whores has been simmering for some time, the public announcement by Scott Wiener, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors -- who represents the same Castro-based district once held by the legendary Harvey Milk -- that he's on PrEP has pushed the debate back to center stage.

“A much larger segment of gay men should be taking a close look at PrEP,” said Wiener in a recent interview. “I hope that my being public about my use of PrEP can help people take a second look at it.”

As this kind of high-profile support for PrEP therapy continues to grow, will the pervading stigma over those opting for PrEP start to fade? Wiener hopes so.

“I definitely struggled with the decision about whether to be public about this because people will make a lot of assumptions and speculate,” said Wiener to the New York Times. “But in the end I thought it was very important to be public given the district I represent and the community I represent precisely because we need to remove the stigma from PrEP.”

Now it's your turn. Do you support PrEP as a viable option in HIV prevention? Take our poll and leave your comments!

 

MUST-SEE VIDEO: Coming Out at Midlife: "Today, I Choose to Live."

Talk about empowering, this amazing video speaks to the power of hope, love and acceptance. Enjoy and please share!

'Last year I wanted to die. Today, I choose to live."

YOUR DAILY DOSE: Straight Guy Cries over LGBT Question, Religious Acceptance for LGBT Rises...

Don't have time to find today's hottest health-related (or just plain inspiring) headlines? Here's what making news as we speak (we opt for the upbeat or amusing, when at all possible). After all, you can find all the bad news on CNN, right?)... Enjoy your day!

HORMONE THERAPY: Happy Friday, everyone!

MUST-SEE VIDEO: Straight guy brought to tears over LGBT question ...

MUST READ: Religious acceptance for gay people on the rise...

SAY WHAT? Southern HIV epidemic worsened by failure to expand Medicaid...

FEEL GOOD: Greg Louganis showcases 'Back on Board' documentary...