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 Take Action: World AIDS Day is Tuesday, December 1st World AIDS Day is Tuesday, December 1st. We Remember! With Love, World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007,[1] RESOURCES: International World AIDS Campaign Website: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/ United Kingdom World AIDS Day Events: http://www.worldaidsday.org/events.aspx United States: DECEMBER 1 About the Day World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st. The World Over a million Americans are estimated to be living with HIV. http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html
 (No Ratings Yet) The Affordable Health Care for America Act, the health care reform bill passed by the House, represents a great victory for the LGBT community. The bill includes – for the first time – sexual orientation and gender identity as recognized categories of health disparities which require protection and tracking. In other words, the federal government will explicitly seek to decrease the level of discrimination faced by LGBT individuals when seeking insurance coverage and/or access to care. The inclusion of a public option will give us an unprecedented level of access to necessary health care services. The bill also moves toward ending the unfair taxation of domestic partners, improves treatment options for people living with HIV, and provides funding for comprehensive sexuality education programs. The inclusion of the Stupak-Pitts amendment is a concerning issue for the LGBT community. After all, a lesbian couple could suffer a dangerous pregnancy and be forced to pay for the abortion out of their own pockets. The amendment would also set a precedent for Congress to decide which procedures count as “medically necessary,” and give them the power to determine the conditions under which certain groups can access care. The explicit exclusion of medical procedures is a dangerous trend, with very negative implications for LGBT individuals. The goal of health care reform is to expand access, not restrict it. If the government begins restricting one population’s access, it will be able to restrict any population’s access. The LGBT community is already a vulnerable one, and enacting legislation that includes anything like the Stupak-Pitts ban will only endanger it further. The National Coalition for LGBT Health has joined the Stop Stupak coalition, including Choice USA, the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Planned Parenthood, to advocate against the Stupak ban. On November 18th, the Coalition met with leaders in the House and the Senate to encourage them to keep such restrictive language out of the final health reform bill. On Wednesday December 2nd, Stop Stupak will hold a series of events, including a public rally and a full day of lobbying, in Washington D.C. Please visit action.stopstupak.com to join the Stop Stupak coalition and help us enact progressive, inclusive health care reform. Link for more information: http://action.stopstupak.com
 The Employment Non-Discrimination Act bill (ENDA), which was originally planned for a House vote in September or October, then November, now looks like it’s headed for a February landing. That’s problematic because it puts ENDA into the Senate during an ultra-difficult time: a major legislative logjam, a major jobs initiative, midterm election campaigns, and a promised Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal. The House Committee responsible for moving ENDA along, the House Committee on Education and Labor, has been slow-walking it, claiming that it needs some minor “tweaks” on language that has been vetted for years. Rex Wockner’s blog today features quotes from some high profile activists questioning the delays, including political consultant Steve Hildebrand and former National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin has also been quoted as saying that delay is not good. Meanwhile, community action calls to Committee Chair George Miller of California over the past week have been unsuccessful in obtaining any statement or action. However, under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives [see page 8, section c(2)], three members of the Committee can demand a markup, which must be scheduled within three days. The names of friendly Committee members are provided after the jump so you can call and demand action. A nation-wide community conference call has been scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 1st, at noon (ET) to discuss actions we can take to push a vote on ENDA now. It will last one hour. The agenda is posted after the jump. All are welcome, and I hope you will join us. Register here. Click here for more: http://bit.ly/7RqUPx
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