5AMTA Cl.AK’A COUNTY HIV

SAN JOSE GAY BRIDE

Later this year the San Jose

■' I

ASUCCE

Pride board will add new

the southeast. In Atlanta

members and start the

during the 1990s, Amy

. A.. ATE; i GRAB BIG WIN

CHANGES

EXPHCTcD NEXT YEAR
In June, the Santa Clara

councilors to staff the testing

County Board of Supervisors

facility.

organizations throughout

conversation to discover the

was the treasurer of the

best changes for the event

Gay and Lesbian History

that will draw a larger crowd.

Project, and a member of

.

SAMI A CRU.T OIVERSIT Y

organization. She has

:

CENTER GETS NEW

volunteered at the Homeless

eXEClJTiVE DIRECTOR

Garden Project and is

I?

approved $375,000 in one-

time funding to expand

In addition to new testing

the number of HiV testing

sites, the public heaith

sites in the county. This v/as

department plans to take

done at a time of budget

HIV testing to the streets.

reductions.

County health professionals

The fi nal numbers for San

will fi ll a backpack with rapid

Jose Gay Pride were not

member of the Diversity

oral testing kits, and walk the

available before press

Task Force at Santa Cruz

that the community has

streets and cruise through

time, but organizers claim

Montessori.

the necessary tools to

bars in high-risk areas to

the festival was a success.

prevent further HiV infection

offer HIV testing, said Reyes.

"This funding will ensure

amongst at-risk populations,"

the local lesbian business

!«

i-i/

m

1%

currently an active parent

‘'Overall participation was up

The nonprofit Diversity

15 percent over 2005," said

Center opened its doors in

said Aejaie Sellers, executive

This system of HiV testing

Joe Colligan, San Jose Gay

1990. The current budget is

directorof the DeFrank

was done late last year as

Pride board member. There

$250,000 and Amy's salary is

Center.

a pilot project and was

was a 10 percent in increase

$45,000 a year.

determined successful. "It's

in floats, and 20 percent

The money will be used to

a different dynamic," said

increase in participation of

Amy Wirth has been

CALirORNiA t.'OUHTOT

establish six or seven new

Reyes. But it's part of the

church and religious groups.

appointed as the new

APPEAL RULES iM FAVOR

HiV testing sites in strategic

mission of taking HIV testing

executive directorof the

OF LESBIAN PARcuT

locations to reach high-risk

to the people, rather than

This year, San Jose Gay Pride

Diversity Center in Santa

The California Court of

populations - such as gay

waiting for them to walk

started out $10,000 in the

Cruz. The Center provides

Appeal ruled in June that

and Hispanic men. Currently,

through the clinic doors to

red. "The goal was to be in

services to theGLBT

Charisma R., a non-biological

the county public health

requesta test.

the black this year, and we

community and organizes

mother represented by

may be there," Colligan said.

the annual Gay Pride festival

the National Center for

department has one HIV
testing site in an area v/ith

It's important on many

The community can expect

in Santa Cruz. Amy is a

Lesbian Rights, could get

nearly 2 million people,

levels to have an accurate

changes next year. "This isn't

lesbian mom and longtime

visitation with the child

compared with San Francisco,

count of the number of

just a gay day, but a day for

activist who brought passion

born to her former female

which has about 40 testing

HIV positive people in the

Che community," Colligan

and practical experience to

partner through alternative

sites in an area with less than

county. The number affects

said. "We are considering

the Diversity Center.

a million people.

federal HIV funding levels

making it more of a

and forecasting potential

community event."

insemination. The case.
Charisma R. v. Kristina S., is

Amy is a graduate of

the fi rst appellate decision to

Smith College, a seasoned

apply the California Supreme

The Santa Clara County

demand for services. In

Public Health Department

addition, studies have shown

The fi rst step will be to

freelance writer and project

Court's groundbreaking trio

plans to issue a request for

that if someone knows

reevaluate the Oscar Party,

manager, and a committed

of 2005 decisions involving

proposals to community

they are HIV positive, they

which is the fi rst Pride

community activist. She

lesbian parents. Deborah H.

agencies in July and have

are likely to change their

fundraising event of the year

has written for many

Wald, chairperson of Chair

the testing sites in place later

sexual behavior, which could

held at the San Jose Athletic

publications and provided

of the National Center for

this summer or early fall, said

prevent the spread of this

Club, "it's been in the same

project management for

Lesbian Rights' National

Sil Reyes, testing coordinator

disease. HIV positive people

venue and format for eight

education and health care

Family Law Advisory

for the county of Santa Clara.

can also get into treatment

years, and we'd like to

organizations.

Committee, argued the case

programs early, which can

freshen it up," he said. Which

'This is a process," said Reyes.

hopefully prevent serious

means it could end up in a

Amy supplied writing

County officials need to fi nd

illness.

different location.

expertise and project

for Charisma on behalf of

the best-qualified sites, and

support for numerous

then train HIV testing

foundations and non-profit

8

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JULY 2006 :: ON

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