Our first video on Gay Men's Health Leadership from September 2006

Generating Love - Academy Potluck Philadelphia

Academy Graduates Nicholas Deroose, Chris Bartlett, Eric Kephart, and (in the computer), Les Morgan. Photo: Peter Lien



Our next potluck will be held on December 20th at 3PM - 301 Cherry Street 2nd Floor. Be ready for your photo and bring a dish!

Our Stories

Greetings Gay Men's Health Leaders,

I received notice of the blog and the most recent Academy while attending the US Conference on AIDS in Ft. Lauderdale the week before last.  I had wanted to sya what an empowering event i found that to be, however, I was so busy I didn't actually write anything at that time (sort of like last March in California, when I was able to attend the Academy).  

In any case, what struck me the most at the conference was the power of personal narrative.  I believe that, even as we are overwhelmed with the stories of ordinary people on "reality" television, You-Tube, and yes, even some blogs, so much of what we are exposed to is sensationalizing and exploitive.  There are alternatives to these modes of presentation, and what I took away from USCA were some very effective stories that I believe have the power to reach others and influence real behavior change  For may of us who work in the field of public health, that is one of the most difficult of challenges.  In our communities, we receive many get messages about what we can do or "should" be doing to protect or improve our health, but do these really have an impact?   It was the personal stories that I heard over the four days of the conference that made me realize once more the importance of telling one's own story as an act of leadership.  The accounts I heard: a mother and daughter dealing positively with the latter's HIV diagnosis, a young man sharing the story of acting out his own denial of his infection, a fashion designer staring his own project to facilitate awareness, another young man not carrying a chip on his shoulder because of the clumsy way in which he found out he was positive but working to help other young MSM who are newly diagnosed; not all of these were Gay men's stories, but they were wonderful examples of people sharing their own good, bad, ugly and beautiful.  Some were tear-inducing and all were moving, by which I mean really, truly capable of moving one to action.   I believe that we need to get out there and share, not just within our own communities, but beyond.  We need to reach other Gay men who are not part of our conversations, and because we are not in isolation, we need to reach the larger communities of which we are part.  That is one key to leadership., not the whole but a significant part.       

Southeast Regional Gay Men's Health Summit

I would like to invite everyone to attend the 7th Southeast Regional Gay Men's Health Summit to be held November 7-9 in Ft. Lauderdale. There will be numerous workshops, several keynote speakers, and lots of opportunities for networking and fun. Scholarships are available. For information please visit our website www.gaymenssummit.com. I hope to see you there!

Commitment and Courage

During our final session together in the great room, we took a few moments to reflect on the commitments we are making upon our departure from Easton -- to ourselves, to our communities, to the work we do, to each other...   I will join a gay social or support group again to continually surround myself with like-minded positive people I commit to having more dinner parties and happy hours with people I don't know very well -- to seek their wisdom and be inspired by their experience 1. Taking care of myself 2. Reaching out other gay men in NYC with the values of the GMHLA 3. Expanding the movement to other gay men around the world, focusing on Latin America -- translating materials, marketing tools and the block to Spanish  ...Arturo Franco I will not see gay men as a community with a health crisis, but as a group of people who share a sense of wonder, challenge, creativity, sadness, and joy. I will be part of this community and live this vision.  ... James Murphy I will make more of an effort to give people hugs. I will make a better effort to stay in touch with old and new friends. I will try to look for allies in places in which I wouldn't normall expect to find them. After all is said and done... I will reminisce, reflect, learn, take action, and continue... I will restructure gay men's health programming in a way that  HIV no longer defines who we are 1. Strengthening the almuni corps 2. Monthly video chats about gay men's health 3. a group of 20 alumni who are active in the work of the academy I will work within the church to break down homophobia, share the love gay men have to offer, and in a very small way, bring God's love to my fellow queers I am committed to helping organize a group of black men to discuss gay men's health work and these ideas of the Academy with anticipation of an all-Black, gay men's health leadership academy for men around the country Contemplate how to apply assets-based theory to tobacco control I am going to return to Philadelphia and begin to build my black gay community, Being around these men have re-energized me. Many black gay men from my city don't have a healthy and safe space to engage other men like themselves I am taking Easton Mountain in my heart and carry on everything I have experienced and learned, sharing it to and with everyone I have the pleasure to meet with. Carrying Easton Mountain with my heart will provide for anything and all possible I can achieve will happen to and for Easton Mountain because all done from the heart is loving and truthful and can make a difference!  ...Plasido Cruz I commit to bringing the spirit of GMHLA back to young people I work for by creating safe space for gay men totally openly about all aspects of their health I am going to collaborate with people in my community that I have met here and continue to stay focused on what Boston needs I'll do a video blog... Get together with Philly guys... I want to call a meeting of HIV testers in Philly so we can brainstorm ideas/info I want to try and stay connected with folk from the retreat by contacting them by email at least once a month. I also want to involve people from other cities to Philadelphia and make my home available to them ...Angel Olmeda I will commit to my volunteering at MANNA, a group that prepares and delivers nutritionally balanced meals to housebound AIDS and cancer victims   These are our commitments, and by no means is this a complete or final list. Please add to them, ask about them, challenge and encourage one another... And continue to post to the blog!

Including tobacco in the queer health agenda

Last night, I convened a group to talk about why tobacco control has largely been overlooked on the gay health agenda, even though queers smoke more than any other demographic but Native Americans. To my delight, there were about 8 guys who showed up, about a third of the attendees. I expected no one, because when I’ve done this at previous gatherings, including the Gay Men’s Health Summit in Raleigh in 2003, that is what happened. It only confirmed the results of the four year study my colleagues and I just completed at UCSF studying tobacco industry targeting of the queer community. We found that LGBT leadership and the average queer in the street are not interested in focusing on tobacco issues. Either there are too many other pressing health concerns or folks see tobacco as a personal issue and don’t want to alienate or offend smokers within our midst.

Anyhow, this time a good group showed up and we had a lively discussion. I had made available earlier a copy of our White Paper on our research project, so I did not want to lecture about the issue. Instead, I wanted these leaders to tell me what they thought it would take to get queer leadership to embrace the issue. The conversation extended beyond that core question. Here are some things that were said:

1) Cigarettes are something that gets put in the mouth, providing oral gratification. Talk about the strong link between having sex and wanting a cigarette.

2) The fact that legislation banning smoking in restaurants and bars does in fact get people to quit by making smoking less socially simple; that 70% of smokers wished they didn’t smoke and a majority of smokers actually support measures that restrict smoking in particular venues.

3) Given the fact that we have not seen HIV-infection rates drop the way we had hoped, perhaps tobacco control is better off without queer leadership embracing the issue. (Ha.)

4) The TRUTH campaign was cited as one that really reached young people around tobacco use prevention, for it’s plugging in to rebelliousness.

5) That we should have a particular colored ribbon to wear that would indicate someone we loved died from tobacco. (I love this idea, far beyond our community.)

6) That grants to do health work in the community be expanded to include tobacco work.

7) That bars that are supportive of tobacco control become partners on some of these grants to do outreach.

8) That motivation interview techniques be employed to learn what is needed to help queers quit tobacco.

9) Discussion about Woody’s bar in Phil. where lighters were being distributed to queers after a swipe of a card (which information would likely be used for direct marketing.) Suggestion to have advocates intervene to inform patrons about this, if owner was unwilling to stop the practice.

Most of the guys who joined me are either doing some tobacco control work or are interested in doing so, which is a great sign of progress. However, as a result, I did not hear from those who don’t see the issue as important. I welcome attendees and other Academy alums to let me know if they have any thoughts about how we might raise awareness about what is likely the largest preventable killer of gay men. You can reach me at naphtali.offen@ucsf.edu. If you’d like a copy of our White Paper on tobacco industry targeting of queers, I’d be happy to send it.
Thanks, everyone, for a great Academy.

Naphtali Offen
San Francisco

The Tribes and the Academy at Easton Mt.

Mopedo Tribe

Hydronite Tribe

Backbearer Tribe

Golden Girls Tribe

The Academy

Leadership Style!

My Heart Belongs to Daddy

The sun is up again on Easton Mountain, and it is day 3 of the Academy. I am excited for continued sharing and struggle and very aware that even as the men here connect there are many areas that we continue to dance around. My greatest challenge thus far, is to strike a balance where it is safe to put out your most frightening thoughts and at the same time avoid shut down's in the group.

I'm finding that for me, the obstacles lie in the ways that we sort ourselves; by serostatus, by age, by race.

The lines are strong and clear and not easily shaken. The ways that we get stuck are many.

In the framework of HIV, we stumble between the passions of guys that survived the 80's and the guys that were born in the 80's. That stumbling is critical. At times, the voices of gay elders sound like the voices of Holocaust survivors shouting warnings that 'It could happen again', when in fact the world has changed, and IT is a thing of the past - the epidemic of the 80's will never happen again and those of us that lived through it have to get over the expectation that young men should 'be like us'. The conversation about the reality of collective trauma among older men - and misdirected frustrations toward youth -- is just beginning.

In the framework of age - we are using phrases like 'the privileged masculinities of youth' which sounds to me like the language of aging men who really want to say 'I don't know who I am without a young body and I'm doing
everything I can to convince you younger guys that I'm fuckable'. As an emerging 'elder', I'm fascinated by the projections that are happening and feel that there is a lot more work to do.

When it comes down to it, I don't really see a lot of 'privileged masculinities' in their 20's walking around here. Our youngest and most beautiful brothers at the Academy are the most modest with their bodies. And I don't see a lot of bitter guys in their 40's and 50's trying to reinact the trauma of the early HIV epidemic. Our elders at the Academy are humbled by the ferocity of the young and their ability to articulate a world that we as older men will never completely know. I hate Kahil Gibran poetry but, "Our children are not our children. They are the sons of life's longing for itself." What I do see here at the Academy is a group of passionate seekers of all ages, with our insecurities, and our flaws, and a shared and beautiful desire to find ourselves whole.

In the framework of race - my greatest inspiration from the Academy has been to witness a strong uncompromising Black Gay voice. These extraordinary men are crafting a language and a world view that will be at the center of the gay health movement far into the future.

It is time to get back into the work and there is one more thing I want to say. The thing that seems under the surface and unexplored at this Academy is the reality of shared connection through sexual energy. I see it around the bonfire, I see it in the sauna and hot tub at Easton Mountain, I see it as beautiful men of all kinds pair and group off at night, I hear it through the walls of the lodge. I wonder what it means that we use so many words on the social, political, and spiritual; and yet some of our most potent messages to each other are communicated through a silent sexual voice. When do we bring that into the larger group? Is there something to be understood there?

Sounds like I'm making it up, but one of those young brothers just sat down to the piano and is playing "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." I'm taking that as my cue to say -- Peace.

Campfire Stories

Gay Community

Reflections, Youth and HIV

The cold was the first thing that hit me when I came up to the camp site. Its invisible fingers creep up from the back of my sweater sending chills down my spine. Coming from a country like Singapore, which is two degrees from the equator, getting adjusted to the weather was still an issue for me. However, I was still very excited by the upcoming program and the issues that we were going to be discussing.

During the introduction two questions were raised. What does it mean to be healthy and what does a healthy community look like? The questions challenged my perspective as to what being healthy means and how sometimes as gay people we tend to have a very narrow view of what health means because we as gay people are very HIV centric. It was refreshing to learn on how we have to broaden our vision to be more comprehensive to include all aspects of health that affect us as gay people.

The second question wasn't answered in such a clear manner but I think was posed as a question that was meant for reflection. Thinking about it and my new found approach to healthy, I realize I didn't have a definite answer but was something that got me thinking.

The next half of the day was spent exploring the theme of community and our interaction and relationships with and within the community. As gay people we struggle to find a solid definition to what a community means and how we fit into that community. A point was brought up that the community today is not really a community but rather a loose collection of people and that we have somehow lost that sense of bonding we had that was present during the height AIDS crisis. So what is community? Who is the "we"? Is a community built through trauma?

Trauma, relation to AIDS and the youth was another topic of heated discussion where it was brought up that the generation that grew up with AIDS is frustrated with the youth because of their attitudes of complacency. This is where I just had to speak up. The person that brought up that point was right. I as a young gay person of 23 will never be able to identify with the trauma and experiences of the people who have lived through the AIDS crisis and frankly I don't want to. I won't deny the pain and sufferings of the people who had to go through it but as a young gay person I want to recognize and move on from it. The youth today need the space to be able to personalize the disease and to relate to the diseases in their own way and among their peers. Very much like how we have culturally specific messages for HIV, in the same way age is also a class to be dealt with separately.

As the sun sets behind the mountains spilling hues of red and blue in the sky, a certain peace resonates in the silence punctuated by the tapping of my keyboard. This peace is one that comes with the recognition of the past, acceptance of the present and hope for the future.