Boston Pridelights 2011

Pridelights in Boston always occurs on the Tuesday of Pride week. It use to be a huge community event that was staged on Tremont Street in the middle of the South End, but a few years back the venue changed and it is now hosted at Club Cafe.

The change of venue saved the event because cost and changes to the plaza that traditionally hosted it had became prohibitive, but the trade off means the event is a fraction of its former size. This year's Pridelights was filled with a series of performances from Boston's drag community. The crowd which interestingly attracts a wide demographic seemed to enjoy the event. For me the highlight was seeing a few friends that I know socially and spending time with fellow blogger and twitter-friend, Lenny. You can check out his blog, itzLenny or say hello to him on twitter, Product19.

Here are a few photos from tonight's Pridelights at Club Cafe Boston.

AIDS Walk Boston - Sunday June 5th

AIDS is the leading cause of death for people in MA (ages of 25-44)
Thank goodness for The AIDS Action Committee which hosts AIDS Walk Boston each year. Its too easy to forget and sometimes too uncomfortable to remember the legacy of AIDS. Its like an ugly blemish you want to hide and forget about. In the 80s while tens of thousands of people were afflicted with AIDS / HIV our government was too squeamish to provide either the support services or educate people on how to protect themselves. Now some 30 years later we know better but AIDS remains and continues to spread. Betty Byrnes a long time AIDS activist and mother reminds us why its important and how we can help make a difference.

If you can not join the 30,000+ who will join in the walk through Boston, Brookline and Cambridge on Sunday morning, won't you consider sponsoring a walker or making an independent donation to the organization? You can set up your own page in just moments or make a donation here.

Taste of the South End 2011

Last week I first wrote about the Taste of the South End which benefits the AIDS Action Committee, and the event did not disappoint. Although there were no beads or parades to commemorate Fat Tuesday, nearly all who attended left a bit fatter than when they first arrived. And how could you blame them? With 40+ restaurants, wineries, beers and cocktails all tempting the tastebuds it was a food lover's delight.

Restaurants new to the neighborhood like The Gallows and Noche kept pace with veteran establishments like Mistral and Stella. There were some noticeable absences, which will lead me to ask "Why?" on my next visit to these restaurants. You can see the full list of participants on the Taste website. Support these restaurants and thank them for their participation.

If you were unable to attend the festivities, you can check out this 2-minute video, which shows you some of the tempting treats cooked up for attendees. Again, sincere thanks to all the cooks and volunteers who made this a fantastic event.

The Boston Foodie also has a nice write up with more pictures from the event which you can check out by linking here.

Taste of the South End - March 8, 2011

In just a few days one of my favorite charity events in Boston will take place, The Taste of the South End. As the name implies this is one of the city's many charitable fundraisers that revolves around food, but I think this is one of the best organized taste events, and the fact that the proceeds benefit such a wonderful organization, The AIDS Action Committee (AAC) is really a bonus. In addition to the participation of 40+ neighborhood restaurants, local chefs provide cooking tips and demonstrations. If you really enjoy food and dining out this event gives you an opportunity to sample some of the fare offered at some of the city's best restaurants. While it won't confirm if a restaurant has great service it does give you a preview of the type and quality food the establishment serves. If you arrive early with a VIP pass like I do each year, you also can chat with the chefs present before the event becomes truly crowded.

Below, I've included a two minute video from the 2009 event. It provides a quick preview of what one can expect on March 8th and closes with a shot of your's truly stuffing his face with a fish taco.


Purchase your tickets here

December 1st is World AIDS Day

More than 25 million people have died from AIDS and there are more than 30 million people living with AIDS right now. Reach out to your local AIDS Service Organization and donate your time or money and thank them for their work and dedication. If you live in Boston check out my favorite ASO: The AIDS Action Committee of MA.

Wednesday, December 1st is World AIDS Day

Acne Drug Keeps HIV Dormant

Not sure how new this news is, but I had not heard about a breakthrough in AIDS research which found that a common acne drug first used in the 1970s can keep HIV dormant.  I first read about this in Brenton's popular blog, Aussielicious this morning.  And after a bit of searching on Google, I found that this study was actively being discussed back in 2008 at the XVII International AIDS Conference.

As Brenton says in his blog, any advancement that can help prevent the spread of or help improve the quality of life of those impacted by this virus is good news. If you'd like to learn more there is a brief (1 minute) video of Dr. Janice Clements explaining what the acne drug minocycline does to the virus here.

Photos from last night's Taste of the South End.

Take a peek - there is no weight gain if you only look.

Taste of the South End - buy your tickets

The Taste of the South End is TUESDAY! Get your tickets online so you too can enjoy the more than 40+ restaurants who will be participating this year.  The thing I love about this tasting is that it is so social and because it is not massive you can sample all sorts of great foods without wading 8-10 people deep at each food station. Be sure to purchase your tickets online - HERE.

The lion sings tonight

On Monday, March 1st at 7:00pm the cast of Disney's Lion King will be performing at Club Cafe in Boston. Tickets cost $25.00 and all proceeds will go to benefit The AIDS Action Committee of MA.  You can purchase tickets online HERE.

Rumor has it that Verna Turbulence (drag queen extraordinaire) will be hosting the program "The Lion Sings Tonight" so in addition to raising money for a very worthwhile charity, having fun singing along (or like me just listening), and laughing at Verna's course sense of humor - it is sure to be far more interesting than your typical Monday night.  Fight off the winter blues by warming up with friends at the Club Cafe benefit for the AIDS Action Committee of MA.

Taste of the South End - March 9, 2010

Attention all foodies... The annual Taste of the South End is fast approaching so mark your calendars and purchase your tickets.  This year's program will draw 45 of the neighborhoods' restaurants to the BCA so you can sample delicious culinary creations that will leave your mouth watering.  Even better, by participating you will be supporting a very worthwhile local charity that is near and dear to my heart, The AIDS Action Committee.

To stay up to date on what is happening you can follow the Taste of the South End on Twitter. To see what the event is all about you can view the photos from last years event, by linking here.

Be sure to purchase your tickets online - HERE.

Ryan White funding in jeopardy

Please call your legislator....The AIDS Action Council, the national HIV/AIDS advocacy group, has re-issued its Ryan White Care Act funding alert. Ryan White programs provides essential medical and support services to hundreds of thousands of individuals each year. Current funding is set to expire later this week on, Wednesday, September 30th.

Lawmakers in Washington are scheduled to address Ryan White funding this week. Please  Contact your legislators now to express your support for continued funding to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

New hope: Vaccine might prevent HIV

When I think of the millions who died from HIV / AIDS in the 1980s because homosexuality and sex in general were considered taboo and discussing 'safe sex' and distributing condoms was deemed controversial - my blood absolutely boils. So many people have died, so many families have suffered, and so many children have been orphaned because of a fear to talk about AIDS. I really can not think of another illness or disease that has so isolated people. Sadly the stigma remains and AIDS still kills. An astounding 7,500 people contract AIDS every day (that's more than 2.65 million annually).

However, a study in Thailand might be able to shed some light on finding a cure for AIDS. This study (published today) was found to cut the risk of infection by 31 percent.  In 9-weeks it will be December 1st, World AIDS Day.  How wonderful would it be to really  believe that a vaccine to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS is in sight?

You can read the report by linking to MSNBC here.
Additionally, you can support a local AIDS Service Organization (ASO) by volunteering or donating.  I've included the link to my favorite, ASO, The AIDS Action Committee of MA.

Volunteering your way to a job

The Boston Globe has an article in today's paper, Volunteering your way to a job. Although there is a lot of work to be done when you are first unemployed (i.e. getting your resume in order, applying for unemployment, etc...), if you are organized and efficient, you can conduct an effective job search in just a few hours each week.

When I was laid off in 2001, making myself available and keeping busy was essential. After being unemployed for a couple of months, I realized I needed to shake-up my routine so I turned to the AIDS Action Committee of MA (AAC) to volunteer Tuesday - Friday from 10:00am - 4:00pm in the development office.

I initially approached AAC for selfish reasons as a tech lay-off but my time at this wonderful health and human services non-profit paved the road and redirected me to a career in healthcare. Without realizing it, I was making excellent connections and more importantly, I was re-training myself. Too often people assume learning and career training needs to take place within a classroom, but that is simply not true.

Make HIV testing routine

The Boston Globe has an interesting editorial today in support of a bill sponsored by Somerville state senator, Pat Jehlen, which calls for the state to make HIV testing as routine as getting your cholesterol tested.

The writer makes some compelling points such as, "31 percent of those testing positive for the virus become afflicted with full-blown AIDS within two months. This means that for years they have been unknowingly infected, missing out on treatment and likely infecting others."

The AIDS Action Committee of MA (AAC) has addressed this issue on their blog with an entry entitled, "Massachusetts Needs an Integrated Comprehensive HIV Testing Plan".

I'm not familiar with the bill, and I'm curious what your thoughts might be? The full editorial can be read on Boston.com or by linking here.

Each year on the Tuesday before the Boston Pride Parade an event called Pridelights occurs. It has always been a personal favorite, but this year due to bad weather it had to move in doors to Club Cafe. I had low expectations going into the program, but now that I've returned with a bit of a buzz from my two gin and tonics all I can say that the AIDS Action Committee's event was a total success and more fun than I had bargained for.

It is hard to say how many people came to the program but Club Cafe was overrun. Here are a few photos from the evening's celebration.

Boston's AIDS Walk this Sunday

Take a moment and watch this kitschy clip from the AIDS Action Committee Development team. The AIDS Walk is this Sunday, June 7th. Won't you consider to be a part of this day? Participating increases the number of walkers which in turn raises awareness.

The Walk is the AAC's largest single fundraiser and in addition to providing headlines it also serves to remind us that there still is no cure for HIV. The money raised from the AIDS walk is considered 'unrestricted' which is exceptionally important to social service organization like the AAC, because often they have to do work that is not easy to get funding for and can only be funded through unrestricted dollars.


If you don't have plans this Sunday, come down to the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade. Join me and 15,000 others - just by showing up you are making a statement and more importantly you are helping to make a difference. Write a check to the AIDS Action Committee (any amount is welcome), put on your sneakers and come down. It is an easy and fun walk that starts at 10:00am.

I'll be walking with Sergio. You can also send him a donation by linking here.

Taste of the South End - March 10th

The Taste of the South End will take place this Tuesday, March 10th at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) on Tremont Street in the South End. The program includes 40+ restaurants as well as 4-5 wine and beer distributors.

Each year The AIDS Action Committee of MA tweaks this event to make it both more entertaining as well as delicious and when you think about all the incredible restaurants in the neighborhood that participate there really is something for everyone.

You can purchase tickets to the event by visiting the AIDS Action Committee website or by linking here.

I hope to see you there.

I'mpossible - $100M Grant to Find an AIDS Cure

There has been so much bad news of late, I wanted to share a story currently on Boston.com and The Boston Globe which is reporting that the founder and owner of Cambridge-based, Intersystems, has made a $100M donation to find a cure for AIDS.

The grant will be paid out over the next 10 years in $10M increments and will be shared with other research facilities, including Harvard and M.I.T., but the majority of the donation will be given to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). To read the full story online link here.

ARTcetera 2008

AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts (AAC) is a leading AIDS Service Organization (ASO) in the country. Founded by the amazing Larry Kessler in 1983 as one of the nation's first ASO's, AAC provides so many services to such a diverse community it is hard for to me imagine what life would be like without this amazing agency. You can read more about AAC and their important work here.

On Saturday, November 1st this great organization will host their biannual event, ARTcetera. In addition to quite possibly being both the most unique and most fun fundraiser this city offers, ARTcetera is significant because it raises approximately $500,000 in discretionary funding for the agency. This money is used by the agency to support programs too cutting edge or risky for Federal or State Government funding.

Started back in 1985 as a response from the Boston Arts Community to the AIDS epidemic this fundraiser has grown in numbers and has become the largest modern art auction in New England. If you have the inclination and would like to have a guaranteed great night out this Saturday, November 1st, consider attending this year's ARTcetera. Tickets remain available and can be purchased online. Link here to buy your tickets today.

Boston AIDS Walk - Sunday, June 1, 2008

Sunday, June 1st, the AIDS Action Committee of MA will hold the 22nd annual Boston AIDS Walk. The event is extremely important for the agency for several reasons. First, the event raises a significant amount of unrestricted donations that allows the agency to do much needed work that the Federal and State Governements will not fund because they are politically unpopular. Second, by coming together and walking people make a statement and raise awareness.

Consider making a donation to the AIDS Action Committee. Once upon a time, I volunteered and later worked at the agency and I can vouch personally that the organization's focus on education and prevention are both noble and effective. If you would like to make an online donation, you can link here.