ANO INDEPENDENTU VOICE FOR THE TLESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES April 4, 2014 | Volume XI, Issue 23 Trans Rights Bill Approved by House BY STEVE CHARING duced it in the House. commit other offenses. The long-fought battle to The Senate had approved the measure Floor leader for the bill Delegate Jose- secure non-discrimination on March 4 by a decisive 32-15 vote be- line Peña-Melynk was called upon to an- protections based on gen- fore sending it to the lower chamber. The swer questions – many of them hypotheti- der identity in employment, House Health and Government Operations cal – from the bill’s opponents as several housing, credit, and public Committee reported the amendments were being accommodations moved bill favorably by a vote of debated. She received one step closer to reality. 14 to 8 on March 25. Measure heads to high marks for her patient, On March 27, the House With emotions ramped governor’s desk for thoughtful, and calm re- of Delegates voted 82 to up during the multi-hour sponses to questions and 57 to approve SB212, the debate, the opposition of- signature comments directed at her. Fairness for All Maryland- fered a series of hostile The Maryland Coalition ers Act, sending it to Gov- amendments that were voted down by the for Transgender Equality hailed the victory ernor Martin O’Malley’s bill’s supporters. Much of the concern cen- as the culmination of many years of work desk for final approval. tered on the public accommodations com- by the transgender community and allies. No Republican voted in ponent of the bill and how if the bill would The group praised the bill’s lead sponsors favor of the bill. Luke Clip- become law, it would allow “men wearing Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegate Luke pinger (D-Baltimore City), dresses” to use a woman’s bathroom fa- Clippinger for their hard work and thanked H ouse debates the Fairness for All Marylanders Act who is openly gay, intro- cility to assault women or molest girls or —continued on page 3 credit: Sharon Brackett Mayor Plays Bingo to Support House of Ruth BY STEVE CHARING feted to yet more loud applause as two Typically when someone wins at bingo beautifully decorated birthday cakes were there are usually good-natured groans or brought out to commemorate Her Honor’s Baltimore Mayor even a boo now and then from the other special day. The actual birthday was two Stephanie Rawlings- contestants expressing their disappoint- days earlier, but she chose to celebrate it Blake, Club Hippo ment. But when Baltimore Mayor Stepha- at the Club Hippo on March 19. owner Chuck Bowers nie Rawlings-Blake shouted “Bingo” sig- Mayor Rawlings-Blake is popular and House of Ruth naling that she had the requisite numbers throughout Baltimore’s LGBT community executive director Sandi Timmins on her card for one game, thunderous so these friendly outbursts at the city’s credit: Steve Charing cheers erupted from some 60 folks partici- largest gay bar are not surprising. The pating in the weekly “Gay Bingo” event at crowd showed their love throughout the the Club Hippo. evening as the mayor walked around be- And that was the second ovation she tween games socializing and joking with received. The mayor was cheered loudly the other participants and enjoying the as she and a group of aides and friends banter from bingo-caller Thomas and his first entered the room. Later, she was assistant Josie Foster (not in drag for this occasion). The mayor enjoys coming to the Hippo to play bingo and loves to do it to celebrate her birthday, according to a staffer. She attends other events at the club as well —continued on page 3 —continued on page 10 NEWS // VIEwpoinT Another Toddler Cured! And Other Highlights from 2014 HIV Conference The 21st annual Conference on Retrovirus- whole body. side effects. The good news is that Endurant es and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) was The bad news was that two Boston pa- and GSK 744 can be combined into one in- held in Boston from March 3 to 6, 2014. Last tients that we hoped were cured last year jectable formulation which is administered year we learned about the Mississippi Baby, experienced viral rebound and needed to only once monthly. the first toddler cured of HIV. The Mississippi restart ARVs. These patients had cancer The new drug doravirine was also shown Baby remains cured of HIV. The results were like the Berlin patient, the to be as effective as Sus- reported by our own Deborah Persaud of only known adult to be tiva with less Sustiva Hopkins who also reported on another baby cured of HIV. They were related neurologic side- from California who is also being treated in given bone marrow trans- effects. There was also a the same manner as the Mississippi Baby. plants (BMTs), but the report on a new “attach- In the California case, the baby was treated BMT donors did not carry ment” inhibitor which may four hours after birth and remains on treat- the delta 32 mutation like be beneficial to highly ment. We will not know if this very early the Berlin patient’s donor. treatment experienced treatment case will be successful until the The delta 32 mutation is patients who need new child has a treatment interruption, the only very rare and is thought life-saving drug classes. way we have at this juncture to ascertain to make one immune to There was very in- whether the baby will experience a viral load HIV. Although this is bad teresting HIV “Treatment rebound while not taking antiretroviral (ARV) news, we are in very early as Prevention” news at treatment. stages of “cure” research. CROI. We knew from a An HIV cure will be a long time coming. We have so much to learn. study known as HPTN052 But you have to start somewhere. What we Every experiment adds to that in heterosexual cou- learned at CROI is that the earlier you treat our knowledge. ples where one partner with ARVs, the better outcome patients will The big news in ARV was HIV+ and the other have. research was continued was HIV-, there was only If a person is treated very soon after progress in long-acting a 4% risk of transmitting infection, we may be able to prevent dam- ARVs. A CROI presentation showed that En- HIV if the HIV+ partner had an undetectable age in the gut and resulting immune activa- durant, plus GSK 744 were as effective as viral load as a result of ARV treatment. But tion that fuels HIV spreading throughout the Sustiva plus two other drugs and had less there was a limited number of gay couples in HPTN052. The good news is that results from the partner study showed the likely chance of transmitting HIV from condomless anal sex was 1% without and 4% with ejaculation if the receptive partner was HIV- and the HIV+ part- Coming April 18, 2014 ner had an undetectable viral load. This study proves that “Treatment as Prevention” works for both gay and straight couples. The most exciting news presented at the conference was about new Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) drugs known as direct acting antivirals (DAAs). DAAs have revolutionized HCV treat- ment. HCV has been treated from 24 to 48 weeks with highly toxic drugs that are only between 60 and 80% effective in the past. Studies in HCV mono-infected people on 12 weeks of DAA therapy showed a 67% cure rated in GT 1a, the hardest to treat patients on daclatasvir and Olysio + ribavirin (RBV); 90% cure rates in GT 1a people on daclatasvir, asunaprenavir and BMS-791325; and 99% in easier to treat GT 1b patients on ABT450/r plus ABT333 + RBV. There was a 100% cure rate on 12 weeks of Sovaldi (SOV) + ledipasvir (LDp), a 95% cure rate on 6 weeks of SOF + LDp + GS 9669, and a 100% cure rate on 6 weeks of SOV + LDp + GS9451 in HCV infected people. The good news is that so far the new DAAs are just as safe and effective in people that are co- infected with HIV and HCV. This is great news for Baltimore where as many as 50 to 75% of people may be co-infected. Beware – HCV is also transmitted through sexual contact. HCV sexual transmission is especially high in men who have sex with men (MSM). t 2 t BALTIMORE OUTLOUD APRIL 4, 2014 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM CRISEAN IS USING MusIC TO INSPIRE OTHERS – continued from page 1 NEWS // LOCAL MAYOR PLAYS BINGO TO We have a 24-hour hotline. We provide for all Marylanders, and I thank all of my nation of a very long and sustained effort SUPPORT HousE of RuTH shelter as well as services for children and colleagues who voted for this bill that I was by Equality Maryland to ensure transgen- – continued from page 1 youth. There is also a counseling staff. We proud to sponsor,” said Senator Rich Ma- der Marylanders are included in our state’s offer abuse intervention and training, and daleno (D-Montgomery) in a statement. “I anti-discrimination laws. Today’s win is the we provide clinical services. Chase Brex- could not be happier that today, after years result of so many people and organizations including a significant rally in 2012 to sup- ton Health Services, as an example, is one of hard work, the General Assembly sent a – transgender individuals and their families port marriage equality. “Governor O’Malley of our partners.” reaffirming message throughout our state – showing up and telling their stories year also visits the club from time-to-time,” the The House of Ruth also has an advo- that prejudice and discrimination will no after year, elected officials like Senator Hippo’s long-time owner Chuck Bowers, cacy function as evidenced by its push in longer be tolerated or exempted from law.