Gay lifeguard

It all started when a Reddit user shared a vintage photograph of the two men holding hands in lifeguards’ uniforms in , and it’s a beautiful image. Even more beautiful is the note written on the back. The reverse of the photo features the heartfelt message: “To Buzz. I’ll always remember the times we spent together. All my love, your Tommy”. A photo of two life guards has gone viral on Reddit because an inscription on the back of the photo suggests the two were more than friends.

The photo has been shared on social media as early. Though World War II and the post-war era changed mores around gay and lesbian life, the s and 50s were still a very dangerous time for LGBTQ people, leading most to carry out relationships in secret. He was my best friend in high school and my only gay friend. We used to spend as much time as possible at the beach, watching the strong beautiful bodies of the young men as they swam through the green water and spread out on the white sand.

A California lifeguard has launched legal action after a beach he’s usually deployed at erected rainbow flags for Pride Month last year. His action comes just days before Pride Month To recognize the diversity of gay identities and communities, the team behind the campaign will be working closely with gay communities to develop an interactive online toolkit containing practical strategies, advice and actions, the Observer article notes.

A California lifeguard has launched legal

Research shows that gay men often see their friends struggling with anxiety and depression but lack the confidence or skills to reach out to them to help. The U. The Washington Blade last week reported there are more than 17, suspected mpox cases across in Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and other African countries. The outbreak has claimed more than lives, mostly in Congo. Medical facilities that provide treatment to gay and bisexual men in some East African countries are already collaborating with them to prevent the spread of a new wave of mpox cases after the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a global health emergency.

The global mpox outbreak report — based on data that national authorities collected between January and June of this year — notes 87, of the 90, reported cases were men. Ninety-six percent of whom were infected through sex. Sexual contact as the leading mode of transmission accounted for 19, of 22, cases, followed by non-sexual person-to-person contact.

Genital rash was the most common symptom, followed by fever and systemic rash. The WHO report states the pattern of mpox virus transmission has persisted over the last six months, with 97 percent of new cases reporting sexual contact through oral, vaginal, or anal sex with infected people. The growing mpox cases, which are now more than 2, reported cases in at least 13 African countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and prompted the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week to declare the disease a public health emergency for resource mobilization on the continent to tackle it.

We need your support, expertise, and solidarity. The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this crisis. The disease has so far claimed more than lives, mostly in Congo, even as the Africa CDC notes suspected mpox cases across the continent have surged past 17,, compared to 7, cases in and 14, cases last year. The latest WHO report reveals that men, including those who identify as gay and bisexual, constitute most mpox cases in Kenya and Uganda.

The two countries have recorded their first cases, and has put queer rights organizations and health care centers that treat the LGBTQ community on high alert. Grace noted that as of Wednesday, there were no known queer-friendly health service providers to offer mpox vaccinations to men who have sex with men. He called for health care centers to provide inclusive services and a more coordinated approach.

Grace also noted that raising awareness about mpox among the queer community and seeking treatment when infected remains a challenge due to the historical and ongoing homophobic stigma and that more comprehensive and reliable advocacy is needed. He said Grindr and other digital platforms have been crucial in raising awareness. The declarations of mpox as a global health emergency have already attracted demand for global leaders to support African countries to swiftly obtain the necessary vaccines and diagnostics.

ONE is a global, nonpartisan organization that advocates for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Ottenhoff warned failure to support the African countries with medical supplies needed to tackle mpox would leave the continent defenseless against the virus. To ensure that African countries are adequately supported, ONE wants governments and pharmaceutical companies to urgently increase the provision of mpox vaccines so that the most affected African countries have affordable access to them.

It also notes 10 million vaccine doses are currently needed to control the mpox outbreak in Africa, yet the continent has only , doses.

The Blade has reached out to Ishtar MSM, a community-based healthcare center in Nairobi, Kenya, that offers to service to gay and bisexual men, about their response to the mpox outbreak. A coalition of 63 organizations dedicated to ending HIV called on the Biden-Harris administration on Wednesday to require insurers to cover long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis PrEP without cost-sharing.

In a letter to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , the groups emphasized the need for broad and equitable access to PrEP free of insurance barriers. The FDA approved Apretude cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension as the first and only long-acting injectable PrEP in late Currently, only 36 percent of those who could benefit from PrEP are using it.

Significant disparities exist among racial and ethnic groups. The groups also want CMS to prohibit insurers from employing prior authorization for PrEP, citing it as a significant barrier to access.