by Lauren Rose Strand The history of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools is a tricky one to trace. The work that GSAs do has likely been done in schools for quite some time, but in 1988 Kevin Jennings helped establish the first official gay-straight alliance at Conchord Academy. Since then thousands of GSAs have been established around the country. This month I had the opportunity to meet with... 

by Jayra Harris In a perfect world, I will meet someone I find terribly attractive. He’ll be smart, funny, successful, interesting and interested. The good morning text will arrive every day by 8, he will call every night before bed, make time for me even though he’s busy, all the while being a perfect gentleman. Never having felt this before, my heart tells me he’s “the one.” I dream of... 

by Lauren Strand This month I had the opportunity to sit down with Tyler TerMeer, the new Director of the Ohio AIDS Coalition (OAC), which is now a division of the AIDS Resource Center of Ohio (ARC Ohio). Tyler is the Director of OAC, a cyclist, Ph.D. candidate, and young professional who has been living with HIV for the past eight years. Tyler shared some of his thoughts on Columbus, emerging trends... 

by Mackenzie Worrall HIV infection rates are on the rise. That’s not just globally. That’s here. The United States, Ohio, Columbus, The Short North. Why? What has three decades of the largest epidemic in human history failed to teach us? Why do we still insist on carelessness that hurts ourselves and, more often than not, those closest to us too? It may come as no surprise that new infection rates... 

by Orie Givens When Mark went to the health department in 2007, he had a feeling something was wrong. For weeks leading up to his diagnosis, he had flu-like symptoms, was excessively tired and had swollen lymph nodes. It was an episode of Noah’s Ark that encouraged him to go see a doctor. He went into the clinic and got tested, then waited several days for the results. When he was finally called... 

by Michael Straughter With the AIDS-related death toll well over 25 million since 1981, the race to find a vaccine has been an urgent, unsteady and particularly unsuccessful one. In the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, very little was known about how the virus was transmitted, and even less was known about how it was caused. When the virus was isolated in 1985, Margaret Heckler, the United... 

by Bill Hardy Twenty-seven years ago this April, Larry Kramer’s angry, inspiring and prophetic play about AIDS, The Normal Heart, premiered in New York City. This work encapsulated the indescribable despair and decimation wrought by AIDS that permeated the LGBT community in the early 1980s. The horror and pain of that hellish era have begun to fade from the collective memory of those who lived through... 

by Mackenzie Worrall The last couple years have been pretty exciting for Columbus. Remember when Zombieland revolved around trying to get to the charred remains of our city? Finally, a popular piece of fiction seen by millions that uses Columbus instead of Cleveland! Sure, Cleveland used to be the fifth biggest city in the US (almost a hundred years ago), and it still has a kick-ass museum and well-financed... 

by Orie Givens Making history is nothing new to the GLBT community. Our fight to be recognized as equal has been the source of literature for longer than many of us can remember. In 2011, we made a different type of history with the release of the first Who’s Who in GLBT Columbus. Instead of focusing on the ills within our community, the social problems, or the fight for marriage rights, this book... 

Hey kids, the bicentennial is an excellent time to get out and explore all our great city has to offer. Here is a current listing of things to do all next year. Mark your calendars now and then get ready to explore. Up to date info can be found on Experience Columbus’s website: http://www.experiencecolumbus.com. Exhibit: Monet to Matisse: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Sirak Collection 9-23-2011...