g jllSt QUt • January 7. 2005
WTiT7TWÏTTlnewsbriefs
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B ar T esting
R eaches
H igh -R isk M en
fun, intimacy and wellness, call 503-223-8822 or
visit www.qland.ori,’.
F ree B ar T esting S ites
I nterfaith G roup
C onsiders F orming
P ortland C hapter
The Multnomah
• Pillow Talk Party: 9 to 11:30 p.m.
County Health De
Donna Red Wing, for
Jan. 14 at Boxxes, 1035 S.W. Stark St.
partment has issued a
mer director of the Les
$2 donation.
preliminary report
bian Community Project,
• Manhunt Party: 9 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 21
about a series of 16
will return to Portland
at Scandals, 1038 S.W. Stark St. Free
bar testing parties
this month in her new
sponsored
by
role as field adviser to
Q-LAND
(Queer
The Interfaith Alliance.
Love Action Net
Founded in 1994 by
work for Discovery),
an interfaith group of
a nonprofit queer
religious leaders, the
men’s wellness and
group works to promote
STD prevention or
interfaith cooperation
ganization serving
around shared religious
the Portland area.
values to strengthen the
Of 148 men test
public’s commitment to
ed in the first 12
the American values of
events, four tested
civic participation, free
positive for HIV and
dom of religion, diversity
one tested positive
and civility in public discourse and to
for syphilis. About
encourage the active involvement of peo
three-quarters agreed
ple of faith in rhe nation’s political life.
to get a bkxxl test for
Members include religious leaders and
syphilis during the
activists—some with years of political
bar testing event.
experience, some just starting out. They
Seven men admitted
work in local communities, in state capi
IV drug use and test
tals, in Washington, D.C., and wherever
ed for hepatitis C,
else their voice is needed.
which is spread pri
Red Wing is coming to town to engage
marily through IV
a conversation about chartering a Portland
drug use.
chapter from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Jan. 19 at
About 77 percent
Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave. The
of the men who test
meeting is open to any person of faith and
ed had not been test
goodwill who wishes to discuss the
ed in more than A quick blood draw and oral
alliance’s future in Portland. To RSVP
seven months, and testing are available for free
e-mail dredwing@interfaithalliance.org.
almost half hadn’t at Q-LAND's bar parties
The group has 150,000 members across
been tested in more
the nation representing diverse religious
than a year. Q-LAND volunteers distributed
and spiritual traditions: Jews, Christians, Mus
7,000 safer-sex kits and about 40,000 invitations
lims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs—70 faith tradi
to bar testing parties in eight months.
tions in all—as well as many agnostics and athe
“Clearly we are reaching high-risk men
ists. The alliance’s national office works on
who are not getting tested regularly in other Capitol Hill and with the White I louse, in
venues, and because we’re offering free, regu coalition with denominational bodies and other
lar, convenient testing in bars, men are able
activist organizations, to make sure its unique
to follow the health department’s recommen
message is communicated when and where it
dation for sexually active gay men to get test
matters most. A total of 47 chapters carry this
ed every three months,” said Bart Church,
message to local decision-makers, media and the
Q-LAND’s program coordinator. “Because
public at large.
we’re inviting hundreds of men every week
end to regularly get tested for HIV and STDs,
N aito and R ojo S worn I n
and letting them know about the recent
Multnomah County Commissioners Lisa
syphilis and gonorrhea epidemics among gay
Naito and Maria Rojo de Steffey were sworn in
►men in the Portland area, community norms Jan. 5.
about testing are
beginning
to
change. Testing
every
three
months is be-
coming
the
norm. It is good
news that...for
the first time in
five years, syphi
lis will not dou
1
ble among gay
men in the Port
ititi -
land area.”
óih i
For more in
formation about
Q-LAND’s efforts
to educate queer
men about these
STDs, promote
regular
testing
and provide more
life-affirming
ways for gay and
bi men to meet Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey and Joe
their needs for D'Alessandro, president and CEO of the Portland Oregon Visitors Association