| FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 17, 2006
NAESM
Announces It's Support for the
National
Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC)
It is with much enthusiasm that NAESM announces it
support of the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition.
(NBGMAC)
NAESM is a non-profit community-based AIDS Service Organization,
which for the last 16 years has educated communities of color on
the facts about HIV/AIDS in and around metropolitan Atlanta. NAESM
understands the health disparities amongst African Americans nation
wide and look forward to assisting the NBGMAC in its mission.
BLACK GAY MEN FORM NEW NATIONAL COALITION TO ADDRESS HIV/AIDS AND
OTHER HEALTH DISPARITIES
WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 27, 2006: Following several months of strategic
planning, an interdisciplinary group of professional black gay men
formed the nation’s first health policy coalition to address
the rising incidence
infections occurring among black gay men. Known as The National
Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC), the Coalition
will address HIV/AIDS and other health disparities.
"The Coalition is committed to improving the health and well-being
of Black
Gay Men through advocacy that is focused on research, policy, education
and training. It's our time to take control of our lives; If not
us, who will,"
according to Rudy Carn, the newly elected Coalition Chair.
The Coalition reports that the catalyst for their formation was
data
released in June 2005, by the CDC reporting that 46% of black gay
men were known to be HIV positive in five cities. The cities were
Baltimore, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. According to Cornelius
Baker, a long time leader and advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS,
the Coalition will be central to the development of effective HIV/AIDS
strategies for black gay men in the future "We cannot stand
by and watch as the HIV,
syphilis, crystal methamphetamine and other dangers take hold in
the lives
of black, gay men. The coalition must do everything to shift the
priorities
of our nation's public health officials and community leaders to
act because
the lives of black, gay men matter. Silence is not an option."
Health policy that affects the lives of Black Gay Men will be principle
among the Coalition’s concerns. According to Earnest Hopkins,
chair of the
Coalitions policy committee “I am excited that we have created
the
Coalition. It provides a unique opportunity for Black gay men to
educate and
advocate to Congress and the Administration about the long, neglected
HIV
health needs of our community. Black gay men are in crisis and the
status
quo is unacceptable.”
The inaugural slate of officers also includes Earnest Hopkins,
as
Vice-chair, Dr. Mark Colomb as secretary and Earl Fowlkes as treasurer.
The Coalition has conducted numerous strategic consultations to
work in
collaboration with key government agencies and established advocacy
bodies. Primary among them was a meeting in November 2005 with the
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors where
discussion of
creating a national coalition was crystallized.
Community based organizations serving black gay men have played
a pivotal
role in the organization’s formation. People of Color in Crisis,
Inc.
Brooklyn, New York. The Coalition formalized its focus at a Strategic
Planning Retreat in collaboration with the New York State Community
Trust
Foundation in January.
The Coalition’s membership is comprised of human service
care providers with expertise in public policy, government affairs,
health care administration,
prevention, care and treatment, research, community mobilization
and an
array of other disciplines. The Coalition’s founding members
represents
major cities and rural communities where HIV/AIDS has most
disproportionately affected African Americans.
-End-
NATIONAL BLACK GAY MEN’S ADVOCACY COALITION
Location in the Offices of:
Us Helping Us
3636 Georgia Street NW
Washington DC 20010
Contacts:
MacArthur H. Flournoy, Public Relations Chair (916) 284-7195
Email: mhflournoy@comcast.net
Rudy H. Carn, NBGMAC Chair, (404) 660-0527
Email: rcarn8aesm@aol.com
Ernest Hopkins, Policy Chair, (415) 487-3000
Email: ehopkins6@starpower.net
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