Our guest blogger is Zachary Britt, an intern for the LGBT Progress program at the Center for American Progress.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius celebrated the progress in LGBT health with her opening remarks before the National Coalition for LGBT Health at their annual meeting yesterday. The National Coalition for LGBT Health was formed 10 years ago when health advocates came together to improve the health and well-being of the LGBT population. Sebelius highlighted some of the progress in LGBT health equality over the past decade:

- Greater inclusion of the LGBT population into the goals of Healthy People 2020

- A ruling that any hospital accepting Medicare or Medicaid must provide all patients, including those with same-sex partners, the right to choose who can visit them in the hospital

- A HHS non-discrimination policy that prohibits HHS employees from discriminating against anyone eligible for the department’s programs on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity

- The release of HHS recommendations for providing the best possible care in shelters for homeless LGBT youth

- The development of the LGBT Data Progression Plan that integrates questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity into HHS national surveys, facilitating greater data collection on the LGBT community

The LGBT Data Progression Plan has been a particularly great stride forward, since improved data collection is critical to understanding and addressing health care disparities. The plan will help HHS determine if the LGBT community should be designated a “health disparity population,” which would provide important resources for tackling inequality and establish LGBT health as a specific subsection of Healthy People 2020. Better data of the LGBT population will also ensure that LGBT interests are equally addressed in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

As the United Nations Human Rights Committee prepares to review Iran’s compliance with its civil and political human rights covenant, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO) have issued a shadow report documenting widespread persecution of LGBT people:

• The Penal Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran criminalizes all homosexual acts and actively punishes certain homosexual acts with death.
• Individuals perceived to have committed homosexual acts are subjected to arbitrary arrest, torture in state custody, and denial of the right to a fair trial.
• Iranian authorities at the highest levels have repeatedly issued homophobic statements that amount to incitement to discrimination and violence.

Although the U.N. has regularly addresses LGBT rights when investigating the state of human rights, Iran has refused to report on them, arguing that they are “beyond the mandate and subject matter of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently condemned homosexuality as “an ugly deed… shameful… one of the ugliest behaviours in our society (that is) against the divine teachings of every faith,” having previously said there are no homosexuals in his country. On Facebook, however, LGBT Iranians are making themselves known.

A new study from George Mason University, Indiana University, and the OLB Research Institute at Online Buddies, Inc. investigated the sexual behaviors of men who have sex with men and found 1,308 unique combinations of behaviors that men engage in. The study is distinct in that it is not risk-focused, as much of the research about men who have sex with men can be due to high rates of HIV among that group. As such, the results suggest that safe sex education may be propagating unrealistic expectations about the sexuality of gay and bi men and missing important opportunities to improve their sexual health. As lead author Joshua G. Rosenberger points out:

Of all sexual behaviors that men reported occurring during their last sexual event, those involving the anus were the least common [less than 40 percent]. There is certainly a misguided belief that ‘gay sex equals anal sex,’ which is simply untrue much of the time.

In addition, the study found that more than 40 percent of participants were engaging with someone they were dating or committed to. Results were not so different for heterosexuals, who in another study reported their last sexual partner was someone they were committed to just over half of the time. In other words, men who have sex with men are not particularly less monogamous than opposite-sex couples.

The new data provides an important opportunity to dispel the myth that all gay and bi men have (and should have) anal sex. The results also found that ratings for pleasure were higher among older men and frequency of orgasm was higher when with a relationship partner. All of these findings can help advocates promote sexual lives for men who have sex with men that are both healthier and more personally fulfilling.

 

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has dedicated $2 million to defeat Republicans who helped pass New York’s same-sex marriage law, but the lawmakers in their cross hairs seem unfazed by the anti-gay advocates. Last week, a fundraiser in Manhattan is raised “about $1.25 million” for Republican marriage backers Sens. Mark Grisanti, James Alesi, Stephen Saland, and Roy McDonald — “a windfall by Albany standards.” “In the first six months of this year, state senators raised an average of $103,000 apiece, according to the New York Public Interest Research Group.”

The Republican senators are still defending their votes and dismissing NOM’s intimidation tactics. Yesterday, Grisanti responded to NOM’s threatening billboard, which simply says, “You’re Next“:

“To say, ‘you’re next,’ first of all I don’t know what they means,” said Grisanti. “If they want to come after me for a one issue vote that’s fine. That’s a category that they’re in. There’s other people out there that want this seat in order to change certain political structures in Albany. Whatever they’re going to do, they’re going to do and we’re just going to just keep moving forward.”

Watch the local news segment:

Meanwhile, “More than 250 gay, lesbian, and same-sex marriage activists have officially registered as members of the Erie County Conservative Party, which strongly opposes same-sex marriage” in order to protect help Grisanti win the Conservative party nomination, which he may need to win re-election as a Republican.

An August poll from NY1/YNN-Marist showed that 55 percent of registered voters support same-sex marriage and 63 percent of registered voters oppose overturning the new law.

The special election for Iowa’s state Senate seat in District 18 may swing control of the senate to the Republicans and potentially endanger same-sex marriage in the state. Until now, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal (D) has blocked attempts by the legislature to advance a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, saying, “I’m not going to put discrimination into the state’s constitution.” But some conservatives — particularly national organizations — are seizing on the election as an opportunity to shift power and prevent gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

Cindy Golding, the Republican candidate for District 18, has said she would support holding a popular vote on marriage equality, while her Democratic challenger, former news anchor Liz Mathis, has thus far avoided the issue:

“In the 400-plus calls that I’ve made to the constituents in District 18, not one person, not one, has asked me what my stance is on gay marriage,” Mathis says, “I think this is a lot of media hype over what is important to people in District 18. She says the things she’s hearing about are business growth, better jobs, and education.

When pressed, the Democrat candidate Mathis limits her comments to supporting the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision declaring Iowa’s law banning same sex marriage as unconstitutional. Republican candidate Golding says the entire subject is limiting Iowa.

Goldring says her personal stance is not the issue. “I believe the issue is that the people of Iowa need to vote on it and we need to put the issue to rest, because it is a very divisive issue and we have so many issues in this state that are much more important for our economy, for the families, for business, that this issue needs to be put to rest,” Golding says. She says we need to vote on it and get on with business.

A poll released Friday by Public Policy Polling found that “50 percent of Iowans would vote for a ban on same-sex marriage while 43 percent would vote against it. Though voters seem to reject same-sex marriage, 67 percent support equal rights for same-sex couples either through marriage (37 percent) or civil unions (30 percent). Only 29 percent said same-sex couples should have no legal recognition.” A survey conducted in August had found that “46 percent think marriage equality should be legal, while 45 percent would outlaw it. “