Regarding your story 'Nashville Exposed - Mark Morton'

The handsome Mark Morton cuts a dashing figure in October’s Nashville Exposed. It’s admirable that Morton aspires to mentor his clients about image and some of his young gay friends about safer sex. It seems ironic, though, that while he’s “turned off” by the negative, demeaning format of some fashion broadcasts, he doesn’t get that perpetrating the very stigma that is at the core of many HIV-positive individuals’ hesitance to disclose and focusing on a demonizing stereotype about some of our HIV-positive brothers aren’t particularly helpful techniques.

Yes, HIV is very real here (2,391 gay and bi men are living with HIV/AIDS in the greater Nashville area) but Morton doesn’t mention that an estimated additional 21% are HIV positive but don’t know their status, are therefore unable to disclose, and are believed by many prevention experts to have a much more significant role in new infections. It’s regrettable that one of Morton’s friends contracted HIV and no one’s asking him to “sugar coat,” that, regardless of the circumstances.

Yet comments in the article come awfully close to reflecting both the external and internalized stereotyping and homophobia that has so damaged our community. If Morton truly wants to make a difference in the lives of his friends, evidence indicates that moving beyond simplistic and judgmental labels like “foolish and unnecessary” and engaging them in informed, thoughtful discussions about intimacy and risk, values and goals, shared responsibility and making good choices will prove more effective.

In August at the National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials presented preliminary analyses showing that gay and bi men have an HIV diagnosis rate 50 times higher than both other men and women. It’s time for us as gay and bi men of all ages and races, both HIV-positive and HIV-negative, to once again address this epidemic - not as a community segregated by HIV status - but as a committed, unified community embracing each other and the need for open, honest, and non-judgmental conversation about how we can protect and love each other.

Sincerely,
Mark Hubbard
TAPWA@discoverymatters.org
Nashville, TN

WhistlePig + Alfa Romeo F1

SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.

The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.

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by Spectrum Medical Care Center

Nurse Practitioner Ari Kravitz

When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.

I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.

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Descanso Resort swimming pool and lounge area

Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!

Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.

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