CDC tobacco prevention campaign: 'Smoking poses a deadly threat to the LGBT community'

 

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has launched an LGBT-inclusive anti-smoking campaign. From the CDC:

Please consider posting this touchpoint on tobacco prevention and control created for LGBTQ audiences by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as part of its national ‘Tips from Former Smokers’ campaign. 

The message in the graphic is simple, but the problem is complex.

The LGBTQ community in the United States continues to be disproportionately impacted by smoking, more so than any other population group,[i] and are twice as likely to smoke than heterosexuals.[ii] Higher levels of social stress, frequent patronage of bars and clubs, higher rates of alcohol and drug use, predatory marketing strategies by the tobacco industry and limited access to effective tobacco treatment,[iii] are significant factors.

LGBTQ youth are at risk too. Last year’s CDC report, which profiled tendencies and trends among LGBTQ youth, showed that cigarette use ranged from 8% to 19% among heterosexual students but ranged from 20% to 48% among gay and lesbian students;[iv] that’s more than double in some cases.

Despite these alarming statistics, many in the LGBTQ community do not perceive tobacco as a serious problem. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco interviewed the leaders of 74 LGBT organizations between 2002 and 2004 and less than a quarter of them felt tobacco use to be a pressing health concern.[v]

There’s no place for complacency when dealing with tobacco. Today, smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.[vi]

In recognition of Pride Month, the ‘Tips from Former Smokers’ campaign wants to encourage the LGBTQ community to be proud and protective of their health.

Could we count on you to post this informative and motivational image on Gay South Florida, along with the link below so that tobacco users can learn of the free quit resources available to them?

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/stories/?s_cid=OSH_tips_D9022

[i]http://www.lgbttobacco.org/files/LGBT%20People%20and%20Smoking_Coalition%20for%20LGBT%20health.pdf(found on CDC page: http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/links.htm)

[ii] http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/publications/lung-disease-data/lgbt-report.pdf

[iii] http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/publications/lung-disease-data/lgbt-report.pdf

[iv] http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/disparities/smy.htm

[v] http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/publications/lung-disease-data/lgbt-report.pdf

[vi] http://www.epa.gov/radtown/tobacco.html

David Richardson, Joe Saunders, Stephen Smith endorsed by Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has issued 17 new endorsements of openly LGBT candidates running in the United States, including three in Florida:

"Two newly-endorsed candidates for the Florida House of Representatives, Joe Saunders and Dave Richardson, would be the Sunshine State’s first openly gay state lawmakers," according to Victory Fund.

Richardson is running for Florida State House of Representatives, District 113, which includes Miami Beach, downtown Miami, Little Havana and North Bay Village.

Saunders, a field director for Equality Florida, is running for House District 49 in Orange County.

Also, Victory Fund has endorsed Stephen Smith of Key West, who is seeking reelection to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board of Commissioners.

Click here for more.

Embattled John Travolta, Kelly Preston embrace, kiss Monday at Los Angeles premiere of 'Savages'

Smack!

John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston embraced and kissed Monday at the Los Angeles premiere of Oliver Stone's new film, Savages.

Travolta, 58, has recently been accused of groping male massage therapists and demanding sex.

GetEQUAL Florida, student group plan to protest Obama during his visit to South Beach on Tuesday

GetEQUAL Florida and Students Working for Equal Rights (S.W.E.R.) plan to protest President Barack Obama during his visit to South Beach on Tuesday afternoon.

The groups are angry that Obama hasn't signed an executive order ending workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans.

Here's the news release:

LGBT and Allied Groups Protest Obama Fundraiser Over Lack of Executive Action for Equality

MIAMI, FL -- As preparations are underway for a star-studded
fundraiser for President Obama this evening in Miami Beach, activists are preparing to protest the event in order to call attention to the desperate need for executive action on workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans.

Since the transition process began following Election Day in 2008, LGBT advocates have been calling on President Obama to follow in the footsteps of past presidents by using executive action to stem the very real problem of discrimination in the workplace targeting LGBT Americans. Past presidents have used Executive Orders to ban discrimination among military contractors and federal contractors, leading the way for Congress to then tackle employment discrimination
at the federal level. Currently, there are no federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Since 1974, legislation has been introduced to address LGBT workplace discrimination, but federal legislation has failed to move through Congress ever since then (www.getequal.org/endatimeline). In mid-April, the White House announced that President Obama would not be signing an Executive Order barring LGBT workplace discrimination "at
this time"  (http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/04/breaking-white-house-holds-high-level-meeting-with.html),
but activists and donors have continued to pressure the White House to reconsider that position -- especially now that the Obama Administration has announced administrative relief for young undocumented immigrants, many of whom also identify as LGBT.

Today's protest of the Obama fundraiser includes advocates from the LGBT and the immigration movements who are concerned that the Obama Administration is not taking workplace discrimination seriously. Many of the activists involved are young people who are afraid that there will be no opportunity for them to find work without having to go back
into the closet; many others are LGBT undocumented youth who are thrilled with the Obama Administration's action on immigration a week ago but, once they receive work permits, want to know that they will not experience discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"For me -- as a gay, undocumented young person -- the president's announcement about administrative relief for DREAMers is fantastic...but getting a work permit is just the first step for me," said Felipe Matos, field director for GetEQUAL. "Once I get a work permit, I need assurance that I won't be harassed or fired based on my sexual orientation -- and President Obama has a decision to make today about whether he will let me fully live the American dream. I hope President Obama is moved today to put his pen to paper and to sign
this Executive Order today."

"As a young, undocumented immigrant to the United States, I dreamed of the day that I would be able to fully contribute to this country," said Esteban Roncacio, organizer with Students Working for Equal Rights (S.W.E.R.). "When President Obama announced his shift in immigration policy from the White House Rose Garden, my heart leapt -- but my LGBT friends are still not able to fully celebrate. I'm committed to working and organizing until everyone in this country has the opportunity to fully participate in and fully contribute to their American dream."

While a federal law that would protect LGBT workers from
discrimination across the country -- the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) -- languishes in Congress, President Obama could issue an Executive Order today to protect American workers from discrimination, following in the footsteps of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt (E.O. 8802), Dwight Eisenhower (E.O. 10479), and Lyndon Johnson (E.O.
11246). President Obama has been under pressure from LGBT advocates and donors for the past few months, who are demanding that he sign an Executive Order to protect employees of federal contractors from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which would both protect the 26 million Americans who work for federal contractors and ensure that taxpayer dollars are not
funding discrimination.

• Who: GetEQUAL Florida and Students Working for Equal Rights (S.W.E.R.)
• What: President Obama fundraiser
• Where: 1700 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
• When: Tuesday at 5:30 PM

Oreo shows its rainbow colors to mark gay pride

Posted by Oreo to Facebook to celebrate gay pride: "JUNE 25 | PRIDE Made with creme colors that do not exist."

South Florida photographer David Vance releases signed copies of new 'Jungle Fever' book

 

South Florida photographer David Vance of Miami has released a new book, Jungle Fever, which he is selling through his website (signed), www.davidvanceprints.com, and Amazon.com.

Channing Tatum bares his soul in ‘Magic Mike,’ drawing on own past in story about male strippers

BY RENE RODRIGUEZ, RRODRIGUEZ@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh wants you to know that there is more to his new movie Magic Mike than the trailers and TV ads would have you believe.

“I really like the marketing campaign,” says the Oscar-winning director of Traffic, Ocean’s Eleven and Erin Brockovich. “I was the one who wanted to sell the movie like it’s fun, because it is mostly fun.

“It may not be exactly what people expect. But I don’t think the film is different in a way that’s antagonistic to the audience.”

Then, after a pause, Soderbergh addresses the elephant in the room.

“Look, this is not a movie that is exclusively aimed at women and gay men. To what extent are women going to be able to talk their boyfriends into going? I don’t know. But I don’t think guys will be sitting in the theater thinking, ‘This is torture.’ Ten minutes into the movie, they’ll realize they are not being excluded from this experience at all.”

Click here to read the complete article.

'Tips for LGBT Parents Raising a Family in a Straight World' set for Saturday in Fort Lauderdale

From 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, SunServe and Miami Beach attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz will present We Have Our Family, Now What? Practical Tips for LGBT Parents Raising a Family in a Straight World at Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

Here are the details:

Click here to download information