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Loretta Worthington named Director of Programs |
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 | After a national search, the board of directors is pleased to announce that Loretta Worthington has joined the staff as the Director of Programs. Loretta's primary role will initially be implementing and overseeing Rainbow Health's work plan as the lead agency in the Tobacco-free Lavender Communities of Minnesota (TLC). Additional outreach staff will be hired to the project and contracts will be available for other partner agencies to complete portions of the workplan. |
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HIV Infections Stable in MN; Communities of Color Rates Higher; the Mystery of "Elite" HIV Patients |
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Diagnosed HIV infections in 2005 were nearly identical as in the previous year, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), “HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report – 2005.” There were 304 cases of HIV diagnosed in 2005 and 307 in 2004 in the state. Minnesota has seen approximately 300 new cases reported each year for the last 10 years in Minnesota. Gay and bisexual men experienced the largest increase in the number of cases last year at 20 percent and accounted for an estimated 60 percent of the HIV diagnoses in Minnesota over the last three years. |
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Creating an Effective Tobacco Plan for Minnesota's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Communities is the product of a project executed by the Rainbow Health Initiative through a grant from the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT). The purpose of the project was to create a community-based report that identified and analyzed several issues, including rates of tobacco use, knowledge of potential harms of tobacco use, barriers to quitting, and attitudes of GLBT communities toward smoke-free policies. Click here for the full report (pdf). |
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Marriage...Beyond the Debate |
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The 2006 legislative session--and the defense of marriage debate--came to an end on May 22. The legislation, as initially presented before the Senate, would put into the state's constitution language that would define marriage in the following form: "...Only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota. Any other relationship shall not be recognized as a marriage or its legal equivalent." The Rainbow Health Initiative supports all efforts to improve the health and well-being of Minnesota's GLBT community. Recent studies and media reports have noted that marriage generally leads to healthier lifestyle choices and reduces social prejudices. This can help combat chronic problems in the GLBT community like substance abuse and depression. Read the BBC News article here. Public Attitudes Changing According to a poll by the Pew Research Center released in March, nearly 40% of Americans surveyed support the right of gays and lesbians to legally marry. |
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