ADELANTE STAFF

Newcomer Jesse Garcia is one of the co-stars in the film Quinceañera that opened in Los Angeles last month to favorable reviews. The drama focuses on a 14 year-old Latina who immaculately conceives a baby right before her Quinceañera. When Magdalena (Emily Rios) is unable to convince her evangelical preacher father that she’s still a virgin, she seeks refuge at her Uncle’s house in LA’s Echo Park. There she bonds with her gay cholo cousin, Carlos (Jesse Garcia).

Some of the film’s most poignant scenes deal with Carlos emerging sexuality as he becomes an exotic plaything for his landlords, a pair of trendy white gays. When things become intimately complicated between Carlos and one of the lovers, both landlords choose to evict the entire family.
Raised in Hanna, Wyoming, Garcia spent most of his childhood in a small town with a population just over 500 people. After studying acting in Atlanta, Garcia moved to Los Angeles in 2003. In 2005, he shot nine national commercials, worked on several independent films, and he can be seen on television in F/X's The Shield (2006), Teen Nick's Unfabulous (2005), and HBO's Walkout (2006), directed by Edward James Olmos.

Shortly before the film’s August release, Jesse sat down with Adelante for an interview about his latest projects and his emergence as a Latino actor in Hollywood.

Castel: Tell me about your character in Quinceañera.

Garcia: I play Carlos, a kid from Echo Park who gets kicked out of the house when his father finds out he’s gay. Carlos then goes to live with his Tio Tomas.

Castel: What kind of research did you do for the script to get inside the character’s head?

Garcia: The directors knew this gay cholo who knows the lifestyle. They gave him the script and asked him to look at it for honesty. They updated the slang based on his recommendations. I talked to him briefly. It’s a well written film, so I didn’t need to do a lot of research.

Castel: Did you go to Sundance?

Garcia: Yes. The film won two awards there. It was quite an experience.

Castel: After three years in Los Angeles, how do you feel about this recent recognition called fame?

Garcia: Now, that I’m getting some attention, I have to think about the kind of movies I want to make. I just don’t want fame. I just don’t want the money. I want a career with longevity. I want to make movies that are entertaining, but also make movies that matter. Like Quinceañera, there are a lot of social issues in it.

Castel: Like what?

Garcia: Such as sexuality, teen pregnancy, class and cultural transitions.

Castel: What would you say is the controlling idea of the film?

Garcia: It’s a film about acceptance. It’s a coming of age for both Carlos and Emily, his cousin. It’s also about tradition.

Castel: And breaking tradition. I mean if she gets pregnant at 14 and you’re a gay cholo.

Garcia: Yeah, absolutely. My character, for instance, gets kicked out for shaming his family. Gay kids are always getting kicked out.

Castel: Is Wyoming, the home of Broke Back Mountain, gay friendly?

Garcia: Hmm? I don’t know. If there were any gay kids in my school, I didn’t know it. It’s kind of a small town. People were afraid to come out. I was raised to be open and accept people for who they were and I studied civil rights when I was in elementary school. I don’t remember it (homophobia) being an issue. I don’t think people even joked about it.

Castel: Speaking of Civil Rights, you were recently in the HBO movie Walkout directed by Edward James Olmos.

Garcia: Yes, I played one of the Brown Berets, the one who mooned the cops.

Castel: OK. I remember. Nice. What was that film about?

Garcia: Walkout is the true story about East LA Chicano high school students, who in 1968 staged several dramatic walkouts to protest academic prejudice.

Castel: Wasn’t your latest film also very political?

Garcia: It’s called Boy Immigrant and I play a coyote who tries to help bring this nine year old boy across the U.S. border to see his mother.

Castel: So you have been making films that have social relevance. Congratulations. How did you get some of these plumb roles?

Garcia: I’m very proactive. The way I got Quinceañera was by going on line and I got an email from Nosotros. I recognized the casting director’s name. I also found my agent and my first commercial agent at the gym. I have a publicist now, and a theatrical agent, so I have a lot of good people working with me.

Castel: Before you did all these films, you said that you were supposed to do a shoot for the front cover of Adelante. What happened?

Garcia: I heard about Adelante on Craigslist. They were looking for Latin boys. I was supposed to do a shoot for them, but something came up and I couldn’t do it. So I was laughing when my publicist said they wanted to do an interview with me.

Castel: Why did you want to pose for the cover of Adelante?

Garcia: I wanted the exposure.

Castel: Looks like you got what you wanted after all.

Brazilian Competes in Swimming at Gay Games

A native of Brazil, Mauro Bordovsky, is a multi-lingual man who may very well have fins. In his early years he swam and body surfed at the beaches of his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. Later on, he took to competitive swimming, which he has been doing for over 30 years. While in college, Mauro earned a full scholarship due to his swimming accomplishments.

Mauro has participated at all seven Gay Games, at most of the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) Championships, and is a founding member of the Los Angeles-based West Hollywood Aquatics (WH2O) club. While Mauro's specialty is the breaststroke, he also competes in the other three strokes (butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle), as well as in the individual medley events. In his long swimming career Mauro has ranked top 10 in U.S. competitions and also has set Gay Games records. Through the years, Mauro has won 12 gold, 11 silver, and six bronze medals at the Gay Games.

For Mauro, the best part of participating in the Gay Games is the empowerment and increased self image that one gains as a gay athlete, the development of camaraderie and community among the competitors, and the spirit of encouragement that prevails at the Games, regardless of ability. According to Mauro, "swimming helps me to maintain good health, relieve stress, and to build healthy relationships with friends that I have made through the sport."

Mauro recently competed in the Gay Games VII held in Chicago in July where he medaled in his five individual events and one relay. Looking to the future, Mauro plans to compete in some local competitions, as well as the IGLA Championships in Paris, France in 2007 and Washington, D.C. in 2008. He will also be sure to swim at Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany, in 2010.

WH2O is a Masters swimming and water polo club with a roster of over 180 members including gay, lesbian, and straight athletes and fitness enthusiasts from the greater Los Angeles area. WH2O is one of the founding members of IGLA and is sanctioned by United States Masters Swimming (USMS) and United States Water Polo (USWP). For more information on WH2O, please visit www.wh2o.org.

METH 101: Part 1 of 4
by Peter S. Theodore

“Meth,” “crystal,” “speed,” “Tina,” “crank,” “tweak,” “ice,” or “glass”—these are the slang, street names for methamphetamine. If you are a gay or bisexual man in Los Angeles County, chances are that you have heard these terms, know of someone who uses the drug, or use meth yourself. Reports from national agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) and local organizations such as the LA Gay and Lesbian Center and local Department of Health indicate methamphetamine use is a growing problem with greater numbers of gay and bisexual men becoming addicted. In response, this four part series will examine the nature of methamphetamine, its impact on gay and bisexual male communities, and describe treatment options available for those who want to stop or reduce their use.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant closely related to amphetamine but it produces a much longer and more intense high. It is usually a white, odorless, bitter-tasting powder, but can also be produced in darker colors (yellow, red, brown) and put in pill and capsule form. Meth can be taken orally, snorted through the nose, smoked, inserted in the butt (“booty bump”), and injected intravenously (“slammed”). Taking meth orally produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes, while snorting meth produces effects within 3 to 5 minutes. Smoking, booty bumping, and slamming meth produce an immediate and intense “rush” that lasts a few minutes. The overall high from all methods of use can last from 6 to 12 hours, with some people using continuously for several days.

Methamphetamine is highly addictive. It is easy to become addicted because of the effect the drug has on the central nervous system. Meth causes a dramatic release of chemicals (Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine) that stimulate the pleasure center of the brain. This can cause the user to feel very good, specifically; the user can feel happier, more energetic, self-confident, horny, and stimulated. However, not all the effects of meth feel good. There are also negative psychological effects. When coming down from meth, users often experience depression, irritability, aggression, confusion, anxiety, and boredom. And there can be physical complications from meth use such as dental and skin problems, difficulty sleeping, erectile dysfunction (“crystal dick”), less energy and motivation, abnormal heartbeat, hyperthermia (dangerously high body temperature), tremors, convulsions, or even stroke. Long-term use can cause one to feel paranoid, see or hear things that do not really exist, or experience the feeling that bugs are crawling in their skin.

It is the combination of the extreme pleasure that users experience early in their meth use plus the desire to avoid the negative, less desirable symptoms that makes methamphetamine highly addictive. In the beginning people use because it feels good. Later people continue to use because they want to avoid feeling bad.

If you think you might have a problem with meth and you would like to try to stop your meth use, help is available. Call Friends La Brea at 323-463-7001.

West Hollywood Eclipse Soccer Team Brings Home the Silver from the GAY Games!
by: Jesse Gutierrez, Eden and Steve

The West Hollywood Eclipse Soccer Team, with Jesse Gutierrez as captain, returned to Los Angeles as SILVER MEDAL champions in soccer. It was a great fete for the primarily Latino weekend warriors soccer team. This showed what team work, team spirit and loyalty, plus the love of the sport can do. The team always respected the support of their partners, families, friends and sponsors whether they are in Chicago or in Los Angeles.

The Eclipse team was among the 12,000 gays men and lesbians who were participating in the 7th Gay Games being held in Chicago from July 15 to July 22. Other events that took place were same-pairs skating, “The Pink Flamingo Aquatic Show” and the usual mainstream offerings of basketball, baseball, table pool, bowling and even darts, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times article also reported that Chicago’s Gay-friendly mayor, Richard M. Daley, was very pleased his city was able to host the Gay Games.

The West Hollywood Eclipse team included Carlos R. as goalie, Paul, Marcos, Daniel, Carlos C., Duc and Jeff. Our midfield consisted of Nathan M., Nathan V., Dennis, Joseph, David H. and Bill. Our forwards were Jesse, Luis, Ranxell and Labo. Soccer is a team sport in which the members must depend upon each other to win. The defense, midfielders and forwards played an awesome tournament.

For the soccer tournament, there were two groups with seven teams in each group. The first four games would be used to seed us for the tournament of 14.

Here’s how it went for West Hollywood Eclipse Soccer Team during the five great days:

Opening Ceremonies

The team was anxious, ready and waiting for the opening ceremonies to begin. We gathered at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, where some of the team members were staying, and began our 30-minute walk to Soldier Field. The buses were crowded and the sidewalks were filled with people walking to the stadium.

At our gathering point at Soldier Field saw athletes from all over the world conversing and trading pins. There’s excitement in the air. After waiting hours for the opening ceremonies to begin, we lined up to get ready for our march onto the grass of Soldier Field. We were filled with adrenaline and loud and proud, as we walked onto the field that is the home of the Chicago Bears. Gay men and Lesbians marched in, hand in hand, to the sound of clapping and cheering from thousands of fans as our state’s name was announced. What a great thrill it was for us to enter the massive stadium!

Sitting on the oversized presentor’s stage at the Opening Ceremonies, we heard guest speakers talking about numerous issues, mostly unrelated to the Gay Games or the opening celebration. There were a few highlights, including a performance by comedian Margaret Cho and a Grade A fireworks show that ended a little after midnight.

Day 1

In the first game we were to face the Florida Storm team and Dallas in the second game. The temperature was heating up to the 90s, with the humidity level around 90% as well. The first game was at 10:10 a.m. The game began and in no time the West Hollywood Eclipse was up 1-0 when Luis passed the ball to Jesse putting it on the back of the net for the first goal of the Eclipse’s run for the Gold. The Storm team came back to make the score 1-1. With less than 15 minutes remaining, Jesse got a red card and was out of this game and the following game. Five minutes later our goalie, Carlos R., got a red card and he as well was out of the rest of the game, joining Jesse on the bench. With nine players and five seconds remaining, the Eclipse dribbled the ball and Luis was fouled inside the box for a penalty kick. Nathan M. took the penalty kick and put it in the back of the net to give the Eclipse a victory over Florida with a score of 2-1. On to victory!

The Game against Dallas was not easy, as the Eclipse team struggled without having Carlos R. and Jesse, although they coached the team from the bench. Again we managed to score first to make it 1-0, but Dallas score and came back to tie the game 1-1, which ended up as final score. The draw gave our team one point.

Day 2

The weather cooled off a little bit today with the humidity still at 90 percent, as we played the London Leftfooters. We won 4-1. The game started slowly for us, but we scored first again with another great pass from Luis to Nathan M., who puts it in the back of the net. The Leftfooters came right back to tie the score, 1-1, the end of the half. We were not passing well and after making adjustments at half time, we went on to score three more goals, one by Dennis and the other two by Labo. The midfield and the defense continued to play solid, so solid that Carlos R., our goalie, did not touch the ball throughout the second half. Jesse planned on bringing Carlos R. a newspaper to the next game so he could catch up with current events and the stock market as the team struggled and sweated we played on.

Day 3

Today it was the Chicago Titans vs. the Eclipse. At 11:40 a.m., the temperature was 90 degrees and we were still playing on artificial turf, which makes the weather feel about 30-40 degrees higher.
Marco started the Eclipse’s run to Gold as he headed the ball to the back of the net on a corner kick by Nathan M., to make it 1-0. Ranxell upped the score to 2-0 by dribbling the ball past and between defenders, falling down, getting up and pushing the ball to the back of the net. Our third goal came when Luis was fouled inside the box giving the Eclipse a penalty shot. Nathan M. then capitalized on that and the score was 3-0. Our final goal came when Paul kicked the ball on a free kick from midfield and put it behind the net to make it 4-0. Nathan V. got two yellow cards and was sent out of the game with a red card, leaving him out for the next game. We now begin our elimination tournament when all 14 teams are seeded. With our win we were the No. 2 seed, and Boston was No. 1. We would face the winner of Dublin Devils (Ireland) London Leftfooters (England) match.

Day 4

The weather was a warm 81 degrees with 90 percent humidity, a perfect day for a soccer game. The game was to begin at 4 p.m.

The Eclipse played its first international soccer team, the Dublin Devils. Because of thunder and lightning, a lot of the games had to be rescheduled with shorter half time which became 15 minutes. We went to penalty kicks and won the game 5-4. Madre, our goal keeper, was in top form for this game. Hurray for Madre!

We advanced to the semifinals against Dallas. The game began at 7 p.m. There was a full roster and everyone able to be in the game, we had a dominant defense and offense team. The defense (Duc, Carlos C., Paul and Marco) played solidly throughout the game under the direction of our dependable goal keeper Carlos R. Our game started by scoring first, when Nathan V. took a shot from the outside to put the ball past the goalkeeper to take a 1-0 lead. Minutes later, Labo passed the ball to Joseph inside the box and we took the lead at 2-0. The goals just kept coming in the second half when Joseph scored on a corner kick, giving us a 3-0 lead. It was now Luis’ turn to score as he headed a ball and put it in the back of the net by a Labo throw in (4-0). Labo dribbled, shot and scored to make it 5-0. We didn’t finish there because Labo took a shot and put the ball on the back of the net during a free kick. Dallas went on a fast break and scored past a diving Carlos R., and the game ended 6-1. The West Hollywood Eclipse advanced toward the Gold match, which would be held at the stadium at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Day 5

It was a cloudy day in Chicago. The team met at the Palmer House Hotel ready to take the bus to University of Illinois Chicago campus. We were totally prepared, and with few minor injuries, everything looked great. The team was ecstatic that we were playing for the gold medal. We began the game strong, passing, making runs and taking a lot of shots, but unable to put a ball on the back of the net. The Boston team capitalized on their shots, making four goals in the first half. After making some modifications at the half, our defense became stronger and we continued to put pressure on Boston. Our first goal came when Luis made a header on to the back of the net. We were not done because Labo came in with fresh legs and made another goal, bringing the score to 4-2. We dominated and controlled the game. Boston was just playing kick ball and long ball. When it was all said and done, the West Hollywood Eclipse soccer team ended in second place with the Silver medal. We were happy with our team’s performance, and proud with the way we played as a team. Our team was the strongest out of the 14 in the tournament and more versatile; we had a stronger defense, midfield and forward.

We had a lot of support from our guests, fans and cheerleaders, headed by Steve, who wore a different outfit to every one of our games, which brought cheers from all of our opponents. They were fun, loud and proud to have them as part of the West Hollywood Eclipse Team.

We would also like to acknowledge Eban for helping with the cheers and taking most of the photos during the tournament. A special thanks to Sam, who assisted with performing First Aid and preparing the roster.

Closing Ceremonies

It was the nicest day of all to spend at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. It was festive in and out of the stadium. Jesse was one of the first athletes to walk in and what a great feeling to enter Wrigley Field with hundreds of cheering spectators. Jesse was proud to walk in with a SILVER MEDAL around my neck. The Closing ceremonies had a lot more action and a lot less talking. It was full of excitement and entertainment. The highlight of the ceremonies was when singer Cindy Lauper came out dressed like the statue of Liberty with the rainbow colors. The acts were a lot better then the ones in the opening ceremonies. When the City of Chicago presented the Gay Games Flag to the city of Cologne, Germany, Jesse broke down in tears of sadness realizing that the Gay Games in Chicago had ended yet we were coming back to Los Angeles with the SILVER MEDAL. There would be no more getting up early, no more massages and no more putting on the soccer uniform with the soccer ball on the back and walking to the bus to get to the soccer fields.

The team wishes to thank the many sponsors, friends, family members for their financial support. Especially West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran; his chief of staff, Hernan Medina; and the West Hollywood’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for its generous contribution. The team wishes to thank Michael Jon Horne, owner of MJ’s on Hyperion for sponsoring a fundraiser, as well as Scott owner of the Faultline on Melrose, who also sponsored a fundraiser. We would like to thank Jack Plimpton for all of his support and volunteer work, and Al Balestros and Pepe Torres, publisher and editor of Adelante who were sponsors of WEHO Soccer Team.

Please continue to support in our quest toward the gold medal at International Gay and Lesbian Soccer Association Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September 2007.

Edited by: April Grayson, Jack Plimpton, Ken Chow

Not a Laughing Matter
By Coral López
Communications Manager - Bienestar

What is the longest running joke when it comes to men in prison? I’ll give you a clue; it makes heterosexual men uncomfortable and it gives way to tasteless homophobic stereotypes. Yes. It’s exactly what you’re thinking, men having sex with men. However, what the punch line of the joke never seems to get to is to the fact that HIV rates in our prison systems are estimated to be eight times higher than that of the general population.

Perhaps, this frightening reality is left out of the joke, because it is truly no laughing matter. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Latinos make up 37% of the prison population in California. That makes Latinos the largest ethnic group in prisons and subsequently the largest target for HIV infection.

HIV testing is not currently mandatory in our prison system; therefore countless of men are released back into the general population unaware that they are now HIV positive. Upon release, Latinos return to their predominantly Latino neighborhood and the risk of transmission to their Latino loved ones becomes a reality.

The key word here is Latino.

The truth is Latinos are already at high risk of contracting HIV without us having to add the soaring statistics from the imprisoned population. Latinos make up only 14% of the US population, but make up 20% of the people living with AIDS. Clearly we can all see how much worse our numbers can be in a few years if the rates of HIV are allowed to continue to rise inside our prison system.

So how do we stop the rapid increase of HIV in our prison system?

Currently bill AB1677, is being discussed and debated by our political leaders in California. If approved AB 1677 would allow non-profit organizations to make condoms available to inmates, thereby giving prisoners an opportunity to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Inmates would lower their risk of infection by using the condoms and this would in turn lower the over all rates of HIV in California, especially within the Latino population. AB1677 would also save our state thousands of dollars a year, since according to the California Department of Health Services the average cost per patient with HIV is over $23,000 per year.

If the financial savings to our state are thousands of dollars per year and more importantly the positive impact on human lives is invaluable, then why are some actually opposed to AB 1677?

For starters, sex in prisons is actually illegal. However, the staggering high rates of HIV transmission in our prisons and the fact that statistics show that 20-26% of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States have spent time in the correctional system, should dwarf this concern because illegal or not, sex is definitely taking place behind bars.

Secondly, it is often argued that the condoms will be misused by inmates as weapons or trafficking devices. A legitimate concern when you take the ingenuity of inmates into consideration. However, there is standing proof that this will not happen. Currently some correctional facilities in Australia, Canada, Europe, San Francisco and New York have successfully implemented condom distribution systems. And I am happy to report that the world did not end. In fact, none of the correctional facilities that have distributed condoms have ever felt the necessity to retract the distribution as a result of an increase in violence or illegal trafficking.

In the end, despite some opposition, condom distribution is a sensible public health measure that can impact the number of HIV infections in prison.

As the leading Latino HIV/AIDS organization in Southern California, BIENESTAR recognizes that men having sex with men in prison is not the problem. The problem is men having unprotected sex with men in prison. On August 22nd, BIENESTAR joined the Southern California HIV Advocacy Coalition in Sacramento to speak to California leaders about the importance of supporting AB1677. BIENESTAR will continue to work with local and state leaders on this and other measures in order to insure that the wellbeing of our community is priority.

If you are interested in assisting with our public policy efforts please contact Mario Guerrero at mguerrero@bienestar.org. To learn more about our services please log onto www.bieneatar.org or visit our center nearest you.

Cumbres Altas y Tacones Altos
Por Zamná Ávila

De cinco en cinco, las donaciones para el programa de residencia de The Nevada AIDS Foundation fueron acumuladas hasta recaudar más de $2,000 el 12 de agosto en Reflections, un bar popular en Reno.
Las Divas on the Run,—un elenco de comediantes drag, y Twisted Sister,—un grupo musical de lesbianas presentaron High Tops and High Heels, un espectáculo a beneficio de una organización que ayuda a gente viviendo con SIDA con recursos para pagar cuidados de largo plazo, arrendamiento y utilidades.
“Puede significar la diferencia entre poder decirle a alguien que hay dinero para pagar otro mes de alquiler de hogar ó mandarles una carta diciendo ‘ya no te podemos ayudar,’” dijo Larry Mastropierro, presidente del State of AIDS Task Force para Nevada.
Para Nina Brown, dueña del establecimiento, ofrecer parte de sus ganancias de la noche no fue muy difícil. “Cada dólar que llega a la entrada va directamente al programa de residencia.
“Esto es una caridad local que ayuda tanto a bebés como a adultos,” dijo Brown. “Queremos que la gente salga y vea el espectáculo. Beneficios como este dejan que la gente se entere que nos preocupamos por la comunidad.”
Debra Valdez, una terapista de masajes que acudió al evento dijo que eventos como estos son necesarios, especialmente en una comunidad poco representada con los legisladores y representates del estado.
“El show estuvo fantástico y ayudó a unir a la comunidad,” dijo Valdez. “Ya que el estado no nos ayuda, nos cuidamos entre nosotros mismos.”
Rob Bamford, un trabajador ambiental del estado, está de acuerdo.
“A veces la causa es más importante que el espectáculo,” dijo Bamford. “Nunca puedes tener ayuda suficiente, toda ayuda es bienvenida.”

La Caminata contra el SIDA llega a Reno
Por Zamná Ávila

Cuando Steven Hendirx, quien murió a causa del SIDA el 7 enero del 2006, su amiga Laura Grotz no solo lloró, sino se armó de valor para hacer algo que nunca antes se había hecho en Reno.

Grotz, publicista y editora de Outlands Magazine, y algunas de sus amistades decidieron organizar el 2006 Reno AIDS Walk, en honor a su querido amigo, una caminata prevista para el 16 de septiembre que recaudará fondos para organizaciones ayudando a combatir la enfermedad.

“Una de las cosas de las que me di cuenta es que nunca antes se habían tenido una caminata contra el SIDA en el norte de Nevada, y eso se me hace casi vergonzoso,” dijo Grotz. “Yo no sé de toda la polémica que esto envuelta, pero me parece que es tiempo, ya lo estamos haciendo.”

Jennifer Howell, quien organizó el Internacional AIDS Candlelight Memorial en mayo, una vigilia honrando la memoria de gente que ha muerto a causa de la enfermedad, explicó la razón por la que no ha habido una caminata en Reno antes. Howell, coordinadora del programa de salud sexual del Washoe County District Health Department, —el departamento de salud del condado de Washoe, dijo que el departamento quería encontrar un medio de recaudar fondos que no compitiera con otras causas.

“Eventos especiales anteriores no habían incluido una caminata para recaudar fondos para el SIDA a propósito, porque queríamos algo que resonara y que la comunidad pudiera abrazar y aun no lo hemos encontrado,” dijo Howell.

Grotz está en desacuerdo.

“No creo que le estemos quitando a nadie,” Grotz dijo. “Nevada aun es un estado pequeño y hay cierta vergüenza cuando se trata del VIH/SIDA. En vez de abarcarlo, la gente aun es homofóbica y no lo habla.”

Entre enero y septiembre del 2005, Nevada State Health Divisions HIV/AIDS Fast Facts demostró que al menos 5,300 personas viven con VIH/SIDA en Nevada, posicionando a Nevada en segundo lugar, siguiendo a California, de casos relacionados con el SIDA por capita (225/100,000). En el 2004, hubo más de 61 nuevos casos de VIH/SIDA que fueron diagnosticados en el condado de Washoe y más de 550 personas en el estado.

El año pasado, Northern Nevada HOPES, —una agencia sin fines de lucro que asiste a gente infectada con el VIH/SIDA, que el 53 por ciento de sus clientes se identifican como heterosexuales. La agencia, que provee servicios médicos, será uno de los recipientes principales de los fondos recaudados por la caminata.

Para Felipe Martín, quien ha vivido con el virus desde el 2000, dice que el hecho que se está haciendo la caminata este año es simbólico de que las creencias homofóbicas están cambiando en Reno.

“Estoy bien feliz que las puertas se están abriendo y espero que la gente responda para una noble causa,” dijo Martín. “Me da gusto porque las organizaciones lo necesitan especialmente para educar a los adolescentes y adultos que aun no comprenden.”

Organizaciones como Frontline of Northern Nevada, un grupo de personas infectadas con el VIH dedicado a educar a estudiantes del distrito escolar de Washoe County, a jóvenes en centros de detenciones juveniles y a gente en prisiones por medio de presentaciones que incluyen testimonios personales. James Steve May, asistente al director del programa, dijo que de cada $100, 100 jóvenes podrán ser alcanzados.

A los voluntaries del programa se les da $35 para ayudarles con sus gastos para sus discursos, además de gastos de ‘millaje’, el resto iría para pagar gastos de utilidades y renta.

“Seguramente no se podrán cubrir todos los beneficios del programa, pero nos sentimos orgullosos de que los organizadores nos eligieron como uno de los recipientes,” dijo May. “Entonces, cualquier fondo ayudará a seguir haciendo lo que hacemos. Poniendo una cara al SIDA, presentando información preventiva y una sinopsis de cómo esto ha afectado nuestras vidas.”

Puesto que la caminata es una nueva ventura para Grotz que se organizó con rapidez, ella y los otros organizadores se han encontrado cortando costos a cada avenida para asegurarse de que el dinero recaudado vaya directamente a organizaciones dedicadas a combatir los efectos del VIH/SIDA. Ella espera que el próximo año más organizaciones puedan beneficiarse y estar mejor preparados.

“Se trata de construir puentes, sobre todo hasta en Nevada,” dijo Grotz. “Siento como que mi amigo Steve (Hendrix) se está riendo de mi, diciéndome, ‘ves por lo que tuve que vivir.’ Ahora estaré caminando lo mas cerca posible ‘en sus zapatos’.”

Para más información sobre el 2006 Reno AIDS Walk, comuníquese al (775) 240-3292 ó por correo electrónico a lauragrotz@sbcglobal.net

Frontline of Northern Nevada: (775) 624-0639, e-mail NVfrontline@yahoo.com

Northern Nevada HOPES: (888) 467-3144

Washoe County District Health Department: (775) 328-3647

zamna_avila@yahoo.com