Meet Loren

Dr. Olson is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has practiced psychiatry for over thirty years. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and received the “Exemplary Psychiatrist Award” from the National Alliance for Mental Illness. He has held several offices in the Iowa Psychiatric Society, including president.

Dr. Olson served as a Flight Surgeon in the United States Navy.

Dr. Olson currently is writing a book on the subject of coming out for mature gay men, due for publication in 2010. He is an active contributor to several blogs and has had his essays published in psychiatric and lay publications. His most recent essay was published in The Advocate: Will Your Marriage Change Your Relationship?

Dr. Olson has conducted independent research on mature gay men, and he presented the initial results of this research at the World Congress in Psychiatry in Prague in September, 2008.

Dr. Olson was featured via Skype interview on Good Morning America in a featured health story called, Bringing Back the House Call, Virtually - ABC News. He has also been featured in an RFD-TV segment on raising grass-fed beef. He is an active member and has served in leadership positions in Plymouth Congregational Church in Des Moines, and his experience as a gay man and a Christian was featured via a video-taped interview at the National Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Dr. Olson and his life partner were married in Iowa in September of 2009. He was previously married and is the proud father of two daughters and five grandchildren. He and his partner live on a farm south of Des Moines where they raise Belted Galloway Cattle, and they are actively involved in sustainable agriculture.

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I met Dr. Olson on Twitter, where I heard about his recent marriage. He graciously agreed to be a face of the day. He runs a website for mature gay men, MagneticFire.com

Meet Laura

I’m Laura Matanah, and I live with my wife Sarah, our two kids, and our chocolate lab. We even have a white picket fence! I love books, biking , and board games. The best is sharing all three with my family. I’m the publisher of an award-winning web magazine, Rainbow Rumpus, that creates community among youth and families across the globe. We publish original children’s and young adult fiction about LGBT-headed families, and articles by and for kids, teens and parents. Visit www.rainbowrumpusdrive.org to learn more about our work.

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Two nights ago I was thrilled to discover Rainbow Rumpus. I like the idea of kids having this resource. I called Laura to tell her this, and to ask if I could help promote the site. I'm honored to have her as a face of the day, and to help promote Rainbow Rumpus by sharing with you their video below.

Meet Kori

Kori Ashton is a Christian solo artist who has opened for Tree63, David Crowder Band, Skillet and more. For years she worked alongside of Exodus International, PFOX and Focus on the Family. In 2004 Kori left those ministries and began sharing her music and the story of her journey as a gay Christian. You can find her online www.LesBePure.com

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I met Kori through Twitter, and she was kind enough to contribute her face and story to Meet Adam and Steve. Thanks Kori!

National Equality March Funding Contest!

I have a job. I'm very grateful for that, not least because many of you out there aren't so lucky.

You or someone you know wants to go to the National Equality March. I very much want to go, but I can't because my out-laws are visiting on that weekend. I really like my out-laws, so I wouldn't miss their once-or-twice-a-year chance to visit for the world. So...

"You got your jobless gay rights advocate in my cash!"

"You got your cash on my jobless gay rights advocate!"

Grace and I just moved, so times are tight right now: we ended up having to put last month's rent on a credit card. I can't be Daddy Warbucks. But if you bring me one LGBT face for this blog between now and October 5, you'll get a chance to win a $50 donation to help you or a friend get to the march. And, above and beyond that donation, I'll do a gift-matching: If I get one reader to donate $50 to another person who otherwise couldn't afford to go, I'll make a second $50 donation.

What do you say? Let's help some folks get to the capital.

From the office of Speaker Quinn: City Council Votes on Affordable Housing Resolution For Low-Income New Yorkers With HIV/AIDS

As a media contact for the office of CNY Council Speaker Christine Quinn, I'm passing along the following.

Below is the release from today's rally for the 30% rent cap bill - the Council is slated to vote on its resolution (a bill supporting state bills) today at 1 PM. I can send you that tally when it becomes available.

Here is a link to the Speaker's remarks at the rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgZCCwAVrqE

City Council Votes on Affordable Housing Resolution For Low-Income New Yorkers With HIV/AIDS

Resolution Sends Strong Signal To Albany To Pass Legislation That Would Prevent 11,000 New Yorkers From Losing Their Homes

New York – People with HIV/AIDS and housing providers joined elected officials on the steps of City Hall today to call on state leaders to pass affordable housing legislation that would help prevent nearly 11,000 New Yorkers from losing their homes. Speaker Christine and Council Member Rosie Mendez introduced a formal resolution (Res 2145-2009) supporting the legislation that will be voted on later today. "This piece of legislation will not only save money for our state, but it will save money for the thousands of HASA clients and provide some vital relief for their pocketbooks. I urge Speaker Sheldon Silver and Governor David Paterson to support this bill so we can take action towards making HASA clients' lives easier and more affordable," said Speaker Christine Quinn.

"The New York State legislature must act to correct this blatant injustice. Why should people with AIDS be the only group required to pay more than 30% of income for subsidized housing? People with AIDS can not maintain their health when they are in constant threat of losing their homes. Passage of this legislation is the humane and the fiscally prudent thing to do," said Council Member Rosie Mendez. The legislation, introduced by Senator Tom Duane and Assembly Member Deborah Glick (S.2464/A.2565), would ensure clients of NYC's HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) pay no more than 30 percent of their income towards rent. According to an independent cost study, the bill would save the city and state $12 million annually by reducing emergency shelter costs.

Although it passed the Senate in a near unanimous vote on July 16, 2009, it remains bottled up in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. Advocates say that unless Assembly Speaker Silver and Governor Paterson support the bill, thousands of New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS could lose their homes over the next year.

"In a time of economic crisis, we want Speaker Silver and Governor Paterson to recognize this legislation for what it is – an opportunity to save money for our government and save homes for low-income New Yorkers," said Gustavo Pedroza, campaign leader with the NYC AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN) who pays 67% of his Social Security Disability (SSD) check towards rent each month. HASA's rental assistance program is the state's only disability housing program that does not cap the tenant's rent contribution at 30 percent of income. Instead, nearly 11,000 clients are required to contribute all but $344 of their income towards rent each month, leaving them with about $11 per day for all other expenses. This policy forces HASA clients to make difficult trade-offs foregoing basic necessities to pay rent each month, while many fall behind in arrears and lose their homes.

"HASA's rental assistance program doesn't leave me with enough money to clothe myself, get toiletries or make co-payments when I have medical appointments. Sometimes I even have to cancel primary care appointments because I can't afford to get there," said Wanda Hernandez, a NYCAHN campaign leader who pays 71% of her SSD check towards rent each month.

From the Office of Speaker Quinn: Anti-LGBT Attack Response Sheet

A second e-mail was sent today from CNY Council Speaker Christine Quinn's office. It contained the following additions to the first one.

Attached is a sheet outlining steps that you can take if you or someone you know is the victim of an anti-LGBT attack. For more information, please contact my LGBT Community Liaison, Erik Bottcher, at (212) 788-5646. You can also e-mail me directly at the following link:

http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/contact_the_speaker.shtml

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

New York City Council

From the Office of Speaker Quinn: Anti-gay attack in Hell's Kitchen

As a media contact for the office of NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, I'm passing along the following release from this morning.

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

Statement by Speaker Christine C. Quinn

Re: Reports of Anti-gay attack in Hell's Kitchen

Early Saturday morning there was a report of an anti-LGBT attack in Hell's Kitchen in which two individuals were the victims of a physical assault.  I am obviously outraged by news that another bias attack has occurred in our city.  But I am also deeply concerned by reports from the victims that NYPD officers responding to the scene did not appropriately recognize the seriousness of the incident.  In fact, it has been reported that they failed to attempt to apprehend or even to collect contact information from the alleged assailant.  If these reports are true, the behavior of the police officers involved was also outrageous and merits swift action by the police department.

In response I have spoken to Police Commissioner Kelly's office. They have agreed to conduct an investigation of these reports, and to have police officials meet personally with the victims this week.  I am very gratified that the police department has agreed to my requests, and urge them to complete a swift and thorough investigation.

One of the most significant tools that have helped us to combat hate crimes here in New York City is having a strong police response to incidents when they occur.  There was a time in our city when victims of hate crimes did not feel that the police were their allies.  Any time a crime of this nature occurs, victims need to know they will be taken seriously.

To their credit, the NYPD have demonstrated that they normally respond aggressively and appropriately to such crimes.  But even one such failure can begin to undermine all of our collaborative and historic efforts.  In addition, every victim deserves to have their incident taken as seriously as any other.   I will continue to work with advocates and the NYPD to increase and expand training when needed, so police officers have the tools they need to respond appropriately to bias attacks.