by Peter DeLvecchio

New Jersey passes hate crimes bill

The New Jersey Legislature passed legislation Jan. 7 strengthening the state’s hate crimes law, states a Garden State Equality release. The bill adds “gender identity or expression” to existing law and will “give New Jersey America’s strongest protections” for transgenders. Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, whose administration helped write the bill, is expected to sign it. The bill also requires hate crimes training for new police officers. “This is a massive, historic win that fuels our momentum to win marriage equality at year’s end,” said Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality’s chairman.

New “flesh-eating” bacteria attacking gay men

A study published online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine reports that a new, highly drug-resistant strain of the “flesh-eating” MSRA staph bacteria is spreading rapidly in the San Francisco and Boston gay communities, and “has the potential for rapid, nationwide dissemination” among gay men, the New York Times reported Jan. 15. The study found that 1 in 588 residents of the heavily gay Castro district in San Francisco was infected, as compared to 1 in 3,800 San Franciscans generally. Gay men in San Francisco were found to be 13 times more likely to be infected than others in the city. The study’s authors warned that unless microbiology labs correctly identify the new strain, and doctors prescribe the proper treatment (staph infections are sometimes misdiagnosed as other sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea), it could spread to other groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19,000 Americans died from MSRA infections in 2005. The bacteria is spread most easily through anal intercourse, but can also be transmitted by casual skin-to-skin contact, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The researchers recommended scrubbing with soap and water, especially after sex, to help prevent skin-to-skin transmission.

Sean Bugg, editor in chief of Washington, D.C.’s Metro Weekly, is concerned about the focus on gay men, writing on his blog seanbugg.com, “What we’ll have is another rash of stories like 2003, where local television stations send camera crews to gyms and talk ominously about the sexual behavior of gay men.”

Proteins with role in HIV transmission, progression identified

Harvard Medical School researchers have identified 273 human proteins involved in HIV’s reproduction and infection of host cells, according to a study published Jan. 9 in Science magazine, the New York Times reports. David Baltimore, a California Institute of Technology biologist and HIV researcher not involved with the study, said the study “provides a very important class of leads for the synthesis” of new HIV/AIDS drugs. Only 36 of the 273 proteins had been previously identified. The virus itself can make only 15 proteins, and uses human proteins to make up for what it lacks. The human proteins are involved in permitting HIV to enter cells, helping the virus’ genetic material, or RNA, attach to a cell structure that then manufactures copies of the virus, enabling HIV to enter cell nuclei, and facilitating the attachment of sugar molecules to the virus’ outer surface, without which it cannot infect human cells. The researchers said that, while drugs that block the proteins could be risky, they would likely prevent HIV from mutating in a host. They believe that the virus probably could not develop resistance to such drugs because it “would have to evolve a new capability, not simply mutate a drug-binding site.”

Larry Craig amends men’s room bust appeal

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), arrested June 11 for allegedly soliciting sex in a Minneapolis airport men’s room, argues on appeal that disorderly conduct requires multiple victims, and that in his case, there was only one, the arresting officer, The Associated Press reported Jan. 9. Craig initially pleaded guilty; a court rejected his bid to withdraw the plea. “Facts are resilient, and Sen. Craig’s continued, transparent efforts to escape them don’t change the truth of his behavior ... or the fact that he admitted guilt last August,” said Patrick Hogan, spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which oversees the airport.

Florida anti-gay marriage ballot measure in trouble

A measure that would amend Florida’s Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage, previously certified for the November 2008 ballot, has been found to be 21,989 signatures short of the qualification threshold due to a counting error, the AP reported Jan.14. Apparently election officials in Miami-Dade County double-counted 27,000 signatures. The measure’s anti-gay sponsor, Florida4Marriage, which is bankrolled mainly by the Florida Republican Party, has until Feb. 1 to make up the shortfall. If adopted, the amendment could nullify domestic partnership laws in several Florida counties and cities. The Fairness for All Families campaign, a group opposing the amendment, announced a “Primary Day of Action” for Jan. 29, when Florida holds its presidential primary. Volunteers will “work the polls” to “educate” voters and counter expected efforts by the amendment’s supporters to use the primary to gather signatures.

Numbers as of 1:15 p.m., Jan 16, 2008

American Deaths in Iraq: 3,926 • www.icasualties.org

American Wounded in Iraq: 28,773 • www.antiwar.com/casualties

Iraqi Dead since 2003: 80,621-88,044 • www.iraqbodycount.org

Cost of War: $486,244,000,000+ • www.costofwar.com

National Debt: $9,195,573,653,462.51 • www.brillig.com/debt_clock

U.S. Trade Deficit: $30,536,000,000.00+

www.americaneconomicalert.org/ticker_home.asp