Email - Fenway e-News: 30 Years of facing AIDS

From Our President

Steve Boswell

As we approach the end of the year, it is traditional to look back and reflect. For Fenway Health, 2011 was a good year, and whether you are a Fenway patient, supporter, volunteer or staff member, or just one of our many friends in the community, you contributed to our growth and accomplishments and should be proud of them.

We began the year by re-opening our historic 16 Haviland Street location as Fenway: Sixteen, the home of our community-based programs for gay and bisexual men and transgender people such as Health Navigation, a robust new HIV Counseling and Testing program, an educational support group series, and the CDC-funded Boston RESPECT sexual health program. It is also the new home base of our toll-free, national listening lines Read more.

30 Years of Facing AIDS

In honor of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2011, AIDS.gov asked people how they’re facing AIDS. As the largest outpatient HIV care provider in New England, Fenway Health’s staff face AIDS in a variety of ways. Our staff posed for photos to share how they are facing AIDS through their work at Fenway and personal lives. You can see those photos and read more on our Fenway Focus blog.

Fenway Focus interviews HIGH playwright Matthew Lombardo in advance of opening night benefit
The December 7 opening night performance of HIGH, starring Academy Award and Tony nominee Kathleen Turner, and post-performance VIP reception at the W Hotel benefit programs and services at Fenway Health. There are a limited number of these $100 VIP tickets still available here. Playwright Matthew Lombardo, who wrote HIGH based on his own experiences with drug addiction, recently sat down for an interview with our Fenway Focus blog where he talks about those experiences and the plays themes of truth, forgiveness, redemption and human fallibility.

Fenway: The issues in High are very personal for you, as you have dealt with drug addiction in the past. Was writing this play, in a way, another “coming out” for you? Did you worry about acceptance by your friends and family?

Matthew: I actually was terrified to write this play because I thought if it ever got produced, everyone would ultimately learn about my past. But the more I learned about addiction, the more I felt compelled to share my experience in an effort to help educate people on this very real and very devastating disease. Continue reading.

T-Social Holiday Party December 22

Join Fenway Health at Club Café, 209 Columbus Avenue, Boston from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, December 22 for the T-Social Holiday Party. Celebrate the season with other transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, friends and allies of anyone who mainstream society’s notions of gender. This event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please call Alex at 617.927.6449.

Alternative Insemination Orientation January 11

Thinking of starting a new family or having another child in the new year? Fenway Health’s Alternative Insemination Program is a pioneer in helping LGBT people claim their rights to parenthood, providing medical alternatives for achieving conception, as well as a support network, education, and advocacy.

The Alternative Insemination program is holding their first Orientation of the new year on January 11. You can find out more and RSVP online.

PHILANTHROPY CORNER

Get your reduced price tickets to The Men’s Event and Women’s Dinner Party by December 31

The Men’s Event is being held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place on March 3 and The Women’s Dinner Party will follow a few weeks later on March 31. These two events are among New England’s largest LGBT fundraisers and are considered by many to be “the social event of the season.” Buy your tickets for either by December 31 and you will receive a $25 discount per ticket. Find out more and purchase Men’s Event tickets here and Women’s Dinner Party tickets here.

Want to host a group of your friends? Consider becoming a Table Captain for one of our events

Table Captains host tables of twelve at our events, recruiting their friends, family and colleagues to buy tickets and sit at their tables. This year we have some special incentives to sweeten the pot for our Table Captains: