MIXED BEAN & QUINOA BURGERS with SMOKED PAPRIKA SAUCE

These burgers are a total power food. They are super light, healthy and loaded with protein, fiber and nutrients. Depending on how big you want your burgers, this recipe will serve six to eight.

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, soaked for two to four hours and rinsed well
4 cups cooked beans or lentils (or a combination of mixed beans) I often use canned beans as long as they are organic with no added salt. Canned beans must be well rinsed and drained.
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 to four cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small bunch herbs, such as cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over a medium flame in a pot with a lid that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients, and sauté the onion and garlic until soft, but not brown.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, puree 3 cups of the beans in a food processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until they become a thick paste. It works best to pulse the processor from time to time to keep the beans moving.

Add the quinoa to the pot of onion and garlic with just enough water to moisten is, about 1/4 cup, and cover the pot. The quinoa will be cooked in about five minutes. Remove the lid and check that the grains have popped open and become translucent. If there is any remaining water simply cook it off for a few more minutes until the quinoa mixture is dry. Then stir in all of the remaining ingredients with a spoon or your clean hands. The pureed beans will bind everything together.

You can form the patties my scooping out a cupful of the mixture and shaping them by hand. Or you may press the mixture into a large cookie cutter to form burgers.

At this point the burgers can be frozen for future use. Although they are essentially cooked, it is best to brown them on both sides by baking them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side. Or better yet, grill them on an open flame for a smokey, charred flavor and crunch. Either way, they will be crisp on the outside while staying soft and moist on the inside.

The options for topping the burgers are endless. These lentil-quinoa burgers I topped with chopped avocado. The mixed bean-quinoa burgers I topped with a sauce made by combining equal parts salsa and reduced fat Vegenaise (vegan “mayonnaise”) and a sprinkling of smoked paprika. I served them over a bed of baby arugula. No buns necessary, but the choice is yours! Keep it healthy and whole grain!

To see more of Frank’s recipes, check out his blog: frankpicchione.com!

The post Vegan Chef Frank Picchione’s Quinoa Burgers Recipes! appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Frank Picchione is a vegan chef, lifestyle blogger, and animal advocate. He won the season finale of Rocco’s Dinner Party on Bravo TV, and has been featured on the Martha Stewart Show. Frank lives in New York City with his dog Dudley, and recently took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about the vegan lifestyle, his love for animals, and what it feels like to be healthy and mindful:

Out Impact: When and why did you decide to become vegan?

Frank Picchione: My personal vegan journey was a step by step process that began about 10 years ago. Like most people, I did not grow up vegan. And as a chef, I used to cook (and eat) all kinds of animals. But I have been an animal lover my whole life, and I have had pets of every kind – from mice, fish and birds, to dogs, a cat and a horse. Eventually I started to see that there really is no difference between the animals we love and bring into our homes and the animals who are raised for food. And as I learned about the cruel treatment of farm animals I saw no alternative but to stop eating them. Going vegan is a huge adjustment, and for me, in order to make it stick, I did it in stages. First I gave up eating pigs because they are so intelligent and suffer so much. Pigs are smarter than dogs. They are playful and social. It really is brain washing that allows people to disconnect and differentiate between animals they consider pets and animals they are willing to eat. All of the horrors of animal farming and slaughter are hidden from us. But as the saying goes, if slaughter houses had glass walls everybody would be a vegetarian. Unless people are curious and learn about what goes on behind the scenes, as I did, it remains easy to just go into a store to buy a faceless “product” under plastic wrap. After pigs, I gave up eating all mammals. Then I stopped eating birds. And more recently I eliminated eggs and dairy. Those last two are the hardest. Eggs and dairy are hidden in so many products. Most people think they cannot give up eating cheese. Well, the egg and dairy industries really are among the cruelest in animal agriculture. Baby boy chicks and male calves do not grow up to lay eggs and give milk. So literally half of all chicks and calves born are killed for being “useless.” In my opinion continuing to eat eggs and cheese is the same as eating chicken and veal.

OI: You were the winner of Rocco’s Dinner Party on Bravo TV. What was that like? Did you cook vegan dishes on the show?

FP: Yes! The dinner was to celebrate Liza Minnelli’s birthday. We were told in advance that beef was one of her favorite foods, but at the last minute Rocco came into the kitchen and announced that two of the other guests were vegan. At the time I still cooked meat professionally for clients, but most of the menu I had planned was already plant-based. I was happy for the added challenge and was able to take this in stride because of my experience. I added items from the pantry, like tofu and root vegetables, while my competitor was thrown for a loop trying to deal with all the butter and cream she had planned to use. It was hysterical. I still like to watch cooking competitions on TV, but I would never do one of those shows again. They’re always opening their mystery baskets to find pigs’ heads and sausages, and I’m just not going back there.

OI: You were also on Martha Stewart’s television show. How was that experience?

FP: It was an amazing, exciting dream come true. I had been a huge fan of Martha’s for years. This was before I gave up eggs and dairy, and I made a spectacular floating island dessert on her show. It was made from 18 egg whites, 12 egg yolks and a quart of half and half. Martha loved it. She featured it in her magazine and on her PBS show, Martha Bakes. She also put it in her most recent cookbook and blogs about serving it at parties in her own homes. Martha has lots of fancy chickens laying lots of colorful eggs. I don’t want to think about where those chickens come from. I have evolved beyond that recipe. She can have it.

OI: How do you think veganism is perceived in the media?

FP: Well, I think it has become somewhat trendy and cool, which is great. I mean, that’s not really the point, but when high profile vegan celebrities speak about the health benefits and how great they feel (and look), this all helps advance the cause. But it’s not just movie stars. Some of our nation’s biggest thinkers, like Twitter founder Biz Stone, are outspoken about their vegan diets. Recently Bill Gates has made the case for plant-based alternatives to meat because the earth simply cannot keep supplying all these edible animals. The energy that goes into producing meat – and the CO2 that comes out of it – are far more destructive than all of the world’s automobiles. This is a fact, and it is unsustainable. And thanks to the many articles being written on the topic the more informed meat-eaters are making changes. Many people I know jump start their days with fruit and vegetable packed juices and smoothies, rather than egg sandwiches and muffins.

Frank with one of the elephant orphans at the Ithumba Unit of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust,
in Tsavo East, Kenya

OI: What do you feel is the biggest misconception about the vegan lifestyle?

FP: People are learning that it’s healthier for their bodies and better for the environment. But for many it remains a mystery. For example, most people still believe that you need to eat animal products to get enough protein. This is just not true. And there are those who think it means giving up sweets and cheese, but as a chef, I have learned that the possibilities of cruelty free baked goods, made without eggs and dairy, are endless – and more healthful. Nut cheeses are delicious and nutritious replacements for dairy cheeses. My latest cooking obsession is culturing cashews to make “cheeses” that are sliceable, spreadable and meltable. There are amazing dairy free options. I enjoy teaching people new ways of looking at cuisine and nutrition. But it is difficult to overcome the brainwashing we all endure from the moment we are born. I wish everyone would watch the movie Forks over Knives – it is enlightening. The United States is burdened with a health crisis: obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Everybody is medicated. But all of these can be reversed by switching to a plant-based diet.

OI: How is your clientele as a vegan chef?

FP: I have been cooking professionally for about 25 years. When I started my catering business a decade ago I cooked everything – braised meats, osso bucco, that floating island – but as I have increased my own knowledge and evolved, so has my clientele. I cook for pretty forward thinking people. They and their guests appreciate healthful home cooking, served elegantly, with beautiful flowers, all cruelty free. My message now is veganism. Not to be a flower child vegetarian of the 70s, but rather a modern, mindful, responsible person who thinks about where his food comes from and how it is prepared. Many of my clients are not vegan, but they all appreciate the health benefits and delicious flavors of my cooking. Many cannot eat dairy or gluten or eggs. This is where having a chef who specializes in these issues makes entertaining possible.

OI: Do you think veganism is a lifestyle everyone can adopt?

FP: It is challenging, and our culture does not make it easy. I admit, a vegan lifestyle is a lot more convenient in Los Angeles and New York City than in a small town in the Midwest, where many still view it as elitist or a hippie fringe element. And sadly, it is much cheaper and easier to go to McDonald’s than the local farmers market. It takes a lot of self-education, effort and responsibility. Anyone certainly can do it, but many people are afraid or mystified, and don’t know where to begin. Veganism is not for the lazy, fast food seeker. But it becomes easier the longer you do it. I love to show people that even small changes add up to big differences. I am a big promoter of Meatless Mondays. Certainly everybody can avoid meat one day a week.

OI: How do you replace protein, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B-12 typically found in meats, fish, eggs and dairy?

FP: Other than B-12, all of these nutrients are found in plants. I take a great omega-3 supplement that is loaded with DHA and EPA fatty acids. It comes from algae. I alternate among three different raw vegan protein powders, and I love tofu, tempeh, quinoa – all complete protein foods that contain all of the essential amino acids and none of the trans-fats and cholesterol found in animal proteins. Beans and lentils are other great sources of protein. They are low in fat and high in fiber. I admit I am not a huge fan of the “fake meats.” Processed food is processed food whether it’s vegan or not. I have a green smoothie every day. Kale and leafy greens are full of calcium and iron – I also use a cast iron skillet for cooking. I take a high potency daily vitamin with B-12, and my almond milk is fortified with calcium and B-12. Also, nutritional yeast often has added B-12. At my last physical I had my B-12 levels checked and they were through the roof. The bottom line is that if you are informed and diligent, plant-based nutrients can fulfill all of your requirements. They are more healthful to you and the planet, and of course the animals.

OI: You’re training for your first triathlon. Do you find it difficult to train given the restrictions in your diet?

FP: No. First of all, I do not look at my diet as having restrictions. My diet is probably more varied than most people’s. I have tons of energy. I work out six or seven days a week. I lift weights and train for endurance, and recover better and faster than before I went vegan. Believe me, I was one of those people who was hung up on his protein intake. I used to eat six egg whites after every workout. I’m only half joking when I say I was slightly traumatized when I first committed to not eating any more eggs. But I immediately felt better without them. Not only are many top endurance athletes vegan, but there are vegan bodybuilders and elite Martial Arts competitors.

OI: As a triathlete, what are your thoughts about the Boston Marathon tragedy?

FP: It was a horrible tragedy that might make you feel unsafe everywhere – if you let it. These were destructive, desensitized people who lack empathy, causing pain and suffering. We see this every day in our treatment of animals.

OI: What causes are you passionate about?

FP: I have always been affected by the exploitation of the innocent and defenseless among us. All life is equally valuable. This notion that human beings are somehow set apart or above the rest of the natural world is harmful not only to the ones we share this planet with, but also to ourselves. I am passionate about all animal welfare. I feel responsible to speak for the ones who have no voice; for the ones born in factory farms and puppy mills, into lives of misery and suffering. I foster six baby elephant orphans in Kenya at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. You can foster an elephant in someone else’s name as a gift to them. Today ivory poaching is at epidemic levels, with tens of thousands of elephants being hunted annually for their tusks. It is such a cruel, ignorant waste. Elephants have been exploited for centuries. They are highly intelligent and form deep family bonds. They communicate on a level that we are only beginning to understand. They are among just a few living creatures who, like us, possess self-awareness. And they mourn their dead. The tiny elephants who witness the brutal slaughter of their mothers are highly traumatized. The ones who are lucky enough to be rescued by the Trust will hopefully recover and one day be reintroduced back into the wild. Last year I visited the orphans and their keepers in Nairobi and Tsavo East. It was something I wish everyone could experience. It was life changing.

OI: What’s next for you that you’d like to share with our readers?

FP: I am working tirelessly on my vegan lifestyle cookbook, and am looking forward to sharing my world of plant-based, healthful, stylish entertaining.

OI:  For more on Frank, please visit his website at http://www.frankpicchione.com/  & follow him on Twitter!

Want a recipe from Frank Picchione to try?  Check out Frank’s recipe on how to make delicious Mixed Bean & Quinoa Burgers with Smoked Papika Sauce and Lentil & Quinoa Burgers with Chipped Avocado on OutImpact.com!

The post Frank Picchione: Vegan Chef, Lifestyle Blogger & Animal Advocate appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

ARIES:

Aries moves into May with powerful energy behind making money and fresh starts on income opportunities right from day one. Mull over ideas, field offers, write, look at sales, and consider choices. The Solar Eclipse on the 9th gives you added potential to eclipse out anything not working and reinvent your earning power, launch over the next 2 weeks. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th bringing more focus on agreements, writing, sales, short trips, meetings, offers, and decisions so gear up over the love or income needs and let them know what you need or what you have to bring to the table. The 20th is another turning point in the 3 year personal or physical change you are undergoing, it started in 2012 and ends in 2015, where are you on that journey? Do career, goals, authority figures, or reputation play into these changes? The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th is a major ending or achievement with a legal matter, educational pursuit, or media, marketing, publishing, travel, or wedding plan, look for a climax here. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

TAURUS:

It’s about you as May begins so look to your personal goals, physical interests, needs, identity, brand, body, or image, and make some choices or field offers. The Solar Eclipse on the 9th adds fuel to this flame helping you push things over the top during the next 2 weeks, step forward with your agenda, eclipse out what you’ve outgrown. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th marking turning points in your income potential so start on these dates to really meet, sign, sell, and pour on the charm towards earning more. The 3rd of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares arrives on the 20th adding more to your ongoing story of upheaval and transformation between 2012 and 2015. This will bring changes involving hospitals, research, work behind the scenes, strategies, investigations, artistry, spiritual interests, romance, addictions, and any legal, wedding, media, educational, or travel plans in the mix. The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th marks a major ending or climax over divorce, sex life, a death, or some big financial matter, you’ll wrap things up or note achievements.   Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

GEMINI:

Time behind the scenes, resting, recharging, letting your imagination take over, connecting with the muse, getting into art, music, film, a romantic liaison, research, spiritual interests, or time at a hospital or tackling an addiction is what May offers from the start. This will get an added boost on the 9th with the Solar Eclipse helping you eclipse something out to launch in fresh directions here. Venus and Mercury move into your sign on the 9th and 15th, 2 days worth noting as they bring more love, income, beauty, offers, ideas, and decisions to you through the rest of the month. You have more charm to wield, use it with care. The Uranus/Pluto square on the 20th is the 3rd of 7 shake-ups meant to transform you on some profound level between 2012 and 2015. Look to awakening through friends, groups, the internet, astrology, charities, and aspirations while making powerful changes about your sex life, divorce or financial needs. The Lunar Eclipse of the 25th is a major ending or achievement involving a partner, client, representative, or opponent, celebrate or wrap things up. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

CANCER:

May beckons you to pursue your aspirations and to open up time for friends, groups, internet interests, astrology, or charitable pursuits. News, offers and decisions begin from day one with these people or opportunities and they get a huge boost on the 9th with the Solar Eclipse, asking that you eclipse something out for a fresh new direction or connection. Venus and Mercury both move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th and take things into the private or secretive realm where you can hole up with a lover, retreat, research, get into the music, art or film, spend time at a hospital, pursue spiritual interests, or tackle an addiction in the weeks ahead. Love and money flow here as will ideas, let the muse take you. Uranus and Pluto square on the 20th marking the 3rd of 7 such ‘change’ aspects between 2012 and 2015. For you this marks another leg on your evolutionary journey with shake-ups or excitement around career, a boss, parent or other authority figure, or goals. This is going to bring more powerful transformation involving a partner, representative, client, specialist, or opponent, so note where you are in the process. The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th marks a major ending or achievement at work, with paperwork, a health matter, or pet, celebrate or wrap things up. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

LEO:

Make may about setting goals and achieving them, moving ahead on the career path, setting new things in motion with the boss, parent or other authority figure, and taking a step towards the spotlight Leo. You will have information at your disposal right from the start of May to do so and the Solar Eclipse on the 9th will give you the added boost to help you take off in new directions or get that fresh start. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th so there will also be focus on social interests, friends, groups, the internet, astrology, or charities now through the rest of the month. Look here for love, income flow and more offers, talks, ideas, and decisions. Uranus and Pluto square on the 20th marking the 3rd of 7 life changing squares between 2012 and 2015. Note what is changing for you involving legal, travel, media, marketing, publishing, educational, wedding, work, health, paperwork, or pet interests. Freeing yourself, finding your individual vision and going deeper for evolutionary empowerment is called for. The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement in your love life, with a child or over a creative endeavor, wrap things up or celebrate. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

VIRGO:

May gets you amped up over your legal interests, travel plans, media, marketing or publishing needs, educational pursuits, wedding plans, or beliefs and it does so through more offers, ideas, talks, and decisions right from day one. You get an added boost from the Solar Eclipse on the 9th that will help propel these interests further by eclipsing out what’s past and giving you a fresh bold start in new directions over the next 2 weeks. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th and give you more focus on goals, career, authority figures, and leadership so look for opening up communications, making choices, and seeing more love or income working here. The 3rd of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares arrives on the 20th marking another turning point for you between 2012 and 2015 over sex, divorce, major financial matters, and your love life, children or creative projects. Look at where your originality and freedom come in and how you can go deeper and make changes that empower you up ahead. The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement involving your home, a real estate deal, move, roommate, or family matter, expect to celebrate or wrap things up. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

LIBRA:

Make May about moving ahead on the financial matter at hand, dealing with divorce issues or tending to your sexual or reproductive needs. From day one you have more information and communication available here and the Solar Eclipse on the 9th will take things to the next level, helping you eclipse away what you are past by opening up fresh directions and opportunities over a 2 week period. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th bringing some added attention to legal, travel, wedding, educational, media, marketing, and publishing needs. You should be able to attract love or income through these means and make some good connections or decisions. The 3rd of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares arrives on the 20th marking a turning point in the 2012-2015 span they are working to bring upheaval and empowerment in your life. They will focus in on key relationships with people in business or your personal life and what is evolving on the home front, with real estate or property matters, moves, renovations, roommates, or family. What still needs to change? The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement involving offers, sales, writing, agreements, meetings, talks, siblings, neighbors, moves, vehicles, electronics, short trips, local activities, or decisions, wrap things up or celebrate.  Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website! To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

SCORPIO:

May is a big month for you as far as key relationships go so note that from day one more information and decisions will involve marriage or business partners, agents, attorneys, specialists, clients, competitors, or opponents. You will be writing, in sales, agreements, and some huge new beginning starting on the 9th with the Solar Eclipse here that will help you eclipse out something in favor of fresh new directions with these people. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th so you will also be focusing on more information and decisions involving sex, divorce or some big financial matter the rest of the month. Your love life or income hinges here as well so work out third party situations. The Uranus/Pluto square on the 20th is the 3rd of 7 bringing upheaval and rebirth to you between 2012 and 2015. Note where you are on this journey aimed at your work life, paperwork at present, health interests, and pets, and the choices you are making, your writing, agreements, sales, and ideas on these matters. The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement involving your income or sense of being valued, wrap things up or celebrate. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

SAGITTARIUS:

Focus on work projects or the pursuit of work, organization, health, paperwork, time with co-workers or employees, and pets as May begins. You have more information, offers, ideas, writing, sales, or decisions available over these topics and you get a powerful boost from the Solar Eclipse on the 9th giving you a chance to eclipse out what is over and get a fresh start or new direction underway in the following 2 weeks. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th so there will be more focus on partners, agents, attorneys, clients, specialists, and other key relationships now as well. Look for love, income and decisions working through these people. The 3rd of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares arrives on the 20th marking another turning point in the 3 year upheaval and change between 2012 and 2015. Note where you are with love, kids or creative projects and your earnings, what still needs to change? The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement for you, your body, image, brand, or identity, celebrate or wrap things up!  Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website! To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

CAPRICORN:

May is going to focus you in on love, kids, recreation, and creative pursuits right from day one. You may have more talks, meetings, writing, sales, agreements, or short trips here and your bold new direction or fresh start comes on the 9th with the Solar Eclipse amplifying what you want to eclipse out and start new on in these areas. You have 2 strong weeks to launch so have fun. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th so you will also be in talks or making choices over work, health, paperwork, and pets in the weeks ahead. You may see income or love blossom through what you do here. The 3rd of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares arrives on the 20th bringing the next stage of upheaval and rebirth involving home, real estate, family, roommates, moves, and your body, identity, image, brand, or personal goals. What needs to change? The Lunar Eclipse brings a major ending or achievement involving film, music, art, research, spiritual interests, hospitals, addictions, isolation, a clandestine affair, retreat, or development, celebrate or wrap things up! Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

AQUARIUS:

It’s time to focus in on home, moves, real estate deals, property matters, roommates, or family as May begins. You should be ready to make some choices or field some offers. Expect this to intensify from the 9th onward as the Solar Eclipse will help you eclipse anything out and get a bold new start or opportunity moving forward. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini on the 9th and 15th so there will be more focus on love, kids, recreation, and creative endeavors from here forward as well. This will bring more proposals, ideas, meetings, talks, and decisions as well as more flow with love or income through what you choose now. The 3rd of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares arrives on the 20th and marks another turning point for you in the ongoing upheaval and transformation between 2012-2015 regarding your choices, writing, sales, local activities, moves, short trips, vehicles, siblings, agreements, neighbors, electronics, and decisions. There is something Karmic or hidden about all of this. Hospitals, addictions, spiritual pursuits, magic, psychic interests, artistic projects, strategies, clandestine affairs, or development is part of the transformation, so what still needs to change? The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement involving a friend, group, the internet, astrology, or a charity, wrap things up or celebrate.  Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website! To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

PISCES:

May will be amping up communications, local activities, short trips, writing, agreements, offers, sales, what you do with siblings, neighbors, electronics, vehicles, and decisions being made. This magnifies from the 9th onward with the Solar Eclipse helping you eclipse out the outworn paving the way for new directions and fresh starts here. Venus and Mercury move into Gemini adding focus on home, moves, real estate, family, or roommates in the weeks ahead. This is where more choices, offers, writing, sales, agreements, love, or income will flow so pursue interests now. The Uranus/Pluto square on the 20th is the 3rd of 7 aspects between 2012 and 2015 that are bringing upheaval and powerful rebirth and awakening to your life. Note how income and the friend, group, internet, charity, astrology, or social networking are figuring into this for you, what still needs to change? The Lunar Eclipse on the 25th brings a major ending or achievement on the career front, with a goal or ambition, your reputation or fame, a parent, boss, judge, or other authority figure, or through your leadership, wrap it up or celebrate. Read more at Zoe Moon’s Astrology website!  To find out more look at dates and rates for a private reading with Zoe by emailing: zoemoonastrology@gmail.com

The post Astrology with Zoe Moon: May Monthly Forecast Preview 2013 appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Daphne Oz is the author of The Dorm Room Diet  and the recently released, Relish. She is also a co-host of ABC’s talk/cooking show The Chew, and the daughter of surgeon and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, of The Dr. Oz Show.  Learn more about the delightful Daphne Oz:

What inspired you to write your new book, Relish?

Daphne Oz: I wanted a book like this for myself! I wasn’t looking for a major life overhaul, just usable tips for small things I could be doing better that would yield big results. Most of us are already doing a lot of things right, we just need a nudge in the right direction, or a couple of smart and helpful insights we can easily use in our own lives to improve our health, our style, our relationships and our careers without driving ourselves crazy in the process. I took a year and a half organizing all the expert knowledge I picked up on set at The Chew, growing up around the Oz family dinner table, through my own successes and failures, and by asking everyday people how they maximize happiness in their own lives into a book that is all about creating a lifestyle that is beautiful, fulfilling, fun, and—above all—delicious!

What made you want to write Relish (and [your first book,] The Dorm Room Diet) as lifestyle guides with elements of cookbooks, rather than just as cookbooks?

DO: I love to eat and cook, so a lot of my life revolves around the kitchen or a great meal. I thought it was necessary to include some of my fail-proof, deliciously healthy-but-indulgent recipes to round out Relish and give my readers an authentic view of how I try to live my life with balance, and fill it with fun!

The Dorm Room Diet has a pretty obvious target demographic, that you actually fit into at the time of its publication: young adults trying to stay healthy in a new independent world. Who would you say you wrote Relish for, and how has your focus shifted since The Dorm Room Diet?

DO: I always end up writing for myself, about information I could really use in my own life. With Dorm Room Diet, I was looking to get healthy after reaching 180 pounds at seventeen and knowing that my optimum life would include getting to a healthy weight. I created a healthy lifestyle program that allowed me to lose thirty pounds healthfully and permanently without giving up the foods I love. With Relish, my friends and I felt like in some ways we were waiting for ‘real life’ to kick in, ten or twenty years down the road, when we would magically have it all figured out. It dawned on me that I would never reach this place if I didn’t start laying the groundwork now—but I also didn’t want it to be a huge struggle or process. I was looking for easy, practical ways to [change] little things in my life—that’s what I’ve filled Relish with!

Can you talk a little about your work on The Chew and its impact on your life?

DO: I get paid to hang out with wonderful friends and eat delicious food; it could not be more of a dream come true. We all love and respect each other so much, and it’s been an incredible two years of learning from each other and just having a blast every single day. No matter how experienced or established the chefs who join us on our panel and as guests are, they always come to the table with an open mind. Every one of them went into food because he or she loves to learn, try something new, and viscerally experience things. Chefs are adrenaline junkies—they are people who love life and want to live it to it’s fullest, which is exactly the Relish attitude.

Who are your health and wellness icons?

DO: My grandmother and mother are my touchstones for using food as medicine, looking into homeopathic remedies, adding supplements to my diet, and providing a counterweight to all the traditional MDs in our family, like my dad [Dr. Mehmet Oz] and both grandfathers. My father has been an incredible health leader to me—not only because of his encyclopedic knowledge of the human body, but also because of the way he has drawn the curtain back and tried to make each of us the expert in our own bodies. I am so proud of the way he empowers people to demand access to health. I also look to experts like [food writers] Dr. Marion Nestle and Michael Pollan for how to be an informed eater.

What health and wellness elements do you feel you personally struggle with? Do you have any tips for Out Impact readers who might struggle with the same things?

DO: Make health a priority, not an obsession. I really had to remind myself [of that] as I was working to create a healthy lifestyle and lose thirty pounds in college. We are trained to look at things in black-and-white, with ‘good foods’ and ‘bad foods’ and rigid rules that leave no room for balance or flexibility. But we are human! And life is short, and should be filled with delicious experiences. I tried every fad diet under the sun; of course, none of them worked because making an item taboo only made it more alluring for me. I was eventually able to lose the weight by putting myself back in the power position, and realizing nothing is off-limits. I eat healthy most of the time, but I leave plenty of room for worthy indulgences (homemade cookies, dessert when I’m out to dinner), and I try to relish [them] so I can fuel my resolve to eat well most of the time and feel great about the balance. Eating dessert doesn’t make me ‘bad’ or ‘unhealthy’; it’s a choice I make.

I keep healthy snacks on hand [because] snack time is where I’m weakest—I’m usually on the run, and willpower is low when you’re hungry and relying on convenience foods. I stock my kitchen with items that make healthy meals a snap (canned beans, dried brown rice/quinoa/lentils, frozen chicken breast, frozen fruit, yogurt, healthy sauces, etc.) and produce to make a particular dish so I don’t waste money on things that will go bad before I use them. But if there’s a night where I really just want to order in, or go for pizza with friends, I do! And I enjoy it! A healthy lifestyle is a commitment, and it has to be flexible to make room for all the things that fill your life with fun, which is the most important part!

Are there any causes or charities you are passionate about?

DO: HealthCorps is a charity my family started in 2003, that provides free education to middle- and high-school students in nutrition, fitness, cooking, meditation, and stress management. We’re now in over sixty schools nationwide, and the kids coming through the program act as teachers in their own families and communities, making the message of achievable health that much more powerful and real. It’s been incredible to see the success we’ve had, and the positive impact this information is having on the kids themselves, and the world around them.

To learn more about Daphne Oz or Relish, check out DaphneOz.com, follow Daphne on Twitter (@DaphneOz, @RELISHtheBook) or like her on Facebook. You can find Relish and the Dorm Room Diet at major booksellers and independent bookstores nationwide, and catch The Chew (@thechew) on ABC, weekdays at 1 pm EST.

The post Author & Co-Host of “The Chew,” Daphne Oz: “Make health a priority, not an obsession” appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Remember when you were young and people asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? How did you answer? Did you want to be a nurse, a wife, a firefighter, an elephant trainer? Few people want to grow up to be physically drained, emotionally disconnected and struggling to face another day. What happened to those childhood dreams and positive energy?

Some might say that “life” happened. Others blame friends, lovers and work for creating a toxic environment. As hard as it might be to admit, the reality is that YOU are responsible for guarding your heart’s desires. While it is true that maturity refines our dreams and goals, growing up doesn’t automatically mean relinquishing your passion for life.

The good news is that you can reclaim your youthful passions by detoxifying your body and your surroundings.

Retraining Your Brain

Psychologists tell us that compulsive behavior is an addiction, just like any other mind-altering drug. Negativity can damage your health, your relationships and your ability to enjoy life. Replacing self-defeating thoughts with positive, uplifting thoughts will inspire you to seek out healthier relationships and activities.

See yourself through a positive lens. Blogger Alex Hartwell recently posted a list of all the things he wants to be — generous, joyful, kind — on his website TheBridgemaker.com. Make you own list of attributes and meditate on ways to be that new person. Start thinking purposefully. Be aware of negative thoughts that creep into your mind throughout the day. Replace thoughts of “I’m not” with “I am.”  Explore relationships that are creating stress in your life. Although friendships and partnerships should never be dissolved lightly, there are some relationships that never should have developed in the first place.

De-clutter Your Environment

Your home décor significantly impacts your health. Creating an atmosphere that flows with positive energy and balance is vital for overall well-being. The best place to start redecorating is in the bedroom. Research has proven that a television in the bedroom correlates with obesity rates. Toss the TV, or at least move it out of the bedroom.

Consider rearranging your furniture according to feng shui principles. According to feng shui experts, such as Out Impact’s Ken Lauer, where you place your mattress creates a sense of safety and security.   Adding particular colors and textures helps bring a sense of calm and serenity into your spaces.

Hanging on to old things encourages holding on to bad memories and perpetuates negativity. Clean closets and discard or donate old clothing, shoes, remnants from past relationships and anything that you don’t need. This is an excellent time to replace your mattress covers and bed linens.

Volunteer for Vitality

Author Rubenstein said that if you love life, it will love you back. Even if you can’t join the circus and train elephants you can volunteer to work with animals in a local shelter or a rescue unit. Organizations like PAWS rely on volunteers to care for animals of all kinds. Volunteers often get back more than they give. Along with caring for injured and orphaned animals, PAWS volunteers build relationships in the community with other volunteers, adopting families and community workers.

Volunteermatch.org provides connections for volunteers to engage in activities from responding to natural disasters to advocating for economic equality and everything in between. Who do you want to be when you grow up? What are you waiting for? Replace one negative thought with a positive one. Get involved. Stop waiting for someone else to change your life, it’s up to you.

The post Wellness Tips for Detoxifying Your Body, Mind & Heart appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

A number of studies by organizations like the American Lung Association have shown that LGBT individuals are more likely than heterosexuals to smoke cigarettes.  There are many reasons for this trend, but we may conclude simply that smoking is a part of gay culture.  This is an unfortunate truth because tobacco is responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year.  Thankfully, the gay community has become aware of this trend and LGBTQ centers in many cities now offer smoking cessation classes and resources.  I recently talked with Dave Bennett, the Assistant Director of Covenant House in West Virginia (Facebook), about this issue.  Covenant House is dedicated to helping all people in need, with special programs dedicated to the LGBT community, including its smoking cessation program.

What does your smoking cessation program entail?  How do you help people trying to quit?

Dave Benett:  It’s a program that’s sponsored through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Resources in Virginia.  So it’s a state grant that is seeking to target individuals in the LGBT community.  We see a disproportionate number of individuals who are LGBT smoking and they are targeted by tobacco industries.  We try to reverse that by putting money into campaigns to supply them with different things that will help them quit smoking, like quitting information.  And we supply smoking cessation classes through the grant.

What is the success rate of your smoking cessation program?

DB:  Well, it’s not as good as we’d like.  We’re trying different methods.  I’ve only been involved a few years, and this year one of our methods, sponsored by the alum association, is a 7-week class.  You have to meet eight times in seven weeks, so one week you meet twice.  It’s successful when we get people to go through the whole class, but it’s hard to get people to commit.  We are more successful with another program.  It’s a one session class where we just meet for 3 hours with the individual.  I think that has a better success as far as attendance.  But then following up with individuals is difficult—90 days after the class, we can’t ask, “Are you still free of tobacco?” and things like that.  We don’t always know, unless it’s a local individual.  We run across locals through the community attachments we’ve got here.

People often relapse when trying to quit smoking.  How does your program keep people motivated?

DB:  The one program that runs the longest, the 7-week program, tries to build a group, so you’ve got kind of a buddy system.  There’s a little bit of peer pressure because no one wants to be the first one to cave in.  Also, I don’t think we’ve done this lately, but in the past we used Facebook to connect with individuals in the program.  We were able to follow up with the group later and see results and we might look at doing that again.  And we keep encouraging them.  We post things like “keep on going” or “hang in there” and that kind of thing.  That way people are kind of answering this group and they don’t want to let the group down, as well as themselves.

You mentioned that tobacco companies target LGBT individuals.  How do they do that?  With what tactics?

DB:  I think sometimes there are events that LGBT groups want to have, but sometimes the money isn’t there.  It’s wild, but a tobacco company will jump right in and sponsor an event and that gets their foot in the door.  And a lot of times, I know for myself growing up, I’m gay, I smoked and I had more of a likelihood to want to smoke to fit in with a group of people that I thought looked kind of cool or whatever.  I think tobacco companies play on a perception of self that gay people have and exploit that.

One of the best ways to counter the tobacco industry’s hold on the LGBT community is to increase visibility of the issue.  Dave Bennett and the Covenant House of West Virginia are working toward that goal.  There are many other programs in other cities that can help you if you want to quit.  For more information, the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network has cessation programs groups in many cities across America, how-to-guides, and statistics on smoking.

The post An Interview on Smoking and the Gay Community with Dave Bennett of Covenant House in West Virginia appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Photo credit: Slow Food USA

The Slow Food movement is an idea, set in motion through healthy cooking, eating, and growing commitments. It is a dedication to food, community, and taking the time to sit down and enjoy a little what is often skipped over in the day to day rush of life.

The movement’s motto is “Good, Clean, Fair Food” and they promote it in every chapter they have around the world.

In over 150 countries, the movement has been set up to help slow down the food making process. Slow food is everything that fast food is not, from how the livestock and greens are grown to the final meal on a plate.

The produce and animals that are grown for consumption are clean, taken care of and harvested in a way that is proactive for the health of the environment and communities they come from. After being raised in such a fashion, when cooked in a slow and healthy manner, the food is better for the body than any sort of processed or frozen item. Through the means by which the food is brought from harvest to plate, the movement extends into the community and give insight into the regional diversity of the areas the raw ingredients originally come from.

So how does someone join the Slow Food movement?

A few ideas to begin within a local community, supported by the Slow Food movement, are:

•  Support local farmers at a farmer’s market. Often, these can be found in communities during the spring, summer, and sometimes fall months for various ripe produce and vegetables. Not only do fresh products sometimes taste better, but buying from the growers themselves allows them to continue their work to bring in the best for you or your family. This also cuts down on the amount of canned foods that are within the pantry, meaning that less preservatives such as salt are used.




• Cook foods in a healthy way, without processed extras or the microwave. There are a number of cookbooks out that work with fresh products and give preparation times for slow cooked meals. As well, choosing less salty or condensed ingredients can help lower the disadvantages to using canned goods when time is of the essence. While this sounds like a lot of work, freezing leftovers in individual containers can also create lunches and other meals for later in the week that are healthy.




• Expand tastes to fruits and vegetables outside your area to help farmers from around the world and create biodiversity in your own meals. The US ‘Ark of Taste’ catalog, which can be found on the Slow Food organization’s website, supports the buying and selling of rare produce. This catalog is based around the specific fruits and vegetables that are slowly disappearing in the world. By buying these rare items and using them in meals, not only does it expand the tastes around the dinner table but it also helps to save and protect produce that could easily be gone if conservations efforts were left unpromoted.




• Bring cooking traditions of your area or family into how you cook at home. Think to how a grandparent or teacher used to cook supper when fast food was not around or just starting out or what types of dishes are known through your region and try to mimic them. Share experiences in the kitchen to relax after a long day and relieve stress by having fun with how you’re cooking. Removing that mindset of always having to be somewhere or do something can hold more restorative qualities to physical health that good and healthy good cannot do alone.




• Teach others what it means to eat good, clean, and fair. The movement is known for community involvement when it comes to teaching about Good, Clean, and Fair Food. Educational outreach programs can teach children of younger ages what it means to eat healthy, stay healthy, and do it all while keeping their local environment safe and protected as well. College students can create chapters to help promote awareness within their school communities as well. The organization’s website includes registration materials for easy download. Each one is dedicated to either Good Food, Clean Food, or Fair Food and gives suggestions for events or ways to participate individually in the movement.

Small steps can help create not only a healthy dinner, but also protect the environment the ingredients for that meal were grown in. Slow Food is not only about raising awareness of who and what needs help in communities through food awareness. It is a way of eating and living that can make a difference to health and soil and lives around the world.

For more information on the Slow Food movement in the USA, please visit their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The post Slow Food: An Eating Habit Good for You and the Planet appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

HIV is a virus that has claimed millions of lives and with early detection of HIV/AIDS, it  is the best way for people to increase their odds of survival.  According to a recent article by the Associated Press, government officials estimate one-fifth, or about 240,000 people, of the 1.2 million HIV carriers in the U.S. are not aware they are infected.

One new product called OraQuick, is the first in-home HIV test and it is available at CVS and other major retail stores. It retails at $39.99 and allows people to test themselves for HIV in the privacy of their own homes.  OraQuick is currently the only at-home oral HIV test approved by the FDA and was considered a “Top Health Breakthrough of 2012″ by Men’s Health magazine.

The test is done orally so the procedure involves swabbing the mouth to get a  result with the test. One-line with the control line means the result is negative and two lines means that the result is positive. People who get no result should get another test and test again. If a person gets a positive result then they should contact a doctor for an immediate re-test.

It is important to note that the test is most accurate if a person has not engaged in risky behavior such as having unprotected intercourse for more than three months. It can take 3 months for an HIV test to be positive after an at risk occurrence.

Many people are afraid to check their HIV status because they feel that there is a stigma with having the diagnosis. One thing many people neglect to do is to ask their partners if they have been tested. Unfortunately, many people prefer to be polite rather than protect themselves. Hurt feelings are a lot easier to deal with than getting exposed to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases for not asking someone if they have been tested.

OraQuick has recently launched the “Make Knowing Your Thing Today” Campaign to promote the importance of knowing your HIV status featuring NBA superstar, Magic Johnson.   ” For additional information on Oraquick, and for more information on how the product works, visit http://www.oraquick.com/.

The post OraQuick: First In-Home HIV Test Product appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

Sometimes you need a pick-me-up. You could have a glass of wine. Or maybe you’d like to watch a funny cartoon from your childhood, talk to an old friend, eat a chocolate bar or three. The term pick-me-up has evolved from being an alcoholic drink taken to restore one’s energy or good spirits to just about anything that makes you feel good. What about using your own joyful experiences as a tonic?

When I need a pick-me-up, I turn to my happy pickings jar. It’s small and fun-sized, sits on my night table, and is filled with little slips of paper. Written on these slips of paper are random moments of elated joy, clarity, profundity or laughter. If I’m having a bad day, I just reach in there and pluck out a few slips to read.

I was inspired to start the jar after a mentor quoted Jumana Farouky to me once: “a pessimist thinks things can’t get any worse. An optimist knows they can.” She told me this when I was going through a tough time financially coping with the university I attended and its extreme budget cuts and tuition hikes. I decided from then on that no matter how bleak a situation I was in, I would look for a silver lining.

I started by looking through my journal. I write in it regularly, but I almost never look back through it; I suppose I think of it as this thing that someone might want to read in the very distant future if he or she wanted to find out what compact discs were or how long skinny jeans stayed in fashion. I wanted something different, something I could get my hands on quickly rather than having to flip through pages to find the good stuff.

I had a small empty jar in my closet saved for when I needed to dispose used cooking oil. I tore out a small slip of paper from the pages of my journal, wrote the Farouky quote on it, and dropped in the jar. I christened it my “happy pickings jar” and vowed only to fill it with good things, so if I ever needed to remind myself of a silver lining, I could just read something from it.

Every night, I look back on my day and think, did anything happen that was jar worthy? Most of the things I write down aren’t crazy adventures; they’re usually simple moments by myself or with friends and family. When I think the world is conspiring against me, I realize after reading a few pickings that I’ve sighed contentedly, smiled widely, laughed heartily, eaten well, and slept soundly. Sometimes things could be better, but they could also be much worse. Life is perspective.

Starting your own jar could be a way for you to document your life in a small positive way. I don’t classify every happy moment as jar worthy, so I don’t drop something in the jar every day, but you can keep your happy pickings jar any way you’d like. Maybe you’ll write every time you smile or hear a good joke, in which case your jar could be overflowing at the end of the week (not a bad thing!), or perhaps something more specific: you’ll slip something in it every time you donate to a charity. The point is that it’s a space for positive energy only. You might be surprised at how often you write in it, or find that you are a closet optimist.

The post Happy Pickings To Find The Good Stuff appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.

HOUSE BILL 2183: A seemingly ordinary bill with a potentially destructive impact. Both the House and the Senate have passed a bill in Kansas that would allow the quarantine of people with “infectious and contagious diseases” to be redefined to include people with HIV/AIDS. Initially, HB 2183 was drafted with the advantageous purpose of facilitating local health officers (i.e., firefighters, paramedics, nurses, law enforcement, etc.) with an infectious disease victim’s blood testing without a court order if the officer had become exposed to it. Nonetheless, due to the striking out and rewriting of Kansas Statute 65-128 that specifies the rules and regulations of the Secretary of Health in regards to isolation and quarantine, a broad and dangerous deregulation is put into effect concerning when a quarantine can be put into effect.

From K.S.A 65-128 To HB 2183

Statute 65-128 and House Bill 2183 follow similar language in that the Secretary of Health is authorized to adopt certain rules and regulations including isolation and quarantine in order to prevent the spread of contagious diseases to the public. However, HB 2183 veers off this wording when the strikeout of the following occurs:

“…but the infectious or contagious disease acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS] or any causative agent thereof shall not constitute an infectious or contagious disease”.

This amendment works to exclude AIDS from the list of “infectious and contagious diseases” through casual contact that mandates isolation. Instead, the new bill states:

“The secretary of health and environment is authorized to issue such orders and adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to prevent the spread and dissemination of diseases injurious to the public health, including, but not limited to, providing for the testing for such diseases and the isolation and quarantine of persons afflicted with or exposed to such diseases” (HB 2183 pp. 2).

Without the vital section excluding AIDS victims and with sodomy laws still in the books, LGBT advocates worry about the potential legalized segregation and isolation of HIV/AIDS victims in Kansas. According to the Department of Health, as of December 2012, there are 2,423 residents living in Kansas with HIV/AIDS. This bill would strike down the 1988 Kansas ban on the quarantine of people with HIV/AIDS (regarding the case of Eliana Martinez), putting over two thousand residents at risk of authorized discrimination and harassment. Things do not look well for victims in the conservative state that just earlier in January limited free HIV testing from 40 counties down to 10.

LGBT Advocates Speak Out

Thomas Witt, the Executive Director of the Kansas Equality Coalition (Twitter, Facebook), comments that while people with HIV are unlikely to be quarantined, state health officials are ignoring the possibility that the new law could threaten residents in more rural areas. Witt said to ThinkProgress, “Our state’s health department is willing to roll back a 25-year old civil rights protection. LGBT Kansans are already subject to harassment and legal discrimination, and removing the existing HIV quarantine exemption from law leaves vulnerable Kansans at risk of discriminatory, unfair treatment by local officials.”  Witt fears that HB 2183 will give the opportunity to other local officials to abuse their power where specific protection is not in place for those with HIV or of homosexual orientation.

Cody Patton, the executive director of the sexual health charity Positive Directions, shares the same concern for treatment of HIV/AIDS victims in rural Kansas districts as Witt does. Patton commented to ThinkProgress: “We live in a very conservative state and I’m afraid there are still many people, especially in rural Kansas, that have inadequate education and understanding concerning HIV/AIDS. My fear would not be the state uses the law as some way to move all people living with HIV/AIDS into an isolated community, but that this law could allow some county employee to use this law to justify their religious beliefs over their professional responsibilities and discriminate against people with HIV/AIDS.” Nevertheless, Patton maintains that his level of concern about the bill remains at a 30% due to the wording of HB 2183 that calls for quarantine only when medically necessary.

The president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (Facebook, Twitter), Michael Weinstein, disagrees. Weinstein reveals that the bill leading to a quarantine of HIV/AIDS patients is “not so far-fetched,” said to The Daily Beast.  He sees House Bill 2183 as a reversion back to the darker days of the AIDS epidemic where misinformation and widespread fear created unconstitutional prejudice. Notably, in Lyndon LaRouche’s unsuccessful 71% to 29% margin initiative, California Proposition 64 campaign “Spread PANIC, not AIDS”. According to Weinstein, the bill reflects either “how little [Kansas legislators] understand about HIV and how it is transmitted – it is not spread through casual contact such as TB or other airborne communicable diseases – or it shows that they want the ability to quarantine people, and/or discriminate against them in other ways as they see fit…either choice shows a real lack of understanding about public health and safety—one of the most basic services that is government’s role to ensure.” Weinstein considers the bill in a non-liberal state a trend-setter towards criminalization of HIV and any LGBT/AIDS advocates unalarmed by HB 2183 as suffering from a variation of Stockholm Syndrome. He fears at the stem of it all, AIDS victims could be kept from receiving proper treatment due to reluctance of disclosing their status in an environment that not exactly understands their plight.

Pending Status

Currently, the House and Senate are working to pass this Kansas quarantine bill that will be up for vote in the next few weeks. During the amendment stages of the bill, State Senator Marci Francisco explained that HIV/AIDS is not spread through everyday casual contact in an attempt to restore the struck-out section of Statue 65-128 that excluded HIV/AIDS victims from quarantine and warn her colleagues about the bill being translated as discriminatory. However, the final version of HB-2183 passed without any amendments per her suggestions.

On March 29, 2013, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment released the following press statement:

“Contrary to recent media coverage, no version of Kansas Substitute House Bill 2183 would have ever allowed for isolation of persons infected with or quarantine of persons exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

This bill is about occupational safety and health…The substitute bill – which has been the source of the public controversy – was introduced as a simpler and more streamlined approach to accomplish the objectives of the original bill. It will provide KDHE the authority to address many of the details in the original bill in administrative regulations instead.

The law requires isolation and quarantine be based on what is reasonable and medically necessary, and neither of those thresholds are met with respect to HIV.”

Even so, the HIV/AIDS exemption is still missing from House Bill 2183 with no further amendments to be made concerning this issue.

The post What You Need To Know About House Bill 2183 appeared first on Gay Online Magazine | Out Impact.