By Eduardo Morales, Ph.D.–
Program participants and staff gathered on Friday April 21, at AGUILAS (1800 Market Street) before traveling by bus to the Enchanted Hills Camps and Retreat in Napa for a three-day two-night retreat. Thanks to partial funding from the Office of AIDS of the State of California Empowerment Initiative, the retreat—exclusively for Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals—provided instruction about health promotion strategies in a safe, beautiful, and welcoming environment. The warm weather helped to make the retreat experience pleasant for all three days. This was the first time the Enchanted Hills site had been open since the pandemic. Tasty vegetarian meals were provided, and participants stayed at the location’s recently renovated camp site.
Upon arrival on April 21 attendees made their way to their assigned cabins, had dinner, and participated in a welcoming session where they introduced themselves and shared their retreat objectives. On Saturday, April 22, various workshops were facilitated by staff of Queer Arts Featured (aka Queer A. F.), whose office, store, and gallery are located at 575 Castro Street where Harvey Milk had his camera shop.
Participants engaged in the health promotion workshops throughout Saturday, followed by free time in the camp pool for recreation and an evening of music and dancing. On Sunday, April 23, participants attended a Paint Your Feelings and Expressive Arts workshop facilitated by artist Juan Manuel Carmona, M.F.A., who was one of the artists who created the mural entitled Queeroes on the SF LGBT Center building on Market Street, which is also home to AGUILAS. After lunch, participants completed their satisfaction questionnaires about the retreat experience before leaving the camp site to return home by bus and private cars.
Although there were fallen trees, evidence of landslides, and limited road access due to the recent rains and past fires in the Napa region, the site was still very much enchanting, as its name suggests. The retreat experience was highly rated by participants, given its opportunities to bond and network with other retreat attendees as well as to enjoy stargazing during the night in the clear skies over Napa.
In past years, AGUILAS has offered similar overnight retreats that had a significant impact among their attendees. It is hoped that funding can be found to continue this annual activity that research shows helps to reduce HIV/AIDS risk behaviors when compared with those who do not attend the retreat. These intensified retreat interventions appear to not only be effective for reducing HIV/AIDS risk behaviors, but they also foster networking and a sense of community among participants.
California Repeals Boycott of Anti-LGBTQ+ States
In another matter, currently several other media outlets report that San Francisco and the State of California are repealing the ban on city- and state-funded travel to states that restrict abortion, voting, and LGBTQ rights. The intent of the boycott was to put economic pressure on the states, but it has not had enough of this desired effect. San Francisco passed the boycott in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
The travel ban appears to be doing more harm than good. A report released by the city administrator concluded that the policy was increasing costs and administrative burdens for San Francisco. The report estimates that, by ending the boycott, local contracting costs will be lowered by 20% annually. It also mentions that “no states with restrictive LGBTQ rights, voting rights or abortion policies have cited the city’s travel and contract bans as motivation for reforming their law.”
To date, about 30 states and over 450 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation are being considered by various legislative bodies in addition to anti-abortion legislation. The boycott affected sports teams at public colleges and universities who had to find other ways to pay for road games in various states. Meanwhile, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion sentiments have increased. It is hoped that other strategies, such as advertising campaigns, might have a more impactful effect and foster a change in anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion sentiments across the U.S.
Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.
Nuestra Voz
Published on May 4, 2023
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