Healing the trauma: MDMA-assisted therapy for Queer PTSD. BY COLIN STACK-TROOST, MA, AMFT It’s been over 30 years since MDMA, known in the club scene as “molly” or “ecstasy,” received an emergency Schedule I classification from the US government. At the time, there were a number of factors contributing to this: tens of thousands of…
Is it possible that we’ve become so fixated on our search for sexual liberation that we’ve lost sight of what we’re really seeking? BY LEON FOX Down a flight of stairs and past the reception booth, I—donned in a fabulous coat made entirely of shimmering sequins—pirouetted into the main dance hall of one of San…
Once-A-Month HIV Treatment Progress made in developing a monthly injectable to treat HIV. BY ORLY LYONNE GlaxoSmithKline’s ViiV Healthcare has continued to lead the way when it comes to simplifying drug treatment regimens for those living with HIV, and now they are closer than ever to releasing a once-a-month injectable treatment in the United States,…
Overcoming Triggers With summer fast approaching, we asked these clean and sober folks with various lengths of recovery time how they deal with triggers ortemptations during the warm weather party season. SUPPORT GROUP “The summer was always a little triggering for me. The smell of chemicals trigger me (laughs). Anything that smells like a chemical,…
Our community has been affected by the trauma of societal and familiar homophobia. BY COLIN STACK-TROOST, MA, AMFT The first time that I made the connection between trauma the queer experience was in the title of a book: Alan Downs’ The Velvet Rage: Overcoming The Pain Of Growing Up In A Straight Man’s World. Downs…
“Some may call me a narcissist, and I’m inclined to agree with them. But is all of my mirror-gazing truly narcissism if I hate what I see there?” BY ANDY NICASTRO “I wish that confidence was all you could see in my eyes Like those interviews in locker rooms with talented sports guys I wish…
“It may seem counterintuitive, but having children has actually increased our social life by quite a bit.” BY VICTOR MELAMED Brian and Toby Rubin-Sowers, a gay couple with two children, talk to THE FIGHT about their surrogacy journey. How long have you been together? We’ve been together for seven years (since January 2012), and married…
Long-Acting Injectable Researchers say that GS-6207, Gilead’s first-in-class capside inhibitor, can remain in our body’s system for up to 24 weeks. According to results from an early clinical trial presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2019) last month, a new long-lasting injectable appeared safe when administered to humans, reports David Artavia…
Corinna Ferrandino, MD, on Applied Kinesiology, Homeopathy, Body, Mind and Soul and more. “I have discovered that I can help most people heal.” Corinna Ferrandino, a medical doctor with over 25 years experience, certified applied kinesiologist and certified in Acute Homeotherapeutics knows for a body to be healthy it needs to have balance in three…
LIFE IN RECOVERY We asked these three clean and sober individuals with different lengths of recovery time, how their life has improved since they decided to get sober. MORE MINDFUL “Before I used to say sobriety has given me the car, the material things and the cash and prizes, but the more I’m sober, I…
Randal and Scott Martin-Black, a gay couple with two adopted kids, on finding the right agency, entering a lifelong duty and answering silly questions some straight people ask BY SEAN WOLF GALUSZKA A while back, gay adoption and “gaybies” seemed all the rage. Baby Gap and Rosie O’Donnell cruises exploded. The gay-centric BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous featured a hysterical…
Healthy relationships help us experience ourselves more fully, integrating all the various parts of who we are. BY JAMES GUAY, LMFT Relationships are potent forces that bring out our best and worst selves. They challenge us to face our wounds and inspire us to heal. Our earliest relationships with peers and caregivers model what’s possible…
NHI MEDICAL A Different Approach to Hair Restoration Patients often leave NHI Medical in happy disbelief. They are pleasantly surprised that their scheduled consultation is with the doctor that will be performing their hair restoration procedure, versus a salesperson. They are even more surprised that the doctor they meet with actually tells them the truth…
DATING SOBER We asked a few local clean and sober folks, with various lengths of recovery time, how they navigate through dating in sobriety. DISCOVER YOURSELF “I find it way easier to date in sobriety. Before I was sober, I didn’t know how to love myself. Recovery is all about self-discovery, so until you discover…
Gifts Of Sobriety We asked these clean and sober folks with various lengths of recovery time what they consider the greatest gifts of sobriety in the past year. INTELLECTUAL EXPANSION “This past year was the year of intellectual expansion for me. I learned to lean more into the nuances instead of the noise. I didn’t…
Sue Dunlap, President & CEO Planned Parenthood LA, on how shame and stigma can affect all of us in both subtle and significant ways. When I walk into the office each day, I know I have an important job to do. I have the honor of leading a team that cares for nearly 1,000 people each…
Living In Gratitude With the holiday season upon us—we asked these three clean and sober individuals how they factor gratitude into their recovery. ENJOY FRIENDSHIPS “Gratitude smashes my ego. It’s keeps me out of self. I can swim in self-pity. I can swim in ‘I want more’. For me, sobriety has to be enough.…
