This year’s annual White Party Easter Weekend – arguably, the most famous of all gay circuit parties – will help raise both money and awareness for Desert AIDS Project. Between fund-raisers at the start and completion of the weekend, D.A.P. will launch a new Internet-based program to initiate HIV education and prevention dialogues with gay men.

“With the White Party literally in our backyard, we feel a responsibility each year to get out the message about safer sex while not throwing the proverbial wet blanket on the fun people are here for,” said David Brinkman, Executive Director of Desert AIDS Project. “This year, being present in the lobby of the Wyndham – the host hotel for White Party – throughout the weekend provides us an opportunity to launch our new ‘I-Connect’ Internet-based outreach program to MSMs.”

MSMs – or “men who have sex with men” – are the primary attendees of White Party Weekend. Unfortunately, the most recent information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that MSMs account for 71 percent of all HIV infections among male adults and adolescents.

“A number of other factors further complicate matters,” says Brinkman. “Approximately one-quarter of all people in the U.S. infected with HIV don’t know it. When this lack of knowledge is combined with the use of alcohol and illegal drugs, the risk for HIV and other STDs can go through the roof. Complacency about the risk of HIV infection is sometimes compounded by the success we’ve seen with new medications. While, thankfully, those with HIV are living longer and healthier lives, some of them will continue to transmit the virus.”

Since the Internet is commonly used by men who have sex with men (MSMs,) D.A.P. is poised to implement I-Connect as a means of disseminating information on safer sex practices, HIV testing, and mental health and substance-abuse counseling. I-Connect uses a software program called “Power On” with unique features enabling D.A.P. staff to be on multiple sites simultaneously, ensure the anonymity of all online interactions, and track and evaluate each intervention’s impact. The objective is for D.A.P. to reach 3,000 MSMs in the first year of I-Connect’s implementation.

“While D.A.P. feels strongly that it is not up to us to make judgments about anyone’s lifestyle, one of our core missions is to reach as much of the population as we can with our messages of HIV prevention,” Brinkman continues. “That’s why we were pleased to be approached by MANHUNTCARES.com and Jeffrey Sanker, the founder and organizer of the White Party Weekend. We feel it indicates an understanding by both organizations to address a real need within the gay population.”

On Thursday, April 9 – before the official start of the White Party Weekend – MANHUNTCARES.com and Jeffrey Sanker will hold a benefit for Desert AIDS Project at the MANHUNT Palm Springs Mountainside Estate from 7 to 11 p.m. The event will feature DJ Casey Alva and includes an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and silent auction. Tickets are $75 per person with limited availability.

On Friday, April 10, D.A.P. also invites its clients and other interested people to attend “AIDS in America: Healthy Living Expo” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Palm Springs Convention Center. This is the regional meeting of the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), which views HIV/AIDS as a continuing domestic crisis. NAPWA invite all People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) to articulate their concerns, so that NAPWA can bring them to national service and policy decision-makers. This is a great opportunity for PLWHAs to meet other HIV-positive people in the area and find how they can advocate for more effective local, state and federal HIV/AIDS policies.

The all-day meeting is free but advance registration is required for admittance. Anyone interested in attending the “AIDS in America: Healthy Living Expo” is invited to register online at www.napwa.org. Registration entry includes lunch, refreshments, and meeting materials.

On Sunday, April 12, members of D.A.P.’s Partners for Life major donor program are invited for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the hilltop home of Tom Jakway and Steven Tripp. Representatives from NAPWA will also be in attendance.

Now in its 25th year, Desert AIDS Project is the organization in Palm Springs and the greater Coachella Valley where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management and social services. D.A.P. also offers confidential HIV testing at a number of locations and widespread education and prevention services for schools, civic organizations, businesses, churches and health organizations throughout the communities it serves.

For more information, call 760-323-2118, ext. 266 or visit www.desertaidsproject.org.

– Staff Report