Editorial: The politics of health

In this special Health & Wellness issue we highlight ways to get and stay healthy, and pamper ourselves in the process. We hope you enjoy the articles and referrals for health care providers, spas, organic groceries, physical fitness, martial arts, yoga, Tai Chi and more. It's fun to be healthy, and we hope to inspire you to find ways to improve your own health and live life to its fullest potential.
This issue also contains a serious, open letter to the Black gay male community, signed by some of the most prominent national Black LGBT leaders, calling on Black gay men to stop the devastating spread of HIV/AIDS, which has reached what they call genocidal proportions at over 43 percent of the population, according to a new study. We are appalled at this number, and hope that all people, but especially Black gay men, protect themselves and our LGBT community from any further infection. We already know from decades of experience that our political leaders cannot be trusted to protect us – we have to do it ourselves. So let's look deeply into the mirror and find the strength and truth to be safe and careful with our bodies.
We also report in this issue on last week's hearings in a suit against the state of Michigan by 22 LGBT plaintiffs who argue that the state cannot take away health care and other domestic partner benefits because of the anti-marriage amendment passed last year, Proposal 2. Eric Restuccia, who appeared on behalf of Attorney General Mike Cox, was noticeably inept in his arguments, which was surprising because he has been described as an up-and-coming, highly competent attorney for the right wing in Michigan. We would like to believe that Restuccia is like many conservatives in Michigan, who are good people trying to do the right thing and who are not driven by ideological hatred of us. We would like to believe that he was incapable of standing before over 100 LGBT people, some in wheelchairs, and arguing that these Michigan citizens should not be entitled to health care insurance because the are LGBT. Let's be clear – we did not have an opportunity to talk with Restuccia. It is only our hopeful fantasy that he was shamed by the argument he was paid to make. But that hope is grounded in our belief that most people do not want to hurt one another, and it is that hope that fuels our efforts to educate people about LGBT issues.
Some things in life seem like they should be above politics – feeding the hungry, caring for the elderly and weakest among us, providing solace to those who are in emotional pain. Unfortunately, modern life dictates that community health is a political football, with politicians, interest groups and self-righteous talking heads encouraging us all to either forget our basic human requirement that we care about and for one another, or that we pick and chose whom among us is worthy of our collective concern.
Although we didn't expect our Fall Health & Wellness issue to contain heavy articles about health politics and HIV/AIDS, we encourage our readers to make the connections between our personal health and the political environment in Michigan. To get healthy we have to work together as community – in the gym and in the halls of government.