( Chicago, Illinois — January 31, 2011 ) - The Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus ( CBGMC ) will host individual Meet and Greet's opportunities with each of the six remaining Chicago Mayoral candidates.Meet and Greet's with Carol Mosley Braun and Miguel del Valle have already been scheduled for February 5 and February 6, respectively, and is waiting confirmations from their campaign representatives.
"As a part of the larger LGBT community, it is important that we be present in the Mayoral Forum that will take place on February 9th at the Adler Institute, and we are one of the primary organizations responsible for that event," said CBGMC co-chair and Policy and Advocacy Committee Chair Keith Green. "However, we are very clear that we have some particular issues that we want our prospective mayor to address, and we feel that it's important for our constituents to hear from the candidates directly as to how they will respond to these issues."
According to the Chicago Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) , there is a 30 percent HIV prevalence rate among Black gay and bisexual men, more than double the rate among white and Hispanic men. CBGMC is particularly interested in how the next mayor of Chicago will work with Black gay and bisexual communities in Chicago to impact these disparities. Additionally, CBGMC has concerns about the current number of critical vacancies on the CDPH staff and the Office of LGBT Health.
"Since our inception, CDPH has been one of our greatest collaborators," said Ariq Cabbler, co-chair of CBGMC and administrator of Brothers Health Collective. "We need to know that our next mayor understands the importance of this team effort and that he or she will commit to not only maintaining the relationship that we've developed, but also to enhancing it."
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The Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus ( CBGMC ) was established in 2005 to mobilize and empower black gay men and their allies to prevent new HIV infections by addressing their overall well-being.
Follow the Chicago Black Gay Men' Caucus at our website www.lovethybrotha.com or
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