Kenyon Farrow
- Vice President of Policy, Point Source Youth
Cleveland Heights, New York
As seen in:
Medium,
HuffPost,
The Atlantic,
The Economist,
Medscape,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
The Columbus Dispatch,
The American Prospect,
American Journal of Public Health,
WEWS-TV (Cleveland, OH)
and
Covers:
HIV, STD and other infectious diseases, health care and public health, public policy and social safety net issues. LGBTQ and Racial Justice issues as well.
Work: Comms Director: @hivpxresearch. Words: @OhioCapJournal & @theBodydotcom. Boards: @lgbtcleveland, @nytransadvocacy, @partner4dignity @gbgmc_Int
Articles by Kenyon Farrow
In a time of crisis, new leadership at AIDS United
Coming into a leadership role right now in an HIV organization is no small feat. Since January of this year, this second Trump administration has unraveled decades’ worth of work by advocates, researchers and service providers to scale up access to treatment and prevention programs including new long-acting options for people not wanting daily pill treatment or PrEP.
Winter 2023
What individuals and care providers should know as they consider long-acting injectable treatment—‘make it as simple as possible,’ says Dr. Hyman Scott
An out bisexual Ohio man is running for county prosecutor. But his race is about so much more.
In many ways, Cuyahoga County politics and many of its players haven’t changed since I’d left the area in 1999. It was interesting to return in 2020 as many younger people were beginning to run for office with an eye on challenging the Democratic machine politics that govern the metro area, which haven’t benefited most of the region’s poor and working-class people. So when Matthew Ahn announced his run for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, I thought it was interesting.
Autumn 2023
What individuals and care providers should know as they consider long-acting injectable treatment—‘make it as simple as possible,’ says Dr. Hyman Scott
Author and Activist Mark S. King Reflects on Living With ‘My Fabulous Disease' in New Book
Writer’s note: While I am aware of the desire among many HIV advocates to move away from using the word AIDS because of its stigmatizing connotations, I intentionally use it here for historical purposes. HIV is a virus. But for me, AIDS as a phrase makes sense when talking about the way it was used in the years we discuss in this conversation. And I think of AIDS as a phenomenon that shaped a social, political, economic, and cultural era and use it as such in the following interview.
SCOTUS Decriminalized Gay Sex 20 Years Ago. The Men Who Made It Possible Barely Benefited From It
For some, Pride season finishes up in late June, but I think for most queer folks, it actually ends as Fall begins. And as this summer comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect on the original spirit of Pride, which started with all kinds of attacks on our community. I’m speaking of Stonewall and the fact that what we now celebrate with parades and festive gatherings started with a riot. Back then, it was everyday, ordinary, non-famous, poor, and working-class folks who stood up to violent police.
VOICES: Should older elected leaders get their heads checked?
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., center, returns to his press conference after the 81-year-old GOP leader froze at the microphones and became disoriented, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 26, 2023. McConnell went to his office for a few minutes and returned to finish speaking with reporters. // AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite ~ By Carmen Gentile I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating.
Is meat still “meat” if it’s grown in a petri dish?
A technician monitors operations at UPSIDE Foods’ engineering, production, and innovation center in Emeryville, California. “Cultivated meat,” the process by which land animals and seafood are created in a lab rather than the conventional way, might be the next thing. But can folks get past the sci-fi oddity of it all? ~ By Marcella S. Kreiter Whether the chicken or the egg came first is fast becoming moot with the advent of cultivated meat.
VOICES: How come there’s so much hate in some Postindustrial Communities?
A member of the white supremacist group Patriot Front protests outside Element 41, a restaurant holding an 18-and-over drag brunch to raise money for a local church's safe space program on April 1, 2023, in Chardon, Ohio. The Chardon protest comes on the heels of a recent spike of anti-drag demonstrations in Ohio communities and across the country. // Michael Nigro/Sipa USA via AP Images ~ By Carmen Gentile Truth be told, I’ve been procrastinating like crazy over writing this column.
The National Mall Hosts a Homegoing for Black Queer Church Musicians Who Died From AIDS-Related Complications
It’s been often said that if Black queer folks disappeared, choirs would have no tenor section and we’d probably lose the institution called “The Black Church.” That speculation comes from the enormous role Black queer musicians have played in developing and cultivating Black Christian church traditions. The point about “if not for our Black queer church brethren” is now a cliché that most African Americans understand and joke about.
After Issue 1, Ohioans have a new opportunity to end GOP stranglehold
(Ohio Capital Journal) – When the Ohio GOP came up with Issue 1 as a cheap ploy to thwart a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the Ohio state constitution, they thought this was a slam dunk. Assuming that the historic trends of low voter turnout for August elections would be the way to slide this past most Ohioans while they weren’t paying attention. After all, these same legislators passed a law to ban August elections in the state just last year.
High-Speed Serenity: What I learned riding an electric motorcycle
I recently embarked on a short, electric-bike adventure to see how the new tech would perform compared to its gas-powered brethren. Along the way, I learned a few things that made me super excited about the future of riding. ~ By Carmen Gentile Disclaimer: While I do like combining storytelling with riding, I’m no expert on evaluating the performance of any motorcycle, be it gas or electric, from a technical perspective — just whether it’s fun to ride. Spoiler Alert: It was a blast.
After Issue 1, Ohioans have a new opportunity to end GOP stranglehold
When the Ohio GOP came up with Issue 1 as a cheap ploy to thwart a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the Ohio state constitution, they thought this was a slam dunk. Assuming that the historic trends of low voter turnout for August elections would be the way to slide this past most Ohioans while they weren’t paying attention. After all, these same legislators passed a law to ban August elections in the state just last year. The results are in.
After Issue 1, Ohioans have a new opportunity to end GOP stranglehold
When the Ohio GOP came up with Issue 1 as a cheap ploy to thwart a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the Ohio state constitution, they thought this was a slam dunk. Assuming that the historic trends of low voter turnout for August elections would be the way to slide this past most Ohioans while they weren’t paying attention. After all, these same legislators passed a law to ban August elections in the state just last year. The results are in.
VOICES: Following vote, Ohioans have a new opportunity to end GOP stranglehold
Hundreds of protesters against SJR 2, and its companion HJR 1, fill the rotunda before the Ohio House session, May 10, 2023, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. // Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. August 9, 2023 ~ By Kenyon Farrow, Ohio Capital Journal When the Ohio GOP came up with Issue 1 as a cheap ploy to thwart a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the Ohio state constitution, they thought this was a slam dunk.
After Issue 1, Ohioans have a new opportunity to end GOP stranglehold
When the Ohio GOP came up with Issue 1 as a cheap ploy thwart a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the Ohio state constitution, they thought this was a slam dunk. Assuming that the historic trends of low voter turnout for August elections would be the way to slide this past most Ohioans while they weren’t paying attention. After all, these same legislators passed a law to ban August elections in the state just last year. The results are in.
Location of upcoming Ohio Drag Queen Story Hour vandalized by Molotov cocktails; church fundraising for security
The Community Church of Chesterland, the site of an upcoming Ohio Drag Queen Story Hour, was vandalized by Molotov cocktails on Friday evening in an attack that also destroyed the church’s sign. The attack left minimal damage to the northeast Ohio church and left no injuries as the building was unoccupied at the time. The church has reported the incident to the local law enforcement officials who are investigating the incident.
Armed Nazis, white supremacists swarm LGBTQ+ drag event in Wadsworth, Ohio
At an unassuming public park in Wadsworth, Ohio, dozens of armed neo- Nazis and other white supremacists descended on a scheduled drag storytelling hour. Local parent Aaron Reed organized the ‘Rock n’ Roll Humanist Drag Story Hour’ in response to a sharp rise in violent, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment across the United States. The event was set to take place at Wadsworth Brewing Company, but was canceled when business owners said they received threats of violence via Facebook.
Ohio House holds first hearing for "Parents Bill of Rights"; would force teachers to out LGBTQ+ students
A first hearing for HB 8 – dubbed “The Parents Bill of Rights” – was held on March 7 in the Primary and Secondary Education committee of the Ohio House of Representatives. If passed, the bill would require parental notification on a wide range of vaguely defined circumstances, which could be used to target LGBTQ+ students.
Using “Pregnant Patients” to Torpedo Abortion and Trans Rights
This article was originally published on February 28 on TheBody, which delivers vital information, news, support, and personal perspectives on HIV and related issues. We have republished it with their permission. This week, Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights submitted their long-anticipated amendment to the Ohio constitution to protect abortion access in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision effectively overturned Roe v.
Autumn 2022
Writing your own salvation into existence Playwrights Donja R. Love and Troy Anthony ‘Write It Out’ to fight HIV stigma in themselves and others
Note from the Guest Editor
Mental illness or other psychological stressors can be both associated with being diagnosed with HIV and often result from an HIV diagnosis. A 2014 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that HIV prevalence for people in the U.S. receiving mental health services was four times higher than in the general population (bit.ly/HIV-mental-health-prevalence-study).
Ohio offers no plan for monkeypox
I set out to write a follow-up opinion piece to my July 13 article on Ohio’s lackluster response to the monkeypox virus outbreak, mostly focused on the fact that we now have more than 4,000 vaccine doses and an increasingly frustrated public of gay men watching other states roll out vaccines. But I stumbled across another confounding bit of news on the Ohio Department of Health’s site that makes the lack of leadership from the state even more confusing.
Ohio declares monkeypox 'significant public concern' but still offers no testing or vaccine plan
I set out to write a follow-up opinion piece to my July 13 article on Ohio’s lackluster response to the monkeypox virus outbreak, mostly focused on the fact that we now have more than 4,000 vaccine doses and an increasingly frustrated public of gay men watching other states roll out vaccines. But I stumbled across another confounding bit of news on the Ohio Department of Health’s that makes the lack of leadership from the state even more confusing.
Ohio declares monkeypox ‘significant public concern’ but still offers no testing or vaccine plan
I set out to write a follow-up opinion piece to my July 13 article on Ohio’s lackluster response to the monkeypox virus outbreak, mostly focused on the fact that we now have more than 4,000 vaccine doses and an increasingly frustrated public of gay men watching other states roll out vaccines. But I stumbled across another confounding bit of news on the Ohio Department of Health’s that makes the lack of leadership from the state even more confusing.
The Downstream Impacts of High Drug Costs for PrEP Have Hindered the Promise of HIV Prevention | Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics | Cambridge Core
When tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) was approved for the use of prevention of HIV in 2012 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many saw it as a watershed moment that could move us toward truly ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S. and globally. But 10 years later, that has hardly happened. In the United States, the wealthiest nation in the world, the rollout of PrEP has been nothing short of an abysmal failure.
Monkeypox is spreading but ODH hasn’t spread the message
COLUMBUS — Thefollowing article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement. It may come as a surprise to most people in Ohio that in addition to dealing with the ongoing problem of COVID-19 ebbs and flows of infections and variants, we actually have an entirely different infectious disease to be concerned about: monkeypox.
Monkeypox is spreading but the Ohio Department of Health hasn’t spread the message
It may come as a surprise to most people in Ohio that in addition to dealing with the ongoing problem of COVID-19 ebbs and flows of infections and variants, we actually have an entirely different infectious disease to be concerned about: monkeypox.
Farrow: Ohio Republicans rather you focus on 'kids with 2 dads' than mountain of scandals
Show Caption Hide Caption Republican Larry Householder talks to the press after his expulsion Expelled and indicted, Republican Larry Householder didn't rule out running for political office again. Laura A.
Equity-Driven Advocacy for a National PrEP Program for Uninsured People
Opinions Will this program translate into access for those who need pre-exposure prophylaxis the most to prevent HIV? April 18, 2022 • By Jeremiah Johnson, Kenyon Farrow , Raniyah Copeland and Asa Radix When President Biden released his 2023 budget request, he generated excitement among national HIV/AIDS advocates by proposing a 10-year $9.8 billion investment in a national pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program for uninsured Americans.
Opinion: 'Too smart' Dave Chappelle has fallen for 'old right-wing political device'
“I have never had a problem with transgender people…my problem has always been with white people.” In comedian Dave Chappelle’s mind, transgender people, and the LGBT community at large, is white. More:Trans Netflix employee reinstated after suspension amid Dave Chapelle stand-up controversy This is the argument he uses to frame his decision to spend a vast majority of the standup special recently released on Netflix.
Kenyon Farrow: 'Too smart' Dave Chappelle has fallen for 'old right-wing political device'
“I have never had a problem with transgender people…my problem has always been with white people.” In comedian Dave Chappelle’s mind, transgender people, and the LGBT community at large, is white. Dave Chappelle controversy:Trans Netflix employee reinstated after suspension This is the argument he uses to frame his decision to spend a vast majority of the stand-up special recently released on Netflix talking about the LGBTQ community.
Resident and former 'Coventry kid' endorses Seren
It is with pleasure that I am endorsing City Council Vice President Kahlil Seren to become the first mayor of the city of Cleveland Heights. The future of Cleveland Heights is important to me. I grew up in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, but I spent a lot of time in Cleveland Heights at my grandfather’s home; so my summers were spent catching frogs in the marshy fields that buttressed his street, and my winters were spent sledding with my sisters and cousins in Cain Park.
Confronting Barriers to Care
A close look at the numbers reveals a troubling reality: In the U.S., Black women are impacted by HIV at an alarming rate, more so than women of any other race or ethnicity. Yet, when it comes to HIV prevention efforts—where we’ve generally witnessed tremendous strides in recent years—Black women are painfully overlooked.
Audre Lorde And I Were Once Enemies
Audre Lorde and I were once mortal enemies. At least that’s the way it seemed. In late 2004, I wrote an essay called “We Real Cool?: On Hip-Hop, Asian-Americans, Black Folks, and Appropriation.” The essay was a response to an event I attended that I found incredibly offensive—a panel discussion about how Asian American hip-hop artists were “changing the face” of the music and culture.
The ‘Funeral Diva’ Pamela Sneed Remembers AIDS, Art, and Activism in New Book
Last year proved to be one of massive death, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which to date has taken the lives of over 410,000 people in the United States.
Gay Men: It's Time to Stop Calling the Police on One Another for HIV Non-Disclosure
When I see documentaries or fiction films about the early days of the AIDS epidemic that focus on the lives and relationships of gay men, I see a lot of people taking care of one another. In many cases, one partner might find out he's HIV positive, the other partner finds out his status, the two stay together, and one takes care of the other until one or both are met with the unfortunate fate of certain death.
Making Black Gay Lives Matter: A Conversation With Darryl Stephens on the Impact of Joseph Beam (and Noah's Arc)
Nearly 30 years after his death from AIDS, black gay writer and activist Joseph Beam is inspiring a new generation of black gay men. In fact, a new organization, Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM), used his name as inspiration. On Dec. 14, BEAM is hosting an event in Los Angeles honoring his birthday with a public reading and discussion of his work. Actor Darryl Stephens, best known for playing the lead role in Logo TV's landmark series, Noah's Arc, will be among them.
4 Things We Must Do to Fight Medical Mistrust After the COVID-19 Pandemic Ends
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made its recommendations for how best to distribute the two new COVID-19 vaccines that are expected to get the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency authorization approval in the coming days.
As the Trump Era Ends, HIV Activists Need to Go Big or Go Home
I remember the 2016 election like it was yesterday. I was living in Washington, D.C., working as policy director for Treatment Action Group. I’d decided I was not going to watch the election-night coverage—even then I was growing into the idea that allowing the news media to turn elections into high-drama television every four years was not healthy to consume, and isn’t really healthy for democracy. I retired to bed around 11 p.m., when several key states seemed too close to call.
Prisons Are a Public Health Crisis — and the Cure Is Right in Front of Us
Abolition for the People This article is part of Abolition for the People, a series brought to you by a partnership between Kaepernick Publishing and LEVEL, a Medium publication for and about the lives of Black and Brown men.The series, which comprises 30 essays and conversations over four weeks, points to the crucial conclusion that policing and prisons are not solutions for the issues and people the state deems social problems — and calls for a future that puts justice and the needs of the...
Make Yours a Happy Home: A "Back in the Day" Review
Date Published: June 20, 2011 CLAUDINE BY JOHN BERRY Third World Cinema, 1974 It has been well over a decade since welfare was a major political issue, regularly debated in public policy arenas and the media—and used as a wedge issue by Democrats and Republicans alike.
This Champion of Community’s Role in Clinical Trials Reflects on 40 Years of Fighting Medical Mistrust And Research Neglect
When you get to a point where you’re able to only go by one name, Wakefield, and no one questions it, you know you’ve led quite a life. That is true of Wakefield, who has been a trailblazing activist for the leadership of Black and Brown people in clinical research—as practitioners and as activists—for four decades. And to be honest, Wakefield is one of the reasons why I decided to invest my time in learning how to engage clinical research.
Mark S. King
Mark S. King has been an active AIDS activist, writer and community organization leader since the early 1980s in Los Angeles. He has been an outspoken advocate for prevention education and for issues important to those living with HIV. Diagnosed in 1985, Mark has held positions with the Los Angeles Shanti Foundation, AID Atlanta and AIDS Survival Project, and is an award-winning writer. He continues his volunteer work as an AIDS educator and speaker for conferences and events.
Hip-Hop’s Hardest Confection, ‘Cakes Da Killa,’ Talks New Music, Sex, and COVID-19’s Impact on Pride Bookings
I first discovered Cakes Da Killa on YouTube, when his 2013 video for “Goodie Goodies” was released. It was an exciting thing to witness, a chocolate-brown, cheeky, effeminate gay hip-hop artist rapping openly about sex—and from the point of view of a bottom—while rhyming with the technical skill of some of the greatest MCs alive of whatever gender. I probably sent that video to nearly every Black queer friend I had at the time, and I’ve even used that video in workshops and keynote lectures.
Are Providers Ignoring Anal Sex as a Health Care Issue for Women at Risk for HIV and Cancer?
Receptive anal intercourse may have accounted for 41% of HIV diagnoses among cisgender women who contracted HIV through heterosexual encounters, a study published online in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology on May 8 found.
COVID-19 Impacts Gay and Bisexual Men's Mental Health, Sexual Behavior, and Access to HIV/STI Services
Findings from a convenience sample survey of over 1,000 gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) found many men reporting the COVID-19 pandemic was having an adverse impact on their mental health, economic security, and access to sexual health services. The impacts were particularly high among young men ages 15 to 24.
New Data by amFAR Shows COVID-19 is Devastating Black Communities
For weeks, it was suspected that African Americans and people of African descent in the United States might be disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But data collection and dissemination have been mostly anecdotal, from frontline health care workers, a few local health departments, and reportage by the press. The coronavirus pandemic has followed along the course of existing racial disparities—but this has been difficult to prove with little direct evidence.
We Need to Temper Expectations for Remdesivir as COVID-19 Treatment
We’re in a global pandemic unlike any we’ve seen in many decades—since the HIV epidemic, really. And because we’re watching the global numbers of people who’ve contracted COVID-19 rise exponentially, and death rates follow along that upward path, there’s a lot of fear and desperation. Simultaneously, here in the United States, the public is getting conflicting messages from the White House, federal public health officials, state and local officials, and medical research leadership.
Long-Acting Injectable HIV Meds Just as Good as Daily Pill for Newly Diagnosed and Those Already Undetectable
Two studies published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine showed the effects of the monthly, long-acting injectable forms of cabotegravir and rilpivirine (Edurant). One study compared the injectable combination to standard oral therapy in people with HIV who were already virally suppressed. The other study compared the efficacy of the two drugs in injectable form to that of oral therapy for patients who were treatment-naive at the start of the study.
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