"I'm proud to attach my name to such an important document," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "Bold action is needed from all of us who are concerned about the health threat posed by re-emergent HIV and STD rates. King County is pleased to support our community partners in this essential effort."

King County Executive Ron Sims speaks about his support for the Community Manifesto.

This groundbreaking document calls for new norms and responsibility in sexual practices in response to skyrocketing rates of STDs and HIV in local MSM (men who have sex with men) community.

"This Manifesto articulates a vital vision for the gay and bisexual community in promoting wellness and preventing the spread of HIV and STDs," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director for Public Health - Seattle & King County. "These kinds of community actions are critically necessary if we are to turn the tide locally against these diseases."

The Community Manifesto was developed by the MSM HIV/STD Prevention Taskforce which includes community leaders, service providers and representatives from Public Health - Seattle & King County.

"This Manifesto signals a new community dialogue," says Taskforce member Phil Pelino. "Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men - whether they are HIV negative or positive - must take responsibility for their sexual actions and prevent the spread of HIV and STDs."

"Each of us must take personal responsibility and commit to being a part of a community solution if we are to see these frustrating trends reversed," said Chuck Kuehn, Executive Director of Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

One in seven gay, bisexual, and other MSM are infected with HIV in King County, and MSM are now 100 times more likely than the general heterosexual population to have syphilis. HIV positive gay men are 1,000 times more likely than the general heterosexual population to have syphilis.

About the Task Force and the Manifesto

The MSM STD/HIV Prevention Task Force was formed in the autumn of 2001 in response to recommendations from the December 2000 Seattle Gay Men's Health Summit. The Task Force was formed to provide community-level input and direction toward reinvigorating local HIV and STD prevention efforts for MSM.

In 2003, the Task Force began a process of critically analyzing the theories and assumptions underlying prevention and intervention approaches. The group identified moral and ethical components of prevention as a source of much misunderstanding and disagreement, and therefore topics that could benefit from increased community dialogue. Task Force members researched these issues, participated in workshops on ethics in general, and ultimately wrote "A Community Manifesto: A New Response to HIV and STDs."