GLR September-October 2023

BTW

to increase profits. The Times ’ deep dive into internal memos re vealed that Gilead withheld the new drug — a major improve ment over the existing version of Tenofovir — until just before the patent expired on the older version. The strategy was to run out the old patent before the generics hit the market, and then go live with the new version. Apparently this practice is wide spread in the industry, where it ’ s known as “ product hopping. ” What makes it especially cynical in the case of HIV is the pe culiar lethality of AIDS and the severity of the side effects of many antiretrovirals — including Tenofovir. Indeed, some 26,000 patients who took the older version are suing Gilead for exposing them to potential kidney and bone problems. The Times learned that the improved Tenofovir could have been available as early as 2004, but Gilead stopped working on it ex pressly to prolong its monopoly. It was finally released in 2015, adding over a decade to its patent, which will remain in force until at least 2031. Because that ’ s howit ’ s done. BlueShi ft The battle between the “ red ” and “ blue ” states took a turn when Massachusetts hired some billboards in Texas and Florida to promote the Commonwealth while subtly criticizing the homophobia of the two host states. The billboards say sim ply “ Massachusetts For us all ” and show pictures of happy LGBT couples. Governor Maura Healey (D), an out lesbian, is sued a statement explicating the message: “ To anyone consid ering where they want to live ... we want you to join us here in Massachusetts. ” The fact is, many people are talking about leaving the “ Don ’ t SayGay ” state in search of bluer pastures. So, if this is an early salvo in a demographic war, this Boston

The Farther Right The headline began, “ Fox News Promotes ‘ Glory Holes, ’” and the mind raced to make sense of it. Who would accuse the news organ of the religious Right of pro moting those outlets for public sex? Turns out it came from an even more right-wing source, Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire . The basis for the story was apparently a memo from Fox Corp., in a modest effort at inclusivity, encouraging employees to read a memoir by trans journalist Meredith Talusan titled Fairest . The book includes a description of glory holes, which Walsh turned into an endorsement of their use, a “ howto ” for public sex. The meme then bounced around the echo chamber until Fox News was practically drilling the holes between the stalls. Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA wondered: “ Why is Fox subsidizing gloryholes for their employees? ” In a similar vein, when Chick-fil-A issued a pro forma statement in support of Pride month, calls for a boycott came not from the Left but from the Far Right — indeed from the Farther Right, for which even Fox News isn ’ t ideologically pure enough. Hopping Product An investigation by The New York Times re vealed that Gilead, one of the world ’ s largest drug-makers, de liberately “ slow-walked ” a promising new HIV therapy in order

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