Many of us who survived the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the USA will reflect on how difficult it was to walk through the cloud of stigma and discrimination as we reflect on World AIDS Day this weekend.

We lost many brave friends who taught us how to love fearlessly and safely. Straight allies and health care professionals began to understand LGBT more than before and that our love was good. How we cared for our partners and friends and created organizations that were open to everyone is an enduring tribute to the indomitable spirit of that difficult chapter of our lives.

Christian conservatives, for more than two decades a pivotal force in American politics, are grappling with Election Day results that repudiated their influence and suggested that the cultural tide — especially on gay issues — has shifted against them.

They are reeling not only from the loss of the presidency, but from what many of them see as a rejection of their agenda. They lost fights against same-sex marriage in all four states where it was on the ballot, and saw anti-abortion-rights Senate candidates defeated and two states vote to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

(Editor's note: SDGLN is protecting the identity of Peter, which is not his real name. He says he is concerned about his family and colleagues in Ethiopia, and his future fighting for LGBT human rights in his native land.)

Peter speaks very quietly and it is sometimes difficult to understand his English. It is hard to believe that Ethiopian authorities see this 27-year-old man as a threat to their national security, but he is the leading gay activist in this largely Christian society.

The headline is sensational and does what headlines are supposed to do – it grabs your attention:

“California Bans Heterosexuality.”

After my initial shock, I settled down and read the story under the headline and quickly learned, to my great relief, that the Golden State hasn’t really banned heterosexuality – at least not yet.