These are difficult times. Most everyone we know is cutting back. Some of us are looking for work, myself included. But for many these times are especially tough, like those struggling with HIV and AIDS. A situation made worse by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s threat to slash $80 million in AIDS/HIV funding, which would be used for prevention, education, testing, treatment and housing.

This weekend is AIDS Walk 2009 in San Francisco, and we will walk as we do every year. If you are able, please consider making a gift, no matter how small, to continue the fight against AIDS, and to help make up the difference for those who are unable to give. The AIDS Walk is our community’s single most powerful and enduring response to the AIDS epidemic, as the struggle against this disease is far from over. Every 9 1/2 minutes someone becomes infected with HIV. In the U.S., one in five people already infected don’t even know. And in San Francisco alone, 25,000 live with HIV every day.

If you are unable to give, please consider walking with us instead. The greater our visibility, the louder our message.

If you would like to sponsor Inside, Looking Out by making a donation, visit http://aidswalksanfran2009.kintera.org/inlookout. Thanks!

And the court has agreed to hear the petition.

In his petition, Sushil Kumar Kaushal said “even animals don’t indulge in such activities,” adding that allowing gay sex would help spread HIV/AIDS.

The latest development indicated that despite a recent Delhi High Court ruling, gays in India still face a long battle to gain acceptance – social and legal – in this deeply conservative country where even heterosexual sex is talked about in hushed tones.

“If such abnormality is permitted, then tomorrow people might seek permission for having sex with animals,” Kaushal said.

Wow. What a slap in the face to those who worked so hard to overturn the ban.

And in related news, India’s top television yoga expert Swami Baba Ramdev is also challenging the ruling, claiming homosexuality is a “disease” that can be cured by yoga.

Pardon me but what century is this?

Michael Jackson has died from cardiac arrest at age 50.

Love him or loathe him, Jackson’s talent was undeniable, and his contribution to pop music will likely never be matched. While I was never a huge fan, particularly in later years, I will still mourn his passing. Perhaps his most memorable video, and my favorite, below (excuse the ad at the front, but it was the best quality I could find):

As my partner so eloquently put after hearing the news… today we are “saddened by the passing of an Angel, and the death of a King.”

Good bye Farrah. Goodbye Michael. You will both be missed.

Former pinup girl and television actress Farrah Fawcett passed away from cancer today at the age of 62. Fawcett was best know for her role as Jill Munroe on the 70’s hit Charlies Angles, and for the iconic poster below which helped launched her career into stardom.

Her long time love Ryan O’Neil released the following statement:

“After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away. Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world.”

She will be missed.