Re: AIDS Epidemic

On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 18:21:45 -0700, Rat & Swan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:

>
>
>Gunner wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>>>  Sorry, both of you, but I was there in 1984, working with the LA CARES
>>>  program of AIDS education.  Reagan himself may not have been an active
>>>  homophobe, but plenty of the Right-wing people in his administration
>>>  were, and frustrated efforts at education by banning material on
>>>  safe-sex in clear language and ignoring the epidemic as much as
>>>  possible.  The gay community helped itself, with very limited "help"
>>>  from any government agencies.
>
>>>   <snip>
>
>>>  Rat
>
>> Lets be frank here, ok?
>
>   That might help.
>
>>  The gay community didn't help itself,
>
>   It did.  We raised quite a bit of money, set up food banks, created
>   volunteer groups whose members visited people with AIDS to help
>   them with household tasks, shopping and health care, set up our own
>   newsletters, pamphlets, and programs to bring information to the
>   places where it was needed, even places like baths, bars, S/M clubs,
>   and so on. (Remember the bowls of condoms and free condom give-aways,
>   and free clean needle exchanges?) Activists in the gay community
>   argued for safe-sex practices, created support groups to help
>   encourage safe-sex, worked hard to make safe-sex "hot".  Even
>   pornographers like John Preston got into the act by writing porn
>   with safe-sex messages.  The community -- almost all of it -- rallied
>   behind the effort.  And we succeeded in slowing the epidemic quite
>   a bit.  A big part of the problem was the long incubation period.
>   Many people were infected but didn't know it.  The community
>   activists stressed that everyone should assume _anyone_ they slept
>   with, long-term or short-term, was infected and take precautions.
>

Yup..I recall all of that.  And STILL bathhouse multipartner
saturnellas went on and on, and still rough riding was prevelent.  As
I said..the gay community didnt help. Tossing condoms around like
confetti is a great feel good touchy feely way to express yourself,
but when the unsafe practices still went on and on and on...shrug.. 
Either you folks didnt get the message out, or raging hormones and
spite made vast numbers of gays simply ignore it. Talk is cheap.
Talking the talk is easy..but not enough of your folks walked the
walk.
And now you want preferential treatment.  The great scream for a cure,
and holding the gay card has caused other diseases to either be put on
hold, or way underfunded..diseases that were NOT caused by poor
judgment and selfishness. Breast Cancer research is a shining example.

>   <snip>
>> And of course now..you lads have
>> the fucking strange cult of Bug Chasers..gays whom intentionally seek
>> out HIV positive sex partners.
>
>   There's a bit of fatalism, and a degree of survivor guilt.  And
>   teens, both gay and straight, tend to see themselves as
>   invulnerable and not consider consequences.  Gays are no more
>   irresponsible than straights in the same age and social group.
>   Look at the raging infection rate among straights.

Fatalism my ass. Thats outright selfishness and stupidity. No matter
how many times you play Russian Roulett..sooner or later the bullet
will come up next.

And yes..I see the raging infection rate, amoung IV drug users,
straight or not. Unfortunatly..bisexual males also are selfish, when
they play both sides of the street and condem their partners to death.

Im sorry, but this is one subject I feel no pity for the gay community
as a whole on. Im on record as being for gay marraige, etc etc..but
this is a crime against humanity. I believe that if a knowingly HIV
positive person infects another, he should be charged with Attempted
Murder and punished accordingly.

Gunner


>
>   <snip>
>
>    Rat

"The British attitude is to treat society like a game preserve where a
certain percentage of the 'antelope' are expected to be eaten by the
"lions".
Christopher Morton