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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2003)
_________ ______ ________ __________________________________________ ^ — 1 TmTuliw^Tineu's T _________ __________ february 21.2ÛÛ3 » Ju s t out. 17 rolling “public sex environments” around Portland isn’t new for Cas cade A ID S Project. T he nonprofit agency probably has seen more dick CAP reaches out to Portland's gay bathhouses to help guys get off than a urologist. But its efforts to pro mote safer sex have begun to heat up with this without getting hurt by Timothy Krause month’s opening of Steam Port land, an eastside gay bathhouse. For years, outreach work of in his business planning process to establish a Earlier this RULES o p t h e r o a d A ,,IW m I*“ m» nnoImM, ttri i , —. n i n i . the Men’s Prevention and Well £ month, the C en- ban on risky behavior, alcohol and illegal drugs. rmr’- *■"*. »• * m* •" ness Program at C A P has But even with the cooperation and encour | ters for Disease agement o f bathhouse operators, getting gay focused on a menage a trois with 3 Control and Pre- the Multnomah County Health | vention reported guys to change their sexual habits is not easy. BA REBA CKIN Ci ut N O T Department and the venerable that the number Public sex environments have a reputation for « v«w (auk » iiW a i a ■ ondmn. yw. wSI k* m M t . i « ( c . of new H IV infec Club Portland. Free condoms being places where it’s O K to break the rules, says No «la»« com amrr» in ihr »howcry »Iran noua. m « a n . S«rrei t im kr» aie »ui (wntitttnl in ifct pUy tions and A ID S Philip Knowlton, a program coordinator with and lube are offered like candy. S « > tweai* an* available Of rmi m a wear y o u <ow«i. Flip-flop* aie ahn» avaUaUe im fontarcar. cases across the CAP. And, when it comes to promoting safer sex, Signs reinforce Club Portland’s Ntuiiiy a««f frtislt m-MJ ttr cncouragi-â gay men are jaded. Most know how to use a con country had risen official ban on barebacking Wa*ti »!:;> » i ä »irt ait et you play. dom. So, the goal now is one of motivation. (unprotected anal sex), a rule to for the first time I a»*, oat io me! Don t labe m in t *wr*! c.tm loto yuu» body Taking cum ia in a decade. Cou In addition to a more frequent presence, which members also agree in vuur marnait or awaltowiog î< p m * vu« at risk lav infcctitm. pled with co n Knowlton promotes ongoing sex-talk, not just writing upon joining. * >c a cerns o f syphilis with bathhouse businessmen but also with their Twice a month, C A P volun Nu utl- baxed lubfit um t <w Criée« a » allowed. outbreaks and towel-tenting guests. Talking with one guy for teers staff an office at the down Feel tree to let tom ram ' knot* you art hot lac him. 11 be ¡»n't hot In* you, amtvt on. When vumeone come* on to 15 minutes has more impact than handing out drug-resistant bac town bathhouse. They mingle von ami you aren't ¡»(m ated , be firm hot cnarumu. Yuu iu*t gat a complintem. terial infections safer-sex kits to 30 guys who are just in and out with guests to offer safer-sex kits Our stall 1» friendly and bate (• make ira» cumtocwbie. o f the office. “T h e condoms end up on the flcxir among gay men, and vouchers for county-admin Fleam led f l « to auk lot their aaabtnmcc. We aak you to respect their wack, band« oK! the issue of public and they just take the lube,” observes Knowlton. istered HIV/STD testing. They Strain Portland is not responalble lor any babfiity mmned Although respectful o f its relationship with safely dispose of used needles. safety now has by an act or omtMKni oi its nnployee», oHkem, agents, bathhouse owners, C A P says it is ultimately the C A P redoubling They answer questions like, Are responsibility of Club Portland and Steam Port its efforts to ensure blowjobs safe? W hat happens to FU L L S T E A M A H E A D ! land staff to enforce their barebacking bans. that public sex is my health care without Mea also safer sex. “If you don’t have the manpower to walk sure 28?. W hat’s with this Steam Portland’s rules of attraction Downtown, for around and police, it’s going to be hard to do,” syphilis thing? And, once a exam ple, C A P ’s Knowlton acknowledges. “And it’s not up to month, they hook up with a county staffer who offers onsite HIV/STD testing. twice-monthly sojourns to Club Portland now CAP. W e’re not going to be the sex police. Even will increase to weekly forays. And while these if we saw something like a huge barebacking Perhaps most importantly, C A P ’s persistent safer-sex studs won’t be offering onsite testing or orgy, our hands are tied.” presence serves as a reminder to guests that anony walking around Steam ’s new complex, owner C A P will call such activity to the attention mous sex in public isn’t a free-for-all gangbang of bathhouse bosses, but to be effective, these David Anderson began working with C A P early without rules. Or condoms. Or consequences. P utting O ut in Lock the door. Fly to Europe & don’t give it a second thought. P ublic establishments must have long-term employees who are trained about HIV, charged to identify inappropriate behavior and empowered to give offenders the boot. And that can be a risky proposition. Because bathhouses are businesses, owners tread a fine line between keeping their customers healthy and happy. Too dominant, and customers go elsewhere. Too submissive, and establishments jeopardize their license to operate and the vital ity of their customer base. “But it’s not public sex environments that we’re concerned about,” states Knowlton, who thinks Internet chat rooms pose a greater threat. “You can go to a bathhouse and have safe sex. A lot of people do, and that’s great. We really are confident in management who have taken pro active steps, because it’s in their best interest.” T h e larger issue, he suggests, has to do with the gay male community letting down its guard and becoming complacent in the face o f physi cal danger from unsafe sexual activity. “It’s not the venues. It’s not the buildings. It’s not the businesses,” Knowlton remarks. “It’s the perception in the community that we’ve really made anonymous, unprotected sex the goal. It’s the hottest thing that you can do. A lot of guys say they don’t buy into it, hut they do. It’s the gay com m unity’s sexual attitudes— not the bathhouse as a business— that’s a problem.” J H Contact C ascade A ID S P roject at 503'223'5907 or m um .casecadeaids.org. C lub P ortland is located at 303 S.W. 12th Ave. err m vw.clubpdx.com . Find S team P ortland at 2885 N .E. Sandy Blvd. or www.steam portland.com . T imothy K rause can be reached at tim kra@ m illenicom . com . L M u V. Yes, it’s possible. Maybe even necessary. “Girlfriend, you been m J udith A rnell C reators of C ustom D esigned N W 14th < £ Kearney in Portland’s Pearl District Sales Office: 1122 N W Glisan Open Tu. - Fr, 10 - 5 Sa. 11 - 5 & S u . 1 2 - 4 503.226.4252
