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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2004)
rTîTTTPTRTïneivs syphilis about four years “Club Portland has re ago are now experiencing examined its need to influ more new HIV infections. ence personal perceptions “If Portland follows the in the matter of safer sex pattern of other cities, we issues and hits and will be would expect to see a sig taking a more aggressive nificant increase in new stand against high-risk HIV cases in Oregon in the public sexual activity,” he next two years,” says Mitch says. “We plan to actively Zahn, a gay man who enforce our ban on hare works as HIV prevention backing rather than rely on manager for the Oregon some fonn of honor system D epartm ent of H um an and by increasing casual Services. Unfortunately, surveillance and using dip his office— the largest lomatic interdiction when funder of STD prevention necessary to make the efforts in the state— will point we have, and have an estimated 10 per enforce, a no-tolerance M itch Zahn predicts Portland’s spike in cent less money in 2004 policy.... We care about syphilis will lead to more H IV cases because of budget cuts. the health and wellness of “The grim reality is that government alone is j each member and plan on giving them all the not going to be able to prevent HIV or STDs,” practical assistance possible to make safer sex says Doug Mcxin, a gay man who coordinated the norm rather than a forgotten option.” the state’s study of sexual behavior among Lawson promises employees will remind MSM. “T he gay community, as they did when clubgoers about the anti-barebacking policy AIDS started, is going to have to respond with with periodic announcements on the public education, advocacy and a robust conversation address system. about what our sexual norms need to he and “In a sincere effort to keep the gospel of safer what we need to do to stay healthy.” sex alive, its promotion must he a massive group T he public health officer of M ultnomah effort— not the sole responsibility of a single County agrees. entity,” he says. “We must think outside the box “I do not believe the health department cur for innovative new ways to interdict and con vince the gay male risk-taker that barebacking is rently has the authority to regulate commercial sex establishments,” Dr. Gary Oxman says. “We could nothing more than unlicensed assisted suicide.” seek that authority, hut I’m not convinced regula Mcxm says: “W hile it’s great the clubs and tion is the best place to start. There are many ways bars are getting more involved in HIV/STD we can work with commercial sex establishments prevention, individual gay men who are read to develop voluntary standards for promoting safe! ing this article need to get a lot more involved sex and preventing barebacking. The key is setting if we are going to have any hope of re clear standards and assuring businesses are establishing safer sex norms in chat rooms, accountable. The decision of whether to use a reg bars, sex clubs, beaches and all the other places ulatory or voluntary approach should be made gay men go to find sex. If you want sex in Port with involvement of the gay community.” land, you can find it within 30 minutes. O ur O xm an would like queers to contact him health departm ent can’t and doesn’t want to with their suggestions of practical ways the regulate all the ways you can find sex. We gay health department might help the gay commu men have got to change our values and norms. nity re-establish safer sex norms and prevent If queer men d on’t make HIV and STD pre vention a priority like we did at the beginning barebacking. C all 503-988-4454 or e-mail mcheal th. msm@co. mu I tnom ah .or. us. of the A ID S epidemic, our community may be For their part, the owners of Portland’s two engulfed by a tidal wave of new epidemics that largest sex clubs serving gay men are eager to will devastate not just individual lives, but our work with O xm an to come up with new volun whole community.” J D tary but tough measures for communicating zero tolerance for barebacking and drug use as well as NEXT ISSUE: The Jan. 23 edition of Just Out will much more effective ways of promoting safer sex outline 10 ways gay men can protect their health and and HIV/STD testing. help change sexual norms in erotic/social tenues. “I am willing to contact the owners of all the sex clubs in Portland to invite them to a meet- BART Cl IURCH is a Portland free-lance uniter, ing with Dr. O xm an sometime in the m onth of yoga teacher and gay men’s health activist. Contact January to come up with a set of voluntary him at hart@st(/newallschool.org. guidelines," says David Anderson, the owner of Steam Portland. “I’m also willing to contact the owners of all the gay bars to meet with Dr. Oxm an about how they can be more aggressive in promoting safer sex and H IV/STD testing in the bars. People are drinking and h(x>king up in bars, and they need to be reminded in fresh and effective ways about the importance of safer sex and testing. Sex clubs are not the only, or even the main, place people go to find unsafe sex. “We can’t rely on the government to change our cultural norms,” Anderson adds. “We have to do this ourselves. We are not just business owners; we are also citizens who care about our community. We need to sharpen and coordinate the messages we’re giving in our establishments about safer sex and testing." Club Portland wants all commercial sex establishments to enforce no-bareback ing poli cies and actively promote safer sex and testing, so that barebackers don’t just play a shell game Philip Knowlton wonders w hether gay men and move their activities to other clubs. But owner Richard Lawson won’t waif for a consen can stop barebacking w ithout some pressure from the health department sus to implement tougher measures. 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