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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