Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2004)
In response to the alarm in g rise o f sexually tran sm itted d iseases am ong queer m en, should the M ultnom ah County H ealth D epartm en t consider regu latin g P ortlan d sex c lu b s? Why or why not? N o, the Multnomah County Health Depart- ment should not regulate the clubs; if we want government to stay out of our sex lives, then we shouldn’t invite it in. On the other hand, I’m astonished at the idiocy out there. And annoyed: These same people are probably banging the drum for government health care, expecting the rest of us to pick up the very expensive tab for their irresponsible behavior. Think again.... A la n B atie Beaverton O, N O, NO. Trying to legislate good, healthy behavior will never be successful. The most it will do is drive that type of sexual activity to locations that are not accessible to safe-sex educational messages and places that do not have condoms available. Such regulation by the county would be counterproductive. Maybe the county should provide free testing for all STD s and vaccinations where such vaccines exist. This might help toward solving the prob lem instead of driving it further underground. barebacking and dnigs, but how can anyone expect a club to go around watching everyone have sex? I don’t go to the sex club dump downtown; it’s far too much of a dive. The one time 1 did go, I saw one guy take on four people, and no one used a condom. (None were to be seen avail able.) The one across town is way too small, and I have yet to see hardly anyone in there. The bookstores are a mess and a big problem, as they pretend sex does not happen, but 1 have seen it, and there are only condoms for sale there. D ick M oran S tu a r t W agner J r . Portland • • • Doug Beebe Associate Broker 503.471.3479 Portland • • • R egulation sounds awfully scary— generally not a good idea. And how could they pos sibly? Would there be “hall monitors” walking around handing out detention slips or penalty cards? What’s the next step— regulating hetero sex to prevent unwanted pregnancies? Hey, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.... On the other hand, I really appreciate the health department’s efforts to publicize the problem. I, for one, am staying away from casu al sex for the moment— even though it’s very difficult for a singleton like me who relies on such occasional encounters to alleviate the monotony of masturbation. And another thing: No fair that a (relative ly) small group of slutty barebackers is making casual sex more dangerous for the rest of us. I wish people would realize that, yes, we are all responsible for our own decisions but that sex doesn’t happen in a bubble. The ghosts of all your past and future sex partners are there with you every time. C hristopher C u tt o n e Portland • • • N o. The patrons of these clubs are adults and as such are responsible for their own bodies and therefore should be aware of what the risks are and how they can protect them selves. As a proud hi female member of our G LB T community, it is my definite opinion that we don’t need anyone baby-sitting us or looking over our shoulders. C or i P ierce Portland • • • A thorny question, but if pressed, I’d have to say no to regulation. I was living in Los Angeles and San Francisco when each city closed its sex clubs. Remember, these regula tions are created and administered by straight people who usually have their own agenda. The hetero community’s lack of involvement in the early ’80s at the beginning of the A ID S crisis continues to rankle. Just because they find us “entertaining” these days doesn’t mean they really care about our health; they just want to find another way to control our behavior. And to what avail, anyway? I’d wager that most harebacking is done privately; parties abound. What the community needs to do is massive education— and perhaps a little fear wouldn’t hurt. We need to counter the current idea that HIV doesn’t cause A ID S (we didn’t lose a generation of men and cross out half our address books because of a myth!), and we need to change SILEN CE»D EATH to BAREBACK- 1NG=DEATH. It's interesting that, at a time when gay people are trying to convince society that we’re responsible, law-abiding citizens “just like you," so many simply ignore one of their foremost responsibilities. D onald F inch Portland • • • T he only problem I have seen has been the lack of support from Cascade AIDS Proj ect. Club Portland has even donated a entire room for C A P to use for testing, etc., and I have yet to see them use it! Club Portland has free condoms everywhere and posted rules against I think the sex industry, gay or straight, should for public health reasons be legal and regulat ed. It is not a matter of “thou shalt n ot....” Peo ple will do what they will in their own worlds; education and ad campaigns are the key here. My mind reels with the details on how one might try to do this, but the commercial realm should be held to standards just like restaurant, liquor and care facilities. T eri N oble Aloha • • • G overnment regulation of “unhealthy” pub lic sex venues will only cause “unsafe" behavior to move elsewhere, which will make it much harder to stop. The Bush administration's anti-gay AIDS prevention policies are what need changing. Federally funded programs that have helped HIV-negative men stay safe are being canceled to fund increased HIV testing. This is calculat ed to artificially inflate the HIV statistics and to incite a moral panic over gay bareback sex. Prevention programs are also being required to focus on only HIV-positive individuals. This is a shameful attempt to stigmatize and blame HIV-positive men. Finally, many men have bareback sex because they believe HIV does not cause AIDS, yet the government refuses to aggressively rebut this increasingly popular idea. T homas K raemer Corvallis Ju st O ut columnist L isa Bradshaw hated the first episode of T he L Word. Q ueer Willamette Week columnist Byron Beck loved it. W hat did you think? A re you looking forward to the rest of the season? Respond a t www.fiistout.com. (D on’t forget to include your nam e, city and daytime telephone num ber.) n ext I Lid! 14 I suggest that other communities agree. A Get Tested, and Steam Guys Are Smart Guys— Gay men are sexual creatures with a biological casual survey of publications from arinind the urge for physical connection. Emotional connec Smart Guys Play Safe.” country at the Adult Industry Convention in Las With more than 5,000 members in less than tion is also part of our makeup, but often the phys Vegas earlier this month showed a wide range of ical connection is the driving force. This physical one year, the staff of Steam Portland truly understand and welcome that we arc an impor messages focusing on individual respoasibility. It connection is often labeled “anonymous sex.” How makes sease. The effective solution here is indi- j anonymous is a sexual act when two people choose tant link in promoting a safe-sex message. Our vidual action. Let’s get the message out. objective is to provide a clean, safe, first-class to provide sexual gratification to each other? club environment that removes shame. Sex is a The difference between the advent of HIV fundamental component of the human condi D avid A nderson in the ’80s and the current increase in sexually Steam Portland transmitted diseases is knowledge. HIV was a tion, and there is no shame in healthy sex. totally unknown condition when it initially This crisis will be solved when each individ emerged. We have learned a tremendous ual involved in sexual activity assumes personal respoasibility for his own health and responsi amount about transmission of the infection, and To the E ditor : we are aware of how to contain it. bility for endangering a sex partners health. A \ s members of a minority community facing campaign to promote individual responsibility There is no mystery about the current L \ another health crisis, it is incumbent on as a cultural norm is in order. While some may increase in the rate of HIV infection and the label this as a negative message, I say that such | gay men to approach the challenge of increased transmission of HIV and STD s head on. Continued on Page 7 a message attacks the problem, not the person. Blaming and shaming Find Your New Home at OregonDreamHome.com BARBARA SUE SEAL PROPERTIES 503 . 224.7325 SO MANY SHOES... AND J U S T ONE PAIR OF G L A S S E S ? Elagle ELije Optical P R E S C R IP T IO N E Y E W E A R G LA SSES & C O N T A C T S Eye exams by an independent Doctor of Optometry 2808 N E M L K J r Blvd, Suite C Portland. O R 97212 Located next to Billy Reed’s Restaurant 5 0 3 . 335.7173 LO O www.eagleeyeopticalshop.com
