Alternative is one thing, ignorant is another. Hope they enjoy their slow deaths.

Terry,

I came out in '82 in DC. Back then, the Plague had yet to take root in Washington. Or so we fooled ourselves into believing. At most, guys thought themselves smart if they avoided tricking with men from New York or San Fran. That was the extent of "being safe."

I remember the first guy I tricked with who insisted on using a rubber. He was from San Fran and he had just learned about this thing called "safe sex" in which using a rubber would protect you. I laughed. I knew he didn't have "it." I could tell just looking at him. That was the extent of the knowledge back then to.

Since then I've buried too many of my friends and watched the effects of such mounting loses on other of my friends. When we finally figured out what safe sex was and how best to "play safe," I thought the gay community might have a chance at finally getting ahead of the Plague. I could at least take some comfort in knowing that if all my gay brothers were playing safe then they were taking care of themselves and taking care of me in the process. And so long as I played safe I'd taking care of myself and of them. I drew a lot of strength and confidence in the community knowing we would be taking care of each other.

Then came the Cocktail. At first it was THE cure. Then it became the means to survival. My life would be much the poorer and bleaker were it not for the Cocktail, as quite a few of my friends owe their continued survival to that protease inhibitor mix. But the gay community went beyond that. The Cocktail meant you no longer had to bother playing safe since the Cocktail would keep you alive no matter what and if you got infected then the whole world bent your way. You could then get a magnificent body thanks to legal steroids and HGH and then go fuck your brains out down in South Beach. This, with cash to spare since you were on 100% disability and had cashed in your life insurance policies.

Safe sex? Who cares! Let's party! And if you wound up infecting some other guy as a result, well, that was his fault for not asking you first or not insisting on the rubber or what difference does it make anyway since he could go on the Cocktail to! Instead of responsibility, self-respect and brotherhood I've seen the community destroy itself with self-centered apathy and nihilistic hedonism.

Hand in hand with this are all the barebacking sites with their celebration of spreading the Plague amongst each other. This, without a care in the world about developing cross-strain drug resistant forms of the virus. Thus, making the Plague even worse. At the same time has come even more of this talk about how "HIV doesn't cause AIDS." I see you're sold on that lie so it's difficult for me to express how much that sort of willful misinformation hurts even just to type it out. Let alone to see people adopting behaviors based on that lie which puts not just themselves at risk - but everyone else they touch as well.

Back in the 80's the gay community got a measure of respect for how it drew together and took care of its own. The Plague was not our fault and the Establishment was slow or hostile in helping us. So, we had no other choice. But that coming together, to many a straight folk, was pretty impressive and said much about our calls for their full acceptance of us as being valid ones. We were showing that we could be responsible members of society and not just a bunch of self-destructive freaks.

What now?

The gay community has embraced barebacking as being the ultimate in personal sexual expression. HIV/AIDS is just a ticket to a second childhood's worth of partying. And if you wind up infecting others with the disease? So what! That just means they get to party to.

And that dating site is celebrating all of that.

No thanks.

Madoc

>>>>>>It bothers me more to think of how much penicillin is being used to fight chlamydia, gonorrhea, fecal infections and the like, because of barebacking. The more we use penicillin the stronger the bugs get. So be responsible and DON'T BE SILLY, WRAP YOUR WILLY!! <<<<<<

I strongly, strongly, strongly, agree. Unless it (barebacking) is with someone you love, know, partnered with, will see again, and have -- at least -- an intimate relationship with; cool, bareback. You know the person, and will communicate with him (or her) again. And if you know you're going to see the person again, and have 'fun', why don't you both agree to get tested, and treated for STD. That way, you can enjoy a fun and pleasing sex, as 'uncovered' as you like.

Sure people take risk, when they seek their suitor, say; at a bathhouse, or park, or public bathroom, or in the back of a 'backroom' in a bar, or where ever. I mean, all are adults, making adult decisions. It's your thang. Do what ya wanna do.

I can't stress the importance of the gay community getting tested for STD's first and foremost. Especially when it's treatable. And the possibility of the hiv test, coming up pos (cross reacting), if the person, has an undiagnosed STD. I still can't wrap it around my mind why, a person, doesn't take the journey to an STD clinic (at least 3-4 times a year, and are sexually active) to get their backdoor, and measuring stick, checked.

T