Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyDecember 1st, 2014
TODAY’S AGENDA:
World AIDS Day: Everywhere. Today is the day set aside to increase awareness, fight prejudice, and improve education about HIV/AIDS. Worldwide, it is estimated that about 35 million people are are living with HIV/AIDS. The good news is that the rate of new HIV infections worldwide are still declining, as have AIDS-related deaths. Where access to antiretroviral (ARV) medications is available, AIDS changed from being a fatal disease to a chronic one, albeit a very serious one. Those who are on ARVs can now expect a near–normal lifespan.
More good news, I think, is the growing acceptance in the gay community of PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylactic, typically in the form of the anti-retroviral drug Truvada). This looks to be a game changer in the battle against AIDS. After more than thirty years with our only weapon being the condom, men who have sex with men (MSM) in the U.S. still accounted for 64% of all new HIV infections in 2012. Recent research has prompted the CDC to recommend PrEP for those who are at risk. In addition, ongoing research is showing that those who are HIV-positive and are on ARV’s with an undetectable viral load have now a very low likelihood of passing the virus on to others.
Neither approach represent a cure, which is still the holy grail of the AIDS battle. But if you could have told the founders of GHMC and ACT-UP thirty years ago that a single drug regiment could make a serious dent in both the transmission and acquisition sides of the equation, who could doubt that they’d be beating down the doors to ensure access to ARV’s for everyone? Access, it turns out, still remains a problem. At about $13,000 per year, the cost of Truvada is out of reach for just about everyone without health insurance, and even for some who have it.
TODAY’S AGENDA is brought to you by:
From The Weekly News (Miami, FL), October 21, 1987, page 5.
AZT became the first FDA-approved drug to combat AIDS in March of 1987. Beyond that, there was nothing else in the arsenal besides safe sex messages. But given the reluctance of the Reagan Administration and Congress to allow funding for organizations which provided clear and direct safe sex information, exactly what “safer sex” meant was still often left unspoken. If you didn’t know any better, would you be able to figure out what “safer sex” was supposed to mean from reading this ad that appeared in Miami gay newspaper? The word “condom” doesn’t appear anywhere. In the nearly three decades since then, we’ve learned that safety pins don’t work, and preaching about condom use is little better among a generation that has grown up with condom fatigue.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
► Connecticut Passes It’s First Sodomy Law: 1642. “If any man lyeth with mankind as hee lyeth with woman, both of them shave committed abomination, they both shall surely be put to death. — Levit. 21. 13.” If it’s any consolation, the same penalty also applied to adultery.
► Miami Reinstates Gay Rights Ordinance: 1998. Miami first passed a gay rights ordinance more than two decades earlier (see Jan 18), but it was overturned following an acrimonious campaign led by Florida Orange Juice spokesperson Anita Bryant (see Jun 7). That victory led Bryant to spearhead campaigns to overturn similar ordinances in St. Paul, Minnesota (see Apr 25), Wichita, Kansas (see May 9), and Eugene, Oregon (see May 23). That tidal wave reached its high-water mark in 1978 when voters in Seattle turned back a Bryant-inspired attempt to rescind that city’s anti-discrimination ordinance (see Nov 7). That same day, California voters turned down the Brigg’s Initiative, which would have banned gays and lesbians from working in public schools.
In the decades that followed, eleven states, 27 counties and 136 cities had passed anti-discrimination laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing and employment. But gays and lesbians in Miami, where the anti-gay backlash against such legislation first became a major political force, remained without those protections. That changed in 1998, when the Miami-Date Commission voted 7-6 to approve an ordinance barring discrimination in housing and employment. The vote came after more than four hours of public debate while opponents of the measure prayed on their knees outside.
“It says that we’ve grown up,” said Carlos Hazday, a local gay activist who spearheaded the campaign for the ordinance. “We’re not perfect, we still have differences, but we’re learning from our mistakes.” Miami Beach mayor Neisen Kasdin welcomed the vote after arguing that an image of intolerance was bad for the area’s tourism-dependent economy. “Greater Miami is no longer a provincial, backwater town,” he said. “Let’s not retreat from our destiny as a major international city.” Reporters seeking comment from Anita Bryant tried leaving messages on an answering machine at her theater in Branson, Missouri. They were apparently unaware that she had been forced to close her theater and declare bankruptcy.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY:
► Matthew Shepard: 1976-1998. I’m not sure what to say about him that hasn’t already been said. He has become so much larger in death than he was in life — except, of course, to those who knew him. For the rest of us, he’s an icon, not unlike the golden images venerated in Orthodox churches of impossibly heroic saints who suffered their unimaginable tortures in stoic silence. Most of what we know about him can be summed up in a simple creed: he suffered, died, and was buried. One popular description of how he was found — tied to a fence with his arms outstretched — took on religious significance, even if the image it portrayed was inaccurate. Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother, has always been uncomfortable with the deification.
“People call him a martyr, but I take exception to that,” she said. “I’ve tried very hard to keep him real. It’s unfair to make him larger than life. He had foibles. He made mistakes. He was not a perfect child by any means.
“When he was killed he was not on a victory march or a protest march or anything that you would consider fighting for gay rights. He was just living his life as a 21-year-old college student who smoked too much, drank too much and didn’t study enough. He was a college kid trying to figure out his future.”
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FYoung
December 1st, 2014
“But given the reluctance of the Reagan Administration and Congress to allow funding for organizations which provided clear and direct safe sex information, exactly what “safer sex†meant was still often left unspoken. If you didn’t know any better, would you be able to figure out what “safer sex†was supposed to mean from reading this ad that appeared in Miami gay newspaper?”
You hit the nail on the head. Counter-productive prudish anti-AIDS messaging was so common then, and it is still common in much of the world.
But it has to be mentioned that even sexually explicit messaging doesn’t seem to work in the long term; so, PrEP is the new approach.
However, the price of PrEP (which bears little relationship to its actual cost of production) is a huge problem, even in the developed word. Luckily, the latest research, while still preliminary, suggests that PrEP need not be taken daily (by people who are less sexually active), contrary to the standard protocol. Condoms are still recommended, though.
The study shows that PrEP works pretty well even if you only take two pills 2-24 hours before sex, another pill the next day and another the following day. In other words, you don’t have to use it every day unless you have sex once or twice a week.
This could drastically lower the cost of PrEP to those who are less sexually active. So, PrEP “on demand” could be a game-changer in the developed world and, if the price is lowered, even in the developing world.
http://www.advocate.com/31-days-prep/2014/10/29/study-shows-demand-prep-drastically-reduce-hiv-infection
http://www.thebodypro.com/content/75162/on-demand-prep-may-significantly-reduce-hiv-risk-i.html
enough already
December 1st, 2014
I am deeply puzzled by the resistance and outright hostility so many have shown towards anything which would make a real dent in the transmission of the HI-Virus.
And yet, by the end of this morning, at the latest, there’ll be post here – as there are everywhere this comes up – accusing those of us who advocate for PrEP of being corporate shills or ‘slut enablers’.
The whole ‘safe-sex’ campaign failed, and failed to some extent because it only appealed to those very few men who were pretty much already willing to abandon pleasure now against a theoretically healthier future.
But more than anything else, it failed because it denied basic human nature for many people.
And before anyone snarls: But you’re monogamous, so what would you know, my first husband died of Aids.
Regan DuCasse
December 1st, 2014
Good post, E A. I’ve been distressed by that too. But it’s a general thing, not just something the gay community needs to own. After all, black Americans are just as high a risk group.
And look at how conservatives reacted to the Gardisil vaccine. Which was also developed in response to HPV that affected women and gay men in equal numbers.
Sex, as a subject that needs to be addressed effectively and expansively when it comes to education and prevention of problems and risks from it, is a persistent difficulty.
At both ends of the spectrum of belief and experience.
Puzzling, distressing.
I have an auto immune disorder that has some of the same risk factors as for someone with HIV.
In fact, those friends of mine who did have HIV were very helpful when it came to how to respond to some of the issues we experienced.
I never had a choice in preventing what I have.
And being able to have medical insurance and access to the medications and doctors I need, has been a stressful issue all on it’s own.
So I can’t imagine anyone being reckless or at least, apathetic about the option to PREVENT an infection.
Priya Lynn
December 1st, 2014
Enough already said “The whole ‘safe-sex’ campaign failed, and failed to some extent because it only appealed to those very few men who were pretty much already willing to abandon pleasure now against a theoretically healthier future.”.
That’s a rather twisted take on the issue. Having sex with a condom isn’t “abandoning pleasure” – sex is still pretty pleasurable with a condom and promiscuous people using condoms isn’t a “theoretically healthier” future, its a certainly healthier future. Looks like you’re trying to do some slut enabling yourself.
Priya Lynn
December 1st, 2014
Not that I have anything against safe sluttery.
enough already
December 1st, 2014
Priya,
I’m sorry, but the vast, overwhelming (even Nathaniel will admit to this one)majority of men clearly state when asked that they do not like to wear a condom.
No arguing that one, no way, no how.
Nor is there any arguing that the safe-sex campaigns of the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s were dismal failures.
I don’t know why you’re even arguing this with me – because we nearly always disagree?
As for ‘slut enabling’, no, not really. Not at all.
Timothy Kincaid
December 1st, 2014
EA,
I’m going to quibble.
The safe sex campaigns were not dismal failures. Though our perceptions are otherwise, only a small percentage of gay men (and virtually no gay women) contracted the virus.
Most gay men negotiated some regime for themselves involving condoms, testing, monogamy, serosorting, risk management, luck, and evolving medicine so as to avoid infection and the result is that more than 80% of gay men remain negative.
That isn’t perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than our community often gets credit for.
But, otherwise, I do agree with your overall position.
enough already
December 1st, 2014
Timothy, maybe it’s because I’m from Europe, but when I discuss these things, I’m not limiting the focus to the USA.
I often forget that Americans only think in terms of their own country.
On a world-wide basis, it’s been a disaster.
Priya Lynn
December 1st, 2014
Enough, that’s a straw man. I never said most men don’t prefer to have sex without a condom. What I take issue with is with you describing using a condom as “abandoning pleasure” which is absurd. I had a penis once and I always used a condom when I had sex that was not in a monogamous relationship and often even when I was in a monogamous relationship. Far from feeling I was “abandoning pleasure” sex was still pretty great with a condom and it certainly was no major sacrifice to do so.
If you want to advocate for having this drug available to promiscuous people I don’t have a problem with that but what I do have a problem with is you seemingly seeking to discourage and oppose the practice of safe sex by describing it as “abandoning pleasure” and ridiculously downplaying the advantages of it by suggesting that its only a “theoretically healthier” future as though its some sort of remote possiblity that condoms will provide any reduction in risk when the truth is they are highly effective in greatly reducing risk.
You don’t have to be anti-safe sex to prmote the use of this drug, its not an either/or situation. Now I’m sure you’ll say you’re not anti-safe sex and that you’re not trying to discourage it but that is exactly the effect of the words you chose to use and the contempt you’ve shown for the advocation of safe sex.
There’s still other STDs other than AIDS that this drug won’t help prevent and discarding the encouragement of safe sex in favour of cheerleading unsafe promiscuity is going to eventually result in some sort of super-bug striking gay men as unsafe promiscuity provides more opportunity for disease to be spread and mutations to occur in STDS or altogther new infections to be spread.
Promiscuity without taking reasonable preventative measures is immoral because its dangerous(and only using this drug is not a reasonable preventative measure). Men who choose to do so aren’t entitled to be free from criticism and condemnation.
enough already
December 1st, 2014
Priya,
NO, it’s not a straw man. The reason all the safe sex focus on condoms failed was because the only men willing to suffer through the nasty things consistently were the ones who didn’t need the safe sex raised pointy finger lectures to begin with.
As for the rest, I have taken a lot of sh*t through the years for being monogamous. I won’t have you dump your moralizing attitude on me. I’m a member of a very small minority of men, most are not monogamous.
That does not make the bad people for pursuing their desires.
enough already
December 2nd, 2014
I don’t know what I need more, an ‘edit’ function on this site or a less touchy ‘enter’ finger.
My last sentence above is nonsense.
This is what I meant to say:
I thoroughly disagree with your contention that people are necessarily bad or immoral for pursuing their natural desires.
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