SF doctors report "startling" increase of (GAY) syphilis

Sacbee via Drudge ^ | 10/26/01 | Sacbee

[VeritatisSplendor]

Speaking of benefits - my mother-in-law was telling me about her S.F. hairdresser, a straight man, who now works alone in a space with twenty chairs. His lease still has a year to run. He could not afford to pay health insurance for employees after so many got AIDS. So he switched to independent sub-leasers - they would rent chairs from him. Enough died, sickened or were impoverished that there is no one left. Domestic partner benefits is going to cost a lot more than spousal benefits, but this is not public debate.

Mrs VS

[Lilly]

Thank you for your post "OldFriend."

Feel free to visit our Internet Outreach.

www.cnlglfg.com

Lilly

[VA Advogado]

. Domestic partner benefits is going to cost a lot more than spousal benefits, but this is not public debate.

Sad thing is the libs just don't give a damn. Watch what they do with THEIR money. They should keep their hands off other peoples money and stop mandating what they are to do with it.

P.S. I give that guy a lot of credit. How many hetrosexual male hairdressers can their be? Never mind in SF. lol

[JusPasenThru]

Gay people are just like heterosexuals, other than they do it with guys instead of women. For example, I've had well, uh, with two hundred women this past month. Don't recall their names, though. (/undue irony off).

[Richard Kimball]

For example, I've had well, uh, with two hundred women this past month.

Did any of them look like this?

I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Just don't feed me any more straight lines and I'll be okay.

[newzjunkey]

Well it is a startling change in numbers. The problem, as I've read about it, is the surge in 'bearbacking' and resistance to using condoms all the time. Of course, if you do the maths, we're looking at cases of 13 partners where only one is known by name. In that context, this isn't surprising. The question is why the rise, again, in (obviously) unprotected and anonymous sex among gay men?

I've heard it said it's because the younger generation didn't see the reality of AIDS. To them it's a bit of a myth, something 'out there' just like pregnancy or drug overdose or some other thing that youths tend to believe can't effect their lives.

Syphilis isn't that troubling but this might be a heads up for doctors, community activists and parents to look out for an upswing in HIV and other infections.

So why the anonymous sex route? Shame. I imagine many of the (especially) younger persons are ashamed of their sexuality. They gravitate towards titilation and ultimately unfulfilling encounters with strange men because they cry out for intimacy while trying to hide the burden of their sexual identity. Many of them stuggle with depression, self-esteem issues, untreated abuse by an adult or peer. On top of that they too have the same human 'need to be needed' drive and needs for intimacy and sexual outlets as heterosexuals. And they often 'fail' to live up to their abstract values--values they're often pressured to abandon by biological as well as social forces--just as do young heterosexuals.

What else? There are the predators as well. They would account for and would prey upon some of the above and encourage experimenting in anonymous encounters. It's also still easier, if I wonder just barely, to get anonymous homosexual sex than find a willing member of the opposite sex (outside of the realm of sex workers).

I still believe it might not be such a bad idea to just accept that homosexuality will always be part of the general human history and that homosexuals would be well served by the adoption of heterosexual-style courting rituals (of yore--and heterosexuals should bring some of that back into vogue rather than young women or men just giving sex away at the youngest age and earlier opportunity). I can't understand why modeling heterosexual social behaviors, mores and customs wouldn't have similar positive benefit for practicing homosexuals.

Also, within their 'community' non-practicing homosexuals shouldn't be even *more* greatly pressured than their virgin heterosexual counterparts to engage in sexual behavior. There's so very much, IMHO, the 'homosexual' community, with the heterosexual world's encouragement, could do for itself and its youth and yet doesn't that I'm often outraged and angered.

I see little reason to follow policy which insists homosexuals can and will somehow go away for all time, or change or some other thing. We've seen stories about 'reformed homosexuals' but if you look at the details, those are homosexuals who have not lost their homoerotic attractions or temptations but have made efforts to conform to a heterosexual life. They've denied themselves the forbidden fruit they're tempted with. And I'm certain it's an unbelievable struggle. Not everyone, I'm sure, has that wllpower. Nor am I sure that such a thing is fair to the husband or wife, or even the children. Can a homosexual man in such temptation love a woman with the same vigor, passion and totality a heterosexual husband would? I have my doubts. Perhaps a lucky few gifted by God's grace could but as a whole? Not everyone is going to be so blessed and off to divorce court (or into public parks, hotels and secret anonymous liasons) the husbands and wives go.

I just with the extreme activists would get their heads out of their agendas and the venomous opposition would consider reality for awhile and look at the issue in fundamental, *practical* terms.

While I'm on the topic already, can we get both sides to take a serious and detached look at what role (if any) parents have in creating, developing or fostering homosexuality in their children and, if abuse, neglect or some other serious and quantifiable action or inaction by parents plays a part, can we agree to do something about it? I know a lot of people get squimish at the mention of intervening against parents with regards to children but there might be cases where the children need to be saved. I imagine for some on this board, saving a child from growing into a life of homosexual practice frought with anonymous liasons, depression, unstable relationships and early death would be such a case.

[newzjunkey]

Hmm, maybe it's 'barebacking' instead.

[goodieD]

But don't you know that it's "lack of education and funding" that causes these diseases? Obviously they don't get the "S" in STD! What am I saying, of course they get it, they just don't care, since sex is obviously more important than anything else in life to these animals.

[r9etb]

The gay community which surrounded where I lived denied this, stating most of them live with their "significant other" and practice "monogamy."

I worked with a gay man who fit this description to a T. Even celebrated his 20th anniversary. Yet his partner is dead of AIDS, and he's dying of it. Somebody wasn't particularly faithful, it would seem.

One has to wonder whether the level of promiscuity in these 93 guys is typical -- it's notoriously difficult to gather indisputable data about how many partners a typical gay male has.

[nicmarlo]

While I'm on the topic already, can we get both sides to take a serious and detached look at what role (if any) parents have in creating, developing or fostering homosexuality in their children and, if abuse, neglect or some other serious and quantifiable action or inaction by parents plays a part, can we agree to do something about it?

There have been studies done on this. I have read materials on this (published medical journals); there is a correlation between a child either physically or emotionally being abandoned by their father and homosexuality (either male or female). The homosexual community, as a whole however, denies this to be true. The materials I still have, and would have to dig up to quote here. They date back to the 1990's when I was involved in the community group where I lived.

[nicmarlo]

I did not say there are absolutely no gay people who aren't monogamous--only that it is much less prevalent than the heterosexual community. Again, Dr. Lorraine Day, who worked with homosexual patients, gave anecdotal evidence that this is true. She also researched studies on homosexual men, who self-reported that monogamy is unusual among the gay lifestyle.

[nicmarlo]

I also understand the reason the homosexual community denies that parental neglect or abandonment is an issue is because they insist that they were born this way (the old nature vs. nurture psychological argument). If they can make people believe that they were born this way, it takes away their "choice" of being a homosexual . . . and there are many more reasons why having no "choice" is helpful to their cause of legitimizing homosexuality as a "normal" lifestyle.

[Pearls Before Swine]

They're very sick and twisted. I heard a report on the radio the other day about some who are very proud to have AIDS. Going so far as to have an HIV-POS tattoo on their arm.

Martyrs for their cause.

[Joe Hadenuf]

They're very sick and twisted. I heard a report on the radio the other day about some who are very proud to have AIDS. Going so far as to have an HIV-POS tattoo on their arm.

Oh, boy that's somthing to be real proud of. Bet it makes those 40 year old guys want to parade up and down main street in diapers.

Oh, and the tattoo is probably a good idea.

[fso301]

Why am I not distressed at such a report?

[CounterCounterCulture]

More news from the cesspool know as San Francisco...
Cleanups don't solve pee. poo problems

[Churchillspirit]

How, in this day and age, do some people try to deny the connection between sodomy and disease?

[VA Advogado]

I did not say there are absolutely no gay people who aren't monogamous--only that it is much less prevalent than the heterosexual community.

Its hard to imagine a group of people who insist on identifying themselves by their sexuality being anything but MORE promiscuious than the normal hetrosexual population. Its would be like insisting you're conservative and not voting or posting on FR.

[Kevin Curry]

If you believe gay activists, the reason so-called gays are promiscuous is becuase they are not allowed to marry. Never fear! Gray Davis has come to the rescue and signed into law a domestic partners benefits package that gives them a workable marriage substitute. These diseases will surely disappear overnight in the Bay Area and the rest of California as each gay pairs up and pledges to be forever sexually faithful to his "one and only."

I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

[07055]

Expect them to be out in the streets shortly demanding that you pay for the 'war on syphilis.'

There was a similar article last week in which a health "expert" said the answer was for the government to pay gay men to go to the bathhouses to tell the guys to use condoms.

Your tax dollars at work: "Safe sex, get paid."