Subject: SF bathhouse advocates meet with Mayor Brown
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 15:53:32 EDT

For immediate release
May 6, 1999

Contact Health Watch:  415 551-0901   
Email:  HlthW [email-masked]

          HEALTH ADVOCATES MEET WITH MAYOR TO CHALLENGE 
      
            SAN FRANCISCO'S AIDS POLICY ON GAY BATHHOUSES

On May 8th, members of Health Watch, a health advocacy group in San 
Francisco, will meet with the Mayor to question the City's ban on privacy in 
commercial sex establishments.  

Health Watch argues that privacy in bathhouses is an essential part of a 
comprehensive STD prevention strategy.  The group draws attention to the fact 
that no Health Department in any other major US city--including Berkeley and 
San Jose- denies sexual privacy in sex clubs.

"Health Director Mitch Katz has to explain why he is completely alone in 
denying privacy in commercial sex establishments.  Katz's policy is 
propagating the myth that bathhouses spread AIDS and that gay men are 
untrustworthy behind closed doors," says Steve Filandrinos of Health Watch.

"Katz argues that if you can stop sex in bathhouses, you've reduced the 
City's overall seroincidence rate," says David Attyah, Health Watch 
researcher.  "That logic is completely flawed:  denying privacy just drives 
sex underground to venues that don't provide education, outreach, and STD 
information.   Katz can provide no evidence--direct or anecdotal--that 
denying privacy reduces the spread of STDs."

Health Watch worries that politics and AIDS sensationalism is driving San 
Francisco's health policy.   "Gay men, not government, have consistently 
spearheaded safer sex efforts.  These efforts focus on empowering gay men to 
make healthy sexual choices," says Filandrinos. "San Francisco has seen 
remarkable results with empowerment models.  Katz's position is retrograde 
health policy."

WHAT:    Health Watch Meets the Mayor
               Mayor's Open Door Day

DATE:      Saturday, May 8th  

TIMES:     7:30 am  

WHERE:    City Hall
                 1 Carlton Goodlett Place

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