From: MPetrelis@aol.com
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 11:53:48 EDT
Subject: SF STD chief dismisses concern over syphilis scare

[Dear friends,
As you can read in the email below the head of SF's STD control branch, Dr. 
Jeff Klausner, has the time to be interviewed on NYC radio stations, but he 
and his staff have failed not only to hold a single public meeting with the 
SF gay community they have also not seen fit to even announce an upcoming 
public meeting with gays about their alleged syphilis scare.
But to the folks at www.planetout.com this seems to be of no concern to them. 
 Indeed, when I spoke with Tom Reilly yesterday of this web site he 
ackowledged Dr. Klausner didn't provide him with a single piece of evidence 
to back up his claim about this syphilis scare.  Yep.  The folks at Planet 
Out didn't have a single piece of scientific evidence in hand from the SF 
health department before collaborating with Klausner.
(I guess I shouldn't be too shocked Reilly and his people jumped to help 
Klausner is spreading the news story about syphilis and chat rooms.  After 
all, Reilly has no qualms about accepting money from Coors, the right wing 
beer brewer, and allowing Coors to be a proud advertiser on Planet Out.)
In any event, I can't locate any proof about these alleged gay syphilis cases 
and no one I've spoken to has either.  the most "evidence" anyone seems to 
have is an alert or two from Klausner. 
Also, no one other than bureaucrats at the SF STD branch have interviewed the 
men who supposedly contracted the syphilis through sex partners met onlilne.  
Before this story goes away I hope independent researchers are pressed into 
service and either confirm or invalidate the alleged findings of Klausner.
Why has the SF health department not shown the community a single piece of 
scientific proof to back up its claims about this syphilis scare?  --MP]
--------------------------------------------------------
 
Subj:    Dr. Klausner on WNYC
Date:   99-08-26 11:24:54 EDT
From:   johnweis@nycnet.com (johnweis)
To: MPetrelis@aol.com

Thought you'd be interested to know that Klausner was on WNYC, New York
City's NPR affiliate, this morning.  I had forwarded your email to the
host that was interviewing him (I work for the station).  The host
mentioned that your email was being forwarded around the Internet, and he
read from it.  Klausner dismissed you and your charges without really
addressing them.

John Weis

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:   PGHs Out@aol.com
To: Salinasguy@aol.com
CC: M Petrelis@aol.com

In a message dated 8/25/99 10:14:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Salinasguy 
writes:

> yet another story in which one of the San Francisco dailies demurely 
> discussed the disgusting sex habits of homosexuals
***********************
Has anyone bothered yet to point out the absurdity of blaming an AOL chatroom 
for the supposed syphilis outbreak, rather than the actions of the guys who 
are putting themselves at risk for syphilis?  A few--several, many, 
whatever--guys contract syphilis, so let's shut down the SF M4M chatroom!  
Sounds a lot like the arguments used to close (or not reopen) bathhouses!  
Doesn't anybody take *responsibility* for THEIR OWN actions anymore?