From: MPetrelis@aol.com Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 13:41:22 EDT Subject: Another SF gay objects to AIDS, Inc. targeting our sexuality Steven D. Keller 607 Castro Street San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 255-8975 Email Address: leolion@sfo.com August 28, 1999 To whom it may concern, I dropped in late to the Stop AIDS sponsored meeting on August 26, 1999 titled, Heads Up! The Low Down on Oral Sex. In the forty-five minutes or so that I was listening most of the talk was about anal insertive/receptive gay sex with or without condoms, percentage of risk either way and the dangers of contracting HIV through anal sex. Subjects that have been talked and written about repeatedly over for the last 18 years. Throughout the remaining 45 minutes maybe 15 minutes was truly devoted to information concerning oral sex receptive/insertive, with or without a condom. And during this discussion about oral sex, phrases like "we're not really sure", "the study is not that complete", "we need more time", etc. encompassed this part of the talk. Nothing of great value, new or old, came out of this study or was very informative. Most of this information has already been published over and over again with regards to oral sex, so why are we wasting money by funding a group of people who had nothing new to say? During the Q&A period, a woman in the audience wanted to know why human blood for the HIV test had to be diluted 400 times for testing and if it is a fact that undiluted blood from any human would test positive? I thought it was a reasonable question since we are dealing with HIV and how it is transmitted. Instead, the moderator (who I have seen off the clock at various sex establishments and backrooms) told her that if she had a question about oral sex they would answer it but they would not speak about the Elisa/Western blot tests. I thought it ironic and surprising that he shot her down since the panelists spent most of the last 45 minutes talking about anal receptive/insertive sex causing HIV. All these groups, SF AIDS Foundation, Stop AIDS Project, etc. think they are doing the right thing by participating with the government for answers to gay men's lives and sexual habits. Of course this is how these various groups also receive funding for themselves. But what they are actually doing is putting the gay male community right into the hands of the "old boy network" that wants to eliminate, bit by bit, our freedom as gay men. Besides, how many studies have been done concerning anal/oral receptive/insertive relating to HIV/AIDS, on heterosexuals or lesbians? How many full page ads have been in the Examiner, Chronicle, Bay Guardian, SF Weekly or The Independent screaming, "Syphilis/gonorrhea on the rise in the heterosexual and lesbian communities" or articles stating, "Heterosexuals not using condoms, lesbians not using dental dams to avert the spread of HIV/AIDS". Finally, how many heterosexuals or lesbians do you know would stand on the street corner and talk openly about their sex lives with strangers holding clipboards? We are all supposed to be susceptible for this deadly disease, right? So where are these studies? Where are these recruits and where are these public forums being held? Personally, I'm tired of being shamed into silence about the type of sex I have and with whom I have it. I'm also tired of these paper and pen pushers strategically placed in the "gay areas" asking private and personal information and then supplying these statistics to our government so that their funding continues to flow in. Hasn't anyone beside myself had enough of this prodding? Come on folks, we are not suppose to be straight or lesbian people! We are gay men, we have our own identity and we should be accepted completely for whom we are as gay men. Our sexuality and the freedom of this expression was a major reason our gay brothers before us put themselves on the line, fought with determination and for which some died. Have we forgotten? Have we not learned? Do we constantly have to give up something to get something? If so, why does it have to be our sexuality? Whether we admit it or not, gay men are being targeted by the media, politicians, AIDS service organizations, federal as well as local governments, doctors, scientists and pharmaceutical companies. And the sad thing is most of this backlash is being led by gay people in power within our own communities. Who needs Jesse Helms, Lou Sheldon or Rev. Fred Phelps? They are just going along for the ride! In conclusion, I would like to send a warning to all current sex club owners (especially Blow Buddies), bookstore operators, and bars with backrooms. If the honorable, openly gay and now self-promoted saviour of the gay male community, Dr. Mitch Katz, is using outdated information to keep the baths closed in this wonderful City of San Francisco, what makes you think he will not be using the "new" oral sex information to close the remaining sex clubs, bookstores and backrooms in bars? Think about it. Sincerely, Steven D. Keller ICQ: #5350322, Nick: leolion AOL Instant Messenger: leolionSF1