sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer) (10/14/84)
>The virus, he said, has been found in 40 to 50 >percent of the gay male population in San Francisco. I think the facts are that ANTIBODIES to the virus (HTLV-3) have been found in many members of the gay male population tested in San Francisco. This, of course, is not the same as having AIDS. Unless the gay population of San Francisco is especially scrupulous, I doubt one would ever be able to make such a claim right now based on actual clinical observation: first, HTLV-3 has only been suspected as the causative agent of AIDS in the last six months. Second, the screening procedure alluded to above is only now becoming perfected. If current population estimates hold, the claim above would imply that anywhere from 10,000 to 35,000 men have been already identified as being exposed to HTLV-3, a situation clearly in conflict with the known facts about the development of the screening procedure. Anyway, about the closings: I feel a bit ambivalent about the attempts to close such establishments. On one hand, I don't feel too much grief that it will be less easy for the patrons of such establishments to get their rocks off whenever they want with whomever they find. This kind of anonymous, promiscuous sexual activity is risky for the individual as well as being a public health danger. Right now, so little is known about the acquisition of AIDS as well its spread that one might easily be able to spread it without knowing that you have it. On the other hand, the closings of such establishments, even with the approval of many in the gay community, creates a precedent. How much further is it from closing down particular bathhouses and bookstores than to order the closing of ALL gay men's bars--not just the few which have "backrooms"--under the guise of "public health." It is not too farfetched to imagine this. My own opinion is that the closings (or attempted closings--I understand that there will be a challenge in the courts) are a positive action towards helping stop the spread of AIDS within the gay community. It will be important to remain vigilant, however, that such actions be rational public policy responses to reasonable scientific evidence, and that they are not exercised as an opportunity to harass or oppress gay people. This is a rather sticky point (oops, bad phrase), and I'd like to encourage others to offer their views. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbncca.ARPA
phil@amd.ARPA (Phil Ngai) (10/15/84)
This is partially a test to see if my news software knows how to and has been properly set up to deal with mod.motss. Steve, you might want to mention that sites running 2.10.2 want to make an entry in /usr/lib/news/moderators of the form mod.motss ihnp4!bbncca!motss If this is common knowledge, forgive me. A normally reliable friend told me the San Francisco department of public health was closing or did close gay bookstores. This seems unwarranted and excessive to me. Can anyone refute or confirm this?
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer) (10/16/84)
Doubtless this kind of revelation will make Ken Arndt swoon, but if some
San Francisco bookstores were closed, they were surely not Waldenbooks,
B. Dalton or even that paragon of respectability, the Walt Whitman Bookstore.
Rather, "bookstore" is a genteelism for an establishment which sells
pornography and "marital aids" in the front of the store, with a collection
of peep-show booths in the rear which show porno video tapes and provide a
convenient place for (not so) surreptitious sex.
From a public health standpoint, they are little different than bathhouses.
--
/Steve Dyer
{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer
sdyer@bbncca.ARPAbrower@fortune.ARPA (Richard Brower) (10/16/84)
> This is partially a test to see if my news software knows how to > and has been properly set up to deal with mod.motss. Steve, you > might want to mention that sites running 2.10.2 want to make an > entry in /usr/lib/news/moderators of the form > mod.motss ihnp4!bbncca!motss > If this is common knowledge, forgive me. > > A normally reliable friend told me the San Francisco department of > public health was closing or did close gay bookstores. This seems > unwarranted and excessive to me. Can anyone refute or confirm this? Dr. Silverman is attempting to do this with bookstores (and bathhouses) that have sex on prem. It is excessive in my view also, and is being challenged in court. Most of the affected establishments reopened within hours of being shutdown Richard Brower Fortune Systems