"The promoter of the Raw Dukes sex party in Harlem in May banned safer sex, hoping to maximize his profits. A loud protest shut him down, but the underground industry of largely condom-free parties aimed at men of color is still thriving in New York City. AIDS educators have barely begun to fight back, while health advocates fear the trend could spread across the country."
The above quote is from a cover story from this months Advocate a Gay Men's Magazine. Please read the entire article by clicking on the above link.
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2 comments:
Peace Kevin,
I've written a brief critique of the article as an update/addendum to a piece I wrote several weeks ago on the topic of the GMAD protest of the condomless sex party. Take a look: "Whose Booty Is This?".
I look forward to reading your analysis of the article.
Peace Pleasure and Passion,
Heru
Heru,
I found your comments insightful and on point. This Advocate “article” is not only a bunch of BS but amounts to piss poor journalism.
I have my own thoughts about why this conversation should happen differently. Chiefly among those thoughts is the question of HIV prevention and how we who do HIV prevention "professionally" should address behaviors that place people at risk for HIV. I believe that the organizers of the Harlem protest misstepped. From a prevention perspective they may have not only lost the opportunity to engage the party promoter positively and enlist him in the struggle against HIV risks, but they also may have lost the opportunity to reach the men inside. These men, regardless of what the advocate says about the sheepishness and "vulnerability" are men with agency, who self-determined to gather their $20 plus car fair and carry themselves over to Harlem where they had consensual sex at a sex party that barred condoms. This is called choice. After 26 years of HIV I find it hard to believe, convincing though the Advocate article may be, that these men do not know how HIV is transmitted and that they place themselves at greater risk for HIV when they have anonymous sex without condoms. What the advocate writer missed and what the New York organizers missed or omitted is that their is such a FORCE as choice and that men have the right to chose the level of risk in which the will exist. Even if their choices are different than the choices we might make. "My Prerogative" I think Bobby Brown said.
Further if we would like to influence men to make another choice everything that I know about behavior, communication, and persuasive arguments suggest to me that the Harlem organizers grossly misstepped. Well intentioned as they may have been, they did not reach a single partier with their judgment, anger, and chidings.
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