A Family Festival: Food, Fun and.. STD Screening?

[prodigalson2011]

I was a little taken aback by this flyer for a local “Pride Fest.” Is it just me, or does it seem to suggest that something’s not quite right when your list of attractions includes “Kid’s Play Area” and “HIV testing” inches apart?

 

[bearer]

The fact remains that the 4% of the population who are gay men make up 49% of the people infected with AIDS in the US. Not exactly something to be proud of, but practicing homosexuals should be tested regularly.

 

[prodigalson2011]

The fact remains that the 4% of the population who are gay men make up 49% of the people infected with AIDS in the US. Not exactly something to be proud of, but practicing homosexuals should be tested regularly.

I know. It just seems to me that 2 and 2 aren’t being put together on their part. How is it a “harmless lifestyle” that causes no damage to society when it so disproportionately destroys the health of its practicioners?

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

The fact remains that the 4% of the population who are gay men make up 49% of the people infected with AIDS in the US. Not exactly something to be proud of, but practicing homosexuals should be tested regularly.

4% f the male population so 3% of the overall population, but yeah

 

[Dale_M]

I know. It just seems to me that 2 and 2 aren’t being put together on their part. How is it a “harmless lifestyle” that causes no damage to society when it so disproportionately destroys the health of its practicioners?

I suspect the persons with HIV are not the persons with children. Just because they are all homosexuals doesn’t mean they all share the same values or behaviors.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I know. It just seems to me that 2 and 2 aren’t being put together on their part. How is it a “harmless lifestyle” that causes no damage to society when it so disproportionately destroys the health of its practicioners?

You do know that AIDS is not caused by homosexuality, right? The fastest growing AIDS demographic is African American women. That doesn’t mean that black women are harming society. Really though, it’s more common in gay men because for decades they thought they were safe because they couldn’t get pregnant, and if they did catch anything penicillin would clear it right up. They were wrong. Fortunately the younger generation is by and large more educated and more careful.

Oh, and HIV testing is a great thing. I’ve been tested. Not only for my sake but that of any future partners I would have. I urge anyone here who has been sexually active to get tested. You don’t know who your boyfriend or girlfriend has been with before you and you don’t know what they may have. I have no problem with testing being done around kids. There should not be a stigma attached to such an important medical screening. Kids may be there, but at least people are getting tested.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I know. It just seems to me that 2 and 2 aren’t being put together on their part. How is it a “harmless lifestyle” that causes no damage to society when it so disproportionately destroys the health of its practicioners?

I suspect the persons with HIV are not the persons with children. Just because they are all homosexuals doesn’t mean they all share the same values or behaviors.

…you do know that being HIV positive says nothing about your morals or values, right? Many people have been infected by an unfaithful long term partner, or a long term partner who didn’t know they were infected when they came in to the relationship. There are HIV positive people of every orientation. Some have kids, some don’t, but HIV status is not a way to measure moral character.

 

[CopticChristian]

I was a little taken aback by this flyer for a local “Pride Fest.” Is it just me, or does it seem to suggest that something’s not quite right when your list of attractions includes “Kid’s Play Area” and “HIV testing” inches apart?

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m64sztfm7b1roze1bo1_500.png

Prodigal,

There are several ways of looking at this.

1. It is responsible that Homosexuals are knowledgeable that their lifestyle leads to problems that may need testing for HIV
2. It is irresponsible to include HIV testing on a flyer for a family event
3. It would be likely that a flyer for Bingo at the local Catholic Church would include food, fun door prizes, kid’s play area, and a cash bar, and no HIV testing.
4. It is likely that a function at a Baptist community would include food, fun, door prizes, kids play area and no cash bar or HIV testing.
5. It is likely that an Amish community function would include food, fun, no door prizes, a kids play area and no cash bar or HiV testing.

I am sure that there are many more permutations, and I agree with your perspective.

 

[CopticChristian]

You do know that AIDS is not caused by homosexuality, right? The fastest growing AIDS demographic is African American women. That doesn’t mean that black women are harming society. Really though, it’s more common in gay men because for decades they thought they were safe because they couldn’t get pregnant, and if they did catch anything penicillin would clear it right up. They were wrong. Fortunately the younger generation is by and large more educated and more careful.

Oh, and HIV testing is a great thing. I’ve been tested. Not only for my sake but that of any future partners I would have. I urge anyone here who has been sexually active to get tested. You don’t know who your boyfriend or girlfriend has been with before you and you don’t know what they may have. I have no problem with testing being done around kids. There should not be a stigma attached to such an important medical screening. Kids may be there, but at least people are getting tested.

Blue,

I grew up with parents that went to lots of functions and I have children that I have taken to lots of functions. I dare say that prior to the airline steward that transmitted this virus across the nation the idea of HIV testing was not part of my upbringing nor would I anticipate that I will be taking my children to festivals where part of the festival is for HIV testing.

 

[Catholic1954]

I was a little taken aback by this flyer for a local “Pride Fest.” Is it just me, or does it seem to suggest that something’s not quite right when your list of attractions includes “Kid’s Play Area” and “HIV testing” inches apart?

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m64sztfm7b1roze1bo1_500.png

I would keep my family (and especially the children) as far away from a Gay Pride Festival as possible. If gay adults want to celebrate, that is fine with me, but it is not “family friendly” and no place to bring the kids. Things can get very raunchy and obscene.

 

[prodigalson2011]

You do know that AIDS is not caused by homosexuality, right? The fastest growing AIDS demographic is African American women. That doesn’t mean that black women are harming society. Really though, it’s more common in gay men because for decades they thought they were safe because they couldn’t get pregnant, and if they did catch anything penicillin would clear it right up. They were wrong. Fortunately the younger generation is by and large more educated and more careful.

I hope that first sentence was intended sarcastically. Homosexuality is not the cause of AIDS, but homosexual activity is more receptive to transmission.

"Differences in sexual behaviours do not fully explain why the US HIV epidemic affects gay men so much more than straight men and women, claims research in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

In 2005, over half of new HIV infections diagnosed in the US were among gay men, and up to one in five gay men living in cities is thought to be HIV positive. Yet two large population surveys showed that most gay men had similar numbers of unprotected sexual partners per year as straight men and women.

US researchers applied a series of carefully calculated equations in different scenarios to study the rate at which HIV infection has spread among gay men and straight men and women. They used figures taken from two national surveys to estimate how many sex partners gay men and straight men and women have, and what proportion of gay men have insertive or receptive anal sex, or both.

They then set these figures against accepted estimates of how easily HIV is transmitted by vaginal and anal sex to calculate the size of the HIV epidemic in gay men and straight men and women.

The results showed that for the straight US population to experience an epidemic of HIV infection as great as that of gay men, they would need to average almost five unprotected sexual partners every year.

This is a rate almost three times that of gay men.

But to end the HIV epidemic, gay men would need to have rates of unprotected sex several times lower than those currently evident among the straight population. This is because transmission rates are higher for anal sex than they are for vaginal sex, say the authors."

Oh, and HIV testing is a great thing. I’ve been tested. Not only for my sake but that of any future partners I would have. I urge anyone here who has been sexually active to get tested. You don’t know who your boyfriend or girlfriend has been with before you and you don’t know what they may have. I have no problem with testing being done around kids. There should not be a stigma attached to such an important medical screening. Kids may be there, but at least people are getting tested.

I’m not saying that HIV testing is a bad thing. Of course it’s good! Ignorance of a potentially fatal and transmittable condition is obviously not good. My point is that if the condition is so prevalent in your community that it merits being included as part of your “festival”, maybe a lifestyle reconsideration is in order.

 

[Dale_M]

…you do know that being HIV positive says nothing about your morals or values, right? Many people have been infected by an unfaithful long term partner, or a long term partner who didn’t know they were infected when they came in to the relationship. There are HIV positive people of every orientation. Some have kids, some don’t, but HIV status is not a way to measure moral character.

Yes, all that is true. And you make a good point that a person can be infected with HIV without engaging in promiscuity. However, the vast majority of infections do occur from “grazing” outside a long-term monogamous relationship. I think that is true for most STDs.

 

[Dale_M]

I would keep my family (and especially the children) as far away from a Gay Pride Festival as possible. If gay adults want to celebrate, that is fine with me, but it is not “family friendly” and no place to bring the kids. Things can get very raunchy and obscene.

Are you familiar with the Baton Rouge Pride Fest? Have you or anyone you know attended in recent years?

While I agree that some Pride Parades can get raunchy, I don’t think that can be said about all pride celebrations. According to the Baton Rouge Pride Fest website, they make an effort to be family friendly… a place you can bring your children or your grandparents. The fact that it is held indoors, at a unversity’s student union, likely helps organizers to control the mood and behavior.

 

[fastenatingguy]

…you do know that being HIV positive says nothing about your morals or values, right? Many people have been infected by an unfaithful long term partner, or a long term partner who didn’t know they were infected when they came in to the relationship. There are HIV positive people of every orientation. Some have kids, some don’t, but HIV status is not a way to measure moral character.

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you do know that being HIV positive says nothing about your morals or values, right?

I disagree that such a definitive statement is correct. It is likely that some who are HIV positive acted immorally from a Catholic perspective. As an atheist, you would disagree.

 

[Elizabeth502]

Yes, all that is true. And you make a good point that a person can be infected with HIV without engaging in promiscuity. However, the vast majority of infections do occur from “grazing” outside a long-term monogamous relationship. I think that is true for most STDs.

Once the virus had established itself in the gay community, it would have spread fairly rapidly (anal intercourse carries a very high transmission risk), with transmission occurring within and between the US and Haiti, and internationally, until the original route taken by the virus was largely obscured.

avert.org/origin-aids-hiv.htm

 

[Do_Good_Then_Go]

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you do know that being HIV positive says nothing about your morals or values, right?

I disagree that such a definitive statement is correct. It is likely that some who are HIV positive acted immorally from a Catholic perspective. As an atheist, you would disagree.

It’s true that some who are HIV positive have acted immorally from a Catholic perspective. It’s also true that some who are HIV negative have acted immorally from a Catholic perspective.

By the same token, it’s true that some who are HIV positive have not acted immorally from a Catholic perspective and also true that some who are HIV negative have acted immorally.

And if the person is HIV positive as a result of immoral actions in the past, that gives no information about their current activities, beliefs, and morals and it doesn’t make them any ‘worse’ than the person who has done the same or similar things but been lucky enough not to contract HIV.

 

[CopticChristian]

It’s true that some who are HIV positive have acted immorally from a Catholic perspective. It’s also true that some who are HIV negative have acted immorally from a Catholic perspective.

By the same token, it’s true that some who are HIV positive have not acted immorally from a Catholic perspective and also true that some who are HIV negative have acted immorally.

And if the person is HIV positive as a result of immoral actions in the past, that gives no information about their current activities, beliefs, and morals and it doesn’t make them any ‘worse’ than the person who has done the same or similar things but been lucky enough not to contract HIV.

Do,

You have changed the focus.

Ok, lets say that the Red Cross has a family party for everyone that has had a blood transfusion and at that party everyone is having fun, food, games, kids games and HIV testing.

Then let’s say that the hospital throws a party for everyone that used to use or continues to use IV drugs and there is going to be fun, food, games, kids games and HIV testing.

Then the gay pride and HIV testing…

Do you get it…

It is not like Chuck E Cheese is advertising $9.00 for two pizzas, 20 tokens, free coke and HIV testing…lets put things on perspective.