I can only imagine the shit blizzard you’ve been subjected to after ragging on Mr. Watkins of San Francisco. Why anyone would rag on you, as opposed to ragging on Mr. Watkins, is beyond me. I’m a 41-year-old straight woman. If I could get it together after my divorce and learn how to use a goddamned condom after 15 years of monogamy, then certainly Mr. Watkins can do the same. Christ! –Glenda
With regards to your most recent column: thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you. You’ve restored my sagging confidence in my fellow gay men. –Blayne in Philly
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You may receive some criticism for your column about Seth Watkins, but you have plenty of support in the gay community. But how about publicizing the name of the organization he works for, so that next time they hit someone up for cash donations, people aren’t so ready to open their checkbooks? –Tom & Erik
Could it be that your rant against Seth Watkins, the HIV-positive HIV-prevention educator in San Francisco who sometimes has risky sex, is intended more to promote your own notoriety than to save lives? Throughout the AIDS epidemic, fear-based prevention messages have only been partially effective. They fail to address the complex underlying factors that make people vulnerable to HIV. To understand what makes gay men vulnerable to the HIV infection requires a better awareness of factors that contribute to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Self-righteousness does very little to prevent HIV infection.
If it’s any comfort, Glen, all the HIV-prevention educators in North America seem to be in agreement with you. They’re not blaming, they’re not shaming–and it’s not working. HIV infection rates among gay men continue to rise despite the millions of dollars spent every year on blame- and shame-free HIV-prevention campaigns. Perhaps it’s time to take a different approach. I’m not advocating prevention campaigns that are fear based, Glen, but truth based: HIV-negative guys who take stupid risks and get infected have only themselves to blame; HIV-positive guys who maliciously infect other gay men ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Next week in Savage Love: A little something for everyone. For the homos, Seth Watkins on Seth Watkins. And for the breeders, straight guys on why they make so much friggin’ noise when they piss.
