The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #125426   Message #2825290
Posted By: Royston
30-Jan-10 - 05:39 AM
Thread Name: BS: Death penalty for homosexuality?
Subject: RE: BS: Death penalty for homosexuality?
Thanks, Keith.

It did start off exponential. Deny that?

No, never denied it, never denied that gay men are disproportionately affected. When the disease emerged, medical science didn't recognise it and a lot of people died before anyone worked out a) that it was caused by HIV and b) how it was being spread.

As you keep telling us, not all gay men put themselves at high risk

It's important to point out that "not all gay men" is different from the more accurate statement "the vast majority of gay men, 96%" appear not to practice dangerous behaviour.

What I am trying to do is underscore the areas of agreement.

Keith, please go back to point 5 and give it some thought. Go back to UNAIDS, WHO, AVERT, THT, HPA and read what all the experts say about social attitudes and the devastating effect of stigma and prejudice. Think about it logically, please, and see if your view changes. Because, you see, it is point 5 that started all this off. The bigots started by advocating more prejudice and more stigma against minority groups and nothing to help or to bother the "normal" majority because they don't think HIV should matter at all to "normal" people. Is that the view you support? Or on balance do you think point 5 probably stands a better chance of curtailing this disease than driving people underground?