Rapper will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas was interviewed in 2011 by Elle magazine, which I just saw. He shares various quirks and pet peeves, but this one stopped me cold:

The-Voice-UK-William-BBC.jpgELLE: If you walked into a woman’s house, what one item would convince you that you weren’t compatible?

W: If she had condoms in her house, that would just fuckin’ throw me off. That’s just tacky.

ELLE: Well, okay, I could see if she had a candy bowl full of them on the coffee table. But if she’s got a few in a drawer, wouldn’t that simply suggest she’s health-conscious?

W: I just think, like, if you’re into someone and you guys get to that level, then that’s something you should converse about together and say, “Hey, maybe we should get some.”

Did will.i.am just say that women need permission from men before they can have condoms? Y’all let me know if I’m wrong. Needless to say, I couldn’t disagree more. Having condoms is healthy and sexy. Having condoms is not immoral.

I can’t speak for women, but I can certainly speak for myself. As a gay man with HIV, I use condoms. Using condoms does not make me a slut or a pervert. And I don’t need permission to use condoms to protect others and myself from harm.

(Hat tip to Lifebeat on Twitter.)