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I tend to agree with Shawn here; many of my closeted experiences were without protection, especially those which happened while intoxicated, and men who would act totally straight while sober and around friends would become quite sexually aggressive when intoxicated and in private with someone they perceived as 'into it.' These occasions were always without condoms that I recall. While the stigma wasn't quite as overt in my world as in the urban African-American world of today is was still pervasive, and I believe the level of unsafe activity would be comparable.
Shawn's absolutely right. It's the same reason that kids who get into those "virginity pact" or "promise ring" things, where you promise to save yourself for Jesus/marriage/what have you and abstain from sex until marriage, are statistically a lot more likely to have unprotected sex when they eventually do have premarital sex (which many end up doing). If you're preparing for something, that acknowledges your intent to do it, and if you've been taught that that something you intend to do is wrong, it's not unlikely that you're too ashamed of wanting to do it in the first place to acknowledge that intent.
This guy has been anti guy for years. One day I was listening to hot 97 in NYC and he was just bashing homosexuals so much I changed the station. He disgusted me and I was even more disgusted that he is such a prominant comedian. Since then I have no respect for him and do not support any of his shows, or anywhere he just shows.
Shawn,granted the black community is ravaged by HIV/AIDS but I think seeing the link between a single black stand-up comedy bigot's statement and these alarming levels of HIV is a stretch at best. By the same thinking, we should see high levels of HIV amongst southern white gays as this is the home of bible thumping conservative homophobic whites,right? As someone who hails from Sub-Saharan Africa,I would think high HIV/AIDS levels in blacks are mainly a result of low socio-economic status which leaves people with less control over decisions concerning their lives. Just a thought.............
Hey John, I meant on a subconscious level. I think anytime someone has shameful feelings about themselves, they are more likely to engage in reckless behavior. Especially when it comes to sex. And I know using condoms doesn't make you gay. I don't think that was implied anywhere in this blog post.
"A sexual encounter that is shameful is more likely to be one that is unprotected- how can you ask a partner to put on a condom if, in the back of your mind, you're worried that if your dad found out you were even gay, he might kill your ass?" Err.. I really fail to see a link here? Your dad is not in the room with you and what the thought of him kicking the shit out of you has to do with the act of having and using condoms? Actually, carrying and using condoms does not make you gay you know.
Ann
"By the same thinking, we should see high levels of HIV amongst southern white gays as this is the home of bible thumping conservative homophobic whites,right?" Where have you been? We ARE seeing high levels of hiv amongst southern white guys who hail from the bible belt. Shame, and all the furtiveness that entails, certainly does feed into ongoing transmissions.
June 16, 2011