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Jesse's Journal
Cabaj then proceeds to "estimate", according to Freeman, "that at least twenty-five percent of all newly infected gay men fall into that category" of bug chasers. "With about 40,000 new infections in the United States per year, according to government reports, that would mean around 10,000 each year are attributable to that more liberal definition of bug chasing," Freeman wrote. The claim that 25% of newly-positive gay men contracted HIV on purpose is startling, to say the least, and activists were quick to knock it down. Dr. Cabaj himself denied the "estimate" that Rolling Stone attributed to him. The 25% figures, he said, are "totally false. I never said that. And when the fact checker called me and asked me if I said that, I said no. I said no. This is unbelievable."
Shana Krochmal, of San Francisco's STOP AIDS Project, told GLAAD "her entire conversation with Freeman was off the record and her quotes not intended for inclusion in the article." This did not prevent Freeman from quoting Krochmal who, according to Freeman, was one of the AIDS activists who "actively dissuaded me from writing the article at all." He should have followed their advice. "No matter what one's feelings are about the issue explored in this article, Freeman's piece is bad journalism," concluded the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Not surprisingly, anti-gay conservatives are using the Rolling Stone article to justify their agenda. The Traditional Values Coalition, a self-appointed guardian of morality, expanded Rolling Stone's already-inflated figures to include all gay men: "25% of Homosexual Males Seek To Be Infected With HIV", screamed a TVC headline. "This article exposes the truth about many AIDS groups and about the irresponsible sexual behaviors of homosexuals. TVC has been urging Congress for several years now to defund such groups as the Stop AIDS Project because its programs actually encourage AIDS infections," it said. I doubt too many gay men, unless they are extremely suicidal, would go out of their way to contract HIV. On the other hand, there are far too many HIV negative men (and women) who practice unsafe sex regardless of the consequences. "While the 25 percent figure is clearly bullshit, the barebacking Web sites Freeman writes about are real and some men with HIV are only too willing to engage in unprotected sex with guys who aren't HIV-positive," Dan Savage wrote in his advice column. "While active 'bug chasing' may only account for a handful of new infections in gay men, the inability of HIV/AIDS educators to aggressively challenge gay men surely accounts for a large chunk. . . . Gay men need to be told that stupid decisions don't deserve anyone's respect."
The fact that an HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence has led many to believe that unsafe sex is no longer a form of Russian roulette. "Carlos", in Rolling Stone, quipped that being poz is "like living with diabetes. You take a few pills and get on with your life." Sadly, there are too many men who agree with him.
Though the GLBT community has gone out of its way to help our brothers and sisters who are HIV-positive, it has done too little to encourage those who are HIV-negative to stay that way. There is a lot of survivor's guilt; a belief that acquiring HIV is inevitable; and a feeling that, to quote Freeman, that "those living with HIV [are] a cohesive group that welcomes its new members and receives vast support from the rest of the gay community." Only recently have groups been formed to keep our brothers from getting careless with their love. In South Florida the Gay and Lesbian Community Center's Team Nitro was established to "educate and empower gay men of all races to protect themselves and their partners from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases." Team Nitro spreads the safe sex message in local bars and clubs, sponsors discussion groups, and holds "community building events" like canoe trips, horseback rides, rock wall climbs and salsa lessons. We need more groups like Team Nitro, which "bring more smiles and fun, while reminding gay men that we live together in a community worth protecting." Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer and activist who lives in South Florida with his life partner. He can be reached at jessemonteagudo@aol.com. |
Rolling Stone featured an article called 'Bug Chasers' which documented the apparent increase in gay males looking to be infected with HIV 
Andrew Sullivan attacked the Rolling Stone article in his Salon.com column