Ten years after this TV incident, Ms. Bryant told Florida magazine (published by The Orlando Sentinel) that debater Kunst had "represented a very dark period" in (her) life. When the AIDS crisis turned Florida into the nation's third worst affected area, TV anchor Peter Jennings' AIDS Quarterly called CURE AIDS NOW, the Miami-based AIDS organization Bob Kunst had founded, "the most effective grass roots organization in the state third hardest hit."

Bob Kunst went to an 80s AIDS conference at the Vatican where he helped turn the proceedings into what TIME magazine conceded became an unprecedented squabble. Both TIME and in The New York Times, quoted Kunst's fiery statements, such as when he said: "This Vatican AIDS conference is the worst I've ever attended. It has been three days of gay bashing!"

Through the decades Bob Kunst, now 55, has remained a major Florida voice for same-sex issues, sex freedom, and whistle-blowing on rightwing AIDS-bashing politicos nationwide. Kunst has also remained indefatigable as when—last summer-- he collected over 6,000 Miami Beach signatures to assure a reluctant city leadership that beach citizens would hardly be forgiving if the city reneged on a promised reward to the houseboat caretaker who discovered the whereabouts of fugitive Cunanan.

His never-to-be-forgotten campaigns on behalf of AIDS are now an intriguing part of history, such as when he ran in 1986 as a U.S. Senate primary candidate and, on a modest budget, drew 150,000 Democrats to the polls supporting his CURE AIDS NOW activist platform. He'd traversed Florida on a $5,000 shoestring budget, driving a borrowed pink Mary Kay cosmetics Cadillac adorned with a CURE AIDS NOW bumper sticker.

Franklin Kameny, the father of gay activist militancy, recalls as noteworthy Kunst's onetime activist efforts at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Military and government bureaucrats, Kameny said, were befuddled by the unflappable Floridian's outlandish tactics.

Kunst's latest reason for activism—the Cayman Islands tourist-turnaway fiasco--found him, last month, rounding up supporters to greet 900 Cayman-rejected gay tourists when they docked at the Port of Miami.

Once again Kunst collected thousands of signatures—this time on a boycott petition—while TV cameras were trained on him from nearly a dozen stations (including the local affiliates of CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, as well as Miami's Hispanic radio stations WCMQ and WQBA.)

Kunst has produced a new Caymans Islands button, he says, which may be purchased in quantity—to help the Cayman's boycott cause---by calling (305) 864-5110. The new button reads: Caymans My Ass.

Robin Baylis, Her Majesty's Consul in Miami, responded to Kunst's appeal for British intervention in the Caymans, explaining that "The British Government's concern about this decision was expressed by the Governor to the Cayman Executive Council on January 7."

Later that day, said Baylis, "the Cayman Islands Government issued a statement regretting any offense which had been caused. It has also agreed to review its policy on cruise ship berthing facilities." The Cayman statement reads:

"Caymans My Ass," repeated Bob Kunst, reading this statement to GayToday.

In the meantime, Kunst has been interviewed by Miami talk show hosts who enjoy Clinton bashing and are much given to what Kunst says are rants that give comfort to the "Christian Reich."

"Going on The Steve Kane Show" (WIOD, February 2) Kunst says "I was entering a studio where Clinton bashing has been the norm for the past five years."

"You lost," Kunst insisted at the beginning of the program, referring to the current White House sex panic. "In your attempt to get Bill (Clinton)" he thundered at Kane, "you were ready to destroy the nation."

Kane denied the accusation, saying that the GOP preferred dealing with Clinton to having to put up with Gore, possibly the next Democratic presidential nominee.

Kunst refused this explanation: "Wrong. The country isn't anti-sex and you and Bill Bennett and the whole gang of right wingers are boring and only getting the nation pissed off, enough to throw out the GOP bums there who haven't got an agenda of their own…and still offer nothing but the sexual witchhunt and smear campaign that's backfired with a (mainstream) porno press that's out of control and the public thinks is worse than the Paparazzi that hunted Princess Diana to death."

Kunst offered an unexpected reflection on oral sex and the presidency: "If Bill wanted oral sex, why would he send for Monica when a man could do it better and satisfy him more? Men have dicks and know what to do with them, they don't have to buy a book like Monica on what its all about." Kane was troubled by this reflection and appeared, said Kunst, "to freak out."

The feisty gay activist, who often astonishes both gay and straight listeners with views shocking to the bourgeoisie, called Paula Jones a "bimbo" who looks like "Arafat's twin sister."

With Miami's conservative gay talk-show host, Al Rantel, Kunst was face to face with another eager detractor. Rantel chastised Kunst for being arrested by peeping Tom police while having a tryst at 2:10 a.m. on Miami Beach.

Kunst, openly admitting to an active outdoor sex life, asserted that too many "straights always talk about orgasms but rarely get them," and have much to learn from gays. "One-third of all women are subject to sexual assault," he noted, "something practically non-existent in the gay politic."

When Kunst told both Kane and Rantel that "there isn't one part of my body that has not been communicated with," he felt them both cringe, he says.

"They rant at this," Kunst explained to GayToday, "especially when I say that there is no part of the body dirty when giving up to a sexual experience. They also get upset when I laud spontaneity, multiple choice, independence and making love outdoors."

Kunst bellows: "Everyone should know before they die what its all about!"