MARCH 6, 1998 GAY PEOPLE's Chronicle 11

COMMUNITY GROUPS

Where do you stand on these sexual freedom issues?

by Pan Cunningham Cleveland-Sex Panic! is a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals which formed in response to a series of New York City gay scene closures, such as the Christopher Street bookstore in the West Village and various porn shops on 42nd Street. In response, outraged lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folk have joined Sex Panic to create a sort of mission statement for the group. Following is a portion of it.

A Declaration of Sexual Rights We reaffirm the following principles: The right to sexual and reproductive selfdetermination;

The right to publicly accessible sexual culture;

The right to a sexual life free from shame and stigma; and

Freedom from government intervention.

In light of these principles, we demand: Respect for sexual diversity. Decriminalization of consensual sex practices.

An end to censorship and to restrictions on sexual information and public discussion of sex.

Recognition for the right of youth to sexual freedoms and self-determination.

A recognition that sexual empowerment requires health care and education for all. An end to the scapegoating of HIV-positive

people and PWAs, including those who are sexually active.

HIV-prevention efforts built upon the right to be sexual and the need to sustain shared sexual cultures.

An end to state preference for traditional households and relationships.

An end to harassment of sex workers and legal sanctions against paid sex.

An end to the prohibition and stigmatization of public sex.

Many people, including the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland, are not exactly sure where to stand on such a loaded document. So, I'm going to go through each point briefly and quickly mention the reactions I could foresee people having. Maybe this will help us determine where we stand.

"The right to sexual and reproductive selfdetermination" means not only the right to decide how to express ourselves sexually, but also the right to decide on the degree of participation we take in the reproductive process, or "breeding."

Some queer folks feel that having children via artificial insemination is the gay version of breeding. They feel that this behavior is antithetical to what the queer nation stands for, as this often involves two loving parents, a home in the suburbs and well-paying jobs. This is seen as mimicking a heterosexual lifestyle, and that is exactly what they are trying to not identify with.

However, other queer folk feel they should be allowed to be both queer and a family. Others, queer and not, say thai no matter the pregnancy method, adding more children to the planet further jeopardizes our natural resources and therefore should not be done.

All these arguments are irrelevant for some a-bit-more-to-the-right folk, who say that we should live our lives by God's design. For them, there is no choice in sexual expression and therefore the issue of sexual diversity is moot. They believe that you can only be heterosexual and have children.

So, where do you stand?

The term "publicly accessible sexual culture" is not only a task to say, but difficult to fathom. Simply, it means that bars, bathhouses, porn stores, and prostitution should be allowed to exist. Sex Panic's "freedom from government intervention" mandate comes into play here, especially since New York City passed an anti-sex zoning ordinance in 1995 which is being vigorously enforced by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Some folks agree with the 1995 ordinance because neighborhoods known for "sexual culture" aren't as touristy, and the city could

make some money by "cleaning up" these communities. Others who don't agree with the ordinance obviously agree to the existence of bars, bathhouses and porn stores, but feel that prostitution should be stopped.

Some sex workers, however, are trying to teach us that prostitution can be a clean activity, and in fact only the unsafe prostitutes get STDs. (It was a prostitute who taught me how to put a condom on a penis with my mouth.) Hustlers say that getting arrested for basically having consensual sex is a violation of their civil rights.

done to reach these individuals, and it can't be what we've been doing all along because, well, it's just not working.

So, where do you stand?

Finally, public sex has such a stigma that even the GLBT culture trashes it. A gay exroommate of mine calls cruisers "bathroom trolls." He represents the portion of those who feel that these men are mentally sick

AIDS

Advocates of sexual law enforcement say that out-in-theopen sex scars our children and that we have a duty to our children to keep sex a behind-doors activity. Still others say that bars, bathhouses and porn stores are not only excellent HIV and AIDS education media, they also provide valuable cultural information for those who are just coming to terms with their queerness.

So, where do you stand?

TASKFORCE

OF GREATER CLEVELAND

Sex Panic also mentions the issue of scapegoating. Finding someone else to dump all the blame on is commonplace; however, Sex Panic feels this is not a good reason for it to exist. For instance, the scapegoating of bisexual men as the culprits for bringing HIV into the heterosexual lifestyle painted these guys as evil-doers who are without conscience.

The same has happened with HIV-positive individuals who are sexually active. Some folks are saying that HIV-positive people are dangerous because they carry a plague, and blame people with AIDS for the high numbers of HIV cases. Therefore, these people feel it is obvious that they should be stopped from having sex.

People living with HIV explain that different HIV-positive people have different behaviors. Some notify their partners of their serostatus before any sexual activity is started; others notify and wear protection. Some just choose to be a gay man with a dick or a sexy, desirable woman instead of a red ribbon, and want to forget that they have HIV altogether. The rest are HIV-positive people who decide on abstinence because they see themselves as sexual time bombs.

But regardless of serostatus, most all feel that the decision to have sex should lie solely on the individual, and not the govern-

ment.

So, where do you stand?

The field of HIV prevention has changed substantially since the beginning of the epidemic. A variety of methods have been used to get messages across, and levels of success have been varied.

However, it is true that most of the AIDS education and prevention materials have not been affirming sexual practices. It has been traditional to say "No anal sex!" and "No oral sex!" and "Always wear a condom!"

There hasn't been a lot of teaching of other ways to have sex, like mutual masturbation, using sex toys like tit clamps, or frottage. There also has been a "de-sexing" of safer sex, with much emphasis on abstinence. This is consistent with Judeo-Christian values, like waiting until marriage to have sex and the idea that homosexuality is evil. People from this religious background are against the discussion of safer sex with teens because such talk will only increase the chance of pre-marital sex. So, these folks would rather we didn't say anything about AIDS at all! However, they concede that if we do, AIDS should be presented in a sex-

less way.

On the other hand, those who feel that these religious values do not pertain to their lives support the "eroticization" of safer

sex. They feel this would make safer sex education more appealing and less preachy. But, no matter the stance, one thing is clear: AIDS cases are still increasing, especially among youth. Something does need to be

perverts. This group of individuals is among those who feel sex is a private act that should be kept private.

But some queers use this viewpoint to defend public sex. These people say that before you can have private sex, you have to have a public encounter. In other words, before two people can begin a relationship, they have to meet in a public place (a party, a dance club) first.

Let's say these two people are gay men. In order for them to have a public encounter relatively free of violence, they have to be out, so they can go to gay clubs or bars. What if you're someone who recognizes your queerness, but you can't tell anyone because you might lose your job or family? Of course you wouldn't go to gay-identified places or events. You would go to "public sex environments," because not everyone who goes into the bathroom is queer!

Therefore, the public restroom becomes the only place you can safely be validated as a queer, sexual being. This is the focal point for those who argue for tearoom sex. They also argue that, while there definitely are those who are somewhat unstable frequent-

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ing public sex places, there are also some cruisers out there who would make a heart flutter and the groin tingle. These guys usually hold important jobs and are mentally fit. Some of these guys are the openly queer guys who go to public sex environments because they enjoy the anonymity of the public encounter. This way, they can satisfy their urges and not worry about a relationship.

So, where do you stand?

I remember reading a poem a few years ago. The poet watched "them" come for the Communists, the Socialists, the union workers, the homosexuals, the Jews, and the Catholics, and during that whole time he did not speak up. When "they" came for him, there was no one left to speak up. Would I want to be that person?

By acknowledging the validity of something different from myself, am I encouraging it? Do I have to agree with everything written in Sex Panic's declaration to say that it's reasonable? I mean, as a member of the queer community, shouldn't I advocate for the end to any injustice done against my community, whether it be aimed at the gorgeous, well-endowed man or the closeted cruiser? Do I fight only for those like me, or are those different from me worthy of my advocacy?

So, I put it again to you: Where do you stand?

Pan Cunningham is an outreach educator at the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland. If you have comments or questions, he encourages you to send them to the Chronicle, to create a discussion about these issues. He also welcomes calls to his office at 216-621-0766, ext. 233.

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A Weekend Workshop for Lesbian Couples

This workshop will focus on ways to heighten encounter and communication between women partners.

March 27-29, 1998

Friday: 10

Saturday: 10:00 ʼn m. ~ 6:00 p.m

Sunday 10:00 am 2:00 p.m.

This experimental workshop will be led by women partners of 16 years. Enrollment is limited to 6 couples.`

Facilitators: Debra L. Dunkle, LISW Martha A. Webb, LPC, CCDC Workshop Hours: 12 Fee: $295.00/couple

To register call The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland Shannon Brownell, Registrar, at 216/421-0468