A Gut Feeling: Anal Pleasure, Holistic Sexual Health, and Interpretations of AIDS
Serena Anderlini-D’Onofrio
Part # 6
“We were talking about the legal threats a ‘poz’ gay man faces as a dissident,” G remembered as son as we connected again.
“Yes.”
“What about them?” she asked.
“Well, as a result of the allopathic hypothesis about AIDS, statutes that regulate the sexual behavior of ‘poz’ persons are now in place in a number of states.”
“I’ve heard. That’s the basis for the Darren Chiacchia case, correct? [1]
“Correct,” I concurred.
“Do you have more details?” G asked.
“Well, suppose you’re ‘poz’ and you start going out with someone who’s not. You tell them. They agree to have unprotected sex with you. Then they change their mind and go to the police to accuse you of attempting murder. They have the right to do so, based on the law.”
“I suppose if you’re ‘poz’ you better use protection or have sex with other ‘poz’ persons,” G offered.
“And most of the time that’s what happens, I hear. It’s called ‘sero sorting’,”[2] I concurred.
“All right.”
“But then now, with Tony Lance, the new theory is that lubes can further dry out your mucous and make your dysbiosis worse.”
“Well, he does advise caution about that. Does not talk about condoms. And he is right I believe, since that’s an interpersonal, case-by-case decision to be made.”
“What do you mean? Can’t you see that he can be accused of promoting reckless behavior for his own benefit?”
“All dissidents are vulnerable to that.”
“But can you see that as a gay man who at least at some point has tested positive, his whole theory can be constructed as a self-serving ploy,” I probed.
“Sure. That’s why I think he is so brave. If his interpretation acquires credibility in sex-positive, liberal, holistic circles, then some fundamentalists will try to discredit it as a seductive ploy. But is that really credible? The article cites some 75 references. It’s sound research. Just thinking about it as mere perversion is perverse.”
“Still, I can’t really see how the transition between interpretations can happen without causing problems,” I commented.
“Of course. Shall we leave that for next phone call?”
“Yes.”
[1] Zugler, Abigail. “With AIDS, Time to Get Beyond Blame.” NY Times, April 19, 2010. With AIDS, Time to Get Beyond Blame
[2] David Halperin. What Do Gay men Want? University of Michigan Press, 2008. Amazon.com: What Do Gay Men Want?
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