I'm writing to throw out a hypothesis for consideration by this community.
The early "viral" spread of AIDS was largely attributed to the profoundly promiscuous "lifestyle" in the gay community. We were initially told - before HIV was isolated and identified - that AIDS was occurring primarily in "extraordinarily promiscuous homosexual men," and was mainly being spread in that community. Later, the medical facts became more clear, public education changed the general perception of the disease and its victims, and so on.
Judging by news reports coming out of San Francisco and other gay-friendly venues, it took a long time for the gay community to reconcile itself with the fact of AIDS. Briefly, "safe sex" was in vogue, but within a few years after the initial knowledge breakthroughs, reports were that gays were NOT being as meticulous as they had been initially, and it appeared that they were "banking on" the "Magic Johnson" phenomenon: that is, "By the time I get AIDS, there will be either a cure for it, or drugs will have the worst effects under control, so I don't have to worry about wearing a glove every time I bugger someone."
But it SEEMS that the AIDS pandemic is now having a "second generation" impact, in that the gay community is moving more and more toward monogamy, and the wildly promiscuous lifestyle that was common many years ago is passe. I remember reading an article in the WSJ many years ago, shortly after the initial outbreak of AIDS, where a gay man who was in what he considered a monogamous relationship, spoke of visiting a bathhouse by himself for some recreational sex. "This is monogamous?" I thought.
Can we speculate that all of the brouhaha about "gay marriage" is more than just a political stunt and there are large numbers of gay men who actually want to get into a relationship that is analogous to "marriage." (There has never been any question about lesbians; they are innately seeking monogamous relationships).
In fact, I would say that more than half of the homosexual men I know are at least apparently in committed, monogamous relationships.
Is this the salvation of "American marriage?"
Are my observations about the current "gay lifestyle" consistent with other peoples' impressions? I frankly don't get out much.
(Parenthetically I will say that as a conservative with libertarian leanings, I feel no threat from gay marriage. If the state legislatures want to create such an institution, or open up the current institution to gay couples, I have no problem with that).
The early "viral" spread of AIDS was largely attributed to the profoundly promiscuous "lifestyle" in the gay community. We were initially told - before HIV was isolated and identified - that AIDS was occurring primarily in "extraordinarily promiscuous homosexual men," and was mainly being spread in that community. Later, the medical facts became more clear, public education changed the general perception of the disease and its victims, and so on.
Judging by news reports coming out of San Francisco and other gay-friendly venues, it took a long time for the gay community to reconcile itself with the fact of AIDS. Briefly, "safe sex" was in vogue, but within a few years after the initial knowledge breakthroughs, reports were that gays were NOT being as meticulous as they had been initially, and it appeared that they were "banking on" the "Magic Johnson" phenomenon: that is, "By the time I get AIDS, there will be either a cure for it, or drugs will have the worst effects under control, so I don't have to worry about wearing a glove every time I bugger someone."
But it SEEMS that the AIDS pandemic is now having a "second generation" impact, in that the gay community is moving more and more toward monogamy, and the wildly promiscuous lifestyle that was common many years ago is passe. I remember reading an article in the WSJ many years ago, shortly after the initial outbreak of AIDS, where a gay man who was in what he considered a monogamous relationship, spoke of visiting a bathhouse by himself for some recreational sex. "This is monogamous?" I thought.
Can we speculate that all of the brouhaha about "gay marriage" is more than just a political stunt and there are large numbers of gay men who actually want to get into a relationship that is analogous to "marriage." (There has never been any question about lesbians; they are innately seeking monogamous relationships).
In fact, I would say that more than half of the homosexual men I know are at least apparently in committed, monogamous relationships.
Is this the salvation of "American marriage?"
Are my observations about the current "gay lifestyle" consistent with other peoples' impressions? I frankly don't get out much.
(Parenthetically I will say that as a conservative with libertarian leanings, I feel no threat from gay marriage. If the state legislatures want to create such an institution, or open up the current institution to gay couples, I have no problem with that).
