Out in the Mountains

 

 3   Lfifemomprecedingpage)

Those changes haven’t always been
necessary from the point of view of AIDS
prevention, and at times our own attitudes
can be judgmental and puritanical on ques-
tions of sexual activity. Some of this may be
a natural overreaction to fears of transmis-
sion, while some of it is an equally natural
expression of changing sexual and emo-
tional needs; what seemed fun and appro-
priate in 1979 isn’t necessarily what we’re
seeking from sex a decade later.

So be honest with yourself. Have you
given up those things because they aren’t a
part of your needs anymore, or is there
some new morality or fear keeping you
from them? If you aren’t really wanting
them now, that’s fine; put some time and
energy into figuring out what would suit
your needs right now.

But if you feel you’re really longing
for these things, they aren’t as unobtainable

as you might ‘think. As long as the sexual
activity itself is safe, there is no reason on
earth that you can’t have as many partners
as you can get, in whatever setting you
want.

Do you miss the baths? The bathhouse
scene in Montreal is lively, and you can do
lots safely there. Do you want anonymous
sex? There are still plenty of places in
Vennont where men can go to meet. Be
creative in your search — take out a per-
sonal ad, get your homiest friends together
for an evening of porn tapes and safe sex,
start a j.o. club—andyou mightbe surprised
to find out how many men are looking for
the same thing.

It should be obvious, but it bears re-
peating: safe sex isn’t a function of where
you do it or how many people you do it
with. It’s a simple question of the activities
in which you participate.

Once you’ve completed this exercise,
there may be relatively few items left on
your list that are totally off limits, and
they’ll probably be related to two specific
activities: fucking without a condom and
(possibly) oral sex with ejaculation in the
mouth.

Still, while they may be only two ac-
tivities, they are two of the most common
and enjoyable things that gay men do to-
gether. Cock-sucking and fucking are, for
many men, an integral part of their sexual
identity, and not something easily or pain-
lessly forgone. Managing new approaches
to them and maintaining safer sexual prac-
tices are inevitably going to be challenging.

In the next issue, we’ll talk about how
we can deal with the constant risk of “slip-
ping” and how to negotiate our way
through staying safe and taking responsi-
bility for ourselves.

AIDS HOTLINES: ’

Burlington VT 054021

 gDS__Commu1j1ity Action Project
(ACAP) 

PO.Box'383 .- _
St. Johnsbury VT ,_,o5s19.
’(802)’758-8116 ; -; -

work (ACIORN) I
PO Box 2057 i A
:LebanonjNH 03766
= (603) 44341400

2 Bennington Area AIDS Project 7 A
.PO Box; 1066 1 . 7 -
Benni_n’gton'V_'I‘ 05201
(802)442-4481 or
1-800-845-2437 .-

Vermont V 1-800-882-2437
_New Hampshire ‘ 1-800-752-2437
:New York State ' 1.-8,00-541-2437. .
' Massachusetts. 1-617,-522-4090
»Main’e 1-800-851-2437
“National 1-800-I342-2437
_ Canadian 1-613-563-2437
ACT-UP-Vermont ‘

PO Box.16D,7 1 — A

c /o__ Calerlorua Home 1-Iealth Agency

                . 1  cancersupt5ort.r;ro
AIDS Community ‘-Resource Net-. . ‘ .3‘ '
02 'Nofu1ea§g‘Kirggd¢m:’A1ps:fftizttitiivrt
.v¢’iNeWP9rt‘VT':05855     fl ,
(.803)-f334‘.2437:‘ii °"  .  
Nortlii-Star,(HliliAs_t;i'e:  g _:s
     V .

  <8o2>n888+2858 s   

  Health Resource.Orgonizationsi2 i.

Brattleboro AIDS Project ‘
PO Box 2403 ' » .
4-High Street,_,$uite;2-3  _
Brattleboro  05301 '
(802)  (Helpline)
(802) 254-8263 (Office) 

Franklin-Grand" Isle ,AIDS:"fask‘Iiorce:t.‘ " A

8 Ferris:Stree't

’St.}1tA1ba,ns’V'lf.-054178

(802) 524«s554" __
H.E;A;L. Vermont‘. » 1

.   Education 
"nati‘vesLia_ison) . ‘ ~ __  
     
Montp'elie1'.YT 05602 ' 1' 2

(802) _;g94_325'  .  - 

(2392): 1660-8386.-*A:—;,:. -

 

 

Morriévifle VT 05661:”

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