[Vision2020] Gay Rights and Medical Model

[Ted Moffett]

All:

I find it peculiar that some consider legislating heterosexual vs homosexual 
behavior or marriage rights based on a medical model of what behavior is 
most likely to lead to the spread of STDs.  If this were logically applied, 
any heterosexual who engaged in multiple partner anal sex should be faced 
with the same state sanctions or denial of rights as well as any gays who 
engage in the same beahvior, given the medical assumptions presented on this 
list.

While knowingly spreading the HIV virus is a clear cut case of potentially 
inflicting a death sentence, and has been criminally prosecuted in recent 
years, there are many behaviors of many kinds that present fantastic health 
risk to the individual, yet the government does not intervene in the free 
choices of those who wish to take the risks with others:  mountain climbing, 
race car driving, football and boxing, adult cigarette smoking, riding 
bicycles on the highways, even gymnastics' rate of injury per number of 
participants renders it one of the most dangerous sports!

If the government truly wanted to legislate the best health practices for 
all, cigarette smoking, being the number one health risk behavior, would be 
punished with severity, yet even those who distribute cigarettes to minors 
face minor penalties compared to dealing in marijuana, a less dangerous and 
less addictive substance.  Alas, even the effort to stop innocent employees 
from being exposed to second hand tobacco smoke in bars and restaurants, an 
exposure to an addictive life shortening substance,  is oppossed by those 
who view this as excessive government regulation.  Some of these same "free 
market anti-regulation" conservatives then turn around and want the 
government to legislate the private conduct of citizens regarding sexual 
risk, love, and marriage, for the health benefits of all.  I'm gasping for 
air with all the smoke and mirrors in the room!

Invoking superior theologically derived moral standards, some declare the 
will of God is the only standard to be followed.  And furthermore, as some 
fervent Christians have argued, that AIDs is a punishment from God for 
homosexuality.  If so, then lesbians must be God's chosen people.

Devout lesbians are the lowest risk group for the transmission of HIV and 
many other STDs.

Ted



>From: "Melynda Huskey" <mghuskey@hotmail.com>
>To: "John Moss" <johnmoss@moscow.com>, "vision2020" <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Let's get *all* the facts right . . .
>Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 23:19:40 -0700
>
>Dear colleagues,
>
>I have no disposition to linger on John Moss's odd preoccupation with anal 
>sex except to note that there is no sexual practice limited to same-sex 
>couples, nor yet any sexual practice which is universal among them.  
>Epidemiology has marched on since the early 80s, too; more recent studies 
>might yield more apposite information about the risks of sex generally.
>
>Jacob Spencer brings up the old "man marries dog" argument, which might be 
>compelling if there were any other circumstance in which one could show 
>that dogs were permitted to enter into legal contracts, but which is 
>otherwise pure silliness, like most of the rest of his argument.
>
>In the absence of anything more substantial than this, I think it's fair to 
>acknowledge another of the impasses that characterize our Vision 2020 
>conversations and ask if anyone knows how this rain will affect the wheat 
>and lentil harvests . . . and if somebody wants to know by what standard, 
>let 'em listen to the Farm Report.
>
>Melynda Huskey
>
>
>  Get more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : 
>http://explorer.msn.com

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