The New Safe Sex Push

Sexually transmitted disease is on the rise in New York City. Condom use is down. Certain clubs are being targeted for promoting sexual acts on their premises. Advocates fear that a new round of suppression, fines and ostracizing will push these clubs underground and increase the spread of AIDS. One group has developed a proposal that would help local health departments and nightlife venues work together to protect the public.

The proposal advocates changes in the state health code to allow for sex with a condom in sex clubs and bathhouses. It is currently illegal to have any type of sex in these establishments with or without a condom. (See Nightlife News for April 29th ‘Cracking Down on Gay Sex Clubs”) The change was advocated by the Commercial Sex Venues Coalition and adopted by the New York City's Prevention Planning Group the group that advises the city on HIV prevention initiatives. Both groups want to use the sex venues as centers for safe sex education and HIV testing. They feel that before they can take that step, some form of protected sex has to be exempted from the public health and sanitary laws.

If the goal is increasing condom use and decreasing the spread of STD’s in clubs then this proposal makes sense. NYN suggested last month that gay and straight clubs provide and promote the use of condoms. But this opens up several questions for club owners, managers, security and patrons. Are clubs going to be liable for the possible consequences of sex in their establishments (unwanted pregnancies, rape, STD’s) if they offer condoms? Do managers have to provide separate areas for sex? Does security have to monitor activity in the club to determine if condoms are being used? Will patrons have to watch their step or trip over someone or several someone’s who can’t wait until they get home? It might make more sense for the clubs to offer the condoms but not the permission to have sex inside. That way, we have easier access to the condoms without having to slip in someone’s over enthusiasm when we’re trying to dance…

By the way, I didn’t know there was a Commercial Sex Venues Coalition, but it sounds like an interesting job….

Source: Duncan Osborne Gay City News

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Opinion: The Evolution of Gay Sex Clubs

Opinion
The Evolution of Gay Sex Clubs
(Steve Weinstein Village Voice)
This year’s New York Pride Week marks a turning point in the relationship between heterosexual and homosexual culture in America. California has recently started issuing same sex marriage licenses and the political climate might be right for other states to follow suit.

This year could also see a change in the relationship between homosexuals and nightlife. As the social system changes, staples of gay culture begin to fade away. Gay sex clubs might be one of those staples. It is not necessarily government persecution or disease that’s fueling this trend. A certain segment of the gay community doesn’t seem to want those kinds of parties anymore. The argument is that because coming out doesn’t automatically lead to social isolation anymore, gays and lesbians are less likely to seek release in public sex venues and are therefore less likely to seek out gay sex parties.

While there might be some merit to this argument, there is evidence that the city is helping the trend along by exerting pressure on local gay sex clubs (See Nightlife News Health 4/29/08: “City Cracks Whip on Gay Sex Clubs”) and HIV is still a major concern (See Nightlife News Health 1/8/08: “HIV Cases on the Rise”). Maybe it’s the combination of all three factors, plus the rise of the internet as a source of sexual contact, that are killing off the gay sex parties. This combination could lead to lower HIV rates and further social acceptance between straight and gay communities. It could also be another sign of the homogenization of nightlife in New York, where more and more things are the same and the unique flavor of the city is harder to find.

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Nightlife News for April 29, 2008

Drinking: Rum without the Little Umbrella
Government: Cracking the Whip on Gay Sex Clubs.

Nightlife News for April 29 2008