GAY CIVIL RIGHTS

OXY-MORON a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (as cruel kindness); broadly : something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements

PROS AND CONS

Johann Wagener 3-25-13

People like to make comparisons between the Civil Rights movement of the 60's and today's Gay Rights movement. 

What both movements have in common is that they addressed individual’s rights of citizens in this country as they pertained to their everyday lives

Slatest PM: Has the Gay-Marriage Push Reached Critical Mass?

The pros are that, as a civil rights issue, marriage (gay or straight) is and should be a constitutional right regardless of gender preference.  Hopefully the Supreme Court in all its wisdom will soon put this issue to rest.  

Having said that, it is important to note that protecting the right to marry has nothing to do with condoning “gay sex” which is a “health” issue, not a civil rights one.

This is a serious health issue that has an impact on this society and it’s healthcare system and needs to be addressed in order to protect the civil rights of the public at large.

AN ACTUARIAL ANALYSIS OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THE U.S.

It is well-known that most AIDS victims are either homosexual men or IV drug users, or both. For them, the risk levels are high. As will be shown in this paper, nearly all of these AIDS victims have a lifestyle that creates immune system disorders and is generally not conducive to good health.

HIV IN THE UNITED STATES*

By risk group, gay, bisexual, and other MSM of all races remain the population most severely affected by HIV.

• MSM accounted for 61% of all new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2009, as well as nearly half (49%) of people living with HIV in 2008 (the most recent year national prevalence data is available).
• CDC estimates that MSM account for just 2% of the U.S. male population aged 13 and older, but accounted for more than 50% of all new HIV infections annually from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, MSM accounted for 61% of HIV diagnoses.
• In 2009, white MSM accounted for the largest number of annual new HIV infections of any group in the U.S. (11,400), followed closely by black MSM (10,800).
• Young, black MSM were the only risk group in the U.S. to experience statistically significant increases in new HIV infections from 2006–2009—from 4,400 new HIV infections in 2006 to 6,500 infections in 2009.

In order to not throw the bay out with the bath water we need to remain concerned about unhealthy sexual practices just as we have with other public health risks so let’s not get caught up in the hype that tends to cloud this issue by bundling it into a civil rights issue.

As a side note, it’s somewhat ironic that blacks are included in the high risk population.