Building on yesterday’s post regarding CDC’s documentation of the continued rise in HIV, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea among men who have sex with men (MSM), in almost every document on the matter CDC offers the following:
Complex issues like homophobia and stigma can also make it difficult for gay and bisexual men to seek appropriate care and treatment.
That’s code for the principled stand taken by people of faith. In other words, it’s our fault that many MSM do not seek appropriate medical treatment. It’s because of our deeply held and abiding religious beliefs that MSM do not seek confidential and professional care. That is a very ominous declaration by a governmental agency; to declare an abiding religious belief as hatred so profound that it stigmatizes and drives a public health calamity. It makes bigotry against orthodox Christianity, Judaism, and Islam a key component of STD epidemiology; one that will need to be eliminated as one of the root causes.
It’s also pretty patronizing toward MSM.
The truth of the matter is that physicians and nurses are bound to nonjudgmentalism in the delivery of services. But in the warped perspective that is gay activism and hedonism, any counseling against promiscuity, which is a major cultural element in many quarters of the gay community, is bound to be interpreted as homophobia. No critique, even if sound lifesaving advice, is tolerable for some.
So it is the fault of those who oppose the lifestyle on either principled moral ground, or on principled medical ground. Changing mores, as we are seeing, does not change the laws of nature, particularly where infectious disease is concerned. Unlike humans, the microbes always remain true to their nature.
Back to the big lie:
Complex issues like homophobia and stigma can also make it difficult for gay and bisexual men to seek appropriate care and treatment.
The photo essay in this post shows images from New York’s Gay Pride Parade, images that debunk the myth of enduring stigma that would prevent seeking confidential treatment. The juxtaposition is remarkable. Note the throngs of well-wishers several rows deep (Contrasted with the sparse attendance at Memorial Day parades). Note, too, the costuming of the participants. These are among the thousands of images available by Googling “Gay Pride Parade”. They are also the cleanest.
Finally, note the police officers marching, and the throngs in the line of march.
Stigma? Where?
Helping the MSM community out of the holocaust it is in requires dealing with the truth openly and honestly, as openly as the pride expressed at parades around the world. Blaming those with differing world views merely panders politically to the very community with whom CDC needs to be most concerned, and creates needless ill will, which then generates the stigma it claims to be driving this epidemic.
That makes CDC, and not the faith community, the source of stigma.
MSM deserve better, and so do we.
Photo credits (In Order) Images via:
ABC News
Bob Jagendorf
http://www.amny.com
http://www.brooklynvegan.com
thedailybeast.com
http://www.nytimes.com
digihairshirt.blogspot.com
Coming Home 
Two comments #1 ; it seems as if their conduct is accepted, and thus any reference to STDs is frowned on. #2 some people for family or religious or privacy reasons do not wish to be public about their sexuality, Question;; Why are police allowed to walk kin uniform if they are ]not on duty as such.
Thanks again Gerard. You hit the nail right on the head. I cannot find another group who has so much exposure and is right out there so fear of treatment. I don’t think so but I will pray for all that they will seek treatment and listen to what is right.
Crowds embolden behavior. I am not surprised that a flagrant parade participant might be uncomfortable going to a health professional to discuss the ugly reality of their sex life and the very real consequences. I suspect it’s more a matter of denial than stigma.
Regarding the question above about why police are allowed to march in uniform, there are several official gay police organizations: http://www.comingoutfrombehindthebadge.com/organizations/
I am a member of my company’s “Pride at Work” organization to support gay/lesbian/transgender rights, and I participated in the Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2013 event, with my children. My employer sponsored a booth, and my daughter and one of her school friends got volunteer credit from their (secular, private) school for staffing it.
There is no Christian “faith community” of note, in Tokyo — there is no religious stigma against homosexuality, or sex outside of marriage. The stigma about homosexuality comes from being different, as this is a culture that values conformity.
After the event, a man who worked for my former employer sent me an email. He was not “out,” at work, as far as I knew (he was American, from a Mormon background). He attended the event as an observer, but he didn’t approach me to say hello, and didn’t march in the parade. But he thanked me for showing up there, and supporting people like him.
For every gay person who is “out,” how many still exist in the shadows, living secret lives? For every person marching in the parade, how many of them just watched from the sidelines…..or didn’t attend at all?
I agree that blaming the religious community for stigmatizing homosexuality isn’t constructive, but so is denying that stigma against gays still exists. It’s rather like denying that racism still exists.
It’s good to see when people start calling out the political correct side of medical entities. The CDC will report the facts on the consequences of homosexual behavior and then blame those consequnces on something much less (if at all) associated with those consequences. Medical entities shouldn’t act bi-polar or schizophrenic when sharing data of such importance. I suggest people read Michael Fumento’s book called the Myth of Heterosexual AIDs, which documents the influence the homosexual activist lobby has had on the CDC and Madison Avenue style media.
Excellent article. There is NO shame it would seem to “parade” their homosexuality. Is it pride perhaps in avoiding admitting that they are killing themselves with their lifestyle?
Their very lifestyle is PROTECTED by law with a “hate” crime punishment greater than any other crime. (Never knew any other crime that wasn’t hate for another!)
Stigma: a mark of shame or discredit
What the bible(not I) says about homosexuality:
Leviticus 20:13 “If a man has sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman, the two of them have committed an abomination.”
1Tim:18But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, 9realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers – in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching. 11This accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.
1 Corinthian 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, 10thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.
If we truly LOVE we will be diligent in leading people to the truth that lasts for eternity.
It must be tough when you go to all that trouble to argue there’s no anti-gay stigma, only to have your own supporters like Juda write comments that prove you wrong.
Oh, and Juda, about that ” “hate” crime punishment greater than any other crime”? It’s the exact same hate crime punishment that someone would get from assaulting a Christian for their religious beliefs or a heterosexual for their sexual orientation.
[It would be nice if you had critical reading and thinking skills. Then we could have a discussion, but seeing where you are coming from, get well soon. ~G.N.]
Victimization and projection and denial are very dangerous. I’m truly frightened for those who get caught up in the gay lifestyle. It is not all rainbows and parades. I know this for sure, as I come from a family that includes many homosexuals.
Thank you for being willing to write the truth, Dr. Nadal.
Sorry, GN, you’re absolutely right. I should have written:
“It must be tough when you go to all that trouble to argue ‘the CDC, and not the faith community’ is the ‘source’ of anti-gay stigma, only to have your own supporters like Juda write comments that prove you wrong.”
Same point, more clearly worded.
Meanwhile, I’m still waiting to hear from Juda whether he understands that he gets the same hate crime protection based on his own religious beliefs and his own sexual orientation as gays do for their sexual orientation.
[My assessment of you stands. And Juda is a woman. ~G.N.]
“Changing mores, as we are seeing, does not change the laws of nature, particularly where infectious disease is concerned. Unlike humans, the microbes always remain true to their nature.”
BINGO! As I have said many times elsewhere, nature bats last. Only arrogant narcissists think they can manipulate nature to fit their twisted world view.