Migs the Manila Gay Guy got an e-mail
from a letter sender named Jake, which I thought was one of the worst
things I have heard happen to a guy. Here's the part of his story that made me
furious:
I
met a guy, a professional bodybuilder. Big, strong, healthy-looking. We went
out and like an idiot, I let him bareback me several times. He told me
YESTERDAY that he’s been HIV+ since 2007. I nearly killed him. I’m still
cleaning the blood off my floor and furniture. And the weird thing is, that’s
the first time in my life I’ve ever laid a hand on another human being in
anger.
I don't blame Jake. I probably would have killed the guy. It's one thing to infect another person with HIV, and quite another thing to KNOWINGLY infect a person with the disease. Fine, the rule is that you don't do bareback, period. Ok, we get that. But the bigger, more important, and so freakishly-obvious-I-don't-even-understand-why-it-needs-to-be-said rule is that you do not have unprotected sex with another person when you know you have HIV. In that case, you aren't just an idiot, you are a despicable human being that deserves no pity from anyone. You are evil.
I don't blame Jake. I probably would have killed the guy. It's one thing to infect another person with HIV, and quite another thing to KNOWINGLY infect a person with the disease. Fine, the rule is that you don't do bareback, period. Ok, we get that. But the bigger, more important, and so freakishly-obvious-I-don't-even-understand-why-it-needs-to-be-said rule is that you do not have unprotected sex with another person when you know you have HIV. In that case, you aren't just an idiot, you are a despicable human being that deserves no pity from anyone. You are evil.
My heart goes out to Jake who made a mistake in trusting someone he really shouldn't have trusted, and who is now paying a terrible price. What the guy did to him was nothing short of attempted murder. It had all the hallmarks of the crime: evil intent, treachery, infliction of serious physical injuries. One does not always need a knife or a gun to kill.
Photo taken here.
***
On to nicer topics.
So it's Valentine's Day once again, and the only thing running through my head right now is how broke I am. On the one hand, I think it's fantastic to show your affection by buying your loved one cool and expensive gifts (who doesn't like gifts?); on the other hand, I kind of feel like I'm being manipulated by capitalist forces beyond my ken.
Of course, I always end up spending more than what I should spend. Take for example earlier, where I spent four times more than what I planned.
Damn you capitalist forces, I cannot win. I always bow down to your masterful manipulation.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Or rather, Happy Suckers-who-fall-for-genius-marketing-and-consumerism Day everyone.
Tip to make this day easier for those who spend more than they should: Embrace the dark side (of shopping). It's true, we are suckers, but we also have more fun. And, regardless of what anyone tells you, a little fun is
