Lost Decade Gays

It used to be simple: there were the Gay ones and the Rest (though the Rest would have said that “there was us and the Gay guy next door”). But starting at the end of the “sleepy 50s” to climax by the end of the “Glorious 30s” (1945-1975), a sexual revolution had happened and had revealed a world of sexualities.

It was no coincidence that the “Lost Decade” (1980-1990) inaugurated by the abandon of state-led development policies in favour of Neo-liberalism was also the starting point of the tragic HIV/AIDS epidemic; not that one led to the other, but rather that the former did facilitate the spread of the later through globalisation.

It is then that the “Gay brand” failed to capture the diversity of a community that was not one. The era signalled the birth of the LGB (Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual or “Eljibiti”, copyright Wisdom of Whores). But soon it was clear that this new acronym failed to capture transgender (TG) people and the LGB, though not one unified community, grew to become the LGBT. And still the LGBT was failing to capture transsexuals. Should it be renamed LGNT²?

Transexuals or Transgenders?

As the AIDS epidemic started to reveal itself outside the Gay/LGB/LGBT/LGBT2 population and expand within the “others” (though within very specific populations such as sub-Saharan), also called “straight” or pejoratively “breeders” it became clear that not all gay men where calling themselves “gay”. Interestingly the “straight” population seems to be immune to “acronymophily”.

It wasn’t long before the socio-behavioural construct of “MSM” cropped up in 1994. First standing for “Men who have Sex with Men” it was also understood as “Males who have Sex with Males” with the appreciation that not all men engaging in sexual activity with another man considered themselves as men (Doh!), even though physiologically they were of the male sex. Sex and Gender are two very different thing as “SOGI” (nothing to do with a Weetabix that would have spent too much time soaking in milk, no pun intended) will tell you all about.

Nowadays Gay/MSM/MARP, whatever…

But it would have been too easy to stop here, particularly when it comes to HIV. Though being part of the MSM group (a better wording than “being an MSM”), not all members of this group are at the same risk of being infected by HIV. Some MSM were indeed risk-conscious, or health-aware, or had self-respect, or were simply too shit-scared to engage in UAI (that one stands for Unprotected Anal Intercourse, practice enjoyed very broadly, whatever the sexual orientation). Some MSM went painstakingly through the routine of using a condom at every sexual act, some even adopted faithfulness and some, pushing the limit of self-control further, went for abstinence. This was quite heroic in a self-centred egotistical, navel-watching world where many think they have the right to enjoy their sexuality as they wish, whatever the impact it has on other and the HIV epidemic (oops, I am preaching again).

MARPs come in a variety of colour and style

No worry, the imaginative world of HIV prevention came up with MARP, i.e. “Most At Risk Population” (or MARPS). The concept is interesting but still failing to capture the fact that putting oneself into a risky situation was something very much happening at the level of the individual.

Now, that’s were the story goes full circle when it becomes obvious that MARP is hiding the diversity of people and the sexual and other practices that make people more at risk of being infected by HIV (I am walking on eggs here and I am well aware of it). For instance, MARP ignores gender and there are now calls to recognised this diversity and to include representatives of all those who are indeed more at risk to be infected by HIV.

But let’s not despair! Soon expect a new acronym to crop up, and if the lost decade is forever lost, quixotic battles are still being fought and on whilst on the battlefield, cannon fodder are awaiting the cavalry.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.