The news that a straight adult film production company shut down after a performer tested HIV-positive came as no surprise to gay adult film star Owen Hawk, who tested positive in 2005 and has been making bareback films ever since, first as an actor and then as a producer and director.
In 2005, he founded Dark Alley Media (NSFW) with fellow adult film actor Matthias von Fistenberg. The company focuses on the “grittier underground of gay sexuality” and has produced more than 100 adult films. Later, Hawk launched an NSFW site. He is one of the first major gay porn stars to be completely open about his status.
Critics have long contended bareback porn sets bad example for men struggling to adhere to safe sex practices, but the outspoken and extraordinarily articulate Hawk strongly disagrees.
In an email exchange with Queerty, Hawk, who resides just outside of New York City with his partner of four years and their two dogs, shared with us some of his thoughts on the matter.
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Another “straight” porn performer tested HIV-positive, resulting in the fourth production stoppage at some adult companies in Los Angeles. The question over whether or not condoms should be required on set has once again been raised.
While I am not much of an expert in straight porn, I am aware that every once in a while a straight performer tests positive and this leads to a production shut down and quarantine. I have not been following the latest development, but I do understand that all of the previous three cases involved performers who contracted HIV in their private lives and that there was no on-set transmission.
Now, as you may or may not know, gay porn is entirely different as there is no standardized testing and quarantine program. Gay companies that film with condoms — with a few exceptions — do not test models or even ask about their HIV status at all during the casting and hiring process.
So there’s no regulation whatsoever?
In my performing career I worked with most of the popular condom-only studios and HIV status was never asked of me or anyone else.
That was five to ten years ago. Today, I understand there are a few condom companies who do ask about status and who will not work with models that are positive.
It seems many gay performers turn to bareback porn after testing HIV-positive.
It may seem that way, but in my experience, a much bigger factor for performers, HIV-positive or otherwise, in deciding to make bareback porn or not, is concern over their career. Many performers I have talked to that are HIV-positive have expressed that they would prefer to make bareback because they enjoy bareback more, they have bareback sex in their private lives, but won’t do it in porn because of their fear that they would be blacklisted by certain condom-only studios. Many of these same performers have returned in subsequent years telling me that they are no longer concerned about blacklisting and are now ready to make bareback.
Do they get paid more for doing bareback?
From what I know of the industry’s pay scale, bareback porn pays less or equal to the condom-only studios. In the formative years of bareback porn the blacklisting policy was very prevalent, so the performers who choose to do bareback were not guys that wanted porn careers, they were guys living a fantasy and doing something because they thought it was hot, so low fees of $150 to $250 or even no pay were common.
But, ultimately, going bareback is a choice?
Yes, it is a choice, not a necessity that one comes to because sero-conversion has eliminated their options.
What about the message it sends?
You are alluding to is this argument that bareback porn glamorizes risky behavior and that it encourages people to have unsafe sex.
There is nothing about bareback porn that takes away a person’s free will or compels them to act in a way that they otherwise would not. I don’t think HIV prevention should hinge on the message that barebacking is shameful and wrong. It is an activity that humans have been doing and enjoying for millions of years, and for which there is deep evolutionary conditioning.
People are going to fuck raw regardless of if they see it in porn or not. Given that the desire to bareback is literally written into our DNA, safer-sex education should acknowledge that the desire to bareback is real and normal, and then say “but here are all the reasons that you might choose to use condoms.”
There are people who wouldn’t agree.
I’ve learned not to bother to argue this with some people, as I would have more luck convincing the Pope to approve abortion then I would have convincing some gay men that bareback porn was okay.
But for the people who are not cemented into their self-righteousness, I would ask them to take a moment and try to understand me as a person who has tried to live a life that is truthful to myself, my desires, and my own sense of right and wrong.
What impact has your HIV status had on your career?
None. I have mostly stopped performing in porn in the last year or so, but this has to do with aging out of it versus anything to do with HIV. I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and after that much time its not so exciting anymore.
What about on a personal level? How has HIV affected you?
Finding out I was positive was not a momentous turning point in my life. I fully expected it to happen and was not shocked when it did. I wanted to have these wild, intense, raw sex experiences and I understood that this probably meant getting HIV, and that when that happened I would be responsible about it and take care of myself medically.
Do you regret that attitude?
At the time, the demand that my sex drive was putting on me was something that was very hard to ignore, and I was in my 20s and under the impression that I was invincible. I don’t particularly regret it, but I don’t think I would have made the same decision in my 30s when I am much less driven to act out and experience every one of my fantasies.
Presently, I am very healthy, athletic, I don’t use drugs and I tolerate my once daily medications without any side effects. I am in a long-term relationship of four years with an awesome man, so I don’t have the fear of being rejected or that no one will love me. Every day I am extremely grateful for these things and I remain very optimistic about the future of HIV treatment and the possibility of a cure in my lifetime.
That seems so different than your life on the set.
Personally, I see myself as an entertainer and not a bareback-advocate. I created this character, Owen Hawk, and I never intended him to be a role model. He’s foul-mouthed, aggressive, and doesn’t give a shit what people think about him. But Owen Hawk is not a real person; he is a fictional character — my own creation for public consumption, my avatar actor in a world of fantasy that is not real.
The things I like about Owen Hawk are that he’s not there saying HIV is not real, he knows HIV is real, but he’d rather be positive and fuck raw than be negative and wear a rubber. He’s a creature of animus, driven by his own pleasure yet possessing of a conscious understanding of consent. And I think this is a very interesting and different perspective, one that should be heard and considered, as opposed to silenced.
But it’s one thing to lead your own life that way, but another to show it to men who might emulate the behavior.
That’s the same argument that some folks make against homosexuality in general – that it is okay in the private sphere, but not okay in the public one. I flat out reject this idea.
In making bareback porn, I have not set out to be a good or bad person, responsible or irresponsible. I’ve only tried to express myself honestly and create something true to my own sexual fantasies and experiences. If people want to put the mantel of villain on me, fine. I made a decision a long time ago to live life according to my own sense of right and wrong.
Of course there’s the flip side, too. When porn stars and other sexually active men are stigmatized for having HIV. Look at what happened to one of your performers, Mason Wyler [pictured, below]. He was outed as being HIV-positive on social media and then subjected to all kinds of hatred for doing nothing more than what a lot of people have done — engaging in unprotected sex and then testing positive.
HIV stigma is a real problem and one that discourages people from knowing their status. When people see someone like Mason, or myself even, tarred and feathered in comments sections or on Twitter, it reinforces this fear that guys who may be HIV-positive but haven’t gotten tested have: that knowing their status will result in similar condemnation from the community.
Getting HIV is no more a moral failure than getting the flu. Both are transmitted through totally normal and natural human behaviors that we have been engaging in for millions of years.
Personally, I think these “haters” are judgmental people with limited imaginations — folks who conflate being HIV-positive with being dead, as if there was no difference between a living human with a treatable disease and a corpse. These are the same people for whom the only acceptable narrative for HIV-positive people is one of apology: “I made a mistake and here is how my life should be a cautionary tale for you who still have hope.”
You refuse to apologize.
The fact is, HIV-positive people have active, fun sex lives. We’re sexy, we’re funny, and some of us are actually happier since we’ve become positive. Some of us are even healthier because we have been forced to become more responsible – you know, cut out the drugs and partying, see the doctor regularly.
Furthermore, while I know not all HIV-positive people like or approve of bareback porn, there are some for whom it is the only instance of media, gay or otherwise, portraying HIV-positive guys as not depressed or dying. I can’t think of any media realm other than bareback porn where HIV-positive men are considered sexy, strong, powerful, and active. For this audience, the message that bareback porn sends is an empowering one.
Geeker
So basically he was ok with getting HIV as long as he got to have all the bareback sex he wanted?Was he also ok with giving others HIV as well? This whole article is confusing and disturbing.
Mark
“Humans have been enjoying barebacking for millions of years.” — What, since *homo erectus*, who had brains half the size of present day monkeys, began to figure out how to use stones as tools? Oh, the barebackers never stop entertaining the rest of us.
seaguy
@Geeker: “Was he also ok with giving others HIV as well?” What evidence do you have on which to base your ASSumption?
OrwellIsDead
“Personally, I think these “haters” are judgmental people with limited imaginations …” — nah, we’re just taxpayers. Pay the full cost of your medications, and then you can start telling us what’s what, you stuck up freeloader.
jimbryant
Lots of straight couples have bareback anal. Why don’t they get HIV? Because they do it monogamously and with healthy partners.
The same rules apply to male-male couples but the problem here is that the anal act is often performed within a highly promiscuous environment with total strangers who have not been medically vetted. It’s the environment, stupid.
What do I think of porn performers? I tend to think they have self-esteem issues and serious drug problems. They prostitute their sexuality. No porn performer – male or female – is qualified to take the moral high ground on sex.
deltabadhand
“At the time, the demand that my sex drive was putting on me was something that was very hard to ignore.”.
Wow. What an incredibly selfish, immature, inconsiderate buffoon. His lack of understanding of the ramifications of his actions and anything resembling true self awareness is astounding.
viveutvivas
He’s hot and has some interesting things to say, as opposed to the boring same old judgmental crap falling out of most people’s mouths, you know who you are.
QJ201
In other words. He’s a cum pig who figured he would become HIV positive (no mention of trying to serosort or choose “neg” tops to breed his hole)…and then he became a professional cum pig once he learned his was poz.
So HIV no big Deal!
Really charming attitude considering that not everyone gets access to HIV meds (even here in the good ol USA).
hrnpip
Except in a case of rape, no one forces anyone to do anything sexually that they don’t consent to. Does that mean it’s informed? No, not always. Knowledge IS power. The information is available but not everyone takes advantage of that. This is one area where ignorance is not bliss. But adults are capable of making their own decisions. He’s not saying it’s safe, he’s saying it’s hot. Do you enjoy watching movies with police chases and shoot-outs and murders? They’re exciting and fun to watch, but are you going to get into a chase or shoot-out with police or murder someone? Probably not. But if you do, did the movie really force you to do it? No. Same with porn; it can’t force you to do anything either. If porn is guiding your life choices, you have bigger problems than can be addressed here.
petensfo
Well, I know it will sound condescending, but the guy seems to be kinda confused about a few concepts…
That aside, I think his larger point about people being judgmental & seeing HIV+ people as less-than, is very valid.
johngagon
I agree with his message. It’s not the bug chasing you think it is. This is about making decisions responsibility and open minded-ly. Knowing status and disclosing status are the biggest culprits and stigma for those who have it makes them shy and neglect to disclose in their own self-interest and their own shockwave of behaviors that did NOT have intentional consequences. Barebacking is not the number one or most critical cause of HIV as people want to think.
HIV is a virus that does not understand the difference between Anal Bob or Anal Annie’s asshole. There’s a double standard at work in porn and if you can’t see it you’re fucking stupid. (maybe literally)
Wilberforce
So the gay community is still full of internalized homophobia and refuses to set basic adult standards to stop the spread of HIV even after 30 years. This book-length interview with another sociopath is more of the same pattern. When will this community start facing their emotional issues like adults?
johngagon
Condoms are just one avenue for those who are not committed and who do not wish to increase their risks. Some people live responsibly with the reality that condoms are not for them. They might do what every straight couple does in barebacking with commitment (like myself, a neg but one who has been in every serocombination of couple you can think) or they might commit to a life of risk and risk management. That could be an option for some 100% tops and maybe even some bottoms who are simply being real with the fact that their pig bottoms and not likely going to avoid it (I can hear you start to scream now) but as long as they disclose and test and know, I’m much better with this than someone who does not test and esp those who created the stigma in the first place.
The problem isn’t always the responsibility of one individual. There has been so many years of research and promises and there have been successes no doubt but let’s admit the fact that more responsibility lies with our system as well. The gay community should stop bailing out / be the whipping boy for big Pharma (in a bad way). Sure, we should work together and it’s not the great Satan but there are problems to address there ahead of anything else.
Merv
This article proves once again that bug chasers and gifters do exist. If you are going to be promiscuous, condoms and home testing are the only way to be reasonably safe. Don’t have sex with anyone who tests positive or refuses to test. You still need to use condoms with everyone else, because of the limitations of the test and to protect against other diseases.
Degas
I can’t think of any media realm other than bareback porn where HIV-positive men are considered sexy, strong, powerful, and active. For this audience, the message that bareback porn sends is an empowering one.
Huh?
What about the copious advertisements for the ‘one a day’ medication keeping him alive and healthy?
GeriHew
@Mark: None of us would be here if it wasn’t for bareback sex.
I’m not going to have anal intercourse with anyone, without a condom though.
Stache1
@Geeker: Please cite any links or info you have that confirm your allegation. If not what an asshole thing to say.
Stache1
@OrwellIsDead: Oh please. Spare us your sanctimonious superiority BS. Is it even possible to have a rational conversation about this.
joey
…
Stache1
@deltabadhand: Yes but it was honest and something we’ve all experienced. Young and horny = not the best decision making sometimes. He’s non apologetic about it though and that’s what grates your nerves and the rest of the pearl clutch brigade.. Fuck that. It’s his life and he doesn’t have to follow your rules.
joey
i kind of get what hes saying although i dont totally agree. i have a few friends that are just “wired” that bb is hot, i am VERY lucky i never felt that way. i have NEVER EVER bb in my life i was always way too terrified. i ALWAYS used condoms but shit can go wrong. in my early days i was pretty crazy but then after a few years i began to realize how much guys were lying about status i was too niave to think anyone would lie, the other thing is i just cant get tested i get terrified and sick going the waiting the thinking some how i fucked up. so about 2 yrs ago after i dragged myself to get tested and was neg. i just stopped fucking it sucks i miss it but i dont have to get tested anymore and that FEELS GREAT
Stache1
@johngagon: I hear you. There was allot of things I don’t like about the “HIV Equal” campaign but their mission was great. It’s about being open and honest about it which means getting tested and treated if your positive. It’s also about reducing the stigma around it.
Right now this guy has the pearl clutching wag the finger in your face brigade panties in a twist right now. They prefer people to be stigmatized. This helps no one but their self righteous sense of superiority.
AuntieChrist
I’m pretty sure than porn actors are not generally considered for the brain trust…
the other Greg
“I don’t think HIV prevention should hinge on the message that barebacking is shameful and wrong. It is an activity that humans have been doing and enjoying for millions of years, and for which there is deep evolutionary conditioning.”
WHERE is the evidence for this? I love how being a porn “star” automatically confers a Ph.D. in arcane areas of neuroscience.
“We’re sexy, we’re funny, and some of us are actually happier since we’ve become positive. Some of us are even healthier because we have been forced to become more responsible – you know, cut out the drugs…”
What is this goddam moralistic OBSESSION with drugs? It’s ironic that someone spends a whole interview decrying how “moralistic” people are about HIV, when he’s so moralistic about drugs.
Go fuck yourself, Nancy Reagan. First off, define “drugs,” but some are a lot of fun in moderation. As a young guy (I dimly remember this), I much preferred to do drugs occasionally, while using condoms and remaining HIV-negative, than to do it the other way around.
@GeriHew: “None of us would be here if it wasn’t for bareback sex.”
Really? Did your father fuck your mother UP THE BUTT and thereby make her pregnant? If so you were the most remarkable pregnancy since Mary had Jesus. Please call the Pope immediately, and the Mayo Clinic!
DistingueTraces
@Stache1: I’m in complete agreement that basing an argument on slurs against the character of people who disagree with you is irrational, harmful and dishonest.
CaptainFabulous
As usual, the Queerty commentary section is 10x more entertaining than the article.
I come for the LGBTQ info, I stay for the floorshow.
The amount of idiocy and pearl clutching is simply astounding. And I never, ever get tired of laughing my ass off at all the ignorance, faux-morality, and stupidity. Best part of my day. And for that I thank all of you from the bottom of my balls.
the other Greg
@CaptainFabulous: I’m glad you keep saying that, Captain AIDS Dementia.
At least you are no longer spreading around bareback nonsense of your own, like so much “santorum.”
DistingueTraces
@Stache1: “pearl clutching”
@CaptainFabulous: “pearl clutching”
I seem to feel two different hands gripping my pearls.
Sweet Boy
He’s just trying to hide the fact that he’s poz and everything that comes with it by asserting that it is a personal choice.
I have no sympathy for barebackers
Next !
krystalkleer
porn stars aren’t politicians!…they chose their paycheck just like anyone else…you either want it or ya don’t! simple pimple!
http://getoffmydress.blogspot.com/2013/12/ho-ho-hold-up-minute.html
sobedoug
Sick fuck.
On multiple levels, those two words suffice to describe Owen Hawk and his twisted mindset.
bklynboy11209
I’m not going to lie. I’m a young guy and I love to bottom. I’ve been to some risky places, a bathhouse here and there, a couple of Palm Springs nude resorts, that are basically outside bathhouses. I walk around nude, carrying condoms. If someone bends me over, I hand out the condom. It’s usually refused. I straighten up and walk away. I have never bottomed in any of these places. I won’t have condomless sex regardless of how hot the top is.
Mr. Hawks comments are disturbing to say the least and the reason I get frustrated at these places.
Stache1
@Sweet Boy: “He’s just trying to hide the fact that he’s poz.”
Did you actually read the story before you came here to give us your opinion?
You’re not Miagoodguy by any chance are you? He likes names that are kind of oxymoronic too.
GreatGatsby2011
@Stache1: He’s just trying to hide the fact that he’s illiterate.
johnnyboy1988
I would guess that most of the users so shocked at his interview know little to nothing about living with HIV/AIDS. It’s easy to be a fearmonger, until it affects you or someone in your life. I used to hold the same sweeping, judgmental opinions, until I started dating someone who’s poz. I then started volunteering a test center and doing a lot of research on the truths about HIV and AIDS. The stigma out there and the stereotypes that abound are dangerous and depressing – and i say that as someone who’s neg. this dude obi has some compulsions, but I applaud him for living the way he does. The truth is that scientists estimates about 25% of msm in the US are poz, but the problem is no one tests and no one talks about it. To sooo many gay men, HIV = death, and the thought of it ever affecting you seems so remote. It isn’t. Nothing will ever change within our community until 1) we stop being afraid of HIV and those who have it, 2) we all get tested 3) we support each other. HIV is not a tangential problem – it is a gay problem. If you are gay, its your problem. The number of infections is on the rise. Perhaps half of all gay men will be poz by 2030 (assuming no cure is found). This means we must support those who can speak openly about their decisions and status. Acquiring hiv isn’t somethig to be ashamed of or fear. Also, we must remember that shaming someone for a ‘mistake’ is terrible unfair. Straight people make this same mmistake’ everyday, and MANY people acquire HIV while in monogamous realtionships. It doesn’t mean that anyone lied, cheated, gifted – it more than likely means they were human. It is more than possible to live with HIV, and more of us are doing it everyday. We are lucky it’s no longer 1985 – we will likely have a cure within a decade. It’s time to fight for each other – this dude may have made unwise choices, but he is living the best he knows how.
jimbryant
HIV is self-inflicted. Stop blaming others for your HIV.
The problem is a lack of moral values amongst men who seek sex with men.
Stache1
@johnnyboy1988: That was the best comment I’ve heard and gives me some hope that were not all a bunch of bitter judgmental queens. Yes it’s so much easier to point your finger and demonize others. I’ve come to expect nothing less from the gay community.
The only thing in your comment that I think is wrong is that I believe things will change for the better much sooner. I give it 10 years. It’s already happening. I’ve noticed that allot more young people are now getting tested and carry their results around like a drivers license. Getting tested together is another new thing.
The HIV Equal campaign is also saying the same thing. Earlier prevention methods are just not working. Getting people in and tested, stopping the shaming and judgmental attitudes will be the game changer. Those that have HIV need to know that it’s not a death sentence. You can still live a full healthy life. I know were talking about the gay community but I have hope.
Stache1
@jimbryant: I’m sorry. I thought you were blaming women. Gotta keep up with ya. Lol
joey
@johngagon: good comments….youre right about the testing i know lots of guys that just dont go…i HATED going i could barely get myself to go 2x a year…but somehow i went. although i always used condoms- shit happens condoms break etc.. i would still feel like throwing up in the office waiting, i could never take anyone along lest my results be bad, i would never want anyone to know. finally as i mentioned above i just couldnt deal with lying guys and alsi knew that if i had sex i had to test so i just stopped having the sex…its been about 2 yrs but i do other stuff and when i get depressed thinking about fucking i just make myself remember what it was like to sit in that office waiting for results..then i feel a lot better. ironically i recently was diagnosed with hep b (even though i did do the vaccines) and i am on tenofovir…an hiv drug VERY ironic huh?
OrwellIsDead
I love how all the infected guys come galloping in to comment threads like this and start moaning about “stigma” and the need to be “educated”. If there’s any judging going on, it’s from negative guys – who represent an 80% majority of the gay community – expressing how fucking fed up we are with the fuckwits who were, firstly, stupid enough to allow themselves to become infected and, secondly, now want everyone to tell them that the fact they are infected is ok. It isn’t ok. No part of the fact that they are infected is ok. If they have to call that stigma, then good for them.
sobedoug
@OrwellIsDead: Exactly. Enough already.
jimbryant
You’ve got to remember that the modern male-male social scene is built on a sex act. It’s a scene of concentrated promiscuity that involves anonymous encounters. It’s the perfect storm for STD transmission.
And yet we still have faux victims crying about how stigmatized they are because they caught HIV or syphilis or gonorrhoea or whatever. The refrain from these faux victims goes something like this:
“Wa, wa, wa….it’s society’s fault….society made me catch an STD….wa, wa, wa….society made me inject heroin into my veins….wa, wa, wa….society made me take crystal meth….wa, wa, wa.”
And the chorus goes on and on and on and on. The victim card never fails to carry these sorts.
the other Greg
@Stache1: Jeez. Wouldn’t it just be a lot EASIER to use condoms? Or stay with c0cksucking?
Why are the young guys now so determined to “reinvent the wheel”? Why turn everything into such a complicated convoluted mess?
@johnnyboy1988: I’m in a sero-discordant relationship too, johngagon, but I don’t get what you mean. I’m glad you overcame your fear enough to get into your relationship. But your other assertions don’t seem to have much connection with that.
“Earlier prevention methods are just not working.” Gee, somehow they worked for 30 fucking years. Suddenly they magically stopped working? Why?
@OrwellIsDead: I have to agree with you (somewhat reluctantly!) that the campaign against “stigma” is misguided. A little stigma is totally appropriate! But too much stigma leads to dumbsh*t stuff like this (supposed) “serosorting” cr@p, getting tested every fucking month, blah blah blah. All because some selfish bastard tops want to bareback! Fuck them.
@jimbryant: “Anonymous sexual encounters”!!! Oh the horror!!!
Well “jim” it’s like this. Anonymous sexual encounters are a lot of fun. And they’re not very dangerous IF you use a condom with anal sex. That’s it. It’s not rocket science, though I suppose it is way beyond your comprehension.
johnnyboy1988
@OrwellIsDea@OrwellIsDead: You obviously know nothing about living with HIV, the environmental and socioeconomic factors that lead to infection. You will never understand the shame and regret that comes with being infected. What’s so troubling is that there’s NO REASON for any of it – HIV is very manageable anymore. I would rather have HIV than many types of cancer, save for the shaming that straight and gays alike throw at those unlucky enough to be infected. You don’t have to tell poz dudes that it’s their fault – they know that, and they HATE THEMSELVES for it. They’ve likely given into their worst fears, that their lives, dreams and relationships are over, tho the opposite is true these days, especially considering how close we are to a cure. People like this porn star are rare – 99% of gay poz men live in fear of anyone ever finding out what’s happened, and would likely kill themselves if they transmitted it. You might think that it’s a gay guy’s fault he got infected, bur keep in mind that hardly anyone would tell a straight person that – you may also beliebe that it’s joe straight-person’s fault, but people are much likely to ask ‘how did that happen to you?’ than ‘it’s your fault’. On the flipside, gay guys hear it all the time. And they believe it, which only leads to secrecy, followed by ignorance and denial, putting others in danger of infection. Gays need to support each other if ever want to overcome it. We cannot say ‘not my problem.’ Nothing will ever change until we realize that it’s everyone’s problem.
jimbryant
Wa, wa, wa…society gave me syphilis…wa, wa, wa…society made me inject heroin into my arm vein…wa, wa, wa….society made me sniff amyl nitrate…wa, wa, wa…society made me stay up until 7 in the morning at a dance club despite my body needing sleep.
Wa, wa, wa…society made me open my anus for someone I’ve never met before….wa, wa, wa….society made me sit on a harness while faceless men walked past and probed me with scaly penises…wa, wa, wa…society has been so horrible to me.
Wa, wa, wa…will the chorus ever stop?
CaptainFabulous
Ooooo, this is getting good!
/grabs popcorn
andyj
“It is an activity that humans have been doing and enjoying for millions of years, and for which there is deep evolutionary conditioning.”
ok at most humans have existed for 2 million years but most likely not that long. You know what else has “deep evolutionary conditioning”? Rape, murder, thievery… but as evolved human beings we have consequences for those. I love the selective invocation of evolution. If we we truly following the principles of evolution we’d allow this virus to cull those too stupid to take the simple steps to avoid getting it.
johnnyboy1988
@jimbryant: Again, it’s ignorant to assume that only promiscuous, drug-using people are infected with HIV. Ask an expert – I have – most people are infected theough repeated exposure to the same person. What about those born with HIV? Those with partners who lie about their status? Those whose partners cheat? Those whose partners are HIV positive but also elite controllers, who live healthily for decades without treatment, and unknowingly pass it onto their loved ones? HIV is a complex topic – obviously too complex for your small mind to comprehend. Take a class. Of any kind.
the other Greg
@jimbryant: What a vivid imagination you have!
Does society make you beat off 9 times day thinking about those things?
CaptainFabulous
“You got penis in my anus!”
“You got anus in my penis!”
Two great tastes that taste great together… la la la la la…
CaptainFabulous
@the other Greg: You have to forgive him Greg, he’s overdue for his daily sin-purging self-whipping.
johnnyboy1988
@andyj: Keep in mind that most people with HIV are not MSM, but entire populations in Africa. Also, hemophiliacs, those born with HIV, etc were not stupid, and neither are MSM who get it. You’ll likely rot in hell with hateful right-wing homophobes and gay-bashers.
the other Greg
@CaptainFabulous: LOL. OK you got to me Captain F.
That was almost as funny as “jim” saying “probed me with scaly penises”!
jimbryant
johnny boy,
You are exaggerating the African AIDS problem. The African AIDS problem is about as real as global warming. It’s a fraud designed to scam money from the American taxpayer.
AIDS is self-inflicted. Deal.
jimbryant
Wa, wa, wa…society is to blame for my STD’s…wa, wa, wa…society owes me the money I need to buy drugs to treat my illnesses…wa, wa, wa…I’ve been hard done by…wa, wa, wa….society made me do things I shouldn’t have, such as open my glistening intestine to someone I’d never met before.
Manchester
Why is everyone only talking about getting HIV in this thread? What about the spread of Hep A, B and C? What about HPV? What about creating more and more antibiotic resistant strains of gonorrhea and chlamydia? What about stronger strains of syphilis, herpes and whatever else can live inside your ass and dick passed from one barebacking queen to another? Why do these guys never address these issues? I’m tired of these porn studios trying to play up the fact that HIV is hot or sexy. It’s not. It’s scary and it still can leave you open to a disease that can kill you. Treasure Island gives the same rhetoric as this guy but you just know that these bottoms have intestines that look like cottage cheese. Why are we not calling them out on this? I’m worried about what is going to come of all this devil may care attitude to fucking your brains out with some guy you met 5 minutes ago. Yeah you can take a pill to stay alive but eventually that isn’t going to work anymore because these diseases are only going to get stronger and get smarter. Does anyone else ever think about this? I’m curious to know.
cooldudesea
The truth is many gay men have secret lives within secret lives within secret lives within secret lives .For far too many many it is like peeling an onion. We wear these happy faces but we do not share our lives with even our most trusted friends. Too many gay men still in 2013 (as 2014 rapidly approaches and with many states passing laws and even more so with the federal government doing the same) compartmentalize various aspects of their lives.
I was NO better (I saw myself a verging sex addict with the start of the internet in the late 90s, phone sex and a few sex club visits) to be honest (and it remains a fight not to go down that rabbit hole). Sadly I had a glorious wake-up to this reality some 15 years ago when a friend of mine was diagnosed with HIV and soon committed suicide. He mailed letters to many of us and I saw myself starting to create that box within a box within a box with a box until the tiniest box was my self-worth, dignity and shame.
I miss you Anthony.
I am now 45 and married (THANK YOU Washington State) to a wonderful man that I am honest with each and every morning, noon and night but I am also honest with myself.
So speaking of honestly let’s look at a few things and try to be honest as well.
cooldudesea
Some gay men are HIV positive (because the truth is unless you are having sex with that person…it is not your business). Also we have lost the idea that it is SAFER sex. We think the ONLY way to get HIV is bareback sex. Unforeseen mistakes (condoms break, impaired judgment and the killer of misplaced trust). YES bareback sex is probably the highest reason today in 2013. I can’t tell how many friends have shared they trusted someone who lied about their status and their need to keep the relationship going for a variety of reasons. Also I can’t ignore the acceptance and endorsement of high gloss muscled bareback porn (Sean Cody and Corbin Fisher) vs. the stigma crushing Treasure Island Media; we are more polarized than ever. Also the drugs of today do not create that identify look..coupled with the sensation that “I should have known better” many are silent about their health to other partners.
cooldudesea
Some gay are sex addicts (because the greater gay culture is designed to exploit and enhance that). Go ahead and look at your phone and/or computer see all the hook up apps or sites you have visited in the past week. How about your memberships and/or visiting of sex clubs/ circuit parties yeah because they raise money for HIV/AIDS research while promoting it at the same time…
HIV SHAMING DOES NOT WORK IT CREATES MORE WALLS
NoelG
@jimbryant: you really are a dimwit. I know! You are going to claim the World Health Organization statistics are fabricated. Every sub-Saharan African nation ranks at the top of the list of HIV infection rates. In Africa, the HIV epidemic is primarily in the heterosexual community and is based on ignorance, religion, and patriarchal societies where women have few to no rights. And, yes, women are victims when, for example, it’s a common belief that HIV-infected men can cure themselves by sleeping with virgins.
NoelG
I wonder about this focus on anal sex as the method of transmission for HIV as if it’s the only way to get infected.
DCFarmboi
contrary to his claims, barebacking is shameful and wrong. Period.
the other Greg
@Manchester: You make a valid point but fortunately a bit hyperbolic. Hepatitis A is usually a food-borne illness. You can get herpes from kissing. The biggest dangers you mention are the (apparently) new antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, and Hep C where the treatment can be very tricky esp. if the patient has HIV.
@cooldudesea: I have to throw this in. I always see people referring casually to “condoms breaking” – does that ever REALLY happen? I’ve never seen it happen. Where do these people get these defective condoms that break so much, from Cosmo Kramer?
Isn’t the whole “condoms break” bullsh*t pretty much an urban myth? I think it originated with the anti-gay, abstinence crowd who want to scare everyone out of having premarital sex, or gay sex of any kind.
CaptainFabulous
@the other Greg: Condoms can break. No, it doesn’t happen often, but it *does* happen, usually as a result of improper usage or size. Sometime due to using the wrong lube, or not enough lube, or even too much lube. It’s happened to me more than once.
cooldudesea
@the other Greg:
I have had a condom break (twice in the first year…but that was with a lot of sex) with my husband (when we started dating)…it does happen but it is not a rampant problem or permission to yank them off and go balls off to the wall
oilburner
@jimbryant: I’m starting to agree. With you & wtf is up with this article Owen hawk is a moron there is. Nothing fun or happy or sexy about being HIV+ or taking daily medication thatmost people use tax payer dollars to pay for or dying of complications from aids anyone who agrees with Owen hawk is also an idiot
oilburner
@jimbryant: thank u
johnnyboy1988
@the other Greg: i didnt mention anything about earlier methods not working…
CaptainFabulous
@oilburner: It must really kill you to know that most cancer, obesity, mental health, and diabetic treatments are paid for by taxpayers.
Y’know what’s worse than having to take daily medication? Being dead. But go on, keep showing us how ignorant you really are. Tell us more of your brilliant epiphanies. I for one am having a riot of a good laugh.
Nothing fun or sexy about saying stupid shit or agreeing with the resident self-loathing troll.
Stache1
@jimbryant: Your like the crazy guy on the street people give a wide birth trying to get around as he mumbles to himself occasionally shouting out obscenities. Lol
jimbryant
I would do anal in a heartbeat provided two conditions were met: I was into it and both me and may partner were healthy. In those circumstances, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
However, I would NEVER do bareback anal with a complete stranger whose sexual history I know nothing about. I’d also never do it with a person if I knew he was unhealthy. It’s such a simple, logical state of affairs, isn’t it?
Problem is, there is not much logic amongst men who seek sex with men. The sleazy ones amongst us will continue to demonize bareback anal simply because they need to justify their own lifestyle involving sex with total strangers who have questionable sexual histories. Condoms enable these sleazeballs to mentally escape the consequences of their promiscuity.
The only people who should be wearing condoms during anal are the sleazeballs who seek sex with total strangers with questionable sexual histories.
Stache1
@CaptainFabulous: No I’m sure he’s glad that most of those will be paid for by the tax payers since he’ll most likely be needing it in the near future.
You know the psychology of this is interesting. It shows just how sex guilt can be so deeply ingrained. Like he really does believe that they deserve it. While people who get the “normal” problems should be cared for because it didn’t come from that dirty sex.
I don’t even think jimbryant takes himself seriously most of the time. He says shit to just stir things up. You gotta be serious Koo Koo for Cocoa Puffs to identify with that.
Stache1
@jimbryant: You keep it coming Jim. Lol
johnnyboy1988
AGAIN – it is ignorant and innaccurate to claim that all or even most hiv infectioms happen via one night stands. LOOK IT UP or ask a public health expert!
jimbryant
Just to clarify, yes, I would do bareback anal in a heartbeat with a faithful and healthy partner. Yes, there are many of us like that around. We don’t all open our insides to strangers in dark rooms.
I get so annoyed when pompous, self-righteous, promiscuous, careless men try to project their own experiences onto the rest of us. These guys compensate for their own lack of morality by projecting a self-righteous attitude onto everybody else.
Can I just say to these guys the following: I do NOT need to wear a condom and, therefore, I will NOT wear a condom.
Lazycrockett
He was one of my first porn crushes back when he started and before he went all hardcore.
the other Greg
@johnnyboy1988: Sorry – Stache1 said “Earlier methods are not working,” I misquoted.
the other Greg
@jimbryant: “I would do bareback anal in a heartbeat with a faithful and healthy partner.”
You have told us many, many, MANY times that you already had a faithful and healthy partner.
Oh jim, why won’t your partner thrust his probing penis into your “glistening intestines”? You seem almost as confused about anatomy as you are about whether you have a boyfriend or not!
Merv
I’m not sure why the conversation is focusing exclusively on condoms. The other big gun being ignored is home HIV test. No, they aren’t foolproof, but neither or condoms. When you combine condoms with home HIV tests then your risks are dramatically lower than with one alone. The other good thing about them is that their consistent use smokes out the bug gifting sociopaths. They can’t lie anymore and ruin any more lives.
Stache1
@the other Greg: Damn. For a brief shining second I thought Jim was going to behave and actually said something that was honest for once and made sense. Nope. Oh well…
OrwellIsDead
@johnnyboy1988: You’d “rather have HIV than many types of cancer”? I bet you would, you spoiled brat, since HIV is treatable (at taxpayer/insurance co. expense, not yours) while many other cancers, such as the bowel cancer that killed my father and the breast cancer that killed my sister, are not. Do yourself and the rest of us a favour and shut your petulant mouth.
the other Greg
@OrwellIsDead: Uh… I don’t know if you intended all this in your hyperbolic snarling, but:
1) You imply that there is NO treatment whatsoever for either bowel or breast cancer? Hardly.
2) You imply that neither your father nor sister received ANY treatment for their cancers? Really?
3) You imply that neither your father nor sister received ANY help from insurance and/or government for their cancers? Yeah, right.
Liar.
OrwellIsDead
I didn’t imply anything of the kind. Read it again, pinhead.
the other Greg
@OrwellIsDead: So you’re STATING that those two cancers are not treatable, at all? Not true.
So you’re STATING that neither your father nor sister received ANY treatment whatsoever for their cancers. Unless they were Christian Scientists or something, that makes no sense. Did they spend any time in the hospital at all?
So you’re STATING that neither your father nor sister received ANY help from insurance and/or government for their cancers. Liar. Fucking… LIAR.
AuntieChrist
Looks like Owen Hawk isn’t the only brain trust on Queerty blog. LOL@the other Greg: Not you bro I think you are totally cool…And you are intelligent…Peace.xxoo
Stache1
@the other Greg: I’m just trying to figure out if (OrwellIsDead) he’s just really that stupid or simply lying or both. The fun just never stops tonight. Lol
OrwellIsDead
I’m not quite sure why you’re so energised by a question that was directed to someone else and not you, but to clarify: Johnny Boy said he would be happier to have HIV than most types of cancers. My response to him, which you’re now responding to, was that I bet he did, since HIV was readily treatable and rarely fatal, unlike many cancers, which often don’t respond to treatment and result in the death of the patient, in this case my father and sister. Is that clearer? In any case, thank so much for being so sensitive to the deaths of non-gay, non-HIV-infected people. It’s certainly the way to win support for your own cause.
the other Greg
@OrwellIsDead: I’m energized because you charged on here being an a$$hole.
You have clarified the “treatment” part a little by admitting that those cancers are, indeed, sometimes treatable but “often don’t respond to treatment.” Yes. That’s the way to put it. Although that is NOT what you said in your OP. You said they were not treatable, period.
You haven’t said what if any treatment your relatives got. Did they spend absolutely no time in the hospital? If not, why not?
And you haven’t addressed the insurance question at all. Probably because you made up the whole thing?
the other Greg
@OrwellIsDead: Just to clarify: I don’t believe your sister (if you had one) had cancer, and I don’t believe your father (if you had one!) had cancer. So you don’t need to bother making up an answer to the insurance question. Although… what the hell, go ahead and give it a try.
johnnyboy1988
I honestly can’t believe anyone would claim that there’s anything wrong with insurance (which I contribute $140 to monthly out of pocket, and my employer contributes something like $800 to) paying for any kind of ailment. They’re in that business. What a strange rant, especially considering that it’s tangential to the point I was makig – that HIV is equivalent to death in the minds of so many, when it shouldn’t be . I also find it terribly sad that you feel tax-payer money shouldn’t go to community health initatives (such as ADAPs, which not only save lives, but lower healthcare costs for the taxpayer in the long run, as HIV+ individuals are no longer dying, uninsured in hospitals, and also lower the community viral load, decreasing the chances of further infections exponentially), because ya know what, I’m not a greedy conservative libertarian. I live in MA, which has every social program in the book, and I pay a shit load in taxes, but I AM happy to give back. And no, my partner doesn’t get a dime of that back, we’ve worked our asses off to land jobs with the best benefits in the country and our healthcare is our responsibility. I will not feel ba d for utilizing the insurance plan that my employer negotiated for on my behalf. But, such is life in the USA, where half the country would rather pocket more and more money (or direct it to the military) then assist their brothers and sisters in need, tho their financial troubles are a direct result of the capitalistic system that gave us all of our wealth.
viveutvivas
Hopefully with the advent of PrEP fewer bareback actors will get infected in the future.
I am on PrEP and nowadays have bareback sex (which IMO still counts as protected sex) under certain circumstances after only using condoms most of my life. I am tested often. I have absolutely no side effects from the medication. A large majority of guys younger than about 35 have bareback sex nowadays (in my experience) and we should tell them to at least get on PrEP. Gay health outreach organizations are making a big moral mistake by not shouting this from the rooftops.
What is seldom mentioned in these discussions is what if sex with condoms is no good for you? Condoms don’t feel any good to me. I don’t even consider it genuine sex and I find it hard to feel much or to get off that way when topping. When I bottom I hate the way condoms chafe, it takes all the pleasure out of it. This is a big factor in many guys’ not using condoms and rather than being judgmental about them why don’t we encourage these guys to at least get on PrEP?
It is all well and good to say people can bareback in a monogamous relationship after testing (and that that’s okay by some arbitrary moral calculus) but what if it doesn’t happen for you? After 4 years of being single I have pretty much given up on the possibility of a relationship, and not because I don’t want one. So are people like me now condemned to have unsatisfying sex with condoms for the rest of our lives? Judge me if you will but I just can’t do it any more.
johnnyboy1988
@viveutvivas: well put, and a common sentiment…
jimbryant
I would never take a HIV test. Never. Firstly, this test can be faulty. Secondly, I don’t expose myself to the sordid lifestyle that some men on the scene expose themselves to.
I don’t do drugs. I don’t have promiscuous sex with total strangers. I don’t stay up all night in defiance of my body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
A lot of men on the scene don’t realize how important the natural sleep-wake cycle is. It restores the immune system. I’d go so far as to say that much of the immune system’s destruction in AIDS is due to a lack of adherence to the natural sleep-wake cycle.
johnnyboy1988
@jimbryant: ….. All right then.
the other Greg
@viveutvivas: I guess I have to grant your point.
@jimbryant: And we’re all so proud of you, jim.
Yes, it’s true that a 40-year-old virgin doesn’t need an HIV test. Don’t be late for church!
Tackle
@vivetvivas: Usually I like reading your post and what you have to say, and apperciate you honesty. Pls correct me if I’m wrong: But from what I understand about PrEP, is that does “not” eliminate ones risk from getting HIV, but only lowers it? And while others like yourself have no side effects, others do? And there are no long term studies done, to determine possible harmful effects to the body??
And do you feel that by encouraging the use of PrEP that there will be a rise in Hep-B Hep-C Chlamydia gonorrhea syphilis and the many forms and types of HPV, since PrEP does not protect from these?? And obviously these don’t bother or concern you as much as HIV, but do they concern even a bit??
And BTW, don’t give up on the relationship thing. I know people who have been single longer then you have and eventually did find someone.
andyj
@johnnyboy1988: “You’ll likely rot in hell with hateful right-wing homophobes and gay-bashers.”
gee thanks for your thoughtful reply. All these whiners about stigma just keep overplaying their hand. You don’t get to say out of one side of your mouth that HIV is no big deal and poz guys just take a pill a day and out of the other side say we’re required to pity and subsidize and validate their bad decisions. You just wait until the right wing realizes the insurance they’re forced to buy is financing selfish gay barebackers’ PrEP that costs $1300 a month and the poz meds starting at $3000 a month.
Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/porn-star-owen-hawk-on-condom-free-sex-hiv-and-gay-vs-straight-films-20131221/#ixzz2oDhkwkgT
viveutvivas
@Tackle, yes, they do concern me, for that reason I got the vaccinations for Hep A and B as well as the HPV vaccine (by the way condoms don’t protect you against HPV so every gay man should get the Gardasil vaccine). Hep C is seldom transmitted sexually, but I do get tested for that too – it is usually curable with (admittedly rigorous) drug regimens on the small chance one might get it. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis can be easily cured with antibiotics and I do get tested for them often as well. As for herpes, it worries me of course but again condoms don’t protect you much against herpes either, so I am not necessarily much worse off there. .
Yes, PrEP does not eliminate your chance of getting HIV, but lowers it by a factor of between 10 and 100 if taken religiously. For example, norm ally the chance of a top getting infected per sexual contact with an infected bottom is about 1 in 1,000. PrEP reduces that to something between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 100,000. And that is assuming the bottom is infected and untreated – if the bottom is on HAART with low viral load the chances are further reduced. Inquiring about your partner’s status and making sure you feel comfortable with their honesty further reduces the risk somewhat. At some point the risk calculus starts to be something I can live with.
Franco C.
I want to be on board with what he has said here, try to be open-minded but I find there’s a lot of fallacies in his position. I think when you’re having a lot of promiscuos sex to satisfy basic hedonistic impulses, well that’s a problem. Like anything in life, when you over-indulge, it comes with a price. However, I don’t think that HIV/AIDS stigma is the answer either. I can’t say I fully understand why a person would risk their health for the sake of an orgasm, but at least he attempts to explain his position, no matter how flawed I believe it to be. Many gay men believe that they’re going to be young forever, that there are limited consequences to their actions and that objectifying people isn’t harmful. I would argue the opposite. Many men who are diagnosed with HIV find that they suffer many ill-effects later in life. They are living with severe dimentia at middle-age, battling co-existing chronic illnesses that medications further complicate, and for what exactly? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with sexual liberation, but it only requires a little thought, a little restraint to limit sexual partners for everyone’s well-being, not just our own. The need to have sex with a wide number of individuals is a compulsion, an addiction. Or it can be argued that it’s careless, and selfish. This is a complex issue, one that I hope we can discuss without resorting to childish name-calling, or building walls that shuts out opposing arguments.
Akeim
@jimbryant: OK now FUCK YOU! My sister is a Dr. And I have a been a safe sex advocate for as long as I can remember. How ever when I tested positive for HIV in 2007 I could go directly to the person who gave it to me be cause I was naive and not promiscuous. The person I found had purposely infected me by cutting the condom. I nearly died from the disease 2 months after I was diagnosed I had full blown AIDS had gotten Pneumonia and nearly died in the hospital. Before that time I was a out going in life person.. I had friends and a life .. After I was shunned and the dating pool dried up. NOW not only was I Black in the south but I’m a gay black man and the FINAL NAIL IN MY SOCIAL COFFIN GAY BLACK AND HIV POSITIVE. I have learned both sides of this tale having lived with out HIV for so long and Having lived with it. I see different reasons why people bareback. Some because they are treated as if they are garbage once someone finds out so they find them selves doing things perhaps they wouldn’t have once done so freely. This previously stated reason scares me because I see reading these comments the same homophobia that breaks up our community.” I’m gay but I’m not like them.”” NOT EVERYONE HAS AIDS.” “Or people who have hiv aids got it through being non morale means” ” The people that BB are sociopaths with no morales who are be punished for their lifestyle” The scary part being is re-read your negative comments You are starting to sound like the WESTBROUGH baptist shit hole church. I didn’t ask for what happened to me. Some one who was hurt by someone else or for what ever reason wanted to hurt and punish someone else in their community. Which oddly enough sounds like a lot of these negative and evil comments about HIV and People living with it. We were once a powerful force of people who stood by each other in times of need. Now ALL I see is people breeding saddness for the very group they are apart of. You may not have HIV YOU may never have it GOD I hope you never have too deal with it. It’s a lonely and sad disease to have. But from your comments you make it sound like all of us should be rounded up and shamed or killed or separated. That once you have HIV you shouldn’t have sex at all. You should be come a Eunuch with no feelings or thought or emotions on sex. Word to the wise here….SEX isn’t safe it’s fucking Pandora’s BOX… You can sugar coat it with all the words you want. The fact remains it can be deadly . Gay Straight or Bi.. but punishing people for HIV is not going to make it any safer. You need to safe guard yourself as much as you can .. And move on from there.
viveutvivas
@Akelm, jimbryant is Queerty’s resident loonie. It is best to just ignore him.
CaptainFabulous
@Franco C.: “This is a complex issue, one that I hope we can discuss without resorting to childish name-calling, or building walls that shuts out opposing arguments.”
You’ve clearly come to the wrong place.
Akeim
@cooldudesea: SO fucking true about the Sean Cody and Treasure Island Media thing.
oilburner
@CaptainFabulous: it must kill your ignorant ass to know that I’m right. And you are correct about there being nothing sexy about saying stupid shit considering most your post contain stupid shit.
CaptainFabulous
@oilburner: There hasn’t been a single thing you’ve said yet that’s been right. So no, I’m alive and well thanks. I’ll give you one thing, your comments are good for a laugh. Not quite as good as Jim “Anita” Bryant’s, but almost. I’m sure in time your comments will become as absurd as his.
Niall
I kinda used to be able to “understand” bareback porn actors in the sense that at least they were earning more money, but hearing that there’s basically no difference in pay between actors with condoms on or off and these guys still do it, is kinda disconcerting. If you’re gonna risk your life that way, at least make it worth some decent amount of money. Sheesh.
And I’m not trying to be judgmental towards anyone, but if you live in a Western country(North America, Europe), with all the progress made with condoms in regards to thickness, feel etc, the excuse that it “just doesn’t feel good”, doesn’t fly with me, I’m sorry. I can understand to an extent a quick, unplanned fuck being bareback, but if you’re going to have a planned hook-up, especially repeatedly and you still decide to go bareback knowing the inherent risks, that’s kinda sad.
Stache1
@CaptainFabulous: LOL
Stache1
@Niall: Of coarse any piece of plastic that covers your d**k is going to feel less good. It most definitely desensitizes you in some degree. If someone decides to go bareback while still taking precautions I think that’s smart.
CaptainFabulous
@Stache1: Exactly. Go put on a pair of latex gloves for an hour or two and let me know how “great” they feel.
Stache1
@CaptainFabulous: Oh man that’s kind of fucked up. Sounds kind of fun though. Hell I’m down with it. I’m not one to brag but make sure you bring the XL ones too;)
Stache1
@Akeim: Sorry to hear that man. Glad you’re still here and now ok though. Your story is a good reason why people need to get tested and monitored so they don’t end up with that kind of situation. You probably just never saw the need for it since you weren’t out slutting around. I hope that guy gets what’s coming to him someday.
jimbryant
A lot of you are so un-educated. Shame. let me school you on AIDS.
AIDS is not a disease. It is a condition. It is a condition that results from a number of traditional diseases all acting together to destroy the immune system.
If you can’t understand anything like this, it’s really pointless discussing anything with you.
Tyler100
@jimbryant:
The only thing we’re uneducated about is the extent to which you’ve lied during your time on this site. Jim, you have no legs to stand on, and certainly no dick to ride. Keep on truckin, troll.
CCTR
Although I disagree with much of his flawed thinking, I did read his statements keeping in mind his request:
“…for the people who are not cemented into their self-righteousness, I would ask them to take a moment and try to understand me as a person who has tried to live a life that is truthful to myself, my desires, and my own sense of right and wrong.”
Regardless of what we feel about his sexual behaviors and practices and others who continue to bareback “expecting to test positive” as he attributes to his Owen Hawk character, he underscores one of the modern realities of HIV in this country…”he’d rather be positive and fuck raw than be negative and wear a rubber.
It might be in our best interest to recognize this reality goes far beyond characters such as Owen Hawk in porn movies. All the preaching and judging and name calling most likely does nothing to help the issue nor change attitudes like the ones his character represents. The best thing we can do is educate ourselves and others with validated science and information and protect ourselves and others within the realms of self control, honesty, communication, and safer sex practices to reduce our risk for contracting and/or transmitting any type of STD.
Isn’t it hypocritical for any MSM to judge his consensual sexual activities and get off watching him and other bareback porn? This site is sadly making me realize just how much self loathing is rampant amongst us. There is already too much judgment from those outside the MSM community.
viveutvivas
@Niall, “with all the progress made with condoms in regards to thickness, feel etc, the excuse that it “just doesn’t feel good”, doesn’t fly with me…”
Really? Then lend me your d*ck to f*ck with please, because mine feels a big difference.
the other Greg
Suppose a straight guy were to say something like this:
“I like fucking women but I hate wearing condoms. Jeez, it’s like wearing a latex glove for two hours. (Yeah, I’ve got some stamina, baby.) And condoms are so ’90s. It should be totally up to the chick to use some kind of birth control sh*t so I don’t get blamed for child support. Damn, these chicks complain about everything.”
Stache1
@the other Greg: Well, actually I very well could since most straight men don’t use condoms but rely on women taking their pills or shots.
the other Greg
@Stache1: But it wouldn’t be socially acceptable to take that attitude in such a blatant and obnoxious way.
Anyway, “most straight men don’t use condoms”? Do you have poll data on that?
Niall
@Stache1: Yes of course it removes some feeling, but is the difference that big when you weigh up the options compared to NOT using condoms at all? Sorry I don’t think so.
@CaptainFabulous: Kinda pointless as I’d say the average man only wears a condom for like 15-30mins or so, and I’m being generous, since actually penetrative sex for an average man probably lasts like 10 mins. And unless you’ve got a latex allergy or something, if the condom is choking your dick like a latex glove would to a hand after 2 hours, then you’ve obviously bought the wrong condoms.
@viveutvivas: If I could, I would. I’d say I’m above average in length and thickness and I’ve never found condoms unbearable. It’s all in the mindset imo, if you want to bareback, you want to bareback because you enjoy and prefer it. I’m sorry, but I don’t buy the I HAVE TO bareback because condoms just don’t work for me, except of course if you actually have a medical condition or an allergic reaction that makes condom use life threatening or just plain unadvisable.
CaptainFabulous
@Niall: Well I guess I’m not the average man. I can’t come with a condom on. And I’ve tried at least 10 different brands, all different thicknesses and sizes, lubed, unlubed, makes no damned difference.
So my options are to fuck without a condom and actually enjoy sex, or fuck with a condom until my partner is raw and then have to stop and not get to come at all unless I beat off later. And yes I can easily fuck for 2 hours or longer with a condom on cause I don’t feel a damned thing.
I’m glad that condoms work for you. But some of us aren’t that lucky.
the other Greg
@CaptainFabulous: You’ve got some stamina, baby. And you make it sound so romantic!
nautilusjv
This guy is a sad idiot.
jimbryant
The vast majority of gay men do NOT have HIV. They are perfectly healthy in the sense that their viral status is zero.
Therefore, even if you were to take your chances by not wearing a condom, the chances are that you would NOT catch HIV.
The problem arises when you choose to partake in environments of concentrated promiscuity. Concentrated promiscuity increases your chances of catching anything – whether it be syphilis, gonorrhoea, HIV etc etc.
There are disease peddlers on the gay scene who ply their murderous trade by promoting these sex venues where men can partake of unfettered sexual activity in an environment of concentrated promiscuity. These places need to be shut down.
KDub
Interesting how most of the performers/studios who disagree that promoting BB porn to the already vulnerable gay community is detrimental are also making lots of $$$ off BB porn and the gay community. I see a connection. Lol
Stache1
@the other Greg: Yes…porn:)
viveutvivas
@Niall, I’m not trying to sell it to you. All I did was explain my preferences; I don’t feel any need to make excuses for them.
Niall
@CaptainFabulous: This is not condescending or insulting, but have you ever tried to get that checked out? Maybe you’ve lost some sensitivity or something? If you’ve tried tens of brands like you said and can’t find one that light enough to still protect you while not cutting off all feeling, that it might have something to do with your penis.
CaptainFabulous
@Niall: Even if that’s the case, the end result is the same — wearing condoms is really problematic for me, and there aren’t too many options.
Geeker
Here’s an idea,Don’t let strange men you don’t know cum in your ass…problem solved!
viveutvivas
@Geeker, bad advice. Most people get HIV from people they know, not strangers. In fact, about 60% of transmissions are between boyfriends.
Geeker
Well then anyone you don’t know is STD free then.
viveutvivas
@geeker, do you have a serious problem with reading comprehension or logic?
Niall
@viveutvivas: Do you have a source for that? Says a lot about monogamy amongst gays.
viveutvivas
@Niall, there is a study. Don’t have a lot of time now but google (or pubmed) “HIV transmission between partners gay” and see what comes up. I think the number they found was 56% of HIV transmissions occurred between boyfriends so you could try including that number in the query as well.
surreal33
This is the ultimate expression of self hatred.
The fact Mr Hawk and others like him refer to themselves as gay men is vile. Mr Hawk and other like him are PARASITES!!!!
It is truly sad that PARASITES like Mr Hawk have reduced the value of human life to an orgasm.
My gay brothers I implore you please use the tools available to protect us.
ORAQUICK is a at-home-private HIV test. If you have multiple partners? Why not have an ORAQUICK party where everyone takes the test together?
IN ADDITION TO ALWAYS USING A CONDOM!!!!!
Remember guys if he even suggests unprotected sex he is a PARASITE!!
DO NOT LET SOME DOUCHE BAG RISK YOU LIFE SO HE CAN GET OFF!!!!!!
queerty
My best friend contracted HIV from his BF. they were together for 2 years.. The kicker is.. his BF new he was positive a year before they even met.. and never told my best friend.. My best friend found out from his best friend.. they had unprotected sex once.. so to all of the Assholes out there thinking you get HIV from anonymous sex partners. think again.. i am so paranoid about trusting people after going through this ordeal with my friend.. he is o.k. but really makes it hard to trust.. and he’s not the only person this has happened to. I know a couple of women who got HIV from their husbands who were having gay sex behind their backs..
anyway.. its not a cool disease to have..and is expensive.. and FYI my friend is employed and has insurance.. so your tax dollars aren’t going to him or to a lot of people who are infected.. that was another dumbfuck comment..
a lot of naive dumbfucks on this site.. really dumb.. extra super dumb..
like whoa dumb…
thank god I went to Columbia U. and not wherever all of you idiots went.. so so stupid..
Matt
He’s one filthy bug chaser.
axel7244
As an HIV positive person living with AIDS I find the hate mongering within the gay community sad and disconcerting. The hateful remarks seem to come from people who forget that the epidemic was caused by a virus that makes no moral judgement, and spreads by people who live in the dark. I seroconverted at a time before there was even a name for the virus and the disease, and I lost a long term partner when there was no widespread treatment or support to be found. The language I hear these days by members of my own community concerning bareback sex in the age of HIV sound very much like the things all gay people feared during the early days of the epidemic when ignorance, fear and hatred were the motivating forces for the rhetoric we all lived with. At the time this forced us to pull together. But now, with HIV information and social media at our fingertips, no one seems to care about what what they say so long as it reiterates convention thinking.
In spite of all the education and progress out there, some people seem to think that we have given up our right to individual choice or personal responsibility. It seems to me if you care about your health and the health of others, you would do what is right for you and your partner(s). This begins and end with information and consent. I know that this can mean different things for different people, but do we really want to live in a world where others determine our choices? Should HIV positive straight people give up having condom free sex if they are conscious of their choices and actions? Should they be told to give up ever having natural sex, children and families? Why shouldn’t gay people have the same right to think and decide for themselves? Yes there is always a risk with human beings, but irresponsible behavior has less to do with HIV than it does with each individual and his decisions. To judge all situations based on one person’s choice or point of view reeks of bigotry and hatred that I’d like to think doesn’t belong in our community. Too much has happened to slip back into a state of ignorance. Being gay in an HIV positive conscious world takes more wisdom, compassion and empathy than the reactions I’m seeing here. Owen Hawk may actually actually have a good point as an artist. I certainly think he has a right to live as he sees fit as a person with HIV.
Mkiel
@hrnpip: Well said no 1 is forcing anyone to do BB, Knowledge is power & than it is up to the individual to choose. If you want to stay neg it is up to you to make that choice,do not BB with anyone. No 1 has the right to judge others
Mkiel
@surreal33: NO it is NOT self hate Poeple do all sots of risky behavior like smoking ,overeating,not exercising,driving carelessly owning guns,should we cut all medical care to all these poeple?
seaguy
Going over this interview again a few years after first reading it, I find that I agree with Owen almost completely. To the haters get a life he is not having sex with you so why is it your business?