srparedon – editorials (archive)

June 1999

On March 6, 1996, the "Jenny Jones Show" (a daytime talk show) taped a program about secret crushes. At that taping, guest Scott Amedure revealed his admiration of fellow guest Jonathan Schmitz. Schmitz, who had been told by producers that his secret admirer could be a man or a woman, blushed and smiled. The two guys, along with friends and audience members, laughed and joked good-naturedly about Scott's crush. After the taping, Scott and Jonathan, accompanied by their mutual friend Donna, went out drinking, continuing friendly banter about the program.

But three days later, things went tragically… Continue reading →

May 1999

When you read in the paper that "a former scoutmaster was sentenced to fifty years in prison for raping one of his troop members," what do you imagine happened?

For most people, the term "rape" means violent sexual assault, and the images conjured up of the convicted scoutmaster's actions involve physical harm or threat. And indeed, it is possible that the scoutmaster did use violence in his sexual interactions with a nonconsenting troop member. But those familiar with the facts behind such headlines know that often no violence, coercion, nor threat is involved. Frequently, the "victim" in… Continue reading →

April 1999

Why is prostitution so vehemently suppressed? Cops arrest hookers and hustlers, district attorneys target escort services for sting operations, and neighbors copy down suspected johns' license plate numbers in attempts to embarrass prostitution clients. Society assigns to sex workers the social status of drug dealers and petty thieves. Our culture which usually worships market economics reacts differently when the commodity being hawked is sex. Why?

After you strip away all the red herring concerns about traffic and health and shady business associations (which can all be addressed through proper regulation, as in any other enterprise), opposition to… Continue reading →

March 1999

The adultery trial of William Jefferson Clinton is mercifully over. Television and newspaper pundits tell us that although Clinton was acquitted, his sexual shenanigans brought shame on the presidency and that his legacy will be forever compromised. Congressional Democrats join in the condemnation chorus: Clinton should be ashamed though not impeached for his cheating. The public is told to be glad that a "sorry chapter" in American history is now finished.

But there is another, more optimistic way to look at this failed attempt to punish a sexual rule-breaker. The Republican party is in the hands of… Continue reading →

February 1999

The great chronicler of gay sex Boyd McDonald was fond of repeating the aphorism "How often have we gone out looking for sex but found only love." As he did so often, Boyd managed to lampoon our culture's inverted sexual values with words that seem, at first, to be twisted in order to amuse. But Boyd wasn't just being clever or ironic– his seemingly mangled proverb, taken at face-value, exposes how we are ill-served by prevalent attitudes about sex and love.

"Love," as used in Boyd's maxim, is a treacly sentiment. This love is easily felt for… Continue reading →

January 1999

The holiday season is a time when more than a few of us succumb to a wistful sadness about how difficult it is to be gay or lesbian. To be sure, many, perhaps even most, of us come from families that are not very accepting of homosexuality in general and of our homosexuality in particular. Though to be fair to our families, in some instances we have never given them the chance to deal with it. We have decided for them that our sexuality would be too difficult for them to handle and have chosen to be silent… Continue reading →