George,

Thanks for alerting us to Mr Weed's additional thoughts on Virginia's (anti)sodomy statute. We appreciate your helpfulness in helping share views and news. I have a 'good feeling' about Mr Weed's openmindedness/humanheartedness, and this adds to that good opinion.

Virginia's (anti)sodomy law is not just (... yep, it IS NOT JUST!) ... but, it also is not just ABOUT sexual minorities.

The statute is used, for example, by Virginia corrections agencies to deny the distribution or sale of condoms, since, so they say, that would encourage an illegal act: sodomy. And, so, many Virginia men, including many young men, poor men, African-American men, and others, are infected with HIV, Hepatitis, and other diseases within the corrections system. We know sex happens there, and it is often brutal, bloody sex, which furthers the spread of blood borne pathogens.

Many may not be diagnosed in the system to begin effective treatment, and if then, it may only be a poor quality of treatment and rude standard of care, since, by and large, the system does not want to know about expensive problems like HIV and hepatitis. Guys walk out, not knowing, or barely knowing, of their illness, and may soon infect others.

Virginia's (anti)sodomy statute assists this nightmare, and has been used to deny equal protection in other law enforcement matters. As you know, too, schools and other agencies have used the statute to thwart the provision of comprehensive family life education, and it has been used to justify employment and other discrimination.

Until Virginia politics stops raising money by gay bashing (on the one side) and stops cowering (on the other side), all this suffering goes on and on.

Thanks, George, truly, and very much.

Edward Strickler, Jr (electronic mail, November 10, 2001).

Editor's Note: Ed Strickler is a founding Member of the Virginia HIV Community Planning Committee (within the Virginia Department of Health), and the same of the Diocese of Virginia Sexuality Dialogue, and lives with his partner of 18 years in Albemarle County.