Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
The San Francisco Examiner - Friday, June 13, 1997
Ray Delgado of the Examiner Staff
The commission voted 5-1 to reject a motion from one of its advisory committees Thursday evening that called for lifting the ban on private rooms. The advisory committee said the ban violated the civil rights of gay men.
The commission members rejected that argument, however, saying that while they understood the objections, the public health of sex club patrons took precedence.
"I believe that all spaces (in sex clubs) must be monitorable," said Martha Knutsen, chair of the commission. "I cannot ask the department to change its guidelines with this subject."
Current public health policy permits gay sex clubs but requires that they hand out condoms, post safe sex notices, monitor activity to ensure nothing unsafe is occurring and have no private areas.
About 20 people crowded the room to offer opinions for and against the use of private rooms at sex clubs.
"San Francisco is the only city whose public health department feels it is necessary to deny privacy to its citizens," said Jonathan Klein, chairman of Community United for Sexual Privacy.
"Gay bathhouses with private rooms continue to exist in cities throughout the United States and the world, and there is no evidence that the presence of these bathhouses is resulting in higher disease transmission."
But Public Health Director Sandra Hernandez defended the policy as good for the health of sex club patrons.
"I think we're doing the right thing," Hernandez told the commission. "We do think from a public health point of view hat this is as compromised as this can be."
Commission members agreed with Hernandez and voted with little debate. After the meeting, proponents of lifting the ban said they were disappointed with the decision but would soon come up with another strategy to fight the ban.
970613
SE970604
Copyright © 1997 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .