quote:

Government bullshit will never end, it's part of what make the government the government.

Some do not realize that one of the same government guys responsible for the BS back in the 80s is the same government guys responsible for the BS today.

In the 80's I was in the Southwest and was a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. We had monthly continuing education which was necessary for recertification every three years.

We learned more about HIV through the news media than official sources, the mindset being that this was an urban issue in places like L.A. and would not affect us. A friend moved back to So-Cal in late 1983 and went to work for a large private EMS provider there. I asked him last spring if and what he remembered HIV training, he said to the best of his memory he received nothing there also.

If memory is correct we started getting information sometime in the last year or so that I was licensed, that would have been 1987.

worked retail since 1980, and was married in 1986

I am sure some of my classmates (class of 81) are gay, no real thoughts on who was, (there were a few rumors, )

working retail, a lot of the folks I worked with were/are gay,
some were out, some were not, or as least as out as you could be in the early 80's,

there were a couple 'Gay bars' for men, and one that was always called a Dyke bar, for women,
supposedly they never really hung out together,, I did not go to either,
and a couple parks that men hung out at, as in getting busy in the bushes,


some of the folks I worked with, if bored with the scene here in RVA, headed to DC or Roanoke,
apparently Roanoke still has a big gay scene,


anyhoo, in 86 when the wife and I got married, we had her best friend from high school as my usher,
he is gay, and was definitely out then,

great guy, he and his partner have been together as long as the wife and I have,

we were at their 10 high school anniversary, I knew maybe 10 people there, and was sitting at a table with this guy and his partner,

wife had gone off to chat with folks, and while at teh bar, one of the redneck guys she went to school with (school was south of Lynchburg, rural and bible belt type area) told her to be careful, the 'fags' were trying to convert me,


she bought spit her drink out laughing at the bozo,

while I was at that table, my usher told me he never had a problem getting a date in high school,
to his knowledge, he and another guy were the only 2 gay white dudes (there were supposedly a few gay or bi black dudes) and yet he dated a lot,

as in he and a 'straight guy' would go out, some type of sex, and never speak of it again (kinda like a baptist in a liquor store,,,)


I recall all knowing about AIDS,, (my usher is positive, as is his partner) but don't recall it slowing anyone down,

when I was a meat manager, my assistant was gay, (part time hairdresser, liked to party in Roanoke,, as well) and if he cut himself folks had a cow thinking he was positive, he supposedly was not,



wife and I put in for some life insurance after we were married, and had to do a sexual practices questionnaire, as well as get blood tested, for HIV

I waited tables at a restaurant on Fort Lauderdale Beach in 1982 when I moved down from Syracuse. I was the only straight guy there. It was very uncomfortable.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lyman:
worked retail since 1980, and was married in 1986

working retail, a lot of the folks I worked with were/are gay,
some were out, some were not, or as least as out as you could be in the early 80's,