POLL: Time to drop Biohazards Symbols

[pittman]

Miss P owns about a dozen designer swimsuits in very small cuts, which she flaunted for years from East Hampton, to Miami and on to San Juan -- and a dash of Cap d'Antibes . However, I packed them away once I turned 35 along with all of my tank tops. One must be age appropriate.

* pictures available upon request

 ha! Being inappropriate was a hallmark of youth to begin with. 

[skeebo1969]

   They have a biohazard  sticker on the needle box at my local blood draw center.  It pisses me off because I still haven't worked up the nerve to play Jeff's game of, "stick your hand in there and swirl it around a bit".

[Jeff G]

   They have a biohazard  sticker on the needle box at my local blood draw center.  It pisses me off because I still haven't worked up the nerve to play Jeff's game of, "stick your hand in there and swirl it around a bit".

Its a new version of Pokemon .

[mecch]

Just get HIV+ tattooed on yer arse, as conservative pundit William F. Buckley scandalously proposed a thousand years ago.

[wolfter]

Back in our day, we didn't need tats to identify as being poz.  Grown ass men weighing 90lbs and walking with canes pretty much outed us.   

[mecch]

I met an early 20s cutie the other day with a biohazard symbol and because of age and this era in the HIV epidemic, I thought it was interesting he got one and my feelings on seeing it were different and new.

[zach]

Back in our day, we didn't need tats to identify as being poz.  Grown ass men weighing 90lbs and walking with canes pretty much outed us.   

hey! 

[thunter34]

Ugh.  I hate this thread.  It's even worse than I imagined.  No offense meant to anyone in particular, but I find the whole original premise of it to be ick.

It smacks of that same sort of talk from folks who sound desperate to replace "AIDS" with "Advanced HIV Disease" and all that.  I also don't like the notion of coming up with some new and improved label to slap on those who are "healthy" vs. those who are not.  Cuz guess what?  We're all just an issue away from moving into the other column in one way or another, and even if I'm currently doing fine I would rather align myself with those who aren't in the first place.  They are the ones who need it.  The beautiful people need no help remaining beautiful.

Just - I'm sorry, but just what the hell is the point of all this?  Of all the things HIV/AIDS related to pick up the banner for, this is the crusade??

[Jeff G]

Ugh.  I hate this thread.  It's even worse than I imagined.  No offense meant to anyone in particular, but I find the whole original premise of it to be ick.

It smacks of that same sort of talk from folks who sound desperate to replace "AIDS" with "Advanced HIV Disease" and all that.  I also don't like the notion of coming up with some new and improved label to slap on those who are "healthy" vs. those who are not.  Cuz guess what?  We're all just an issue away from moving into the other column in one way or another, and even if I'm currently doing fine I would rather align myself with those who aren't in the first place.  They are the ones who need it.  The beautiful people need no help remaining beautiful.

Just - I'm sorry, but just what the hell is the point of all this?  Of all the things HIV/AIDS related to pick up the banner for, this is the crusade??

Thanks Tim ... I could not agree more .

[Miss Philicia]

The beautiful people need no help remaining beautiful.

Kiehl's is expensive!

[eric48]

this endless AIDS phobia makes its hard not to feel like damaged goods

Of course there is nothing wrong about tatoos on one's buttocks.
Of course, burying a discussion with irrelevant comments will always work

So what about a politically correct poll ?: time to drop ... elephant bells ... ?

Biohazards, used in avatars (Twitter, etc.) are for every one to see and convey a message

Is the message they carry, in public domain, still appropriate ?

[vertigo]

I don't hate the thread, although I can understand how some will take offense.

Personally I admire guys with the biohazard tattoo.  I think it's sexy and I like their willingness to be open.  But I wouldn't have one myself.  Then again I'm old enough to have seen a lot of tattoo fads (bicep barbed wire, tribal, yin/yang, etc) and never been tempted, so I guess they're just not for me.

The real question is one of stigma.  I suppose you can make the case that someone with a non-infectious condition (assuming UD) needn't sport a biohazard sign, but HIV doesn't exist in the same socio-medical realm as diabetes, and isn't likely to anytime soon.  So I find it hard to accept that having a tattoo adds to the stigma, if that's the point here.  To the contrary, being open about status is probably the best antidote to stigma that's available.

[mecch]

this endless AIDS phobia makes its hard not to feel like damaged goods

Of course there is nothing wrong about tatoos on one's buttocks.
Of course, burying a discussion with irrelevant comments will always work

So what about a politically correct poll ?: time to drop ... elephant bells ... ?

Biohazards, used in avatars (Twitter, etc.) are for every one to see and convey a message

Is the message they carry, in public domain, still appropriate ?

You didn't put this option in your poll:

"I vote that people can choose whatever symbol they want as one identifier. I think that a symbol like biohazard changes meaning over time, and always has several significations anyway, depending on who is using it, and who is seeing it." 

But that would have destroyed the bias built into your poll. I get that you are frustrated that the world, the general public, has a hard time understanding the contradictory meanings of an HIV diagnosis and infection.  But why police HIV+ people about how they choose to deal at the social level (such as a visible biohazard symbol), with their own infection?

[bocker3]

this endless AIDS phobia makes its hard not to feel like damaged goods

Of course there is nothing wrong about tatoos on one's buttocks.
Of course, burying a discussion with irrelevant comments will always work

So what about a politically correct poll ?: time to drop ... elephant bells ... ?

Biohazards, used in avatars (Twitter, etc.) are for every one to see and convey a message

Is the message they carry, in public domain, still appropriate ?

YOU ASKED FOR OPINIONS - -now you are deeming any that go against your preconceived outcome, as "irrelevant comments". 

Here is a thought -- perhaps just like gays taking the word "queer" as their own to diminish its use as an invective, taking on the biohazard symbol gives some folks a sense of power over other's preconceived notions.

However -- whatever someone's reason - it's theirs and your interp of their motives are not a basis to "vote on their choice". 
Stigma is fought best by many strategies and many fronts.  Perhaps you should focus your energies on what YOU CAN DO, vs. what others can do.  You don't like the Biohazard sign, don't use it.

Mike

[zach]

you're just tempting me to show off my tattooed ass

[wolfter]

Symbols of solidarity have assisted the gay culture in eliminating stigma for some time now.  Is it also time to drop the rainbow flag? 

It's unfortunate that the OP dismisses comments as irrelevant.  A true discussion allows for open and honest communication regardless of the content.