From: wmc@photon.com (Bill Cornette)
Subject: Re: Ice Figure Skating - A Competitive Sport For Gay Men
Organization: Photon Research Associates, Inc.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 17:49:05 GMT

Joe Kaplenk (jkaplenk@lucpul.it.luc.edu) wrote:
: In <1992Dec16.023029.26329@photon.com> wmc@photon.com (Bill Cornette) writes:
: 
: >George B. Clark (georgec@eng.umd.edu) wrote:
: >: A friend of mine told me this weekend that men participating in
: >: competitive ice figure skating are known to chase peter, and this
: >: has caused the sport to be plagued with AIDS, among other things.
: >: 
: >: Is there any truth to this? I recall there was at least one famous male
: >: ice skater who died of AIDS in recent years, but I don't recall the
: >: detail.
: 
: (stuff deleted)
: 
: Image is very important and this is a concern of the USFSA, though they
: do not plan anything major except a couple of workshops for the elite
: skaters. With the wrong image it can prevent people from entering 
: a sport they might enjoy. If a parent had a concern about gays they
: might decide not to let their child skate because they didn't want
: their son to grow  up and be gay. Unfortunately this is the way
: many people think, rightly or wrongly.
: 
: It may even be true that a male skaters sexual preference is not any more
: different than the normal population, but that people think they must be
: gay in order to skate.  For people to assume that something must be so
: can be harmful because of societies attitudes.  I am not saying anything
: against gays, just that many people have a distorted conception of skating
: and of gays. This is the reality of the situation. We all have our likes
: and dislikes in life and we should live and let live.

	First, in defense of my comments, I stated that the International
Gay Figure Skating Union probably inflated their estimates.  I agree with
everything Joe Kaplenk has said.  My comments about the percentage of
gays was based solely on my perception of adult competitive/professional
ice skaters that I know -- the majority are NOT gay, but the small minority
that is gay is a larger percentage than of my other (i.e., non-skating)
associates.  My personal sample is not necessarily representative of the
sport as a whole, and I should have qualified it better.
	Since I brought up the issue of the report of the Calgary
Herald, I should also report a new article in the San Diego Union
quoting Brian Boitano:

	"I don't know anyone in skating from the United States who's
HIV positive.  I don't know any skater in this country who's died from
the disease.  I think the guy (the Calgary Herald reporter) made it up.
Just like the majority of people in life, the majority of people in
skating are straight.  It is not a sexuality issue.  The issue is helping
people and educating people.  The ironic thing is, most of the figure
skaters are straight."

The Calgary Hearld stated that they spoke with 125 skaters, coaches, judges,
officials, people with AIDS and their friends and families.

The unfortunate thing about AIDS (combined with the lack of attention
that our government has given to finding a cure) is that the first
two sentences of Brian's statement must eventually change -- and this
has nothing to do with the percentage of gays in skating.  People,
both homosexual and heterosexual, get AIDS, and figure skaters are
just as susceptible and the rest of the population.
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William M. Cornette         Photon Research Associates, Inc.
(619) 455-9741              9393 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 200
FAX (619) 455-0658          San Diego, California  92121
wmc@photon.com
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