Gay and Lesbian News Blog: Crain's Brain: Free Gary Wayne Carriker!
Gay and Lesbian News Blog: Crain's Brain: Free Gary Wayne Carriker!Chris Crain has found a worthy cause in Carriker! This case has never passed the smell test for me and I have always wondered what was going on here. It really sounds like "jilted lover" syndrome.
Crain makes several good points in the editorial for people to think about - and makes you wonder "exactly" why Carriker is sitting in jail. Yes, Carriker committed a crime by not revealing his HIV status but Crain points out that Withrow did not bother to protect himself by using protection or asking questions. It is a two-way street. How many people go out these days and have unprotected sex? Not many. Especially in the gay community.
And the unanswered questions are bothering. Exactly when did Withrow find out Carriker was positive? Many people don't discuss their HIV status upfront and wait until the relationship progresses to bring up such matters. In today's gay society, it is always better to protect yourself and ask questions later. And I always assume it is a 50-50 chance when meeting someone and be safe. Of course, it would be better to get these questions out of the way, but we know gay men. (I have heard declaring to be HIV-positive is the exception rather than the rule. We might as well tattoo people if that was the case but this is a free country.)
And it is none of my business, but was there even a transmission of the virus in this case? Again, too many unanswered questions.
What shocks me is that someone would have the nerve to write this editorial and I applaud Chris Crain. Our community should be protesting for his release but groups like Georgia Equality and others would not touch this with a ten-foot pole. AIDS continues to be a stigma on our community and the politically correct position is help and prevention - not miscarriages of justice. Yes, a gay man is caught "dead to rights" in an illegal act committed everyday in this country - straight and gay. But the punishment seems excessive.
I have heard of one or two HIV transmission cases in the last few years where the perpetrator intended to infect as many people as he could out of anger for his own situation but we don't know what Carriker intended here. This is a common situation in gay (and straight) society and a legitimate issue - but to have a man sitting in jail reeks on gay prejudice. And no one is standing up for the man.
It's time to take action! (I'm talking to you, Lambda Legal!)
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