Dear MRR, There's letters to three people in here: Clay J/SF CA, Mz.¨ Lily/NYC, Ju/Canada. Clay: Regarding this NBC "Midnight Caller" TV series protest¨ thing, there's more to it than just "First Amendment" rights. A¨ new thing has been added in the last 200 years: equal access. NBC¨ has an audience of 50 million. There is no way you or I or anyone¨ we know could "respond" in a like manner. (Did you know that only¨ 26 US corporations OWN nearly all US media: papers, TV, radio,¨ cable, book and magazine publishing?) The three networks have a¨ near-monopoly. They don't give a shit, it's just sensationalism¨ for money. Media people on that scale are out for their own¨ agendas: money, and politics, which is just long-term money. This is not the same as christians complaining about magazines¨ like PENTHOUSE, FORUM etc in the 7-11. Only the surface part¨ about "certain people opposed to a media product" is similar. The¨ issue is totally different. There are thousands of magazines, and¨ only three TV networks. I do not subscribe to the "gay political line" nonsense either.¨ I'm a homo-punk, not an assimilationist. I'm an outcast even in¨ the gay world. When I walk through gay neighborhoods I get¨ hostile looks like I'm a fag basher or something. There are lots¨ of cool radical gay girls and boys though, they're our allies. --------------- Mz. Lily: You are right, I did downplay the viral transmission¨ thing, intentionally. It was one paragraph in a story, not an¨ AIDS Foundation "Safe Sex" pamphlet, and I even said I've leave¨ the info-getting up to you. My point was to emphasize that you¨ get it from specific things, not from vague casual things, and¨ the fact remains that the two main ways are used needles and ass­ sex without condoms. Like the saying goes, It's not what you¨ are, it's what you do. You are right though, it's up to each¨ person to find out for themselves. I didn't mean to argue statistics. Generalized "safe-sex"¨ discussions make assumptions that aren't always true, and I¨ usually detect some sex-phobic attitude. What does "getting¨ someones sexual history" mean? Who can remember (or even know)¨ all the little things like "sores in the mouth" (yuck), how about¨ the cut on my finger? They think of sex as some clinical thing¨ that you really shouldn't do, but if you insist\dots I am careful though, and always talk frankly about sex with¨ partners and friends. Why is it always women and homos that are¨ the only ones that deal with these things? Last thing, you said, quote, "Duh Tom, the show you were¨ protesting is about a WOMAN who kills the MAN who infected¨ her\dots" AW COME ON! That was exceptionally bad fiction. Of¨ course it CAN happen, when you've got 250 million people ANYTHING¨ can and will happen. The fact remains, most AIDS cases are NOT¨ what that story was about, why did you refer to it? --------------- Ju, somewhere in Canada: Fuck you. What's this "alienating¨ heterosexuals" shit? If you don't like JDs or homo-punk stuff,¨ then don't read it! (Gloria and the gang at JDs can defend¨ themselves, but they're friends of mine, besides I got a letter¨ like this too about HOMOCORE) There's pictures of girls and boys in there, no one's forcing you¨ to jack off to pictures of guys. There are lots of zines with¨ "men having sex with women and all that crap" (your words) and I¨ think it's fine. How on earth is anything restricting or¨ excluding you? It's just a zine! If you wanna talk "alienation",¨ be a homo and go to any show, club, movie, anywhere, and hear¨ "faggot" jokes and shit. I just love it how all of a sudden uptight straight boys¨ "discover" that girls fuck girls and boys ditto and vice versa¨ and all combinations except their favorite one, they get mad and¨ hurt and start screaming "discrimination", or go fag bashing. Get a clue, dude. If you wanna yell at me, write JDs or me a¨ letter, don't clutter up MRR with this nonsense. Tom Jennings/HOMOCORE zine, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107