HOLSINGER AND HOMOSEXUALITY. In response to my piece on Dr. James Holsinger's confirmation hearing yesterday, Brian Beutler writes that Holsinger seems better qualified than most Bush appointees, and that his views on the dangers of anal sex are "both completely true and totally uncontroversial." I don't dispute the fact that some sexual activities are more prone to spread infection than others. It's important to remember, however, to what end Holsinger authored the 1991 paper about sex between men. Rather than simply alert his readers to the risks of anal sex from a medical perspective, Holsinger called attention to lubrication and tissue-tearing in order to draw the conclusion that LGBT people are living an unnatural life -- one which he recommended his mainstream Christian domination not tolerate. Because of his nomination, Holsinger's rhetoric is getting an unfortunate second hearing. Today, HIV infections are growing fastest among women of color, and AIDS has long been a health crisis not just for the gay community, but for urban communities in poverty regardless of sexual orientation. --Dana Goldstein
