CAMP Safe  

It seems like it’s been months since I’ve had an opportunity to communicate through Letters. We’ve been busy, however, getting ready for the new summer season.

The other day, I came into my office to find a beautiful pot of bright yellow tulips on my desk from a friend. They reminded me of something that seems like it will never arrive…spring! Well spring is on its way, and will be here shortly followed by another glorious summer. We have not been hibernating around here this winter, but have been hard at work on our next CAMPsafe campaign. We have been soliciting feedback from people both in town and from our summer community, about our last campaign. We put a great deal of work into developing the programs that help keep you safe, and we like to know what you think. The neatest thing is that we have been getting some of the best feed back that we have ever gotten. I think we accomplished what we were trying to do last year with a lot of style, grace, and effectiveness. We are going to continue to solicit feedback for the next few weeks as we develop our campaign for the upcoming sizzling summer of fun, sun, and safety.

While we have not yet made the final decisions about the new campaign, I can assure you that it will include a strong message about being safe and responsible. I’ve gotten some feedback that we are preaching safe sex without telling people what that means. You see, every week I make the statement about being safe and talk about other things of concern to gay men, their mental health and their sexual safety. But some think I should leave less to the imagination and be clearer in my articles. I try. We all must realize that the funding for things like the CAMPsafe program comes from the state and just like your allowance did when you were a kid, it comes with strings attached. I cannot always be as graphic as I would like. We would lose our funding if I explained things in the language that most of us would clearly understand. The political climate will probably make this worse before it makes it better. But this does not remove any responsibility to being safe and knowing what safe is. I think our materials are fairly clear, but if you have questions or are confused about what you can and cannot do, don’t hesitate to call me.

If you are going to be sexually active, it is your responsibility to make sure you know and understand what is safe and what is not. I will remind you tirelessly about being safe and I will continue to provide you with the tools to be safe but if you don’t know what that is you must find out. This is your responsibility. Please don’t think the condom fairy has decided to get butch all of a sudden (there’s not a butch bone in my body), I‘m simply leveling with you. While I cannot speak in this magazine as bluntly as I would like, I can tell you in person or send you to someone who can answer your questions quickly, accurately, and precisely. If I or anyone else reminds you to be safe and you don’t know what that means—just ask.

CAMPsafe is here to help you. Come see us. Call me. Ask. Ask. And ask again. Be an educated consumer of knowledge about your health, life, and well being. Be safe and know what that means. Wear your condoms! Let’s make it our goal and responsibility to have zero sero-conversions this summer in Rehoboth!