LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth CAMP Safe by Sal Seeley Wrestling with Safe Sex Sal Everyone has their fetishes, me included. Fetishes are a way for us to experiment with what brings us pleasure,
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Safe |
by Sal Seeley |
Wrestling with Safe Sex Sal
Everyone has their fetishes, me included. Fetishes are a way for us to experiment with what brings us pleasure, and many are safe, fun, and erotic. One of my fetishes happens to involve sports. It might come as a surprise for those who know mewho would have thought I like sportsbut I, too, can be a jock. I used to play ice hockey (although, I have to admit, it would have been fun to trade my hockey skates in for a pair of figure skates!). I enjoy soccer and am a fan of wrestling. On a trip to Turkey I had the opportunity to watch two beefy men wrestle without shirts and all oiled up. Since then, I've been thinking a lot about the sport of wrestling. At a gay men's health conference, I even attended a workshop called Wrestling for Gay Men: Solving Problems Through Wrestling (but that's a story for another day). However, when push comes to shove, I just can't resist two hairy guys on the wrestling mat. Recently, I was driving past a field where a high school gym class was taking place. Even though I like sports, I was never very good at them, and seeing all those students on the field playing soccer brought back memories of high school gym class. With a few exceptions I really hated it, but don't get me wrong, there were things that I enjoyed (and perhaps some of these things should have sent up pink flags to my parents!). I really loved it when we started wrestling! It was so much fun to roll around on the mat with the coach telling you how to pin another guy down! I still like to use some of those moves on my partners today, and occasionally I might even let one of them pin me downas long as we're both wearing proper protection. It was always fun in high school to get ready for a wrestling match. The coach made us all wear appropriate protection for the ears and other important body parts. Some things never change, we still need protection. These days, I'm the coach and the referee and I still want all of my wrestlers to wear protection. Forget your ears, but don't forget the rest! Don't let anybody get you on the mat unless you both agree in advance to wear the appropriate protection. Like sex, wrestling has a pretty good list of rules that you must follow if you are going to take it to the mat. Make sure you follow those rules and make sure your partner doesn't try to cheat. Unlike wrestling in high school, the referee isn't going to be in the ring with you this time so you have to agree in advance to play by the rules. Be safe, be prepared, and you can stay in the ring as long as you want. Make sure you look for the new CAMPsafe postcard around town. It has a photo of two very happy, beefy wrestlers. Do like they do...play rough...play hard...play by the rules...play safe. I want to see you in the winner's circle with a gold medal around your neck at the end of the summer! Be a winner! Get the facts! Play by the rules! I am always happy to do some extra coaching for you if you like. I am available at the CAMP Rehoboth office on most days during the summer if you have questions about playing safe or need protective gear! Come see me. Email me. Call me. Look for me on the beach or in the bars! This CAMPsafe coach wants everybody to win! Sal Seeley is Program Director of CAMPsafe, an HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention program funded through a contract with the Delaware Division of Public Health. Free, anonymous HIV testing is offered at CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Avenue. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Sal Seeley at 302-227-5620 or e-mail salvatoreseeley@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 14, No. 8 July 2, 2004 |