The new Patriot has an explosive article claiming that UC Berkeley bathrooms are used for anonymous gay sex-- and that the encounters are organized on the Cal Queer Alliance message board. (Go to 'Personals' and look around for 'Glory Holes.')

there is a map to the holes - e mail me for the facts -- i just have to make sure you are NOT a 40 yo and please be a Cal student..
The maps to the Cal Holes are the best map you can get this term. Full of fun and yum yum and good time.. we have the best holes in the UC system.!!

That particular message has 10 replies asking for the map.

The Patriot is trying to build a case that promoting not-incredibly-dangerous sex is supposed to be part of QA's mission. But the QA member who's quoted doesn't seem very concerned by the Glory Hole stuff.

But John Mendoza, co-chair of the UC Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex Association, described the Web site as “a great place for people to express themselves.”

“It’s a great portal to campus events,” he said. “As for the glory holes, it’s the person’s interest. It’s someone else’s thing, not mine.”

The disclaimer for the 'Personals' board states

Reminder - We do not promote or sanction any of the activities described within, any posts reflect the ideals of the individual who posts them.

To what extent are they responsible? Message Board liability is a tricky one, but generally speaking if a Moderator is aware of illegal activity they can be considered liable. Would something really bad-- for example, if one of the maybe-mythical 'HIV Chasers' posted a want ad-- would that be censured? Shouldn't QA at least disapprove of this sort of thing on sexual safety grounds? Anonymous sex in bathrooms is incredibly dangerous, leaving aside the Patriot's own moral problems with it. QA is apparently knowingly balancing the freedom of an unmoderated message board against campus bathrooms being used to spread HIV. Not a great trade. If that's the extent of QA's concern for stopping the spread of STDs, appalling.

The Patriot continues more or less with this line of reasoning, listing the various funding sources that are using QA to promote safe sex.

The Patriot also implies that the Administration is behind the ball on this one, but the message board makes it seem like UCPD is both aware of the message board and using it for glory hole prevention.

the update on the map to the HOLES goes like this:
Campus security has done their job going under cover on this web site.. using fake e mail address to get the maps and closing most of the holes

So the maps stop being sent out due to the fact that most of the people asking for the maps were campus security -

I know most of the campus cops just want a suck .. but still those boys now have a map or two to all the holes at CAL.. so if you are waiting for a dot in the eye by the next guy you are sucking in the Cal restroom.. look close that it may be one of the cute campus cops -- getting off from a cute freshman boy from LA or Boston.

Beware of the holes they have been infected by the feds

I'm sure the vast majority of QA is neither aware nor proud of any of this. Hopefully they'll realize it vastly undermines any leadership role they think they have in ending the HIV epidemic.



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