Is there a corrlation between being in the closet and self medicating (with meth)?

[Taverner]

Seems like every day there's a new closet homosexual, outed by their own lack of discretion and they're often using meth.

Did meth become the drug of choice in rest stops across the US? Is it the trucker influence? (Truckers use it to stay up on long hauls.)

I've done meth once - hated it personally. Did not see what one could get out of meth that they couldn't out of a quintuple shot of espresso and a zantac chaser.

[Duncan Grant]

1. I've never used this emoticon before but here goes:

:popcorn:

[Taverner]

2. Note I said "closeted gays" not gays themselves

Gays as a demographic have no higher rates of meth use than any other demographic.

[idgiehkt]

9. I'm not sure about that.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=45855

"Studies have found that methamphetamine use among gay and bisexual men is up to ten times higher than in the general population. A 2003 study by the Chicago Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that approximately 10% of gay men had used methamphetamine at least once in the previous year, compared with 0.7% of the general US population. Of those gay men who reported using meth, 20% were using at least once per week. Another study found that 20% of young gay and bisexual men had used crystal meth in the previous six months, with 6% reporting daily use.

Methamphetamine has also been linked to high risk sexual activity. A study conducted in 2000-01 by the University of California San Francisco AIDS Health Project, the CDC, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health found that gay men who used meth were three times as likely to contract HIV as non-meth users. Meth use has also been linked to a resurgence of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia infections.

"Meth use among gay and bisexual men is a public health crisis, and media attention about crystal meth should reflect this," said Joel Ginsberg, GLMA's Executive Director. "HIV/AIDS didn't get the attention it deserved early on in part because many people felt it wasn't their problem. The result was a huge amount of avoidable suffering and expense. We can't make that mistake again.

GLMA is currently conducting a study examining crystal meth use among gay and bisexual men and best options for treating meth addiction. The study results will be released in August."

For 25 years, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association has worked to ensure equality in health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients and health professionals. For more information, call 415-255-4547 or visit http://www.glma.org

[Taverner]

14. Keep in mind gays are more likely to go to treatment than Jethro in Bakersfield

[idgiehkt]

18. I'd like to see a link on that

Since sexual identity crises are one of the reasons that people get into problems with addiction in the first place, I'd say they might be less likely.

[Fran Kubelik]

29. Closeted gays are not gay?

:confused:

[Blue-Jay]

3. Are you SURE you didn't like meth?

[Taverner]

6. Pretty damn sure :)

And I loved Coke in the 80's. Totally different drug tho. Meth was always explained as "poor man's coke" which I thought it was neither - fairly expensive and nowhere near as fun as coke.

[Blue-Jay]

20. I felt the same way about coke.

Tried it once, hated it.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. me too.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

36. What about pot?

:smoke:

[LostinVA]

38. Only losers smoke pot

hehehehehhehehhehehe

[Starbucks Anarchist]

41. Then I'm gonna wear the scarlet "L"!

Douchebag. :hide:

[LostinVA]

44. I have it tattooed on my chest, EVOO boy

[Starbucks Anarchist]

45. Can I see it?

:evilgrin:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

50. No, only I get to see it.

Sorry, boyo.

[LostinVA]

51. Next time I'm in the City, sweretums -- you bring the EVOO

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

53. I'll bring a case of the Rachel Ray EVOO for the three of us.

We'll wrassle.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

55. ...

:evilgrin: :party: :evilgrin:

[Blue-Jay]

39. I'm not good at smoking pot.

I do it once every 2-3 years at most. It just makes me sleepy.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

40. curl up in a ball. fall asleep.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

42. Nice.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Meth gives people the gay.

Or something equally asinine. :shrug:

[LostinVA]

7. Yup

[ronnykmarshall]

76. Meth doesn't give people the gay.

Madonna does!

[LostinVA]

5. I don't have time for this -- I HAVE to go to the gym

Hand me the damned popcorn.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. I just tried DDR

And even as a big goofy white guy with no rhythm, I still prefer it to the gym. :-)

How ya been LIV?

[LostinVA]

13. Pretty good -- staying out of trouble

How's the engagement?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

23. It's going really well.

We're both ultra-stressed these days with my work, her school, and a bed that probably best resembles what Fred Flintstone once used (it's too small too). We're hopefully getting a new one this weekend though - this loss of sleep is REALLY wearing me down and half my body hurts.

And how are things with your belle?

[LostinVA]

25. Good, she spent a long weekend last weekend

And, I'm trying to get a job up her way.

[Fran Kubelik]

10. Help me out: rest stops = gay?

Truckers = gay?

I am trying to follow your logic and keep getting stuck.

[Taverner]

11. Rest Stops = Closeted gay

And Truckers tend to favor rest stops for their original purpose.

[Fran Kubelik]

17. Original purpose?

I thought the original purpose of a rest stop was a location to urinate. No?

[Taverner]

22. And rest

[Midlodemocrat]

77. There are also a pretty fair amount of truckers who stop at rest stops

to have heterosexual sex, and some with underaged girls.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. That's because there is NO logic.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

15. Um...just because a dude was watching gay porn, doesn't mean he's gay.

I'm a lesbian. I prefer straight porn to lesbian porn and I've watched gay male porn.

Plus your whole OP is pretty much bullshit.

[mainegreen]

16. I find your post intriguing.

:evilgrin:

On another note, funny what pops up in the lounge, isn't it?
:eyes:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. Yes, funny like a pen getting jabbed in my eye sometimes.

[mainegreen]

24. Well, I guess it's funny to some, if it's not your eye.

It's kinda funny (not funny ha-ha) that the longer I've been on DU, the more clear how offensive this is.
:shrug:
Oh well.

PS
It looks like theres a flood watch in your area tonight, so you might want to cancel any trips to the Olive Garden you may have this evening.
:P

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

33. Oh, it'll be okay. My town is at a pretty high elevation.

No flooding here.

Olive Garden baby!

But yeah, these threads do get tiresome.

[Madspirit]

69. Yes, funny like a pen getting jabbed in my eye sometimes.

Thank-you.
Lee

[Taverner]

21. I'm just wondering if there's any corelation between being in the closet and drugs

As in, living a lie might cause one to turn to extreme measures.

Think about it - if Ted Haggard was out of the closet, gay and honest with himself, channces are he wouldn't be seeing prostitutes or doing meth. He'd probably be a valuable asset to the gay religious community.

[Fran Kubelik]

27. It might help to phrase your OP differently then.

Like... Is there a correlation between denial of true self and depression/drug use. Because you, as a declared hetero, might be misunderstood with your original phrasing.

[idgiehkt]

31. maybe

here is a link to that study that GLMA did that came out last year about meth use in the gay community

http://www.glma.org/_data/n_0001/resources/live/BreakingtheGrip.pdf

I'm not sure that religion and drugs/prostitution are exclusive of each other in the straight community; I'm pretty sure they are not from what I've observed personally and what we hear on the news. I've never really been involved in the gay religious community so I wouldn't venture to guess.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

28. closeted people are more likely to self medicate

internalized homophobia is hard to deal with.

that is my take.

[Fran Kubelik]

30. I have seen that a lot.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

32. i think that was what Taverner was trying to get at.

[Taverner]

34. Thanks, LP

And to everyone else - mellow out dude!!!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

35. i know you support GLBT rights

and frankly people shouldnt be afraid of asking questions about minorities.

[Duncan Grant]

58. Okay, let's try that again.

I'm not trying to bust Taverner's balls here. Hell, I've had a beer with him in Berkeley but...

Seems like every day there's a new closet homosexual, outed by their own lack of discretion and they're often using meth.

Seems like every day? I'll give you Ted Haggard but he's the rare exception. Every day? Nah.

Did meth become the drug of choice in rest stops across the US? Is it the trucker influence? (Truckers use it to stay up on long hauls.)

Are we to assume that "closeted homosexuals" are likely to be meth-addled sexual compulsives who haunt interstate rest stops? Gawd, did you hear all the tight-assed straight boy's sphincters clinch at that? A person can't even use a rest stop without being molested by drug-crazed cocksuckers.

Alrighty, then.

I've done meth once - hated it personally. Did not see what one could get out of meth that they couldn't out of a quintuple shot of espresso and a zantac chaser.

Who am I to stop people from disclosing their personal life on the internet?

Anyway, there's a sensitive way to ask questions about minorities and then there's the bull in a china shop method. That's all I'm trying to point out here.

edit: life/lives

edit2: I see that Taverner has changed his subject line.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

60. Excellent post.

:thumbsup:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

64. look i have known him for a while and personally know this

could it have been phrased better? sure

was its intent to harm? i dont think so.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

65. look i have known him for a while and personally know this

could it have been phrased better? sure

was its intent to harm? i dont think so.

[Taverner]

74. Thanks LP

:hug:

[Fran Kubelik]

37. I understand

Upthread I suggested he might rephrase his OP, since it was easy to misunderstand.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

66. you wereright it was badly phrased.

[terrya]

43. Gosh, generalizing much?

I don't even know where to begin with this.

I need to take a vacation from this place. Jesus.

[Blue-Jay]

46. You're out, so you're safe from the meth.

:eyes:

[terrya]

52. Yeah, that's it.

Thank GOD I'm not some closet queen.

"phew". Dodged THAT bullet.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

47. You just need to mellow out, dude.

:eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=6253994&mesg_id=6254162

[Duncan Grant]

62. Hey, aren't there some Mormon asses you're supposed to be kicking?

:evilgrin:

[terrya]

72. Damn! Busted!

Sorry. :blush:

I'll be out tomorrow, harassing some Jehovah's Witnesses.

:-)

[Maven]

48. What is it with straight men and their obsession with gays? nt

[LostinVA]

49. Yup

[Fran Kubelik]

54. I was going to suggest it is closeted men who are obsessed with gays

But I do not really know the OP beyond the half naked beefcake photos he posts in the lounge periodically, so I might be way off.

[Taverner]

57. I'd be bi if I weren't married

Not that that means anything...problem is I am suffering from John Kerry syndrome.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

59. Then you're bisexual and married. You don't stop being bisexual.

:eyes:

[Taverner]

61. OK then I'm bi and married

And I still don't like meth

Uncle?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

63. Uncle?

And what does the fact that you don't like meth have to do with anything?

:wtf:

[Taverner]

67. Uncle=I give up, you win

As in "cry uncle"

[Fran Kubelik]

68. What is John Kerry syndrome?

I swear I am not trying to bust your ass, I just have not heard of that.

[Taverner]

70. Statement made, taken out of context, blown out of proportion

Forced to concede statement to "botched joke" - you know, that kind of thing.

[Nickster]

75. Not all straight men are obsessed with gays. n/t

[Zuiderelle]

56. Ah, now that you changed the title, my post just doesn't make much sense.

So, edited. Thanks for changing that title. It wasn't very pleasant.

[Taverner]

71. Fran suggested that I change it

And I did

[Fran Kubelik]

73. Thanks, btw.