http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2007/12/10/lgbt-answers-on-a-postcard-please/ Of sex and science. Elizabeth Pisani's blog about HIV and other sundry things. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:21:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2007/12/10/lgbt-answers-on-a-postcard-please/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Lee Rudolph Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:24:33 +0000 http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2007/12/10/lgbt-answers-on-a-postcard-please/#comment-25 The semantics of "MSM" is (understandably, but maybe regrettably) somewhat confused (and probably not going to get less confused). The linguist Arnold Zwicky has been following it; see the second paragraph, beginning "Added 1/1/05", of his LanguageLog post at http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001773.html for some discussion (including the important point, which Arnold is fully qualified to state with authority, that "white MSMs [...] tend to view [their sexual activity] as something more akin to a hobby than a sexuality". The semantics of “MSM” is (understandably, but maybe regrettably) somewhat confused (and probably not going to get less confused). The linguist Arnold Zwicky has been following it; see the second paragraph, beginning “Added 1/1/05″, of his LanguageLog post at http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001773.html
for some discussion (including the important point, which Arnold is fully qualified to state with authority, that “white MSMs [...] tend to view [their sexual activity] as something more akin to a hobby than a sexuality”.

]]> http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2007/12/10/lgbt-answers-on-a-postcard-please/comment-page-1/#comment-23 James Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:07:25 +0000 http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2007/12/10/lgbt-answers-on-a-postcard-please/#comment-23 I know what it stands for, and am surprised you consider it bullshit. Likewise MSM, which I think is a very valuable term, and is going to include - and hopefully help - more than just the "gay guys" you refer to. This kind of pussyfooting language is kind of annoying, but it's also necessary to reach many LGBT folks who don't necessarily identify as such, and will run a mile from treatment centres that so classify them. I know what it stands for, and am surprised you consider it bullshit. Likewise MSM, which I think is a very valuable term, and is going to include - and hopefully help - more than just the “gay guys” you refer to. This kind of pussyfooting language is kind of annoying, but it’s also necessary to reach many LGBT folks who don’t necessarily identify as such, and will run a mile from treatment centres that so classify them.

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