DavidFR

You don't seem to understand that communist theory has evolved since Marx wrote his Communist Manifesto, nor that any socialist ideas are not automatically communist. Can you tell me which contemporary communist theorists you have actually read to form your very rigid ideas? Laguiller? Besançon? Or has it all come from Fox News?

As I said above in response to Beerman, you need only to look to the MacPherson report in the UK for an explanation of institutional racism. The same can be applied to sexism, ageism and homophobia. Your curent administration is resurrecting inequalities, not the opposite. That you think that you as a white male face discrimination is a classic example of those in privileged groups getting uptight about groups of people they don't particularly like starting to get anywhere near the same rights as their own privileged group enjoy. Hence they invert everything and scream "discrimination!" Any argument for white pride, straight pride, mens rights, cisgender rights are nearly always based on sheer bigotry. I refer you to the excellent "Minority Rule" by Ash Sarkar. She explains this perfectly: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/20/minority-rule-adventures-in-the-culture-war-by-ash-sarkar-identity Infidelities do happen. In straight relationships too. I haven't cheated and I trust my husband implicitly. I am not high risk for HIV. Infidelity is evidently praying on your mind. Maybe you have doubts about your wife or girlfriend if you have one, in which case yes, go and get a HIV test, and then get out of a relationship with somebody you don't trust.

First of all you should digest Grumpy's excellent posts above. Secondly you shouldn't misquote people. I didn't say "every health provider" I said "every doctor". You've heard of institutional racism and institutional misogyny? Maybe given the limited world view you display you haven't, but I'll continue anyway. Institutional homophobia also exists. Homophobia along with racism, sexism, ageism, etc. can be engrained into a culture because of widely perceived stereotypes which have not been fully overcome. Institutional racism exists in many police forces and has thankfully been recognised in many European countries, hence efforts to overcome it. (I refer you to the MacPherson inquiry in the UK). Institutional homophobia is present in medicine: the shock and disbelief some doctors display when you explain you don't need an HIV test because you haven't been at risk. I always remember being give this scenario on a course once: Mrs. X, churchgoer, housewife, respected member of the community, wife of a businessman, volunteers for numerous charities, is a patent in room 1. Mr. Y, young gay guy, likes nightclubbing, single, is in room 2. Who's high risk? Most of the group say room 2. Then it's revealed that Mr. Y is still a virgin and has never done drugs. Mrs. X's husband frequently goes on business trips to Amsterdam where he has unprotected sex with prostitutes, goes home and has unprotected sex with his wife. It is in fact Mrs. X in room 1 who's HIV positive. NEVER pre-judge patients. To assume I'm HIV positive because I'm gay IS homophobia. I never mentioned the USA where I have never received medical treatment. On that score you are talking rubbish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Queen_and_the_Quest_for_Chloroqueer I saw Jim Queen this weekend. A Franco-Belgian adult cartoon which completely turns around all the stereotypes about gays. For those not in the know, the mother and health minister in the film is based on Christine Boutin, who was a family values French politician who could never say the words gay or homosexual but used to famously refer to: "les gens comme ça" (people like that). Absolutely hysterical. Given that it's already got a title in English I assume that means a release in the anglophone world is imminent.

I stress I'm not in the US and you may have different local policies. Do you have a policy manual or a senior nurse or doctor you can refer to? If not I would protect the orifice as above (if it's not too late) and seek medical advice.

Are you talking about a gastrostomy tube? This happened to me once in a hospital setting. I was told (by a doctor) to immediately insert a sterile urinary catheter and inflate the balloon to protect the integrity of the orifice. The patient then later had a new tube inserted in the regular manner.

Clearly you have no idea how HIV is transmitted. The comparison with prostate cancer displays lack of knowledge also. Certain racial and genetic factors make certain groups of people more prone to certain illnesses : black people - sickle cell, people of mediterranean origin - thalassemia, etc. Your risk of HIV is wholly related to behaviour. For a clinician to assume that because you are gay you spend your life in nightclubs off your t*ts on drugs in backrooms getting ****** is sheer homophobia, just as one shouldn't assume that just because somebody is straight they enjoy swingers clubs and dogging. In Africa and other parts of the world there's more heterosexual transmission of HIV. Go figure. I celebrate nuclear families. I celebrate all families, including monoparental and homoparental families. I celebrate childless couples having fulfilling lives and single people having fulfilling lives. The important thing is having found happiness, having found what suits you, not conforming to what society, church or family tell you you SHOULD do. Pride comes as a result of having overcome prejudice, discrimination, hostility and injustice. As a nuclear family in a heteronormative world, I'm sorry you've had none of that. If socialised healthcare is communist then give me communist health. I never have to worry about the bill. And before you talk about quality, when the World Health Organisation used to publish league tables, two socialised health care systems consistently alternated for first place in health outcomes: France and Sweden. As for the oppression you've experienced as a white male, presumably heterosexual and cisgender, well, my heart bleeds.

High risk behaviour makes you high risk, not your sexuality. You call me high risk. Neither my husband nor myself have had sex outside of our relationship for nearly 40 years. We don't do drugs. Taking a proper history rather than lazily saying "he's gay, I'll throw in a HIV test" would save public money, given that I live in a state funded health system. Doubtless your private health insurers in the US rub their hands in glee at the extra money from unnecessary tests, but when the state is paying, it's a sheer waste of money. Not to mention bad practice. You tell me I should appreciate such lazy stereotyping? Are you out of your mind? Why do you think I'm high risk? Sheer 100% homophobia, that's why. In Europe there is a rise in new infections in over 60s divorced heterosexual women dating again and being of an age when they weren't used to safe sex practices. They're not high risk because they're women, they're not high risk because they're divorced, they're not high risk because they're over 60, they're not high risk because they're straight. They're high risk because of their behaviour and any decent clinician takes a proper history first. I'm not particularly proud to be white because it's never been to my disadvantage. I understand black pride in the western context because of the racism black people endure and have to overcome. White pride usually means racism. Similarly straight pride can be interpreted as homophobia. I don't know anybody who's been called a filthy heterosexual and told they deserve to burn in hell because their heterosexuality is unnatural. And neither do you.

You think being gay is JUST about having sex? If you had ever experienced homophobia in your life you'd understand what Pride is all about. I've been called a ***, queer, poof and been beaten up on the street. I've been humiliated in changing rooms, at work, denied rental accomodation and promotion all for my sexuality. Every doctor I ever meet wants to HIV test me yet I've been in a monogamous, stable relationship for nearly 40 years. Most of that is long behind me and we're in a better place because of Stonewall and because of those first brave gay pride marchers who were spat on and had stones thrown at them. Pride is now a party celebrating our acceptace but in a world where it's still illegal to be gay in over 100 countries, including some who apply the death penalty, the political importance of Pride is still pertinent. Straight Pride is not widely celebrated for the same reasons we don't make a fuss about International Men's Day or White History Month. Does that really need explanation?

I experienced lots of "cash free" places on my last trip to London last year. Painful when you're just paying for a couple of coffees. Even where they accept cash they almost gasp in horror at the sight of somebody actually wanting to pay with real money. I was encouraged on a recent visit to Vienna to see that largely cash was still king. We even ate in one traditional restaurant that was still cash only (I have had this in Lisbon too). However the cost of living in Austria was probably best summed up by the fact that when I went to get €200 out of a cash machine, instead of a wad of notes, it spat out two €100 notes. That rather took me by surprise. In France I don't think I'd ever seen let alone used a €100 note.

I'm going to be very pedandic too Grumpy. Cornwall is in the southWEST of England. Having trained just over the Tamar in Plymouth, much of East Cornwall was part of our catchment area and yes, there are many Cornish who don't consider themselves really English. Spent many a Summer's day off in Looe or Polperro. The accent is just gorgeous and you can't beat a real Cornish pasty or Cornish clotted cream. It is the most beautiful part of the world. Similarly here in France, your Celtic cousins the Bretons often don't really consider themselves French. They actually can't introduce themslves without adding "....and I'm Breton" like it's a requirement to let you know. They do make the best crêpes, and cider. I do love Scotland. I spent a great few days in Orkney. Magical place. Sorry Grumpy, but your money IS funny. You often can't spend it south of the border despite it being legal tender in England. I once had a Scottish fiver refused flat in a bar in London. The barman actually refused on the grounds it was "Welsh" - don't think he was exactly brain of Britain.

Yes. Well put.

I first saw The Poseidon Adventure on TV when I was 16, the night before I was to take my first ever boat crossing, a 17 hour trip from Newcastle, England to Esbjerg, Denmark. Scared the life out of me but the trip turned out fine. Still think it's an all time great film. Disaster films are usually corny rubbish, but this one stands out, largely due to the great actors.

Tea. Strong black tea with a dash of milk as it's drunk in the UK and Ireland. Living in France most of the "tea" they sell here is coloured water. It has to be Indian Assam or a blend containing it. If I shouldn't mention brand names here the mods will edit it out, but I'll take a chance. I buy in bulk when I'm visiting or online: PG Tips from the UK or Barry's from Ireland. My post-shift survival drink is a glass of red wine: A Spanish tempranillo or a French Pinot Noir. Or after a really bad one, vodka.

I saw this last week and I second what you say. I reallly enjoyed this film. I liked that the central character was a typical, working class guy and that they didn't try to sanitise things.