+ There’s a little devil in every good gay !

- providing a space for sexually adventurous men to connect

Steve FragomeniHIV Educators’ Conference - Manly 2010

Gratuitous Sex Slide #1

+“We gotta do something!!”- Why should we engage with SAM?

+Three or More Study+SAM are not homogenous/troubled/in need of help

+Are capable of making their own risk vs pleasure choices

+SAM are disconnected from community-based health promotions

+The ‘good gay/bad gay’ binary opposition

+“We gotta do something!!”- Why should we engage with SAM?

+Conclusions we drew+Accepting diversity is what we are all about

+Stigma and distrust subverts healthy relationships and education

+Although SAM believe they are well-informed does not make it so

+SAM are not a homogenous group to be dealt with equally

+Respect of their choices is paramount

+We still want to interact and offer services

Gratuitous Sex Slide #2

+“There’s nowhere to play” - The WA context for SAM

+2 clothes-off and 2-clothes on SOPVs in Perth

+Some facilities for SAM activities

+No area for preparation or cleaning

+Shared space with non-SAM

+Specific SAM hardware not available in Perth

+Still predominantly private parties, risky hook-ups

+“Haven’t we done this before?”

- Historical perspective of interacting with SAM

+FistClub Perth

+Took place in a space beneath the Beaufort 565 Sauna

+Met once a month

+Highly sexualized space

+Point-of-need, peer-based education

+Chance to hand out safe sex resources

+Peer educator also went to private parties

+“Things that make you go...hmmmmm”- Pro’s and Con’s of this method

+Pro’s+Point of education

+Meeting Space

+Key informants

+Safe protocols

+Safe sex hardware

+Con’s+Boundaries blurred

+Venue staff attitude

+Cliques formed

+Disempowered the transient players

RESULT – this model was unsustainable.

Gratuitous Sex Slide #3

+“What are WE s’posed to do??”

- How we proposed to engage with the SAM+Needs analysis failed to create environment of engagement

+SAM believe they are well-informed

+“Good Gay” and “Dabblers” = stigma and non-engagement

+How do we connect? Look to other successful models

+What can the successful model tell us?

+“Give ‘em something they want!”

The 4-stage way to reconnect with SAM

+“Let’s get ‘em!!”- What we came up with to engage

+Step 1 – creation and launch of hardware resource TOOLBOX

+“Let’s get ‘em!!”- What we came up with to engage

+Step 2 – engage with SAM in their own internet spaces

+“Let’s get ‘em!!”- What we came up with to engage

+Step 3 – invite guys along to a forum to galvanise the group

+Step 4 – form a play space for the guys to practice their interest

Gratuitous Sex Slide #4

+“How did we do?”- The results of this process

+TOOLBOX – less that optimal

+Recon profile – stirred some interest

+Forum – 12 to 15 regularly attending, 2 to 3 newbies each forum

+Play space – date for the first play session has been set; interactions with the SOPV proprietor has occurred and MOU established

+Overall, the objective of reconnecting with SAM has been met

Gratuitous Sex Slide #5

+“Should we engage?”

+SAM have already been engaging with us

+SAM Survey

+“Should we engage?”

+SAM have already been engaging with us

+Keep the channels open between the organisation and those guys who enter into sexual adventurism

+Be sensitive and respectful of their choices

+Focus on building a strong community to help facilitate education and outreach

The end