I read your article on Wednesday about the Gay Games and the HIV ban. (“Gay Games–Is Chicago ready”? June 14 cover story.) Some of what was said is wrong on many levels, but what struck me the most is the prevailing tendency in our society to place the blame for horrible things somewhere other than on the individual who took the risk. Sure, some (certainly not all) people may lie about their HIV status. But don’t we each have the responsibility to protect ourselves? If someone chooses to take a risk despite everything he or she knows about HIV, hasn’t that person failed, rather than the HIV-positive traveler who lied? Until we as a society accept that individuals are responsible for the consequences of their actions, the HIV crisis is not going to improve.
