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Legislator warns of HIV epidemic in New York if marriage equality becomes law

Legislator warns of HIV epidemic in New York if marriage equality becomes law
Sam Trombley

While the debate over marriage equality continues to rage in Albany, one legislator from Clinton County, New York, fears that an HIV epidemic will break out in the Empire State if gay couples are allowed to marry.

Sam Trombley (R), while at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Clinton County legislature, voiced that he couldn’t understand why the health department focused on tobacco and smoking, but not homosexuality.

“I’m surprised the health department has not come out against this because we are going to have an HIV epidemic if this passes,” Trombley said.

Then, he attacked the very idea of homosexual relationships, saying that the idea “blew his mind.”

“You don’t see two male dogs sleeping in the same dog house together,” said Trombley.

Apparently, Trombley’s fellow legislatures were silent, some of them shaking their heads in disagreement as he spoke.

Of course, there’s much wrong with Trombley’s statement; the mere idea that an HIV epidemic would sweep the state because gay couples are now allowed to have their relationships recognized is ludicrous. If anything, having their relationships recognized as being equally worthy relationships will only strengthen couples’ commitments to monogamy.

But for those who are not in committed relationships, did Trombley ever consider the impact that finally having their own government recognize them as a full, equal citizens could have on their sense self worth? With a great sense of self worthy comes a lower chance that one might engage in the kind of risky behaviors that result in STDs like HIV.

If anyone has helped bolster HIV over the years, it is they who have told an entire portion of the population that they are less than their fellow human being — less than dogs, even.

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