I am writing in response to your Millennial Poz column. While I think that the concept of this column is brilliant, it hit a new low last month with the article titled “Annie Get Your Dung” (Feb. 8-14). The millennial generation was born during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and, as such, they have a unique perspective of this disease, which I thought was the purpose of this column. Instead, columnist Aaron Stella is writing about foreign rectal bodies and how he “would kill to have a Buzz Lightyear toy up [his] ass!” Is this seriously the type of article we can expect from an award-winning columnist?
Philadelphia Gay News has long been a beacon of hope in our community, covering issues that mainstream media typically ignores. Have we nothing better to print about relevant HIV-related issues other than foreign rectal bodies and how he gets off by putting Disney toys up his anus?
Stella has written great pieces about Truvada and safe sex, about the discomfort felt when revealing his status and about the HIV fetish, among other things. This is the type of quality writing that I have come to expect from the PGN, not two stories about what Stella puts up his rectum.
What Stella does in his personal life is his business, not ours. While columns are, by their nature, meant to be based on personal experiences, they should also remain relevant to their stated purpose. I enjoy reading your newspaper and think that Stella’s coverage of relevant issues is good. However, I would encourage your editorial team to set some boundaries as you determine what is and what is not relevant and/or newsworthy. In my opinion, this story was neither.
— Kevin A. Barry Philadelphia