Gay Tarot - 5 of Coins

horoskope88

AIDs and the Gay Community

This talk of AIDs and HIV is really making me wonder--why is it these diseases are sort of "labeled" on the Gay community? Whay do people link AIDs directly with being gay. I mean, we're not any more susceptible to it than any other group of people are we? Does our sexual orientationmake us more likely to contract either of these ailments than any other minority? It's something I've never understood, and they don't teach us this in Health...(the Hierophant is about education, and its unfortunate what's being taught isn't sufficient/appropriate).

The men standing outside the church window can represent the difficulty involved in being separated from social norms and traditional expectations.
 

Shade

I mentioned the HIV and AIDS crisis because it was a time when churches, Reagan, and others considered it a "gay cancer" and wouldn't help. This label came from the very high rate at which gy men were becoming sick and dying during the 80's. It wasn't until Magic Johnson that a lot of people figured out straight people coul get infected. Can other people get infected? Absolutley. Are there a large number of exterior factors that led to so many gay men being infected, yes there are a plethora. Are the numbers still high, yes 4% of gay men are living with HIV. But at the same time the work done by the gay community to educate itself about the virus has made a tremndous difference, yes the visibility and enthusiasm of the gay community.
 

Lee

One thing to keep in mind is that there are countries which have large populations of people living with HIV and AIDS, and where those populations are overwhelmingly heterosexual.

-- Lee
 

Shade

Yes I believe Uganda's infection rate has risen catastrophically to nearly 25%. Zimbabwe is nearly as bad. One of the major reasons has been a denial that there is a problem, the gay community on the other hand confronted the problem much more directly and actively and has benefited from this.
 

Flavio

I was lucky (from student point of view) to see this card appearing in a reading for a 12+ years relationship, the guys involved in the reading saw the card they said: "this is us! we always support each other because we had difficult times when we only had each other" they've always had a nice lifestyle and good health so in that reading only traditional RWS divinatory meaning rejection/exclusion applied, this card has become to me a symbol of the gay couple strenght.

I have to share I felt so glad to see how the guys quickly connected to the card, even more when it was their 1st ever Tarot reading, they just couldn't resist the gay friendly (or gay oriented?) deck concept, as for me I keep loving this deck :)
 

tarotbear

horoskope88 said:
This talk of AIDs and HIV is really making me wonder--why is it these diseases are sort of "labeled" on the Gay community? Why do people link AIDs directly with being gay.

I can sort of answer that - the press is responsible for how you get the information and what information you get.

From a sad, personal experience: When Mario died after ten years of living together, it was from liver failure. I cannot tell you HOW MANY people, gay and staright, asked me if Mario had died of AIDS! What? Is AIDS the only thing gay men die of? It was actually disgusting to be asked the question.
 

tarotbear

cut off and distanced....

Lee said:
You know, it just occurred to me that this card could be seen as gay people who feel isolated and cut off from society because of disapproval from organized religion (as symbolized by the stained-glass window).

Well I don't want to start a political diatribe - but being gay is in of itself a political statement.

I was the perfect little altar boy when I was growing up - the church was 3 blocks away from home and I could serve mass and still get to school no more than 5 minutes late. I served for years - right into high school. I even toyed with the idea of priesthood for awhile. I had an aunt who was a nun, my father's cousin and some other relatives were priests - it all fit.

And then one day I finally figured out I was gay. Yes, I denied it for many years - prayed that it was 'a mistake' - all the usual catholic-guilt induced head trips. I was finally about to come out of the closet when news reports started telling of an unknown disease they referred to as 'gay cancer' (tactful, huh?) also known as GRIDS - Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Scared me back into the closet for a few years until I started seeing that the church I supported so strongly over the years now told me I was a criminal. Suddenly I was the bad guy - the welcome mat was withdrawn. Where is all that 'Christian Love' stuff? It doesn't apply to gay people. I never faulted God for this ~ I always knew the men of the church created these policies, not Him. Did you ever see those pictyres about 8 years ago of the religious anti-gay protestors with the signs that said 'Thank GOD For AIDS' ?? I will never forget them. I think the signs sum it up all too well.
 

VisionQuest

Wow, so many great insights and observations on this card. Lots to ponder. I love it. :)


I too was raised Catholic, and today the Pope who I came to love as a teenager when he reached out to the youth and did so much for peace, is dying. I know he's said horrible things about gays, I know his position. But I still respect a person who devotes their entire life to their spirituality. It's sort of the story of our lives. We are raised to believe that we are accepted, by our family, by our church, but no one ever says, "as long as you are just the way we tell you to be". It's a harsh reality. Especially today, as I'm already feeling the loss of a spiritual leader I admire, and yet who proclaims me to be "an abomination" , or whatever was/is his cruel term(s) of choice.

This card sums up today:
Feeling injured, left outside the church, out in the cold, but I'll be ok, cause there are truly spiritual people who will be there to love and nurture me, just the way God made me.
 

Shade

Very interesting observations about the Pope. I believe you are right his card certainly does sum up what Queer folk in the big monotheisms are going up against. Religions which do perform a great deal of humanitarian work still leave us out in the cold. The Pope, who is for many one of the "Good Guys" described the noton of gay marriage as an "institution of evil."

Perhaps this card illustrates how the exiles deal with reality and practical forms of support while the others huddle in buildings and surround themselves with symbols.