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BergenGuy

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Everything posted by BergenGuy

  1. BergenGuy
    Same here. Clicking on the icon just brings me back to the home page. I've also tried various browsers, to no avail. I know that the chat room was often empty, but sometimes it could get lively and it certainly made the site more interesting.
  2. BergenGuy
    I remember Barz. It was the only bar in the area to survive long-term other than Feathers. Too bad it was mostly lesbian except on Friday nights. In my 35 years in the area, I've seen a number of bars open and close (Triangles and Pulsations in Rockland, B Lounge in Westchester, Connexxions and numerous bars that didn't last long enough to visit in NJ). Bergen County can seem to support only one gay bar despite having a population of 950K. Even that bar, Feathers, is no longer open seven nights a week, although I think that some of their fall-off in business is self-inflicted. Westchester County, with a population of a million, doesn't seem to be able to support any. Driving into the city is a pain, but there's not much of a choice. Not that I go out much these days. When not on vacation, my weekend nights tend to end at 10pm. That's when they used to begin. I don't know if suburban gay bars are declining nationwide or if it is a trend unique to metropolitan areas.
  3. BergenGuy
    Part I was written nearly 11 years ago. I really doubt that there's going to be a Part II.
  4. BergenGuy
    You're so right. It frustrates me when someone says that there's no reason to vote because there's no difference between the candidates. Of course there are differences! No two candidates have the same experience. No two candidates take identical positions on all the issues. One candidate is always less objectionable than the other. Vote for that one.
  5. BergenGuy
    I don't know that any suburban gay bar, at least in the NY metro area, ever had much action on premises. Feathers, with the "woods" across the parking lot, was probably the closest to something like that. But, the woods are fenced off now, or they were the last time I was there several years ago. No gay bar, with the exception of Feathers, seems to last very long in the Bergen/Rockland/Westchester area, and even that bar is now only open four or so nights a week.
  6. BergenGuy
    I'm from Bergen County, NJ, just a mile or so from the Rockland line. There's never anything in the area. I think that being so close to NYC just sucks the gay life out of the area. The prevailing attitude seems to be why hang in the 'burbs when there's a gay playground in Manhattan?
  7. BergenGuy
    Actually, it isn't illogical at all. For the insurance industry as a whole, it would be illogical to end coverage. But, for any one company, it could make sense. Since many employers tend to change carriers every two to three years, an ininsurance company might assume that, on average, a number of the HIV infections that result from the non-coverage of PrEP would actually be the problem of another insurer. But, I agree with you, that isn't likely. Most, if not all, commercial insurance plans covered PrEP even before it was designated preventative. But, PrEP was subject to the standard deductibles and copays. A return to those days is the real problem. Many people can't afford a $3,000 deductible before the cost of PrEP and associated labs is covered.
  8. BergenGuy
    Thanks! I don't see that option under the "..." menu, but I might be noticing my mistakes more than 10 minutes later.
  9. BergenGuy
    It turns out that this isn't Grindr's program (it is one partner among several in a bigger initiative) and the campaign is supported by a CDC grant, which would explain why it is limited to the US. [think before following links] https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/grindr-joins-major-public-health-push-distribute-free-home-hiv-tests-rcna75751
  10. BergenGuy
    A quick search of the internet turned up several articles on the free HIV kits. There's some interesting information, including that the fact that this is not Grindr's program. It is a partner in the "Together TakeMeHome" campaign, but doesn't run it. The program is funded by a $41 million grant from the CDC, which explains why it is limited to the US. [think before following links] https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/22/business/grindr-free-hiv-tests/index.html [think before following links] https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/grindr-joins-major-public-health-push-distribute-free-home-hiv-tests-rcna75751 So, in summary, Grindr isn't racist.
  11. BergenGuy
    Of course the kits could be an issue. Grindr can't distribute an unapproved test kit in any country. I've worked in the medical device industry. You seem to dismiss logistical and legal issues as trivial. I'm telling you that they're not. Just because a test kit is approved in one country doesn't mean that it is approved in another. It depends on whether the manufacturer decides that the time and expense for approvals in another market was worthwhile. You're also ignoring that Grindr probably isn't undertaking this on its one. The expense would be huge. The source of financing may be limited to the US.
  12. BergenGuy
    Which is why the regressives are so frantic to sanitize education. They are desperately trying to get the next generation to think as they do. Their plan would have a good chance of succeeding if it wasn't for the internet and the "woke" media allowing the "outside world" to seep in. That's why I expect the regressives to turn their attention to both very soon. Utah has already passed a law requiring teens under 18 to have their parent's consent to use social media sites. As usual, it is couched as "protecting the children."
  13. BergenGuy
    So far, only in Florida. I think the heat and humidity have finally driven them crazy down there. This country is rapidly being split in two by regressives who can't stand the idea that straight male WASPs are no longer in the majority.
  14. BergenGuy
    Too much data is being collected, and too much of it is too easily sold for purposes that no one could have imagined. This is a perfect example of that. Grindr didn't sell any data to the Catholic Church and it didn't single out data concerning just priests. It sold a huge dataset to a data broker, who then sold it to this "non-profit" group that used sophisticated data-mining techniques to identify the priests out of hundreds of thousands of users in that dataset. Grindr should be condemned for selling that data in the first place, but it didn't set out to deliberately expose gay priests.
  15. BergenGuy
    Why is your beef with the use of "Jane Doe" on the sample packaging? "Jane Doe" is a perfectly acceptable way of indicating anonymity. Since you're nitpicking, I'm surprised that you didn't complain about the fact that there's no Sunshine Lane in zip code 10001. That must signal some sort of -ism on Grindr's part.
  16. BergenGuy
    Sorry .. I took your comment the wrong way. Technically, insurance is still mandatory. There's no just no penalty for not having it. So, I guess their argument is that they have to choose between breaking the law (even if there's no penalty) and observing their beliefs. Since insurance works off risk pools, mixing all premium dollars together, an insurance company would not be able to show that their individual dollars were NOT being used to subsidize PrEP Of course that's it. They would be furious is a Christian Science (or is it Jehovah Witnesses?) group filed a lawsuit claiming their rights were being violated by the coverage of blood products. But, this group managed to go beyond the religious argument by claiming that the administrative structure that created the mandates is unconstitutional. It is also interesting that the judge didn't strike down all the mandates. He left things like no-cost baby well-care and immunizations in place. He struck down the things that conservatives don't like, such as contraception and PrEP.
  17. BergenGuy
    Look, don't attack me! I'm simply stating the basis of their actions. Netflix isn't a good example because they're not forced to patronize Netflix if they don't like its policies. They can go to another streaming service or do without altogether. Their argument is that, because of the coverage requirements imposed by the government, they're unable to find an insurance company that doesn't use premium dollars to fund PrEP and they can't go without insurance because of the ACA mandate.
  18. BergenGuy
    It is opposition to the concept, it is legalities. As I understand it, there is one at-home test approved in Canada. If that same kit isn't also approved in the US or the manufacturer doesn't want to work with Grindr on this, then you seem expect Grindr to manage the logistics of two manufacturers and two different distribution systems, not to mention absorbing the entire cost if the Canadian manufacturer doesn't want to participate. Given that the Canadian government and/or provinces already have programs in place for making these kits available for free, I think that one could forgive Grindr for concentrating on its largest market, one where at-home testing isn't so easy accessible to underserved populations. Just because all three countries have same-sex marriage and all three have at-home testing doesn't mean that their medical regulatory regimes are aligned.
  19. BergenGuy
    Those cases have involved individual bakers. Hobby Lobby might be a better example of a corporation allowed to make religious claims, although the courts have limited those claims to "closely held" companies. I think even the current crop of jokers on the Supreme Court would be hard-pressed to argue that publicly-traded companies like CIGNA, Humana, United Health with hundreds of thousands of owners can harbor religious beliefs.
  20. BergenGuy
    Health insurance contracts are typically written on an annual basis. Most business coverage renews on January 1, although some private employers renew at other times. Coverage can't change during the contract period, for most people PrEP coverage is safe through the end of the year. But, there are some public sector plans (governments, school districts) that renew on July 1 of each year. Those people could lose their mandated coverage in a few months. Note that if the order stands, companies are not prohibited from covering PrEP and mandated services, they just wouldn't be REQUIRED to cover them. But, it could still result in thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket costs for PrEP users. One would hope that this judge or the appeals court would have the decency to stay this order until appeals are complete (yeah, I know it is a lot of expect "decency" here). If it is stayed, it could be another year or more before the appeals are complete so coverage would remain unchanged through 2024, at least.
  21. BergenGuy
    You should note that it is not insurance companies that are claiming a violation of religious freedom. There's a small group (two or three insureds) formed specifically for this challenge. They're the ones behind this suit, and they claimed that it is a violation of their religious rights for their premium dollars to go to payments for PrEP.
  22. BergenGuy
    I hadn't paid much attention to the hashtag feature until you mentioned. It appears that people can create their own hashtags. So, if someone wants a "whiteonly" hashtag, presumably they create one (unless there's a Scruff policy against it). I didn't actually try it, so maybe I'm mistaken.
  23. BergenGuy
    You're exactly right. We don't know the facts. I doubt that Grindr is buying the tests and distributing them on its own. It is probably working with a manufacturer who is covering much of the cost. Maybe the manufacturer is doing this as part of a US marketing effort, or the tests haven't received approval outside the US. Or, the program is fully or partially funded with US grant money that has restrictions. And, as you pointed out, international shipment of medical products has its own complications. One can't blame Grindr for not wanting to research and conform to the importation requirements of dozens of countries.
  24. BergenGuy
    I have a feeling that, like making porn, it is far less sexy than it sounds.
  25. BergenGuy
    "Think of the children" has been used for decades curtail freedoms and impose censorship. Why? Because who could possibly be against "protecting" children. Conservatives are masters at framing a position in simplistic terms and putting progressives on the defensive.

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