Mr L.A. Leather 2014 Slams ‘Ignorant’ Michael Weinstein of AHF

Eric Paul Leue, Mr. L.A. Leather 2014, recently took to social media to criticize AIDS Healthcare Foundation dictator Michael Weinstein for his stern opposition to Truvada and PrEP therapy to prevent HIV transmission.

Leue’s comments came in response to latex fetishist Weinstein’s latest tirade against any method of HIV prevention other than condoms.

Many doctors and activists see immense promise for such preventive use of Truvada, and are campaigning hard to raise awareness of it as a crucial step toward reducing new HIV infections, which now total about 50,000 a year in the U.S. Recent efforts range from think-tank forums and informational websites to a festive event at a New York City bar featuring popular drag queens.

Yet others – despite mounting evidence of Truvada’s effectiveness – say such efforts are reckless, tempting some condom users to abandon that layer of protection and exposing them to an array of other sexually transmitted infections aside from HIV.

“If something comes along that’s better than condoms, I’m all for it, but Truvada is not that,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “Let’s be honest: It’s a party drug.”

Leue’s response:

Michael Weinstein called Viagra a “Party Drug” in 2007 – now he calls PrEP which is not a drug, but a drug regime to prevent the transmission of HIV the same – a ‘Party Drug’.

I have received many outraged emails, calls and messages about this in the last two days. Please be assured that I am in very serious conversations with the team at AHF. I stand against the stigma, dogma and discrimination Michael Weinstein promotes with this inadequate quote. I stand for education and guidance free of judgement, to make options and their associated risk and potential known.

The AHF has done much good since the Aids Hospice was founded in 1987. The campaign that I did together with Threshold and the AHF is focused on raising HIV awareness and is encouraging people to get tested.

While I strongly support that message, I speak out against Weinstein’s ignorant form of speech that is attacking our LGBT community and those that ARE aware. With his figure of speech he compares

1) a FDA approved medical treatment (that can safe life)

with

2) actual illegal drugs like cocaine, e, heroin, meth and GHB to which we have just recently lost some of our friends.

He disgraces those that are actively seeking protection, awareness and knowledge by literally calling them drug addicts.

Michael, PrEP is not a Party Drug – you should apologize.

I support that the AHF is fighting to make the medicine cheaper, I even support that you conduct more research about it to make sure it is as reliable as we hope, I support that we get this medication to everyone in form of a three month injection instead of a daily pill – but I will not support your disgraceful and uneducated attack on our LGBT community.

..a lot of very powerful conversations going on yesterday and this am.

Bottom line is: Education is key to be able to choose the option that is right for you.

Leue provided a link to this video about Truvada and PrEP, and added:

…watch it – you don’t have to agree with everything or anything, but it is worth knowing. Ask yourself, if it is not for me – is it ok that somebody else would make use of it to protect themself or their partner? 50000 new infections per year, since the approval of PrEP that is about 100000 people – straight, lesbian, gay, transgender & bi. Over 1.1million people in the USA have HIV, and 180000 of those are unaware of it or not on treatment. Whether you are Pro or Con – would you want everyone to know enough to make their own decision?

Of course — any reasonable person, and anyone with an ounce of human decency would.