> Were gay men, at any point, ever exhorted to abstain from anal sex in the interests of defeating HIV? Yes. The fact that gay sex was already illegal in many

> Were gay men, at any point, ever exhorted to abstain from anal sex in the interests of defeating HIV? Yes. The fact that gay sex was already illegal in many places just made it less controversial. > Was the gay community ever blamed for the AIDS epidemic and scolded by public health bureaucrats for worsening statistics? Yes. What was different then was that people dying due to "the gay flu" was not seen as a bad thing. And note that those who had HIV were not a threat to the public around them (barring those who came into contact with their bodily fluids), unlike for Covid. > Were gay bars and bath houses ever targeted for closure or curfews or—imagine!—contact tracing, to flatten the curve? Yes. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/08/nyregion/city-closes-bar-frequented-by-homosexuals-citing-sexual-activity-linked-to-aids.html https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/08/nyregion/city-closes-bar-... With particular regard to contact tracing, nowadays failure to tell your partner if you know you are HIV positive is a crime, and healthcare providers are required to report the sex partners of positive individuals.