Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Tuesday, December 10
This week's New Yorker runs an article no gay man in America will want his parents to read. "Higher Risk" focuses on how crystal meth and the internet are contributing to an upswing in transmission of HIV/AIDS and other STDs, particularly in urban centers like ours. Chicago's Windy City Times has been on this story for some months now, especially after the high profile arrest of a Howard Brown development officer for possession with the intent to distribute. In March, the paper ran a two-part series (1 | 2) on "breaking the crystal grip," which details struggles with meth as an epidemic and outlines local treatment options. Attempting to step up their campaign, the CPD and Howard Brown are now encouraging bars and clubs to distribute information about how to become "Crystal Clear."