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I can't believe sex was legal during the AIDS epidemic

Um... not for everyone.

For who was it illegal?

Gay people. This was the era of "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."

Sodomy laws were finally ruled unconstitutional in 2003, nullifying the laws still on the books in the remaining states:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodomy_laws_in_the_United_St...

I see what you were alluding to. I thought it was something specific to aids.

Interesting to think that of what covid response rhetoric would look like applied to the aids epidemic.

EG we don't let possible disease spreaders eat together, so why would we let to consenting adult vectors have sex.

As I recall, there was more than a little glee at the time on the part of conservatives at the idea of a "gay disease" which delayed and weakened the government response:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/04/full-st...

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