Description: The party scene presents an opportunity to educate the community, Giuliano says.

 Does the party scene affect perceptions of the LGBT community?

Neil Giuliano:  I think they may have a perception within the community itself.  I think large events within the community are again an opportunity to educate people within the community and come down to talking about individual behavior and individual choices that people make about their behavior, respecting that, and then also respecting that as a community we want to support and help each other and not push each other into harm’s way in that regard.  So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with those gatherings, in and of I.  I think there are certainly people who may attend those gatherings who are doing things that could be harmful to themselves or others, and people should take responsibility for that behavior.

 Why is crystal meth use so widespread?

Neil Giuliano:  I think it’s rampant because again people are being lured into a complacency that use of chemicals, whether it’s crystal meth or other chemicals, can somehow get them through and somehow make their life easier.  I have a very close friend that just came out of rehabilitation, in a crystal meth program, and I was one of the people that did the intervention to get him into that program to begin with, just a month ago.  So I know very up close and very personal the effects that crystal meth can have on an individual and on the people who are around that individual.  And anybody who may be watching this who may be having those problems should get some help and get some support and not be embarrassed and not be afraid to reach out for that support.

Neil Giuliano:  I don’t really make that distinction.  I hope most people don’t.  I don’t know if there’s more that’s behind that question, but I don’t really make that kind of a distinction.

Neil Giuliano:  I don’t think we should be held to any different standards.  We should be held to the standards of societal decency, of course.  But I think that’s because we’re all part of the same society, that’s not because this part of society is straight and this part of society is gay; we’re all still living together.

Recorded on: Mar 4 2008