The Advocate poll.

Q: Are the promoters who allow or encourage unsafe sex at their parties more responsible for the spread of HIV than the men who attend?

* "Yes, because they create a venue that promotes this unhealthy behavior. People get into the 'mob' mentality and feed off each others bad behaviors in an unsafe setting when they might not otherwise."

* "Safe sex is the individual responsibility of the participants."

* "Any person who promotes unsafe sex in the gay community is no friend of the gay community. These people are no different than drug dealers who destroy lives for the sake of money."

* "There's a big difference between a person who allows unsafe sex to occur and one who encourages it. Someone who encourages it is at greater fault."

* "Are the owners of bars and clubs more responsible for the spread of HIV than the customers they pump full of alcohol?"

* "The promoters certainly have shown a crass disregard for the health and safety of their patrons, but the patrons must take responsibility for themselves."

* "Both are equally responsible."

* "The ultimate responsibility lies with the individuals ensaging in such behaviors. I doubt there is anyone at these events not fully aware of safe-sex issues."

no        56%
yes       37%
unsure     7%

How readers responded to the Advocate.com poll question featured in the August 29 issue of The Advocate