GOP State Senator says it's nearly impossible to get AIDS through straight sex

January 27, 2012
GOP State Senator says it's nearly impossible to get AIDS through straight sex
Robert Sobel
Orlando Liberal Examiner




State Sen. Stacey Campfield

Over the last few years, the Republican party has given the American public some wild headlines. Conservatives in general have pulled the Republican party so far to the right that the center of the political spectrum might be impossible to get back to. The idea of the GOP being pulled to the right isn't just happening on the national level, but the state level as well. A Republican state senator in Tennessee, Stacey Campfield, has given Americans another wild and crazy idea when he decided to go on a radio show with openly gay host, Michelangelo Signorile.

Stacey Campfield - “Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community...It was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men.....My understanding is that it is virtually, not completely, but virtually impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex.”

It's important to note that "one guy screwing a monkey" isn't totally accurate as Campfield has suggested. What is accepted throughout the scientific community is that HIV is an offshoot of SIV, Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, which is most commonly found in chimpanzees. Now the most commonly accepted theory of how humans received the virus is called the 'hunter' theory. According to avert.org, the 'hunter' theory is when chimps were killed and then eaten transporting the virus to the humans eating them. SIV would then mix itself with the new human host, leaving us with HIV. There are many forms of HIV, with the majority leading back to this theory.

The idea that man "screwed a monkey" and brought AIDS to the United States is nothing short of ignorant. AIDS can be transferred through sex and blood transfusion and what Campfield is saying just echoes the ignorance of 1980s. In the 80s, the majority of Americans lacked knowledge about AIDS and when people don't know about something they become scared of it. President Ronald Reagan was so ignorant when it came to AIDS that he didn't even mention the word until the end of his presidency. AIDS is scary enough that we don't need people like Stacey Campfield trying to put more fear into people.

TN Senator Stacey Campfield Reportedly Thrown Out of Restaurant Over His Anti-Gay Remarks: VIDEO



Knoxville, Tennessee restaurant Bistro at the Bijou is receiving boatloads of support on Facebook after reports began surfacing that it refused service to state Senator Stacey Campfield out and asked him to leave.

Campfield is also getting blowback from local news outlets in Tennessee over his remarks. Watch him defend them in a WBIR interview, AFTER THE JUMP...

CampfieldCampfield, who has been in the news again recently because he's still trying to push his heinous homophobic "don't say gay" bill in Tennessee, gave an interview last week to Michelangelo Signorile in which he asserted that bullying of gay kids "is a lark", compared homosexuality to sex with animals, asserted that homosexuality is "glorified" in the media, and that it's "virtually impossible" for heterosexuals to contract AIDS.

Some of the responses on Facebook to the alleged restaurant incident:

Brooke Scurlock
From Nashville- thank you for your stand against bigotry and discrimination! Will be sure to eat at your place when in Knoxville and spread the word to friends and family! Thank you!

Patrick Ernspiker
This restaurant is the hero of the day, word gets around quickly. I just heard about it in Nashville. We will definitely patronize this wonderful establishment.

Jeff Doughty
Just heard a rumor that yall asked th village idiot to leave!! If its true, THANK YOU!!

Kelly Schaal
If you did indeed kick Mr. Campfield out of your establishment...I applaud you!! That clown is an embarrassment to our state and an embarrassment to the residents that actually aren't small minded bigots, living in a 1950's mentality. I cannot wait for this joke of a "representative" to be replaced. He has done absolutely NOTHING for the people of Tennessee. These old school bigots will soon become the minority. I guess those of you that actually agree with his politics, should enjoy it while it lasts! He WILL be replaced very soon. I've always enjoyed The Bistro and now I'll enjoy it even more.

I haven't been able to find a full, proper account of what went down at the Bistro, and Facebook responders are also asking for one, so, hopefully we'll hear something official soon.

There's also a petition online to fire Campfield and a Facebook page to recall him.


Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2012/01/campfieldbistro.html#ixzz1kxIHVHo4

"Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community -- it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall."

"My understanding is that it is virtually -- not completely, but virtually -- impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex...very rarely [transmitted]."

"What's the average lifespan of a homosexual? it's very short. Google it yourself."

Suzi wrote:Of course he totally discounts the millions of straight people dying of Aids in Africa.

wants2laugh wrote:

You mean all those people in Africa, India, and Russia who are dying of AIDS AREN'T all gay???

CeCe wrote: They're not "regular People" so they don't count

tmontyb wrote:Wow! It's simply unbelievable that anyone would vote these fools into office.

Well, it is Tennessee.

I wonder what planet this guy has been on? I am an AIDS instructor and really get tired of doing the required 2-hour course at our agency. I always open my class with "If you were on this planet in the past 3 decades you should know about AIDS." Guess this guy would FAIL!