I do not see non-verbal communication disappearing simply because the relative need for secrecy about your preferences and orienation has drastically decreased over the past few decades. Non-verbal forms of communication are by no means limited to providing the schield of secrecy in any sense. Verbal communication, too can provide such a protection, if needed. Yet, with all the forms of verbal communication at hand, all modern societies continue to foster the growth of non-verbal forms of communication. Non-verbal communication is to quite some extent economical and it is the economics of that discourse which virtually gaurantees both its survival and growth.
There is very little hope that some universal sign might be adopted to signify 'I am safe only' on a global level. Societal forms and their respective communication systems are far too independent for such a development to take place. And whereas we all like to believe that we live in a global village that village is anything but a coherent village in terms of its lifestyle, traditions and identities.
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I am in favor of all the non-verbal forms of communication when it comes to crusing. Most people I know, cruise for sex and not for a dialogue or an open-end verbal discussion. If you hit a bathhouse and see guys sporting a condom attached to a wristband, join the party and feel free to do the same. If someone wants it bare and you hold a different view, feel absolutely free to walk away and keep in mind that there are so many men and so little time at your hands.
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I very much agree with the notion that young guys are the prime, relatively vulnerable targets in most of the cruising areas. Equally so, I agree that they are not everyone's top target either. Furthermore, young might mean inexperienced but it rarely means 'dumb' despite the popular stereotype. Guys who are being actively sought after by a multitude of other men soon realize that they get to pick and choose and accordingly do so. It is thus, even easier for them to turn someone down for whatever disagreement and pick up the next dude on their waiting list, and trust me, they do so from Moscow to San Francisco and from Vancouver to Cape. That bit is as global as it ever gets.
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Which all brings us to the key issue of how to make bb a less acceptable alternative to all the guys out there. The truth is that there is no simple answer to this question. For one, we will all have to recognize that some part of population will always wish to bb and there is nothing we can do to prevent that.
The vast majority will go with fashion, trends and education. I am guessing here, but probably few college kids will come to these boards and/or search the web for relevant information and education (sure, some will do that as well). More likely, if their role models keep on insisting that bb is not cool and that condoms are, we will all move one big step forward. And media strategists would certainly say much more on this, if told to do so.
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Finally, 'bb'ing' is what sex was meant to be argument' is lacking any substance whatsoever. Condoms are by no means new. They have been with us for thousands of years simply because the societies were unable to feed and provide housing for all the kids that would have been born out of unprotected sex.
Furthermore, STDs were rempant before the introduction of antibiotics in the late 40's and people have been using the condoms for recreational sex for all those centuries. I guess, that was meant to be, too.
The truth is that recreational as opposed to procreative sex was meant to be protected sex and we should not fool ourselves with yet another 'conservative, traditional, value-oriented argument' here. Like all the simple and easy-to-understand, obvious truths that are not based upon the solid body of evidence, they are really lies not truths...
KD
