No Coloreds in Illinois

This Story absolutely floors me.

What pisses me off is that having worked a variety venues distributing condoms, I can speak with certainty that colored condoms work!

I say that because after years of the same hum-drum safe sex conversation (which folks clearly aren't heeding) colorful condoms in public venues make people stop and talk to HIV/AIDS educators. It encourages education, not activity - 'coz folks are gonna screw, regardless of what color rubber they do (or do not) use.

This whole "encouraging activity" nonsense is just more right-wing kowtowing!

Excerpt:

"...some health workers said they were disappointed that Blagojevich had ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health not to buy any more condoms in bright colors or flavors for distribution to clinics and local health agencies.

"It catches the younger people's eye, and that's the generation we're trying to get because they're engaging in risky behavior," said Dante Bryant, an outreach specialist at Springfield's Sara Center.

He said the center gets flavored and colored condoms from the state, then distributes them at bars or areas frequented by drug users to promote safe sex.

The Public Health Department has given clinics and local health agencies about 360,000 flavored condoms and 910,000 colored condoms this year. That's in addition to the millions of ordinary condoms it provides every year. This year, the state has spent more than $117,000 in federal funds on condoms.

After learning about the special condoms, the governor, a Democrat, ordered the department not to buy any in the future.

"He just felt it was inappropriate," said Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch. "It's one thing to promote safe sex. It's another thing to encourage sexual activity."