Catholic League seeks help from gay activists in protesting Museum of Sex (6079)

New York Daily News columnists Rush & Molloy report that the Catholic League sought unusual allies in protesting New York City's Museum of Sex--gay activists. The museum, scheduled to open September 23, will premiere with the exhibition "NYC Sex: How New York City Transformed Sex in America," which is called a scholarly examination of prostitution, gay emancipation, and birth control. Catholic League spokesman Lou Giovino said, "In a day and age when sexually transmitted diseases are rampant, the idea of having something that glorifies irresponsible sex is itself irresponsible. The virtue of restraint is more appropriate to be publicized."

Giovino went on to solicit help from the city's gay community in deploring the exhibition. "It seems that gay groups should be the first to speak out against something like this, because they have suffered the most because of irresponsible sex." The league's solicitation for help went unanswered. "The Museum of Sex sounds like it would be a great place to educate people about how to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases," said Marty Algaze, spokesman for Gay Men's Health Crisis. "Sex is not a bad thing. Disease and ignorance are. The Catholic League should lighten up."