I purposely emitted the AIDS crisis because I wanted someone else to so I could respond. Yes..it was a horror show that dominated everything & completely eliminated any reason to plan a future, build careers or look for a relationship. My career was exploding but when my friends started dying & my own mortality was unknown, I pretty much ignored it while I worked in ACTUP, marching, shutting down the stock exchange, grand central, & St Patrick's among other things for 7 years. ACTUP became my family & those are still my closest friends today. We were just a bunch of completely clueless 20 somethings who came together to fight for our lives and we ended up actually taking the lead on developing the meds that are keeping us alive now & gave us prep so you guys can fuck around like bunnies. The bond & camaraderie held us together & that is truly the single most significant thing in my life. We worked & protested constantly but we also played together-- we were all sluts so we didnt need an excuse to party & fuck with each other. We were war buddies literally trying to stay alive and it's that unified strength and bond that wasca big part if it. Any group of survivors would know that feeling. You guys don't have that camaraderie & bond. I see & meet a lot of lonely guys under 30 w no real friends & they're starving to make connections other than sex. That's really what I was trying to get at in my original post. Those venues & situations we had nurtured a bonding culture where there was depth & substance to build an even stronger connection. You guys aren't doing that which is why there's a critical part of your development missing. I know dozens of you who are actually afraid to talk on the phone. You're terrified to reveal yourselves. Bars are filled w young guys who don't know how to have a conversation. And Covid really has done serious damage in countless ways primarily w human interaction. Final point..make good quality relationships/friends or you're going to regret it sooner than you think.