V. SODOM AND GOMORRAH REVIEWED

One thing that is immediately apparent upon entering the brothel is its filth. The owner breeds dogs and, since he has no yard, the dogs defecate all over the house, in every room. Lila began breeding dogs six years ago, and now he has five of them. He claims that the dogs give him certain powers: “They're very large dogs -- of a very intelligent breed. These dogs are mystical and it's all very strange. A person who died, who was murdered in 1971, had visions, and he told me that he saw six or eight dogs in this house and he warned me about dangers and things that could happen to me here”.

Despite this canine magic, everyone notices the smell and the excrement. Lila admits that the house has no windows and there is nowhere for the stench to escape. Often, the first thing you see as you enter the house is excrement on the floor. The dogs are always locked up inside a room next to the massage room.

The brothel workers are aware that the place is not very attractive and that they are losing clients as a result. However, they walk around the excrement as if it did not exist. One might assume that they are dirty, but that is not the case. On the contrary, they are well-dressed and attractive. Their indifference to the excrement that fills the place is a symptom of something more than slovenliness: the complete compartmentalization of their minds.

When one reads the interviews and compares what the interviewees say and what they actually do, it is easy to conclude that they are lying. There is evidence that practice differs greatly from the discourse of cacherismo. It is clear that condoms are seldom used at the brothel. We found no used condoms in the rooms or in the wastebaskets. Some interviewees insist that they use condoms, but most do not. Others admit that they do not like using them and neither do their clients.

The same is true of sexual practices. It is evident that the prostitutes practice both active and passive penetration. Very few admit to liking it, but those who are most aware say there are few who don't take it. Thus, the assertion that cacheros are active is not true. The need for money, drugs, or even affection leads them to perform all kinds of practices and exposes them to infection.

Many sex workers have serious crack addiction problems. It is not true, as some of them claim, that their drug use is under control and that they do not steal or cheat to get drugs. When Lila's information is compared with the details provided by the prostitutes, it is apparent that many of them have had problems with the law and have been to prison.

Many of the stories told might well be considered lies. José tells us that he has only gone to bed with three men in his entire life. However, Lila says he does that in just one day. One day Mono claims he is 23 years old, another day he says he is 25 or 27. Noé says he has never been penetrated, but clients say he is “more wide open than the crater of Irazú (Volcano)”. Hugo says that he has never had sex with a co-worker, while Ernesto tells us that clients request “performances” in which he performs oral sex on others.

However, instead of analyzing these stories as lies, it would be better to treat them as compartments or mental drawers which the prostitutes create when there is no way to reconcile discourse contradictions and conflicting pressures. They have learned a discourse which should, in theory, protect them from being stigmatized as homosexuals. They know and accept the rules of the game. However, social pressures make it impossible to respect these norms. The dividing line between commercial sex and homosexuality is very thin. Thus, in order to continue seeing themselves as cacheros they must find a way of separating the contradictions and the exceptions to the rule. The way to do that, is simply to live with “mental drawers” or compartments which are separate and independent of each other.

These young men are well aware that when they pass through the brothel door, we change into something else, as Arnoldo says. This means that they have to be something very different on the street from what they are in the brothel. Here, they are men who have sex with men. On the str--there are a bunch of Jorges running around here. Miguel does not understand why I'm one way in my house and another on the street. Carlos admits” that nobody really knows me, not even my wife”.

Variations in language use reflect the different aspects of their personalities. The way the interviewees speak inside the brothel differs from the way they speak outside. Rodrigo says he speaks more femininely in the brothel. This means he can share emotions -- something he cannot do in the heterosexual pool hall. The guys like to mimic Lila and swing their hips like a queen. One of the jokes is to imitate a very effeminate man and talk like a queen. On the street, Vernol tells us, you walk like a man, speak more crudely, and you don't take any shit.

When they fall in love, enjoy sex with men, take drugs, or participate in orgies, their conduct deviates from their sexual discourse as cacheros. Pleasure dominates, and passion provokes irrational behavior, such as falling in love and not using condoms. In this way, distinct facets of the personality emerge which sometimes contradict each other.

"CACHERISMO", CONDEMNATION, AND GUILT

We do not where or when cacherismo originated. However, we do know that it has been condemned since biblical times and that it is associated with sin. One of the reasons cacheros feel unable to integrate this work into their lives is the long history of Christian hostility. The condemnation is so severe, that it is impossible for them to counteract it. However, we introduced an allegory with the aim of studying the possibility of their questioning the Bible and seeing their profession in a different light.

In pre Biblical times, homosexuality as we understand it today was unknown. Rather, what is associated with homosexual practice was in fact a sort of cacherismo: relations between men who did not cease to be men they had sex with males. Cacherismo was tolerated and was not persecuted in itself. It was possible, under the Greeks, to be a free, respectable man, while being active with men and women. During this time, it was believed that one could only be either active or passive in sexual relations. The passives were looked down upon, but they did not constitute a separate class. They were, above all slaves, young boys, eunuchs, prisoners of war, foreigners, and common prostitutes.

The distinction between who was active and who was passive was determined by class, not by sexual orientation. Free men with money could use other men as well as women, without experiencing discrimination for it. The passives had to consent, not because they were homosexuals, but because submission was linked to their social rank. One exception was the case of the cult prostitutes, who were treated with respect.

Hostility towards prostitution and certain sexual practices came with Judeo-Christian ideas. Both prostitution and homexuality were to be portrayed in some passages in the Bible as either abominations or sins against Nature. The Old and New Testaments condemn homosexual practices and prostitution in four specific situations:

1. When the right to asylum is violated (The story of Sodom and Gomorrah where people wanted to abuse Lot's guests).
2. When it is associated with foreign practices (such as Pagan religions where homosexual acts were practiced in cult contexts)
3. When there was concern with low fertility and non-reproductive practices (such as wasting semen in masturbation).
4. When it is associated with pagan cults.

The interviewees do not know exactly which passages from the Bible are used against them, nor do they understand that homosexuality and prostitution in ancient times were very different from current practice. In fact, religious concerns arose for very specific reasons, which are not generally applicable to the cacheros' present activities. However, these young men are conscious of the condemnation and criticism leveled against them by priests and religious people, and their warnings that God will supposedly condemn them to Hell. In this situation, it is impossible to have self-esteem, or to seek support for problems related to prostitution. It should come as no surprise, then, that prostitutes look to drugs or other addictions to relieve the guilt and pain of feeling condemned and discriminated against.

To analyze how they might see their work in a different light and free themselves from biblical fetters, we asked them to do the following simulation:

People no longer feel pleasure in their genitals, but in their hair. They still have regular sexual relations for reproduction, but pleasure, true erotic pleasure, comes from having their hair washed, cut, and styled. Having your hair done is so pleasurable, that some people enjoy it to excess and have forgotten to eat or to have sexual relations. For this reason, the Bible has very prudently forbidden hair cuts. Delilah was condemned for cutting Samon's locks, which prevented him from having orgasms for several months. This passage is used to condemn hairstylists to Hell, as God disapproves of their methods. ”He who cuts another hair is an abomination, says one of the passages. Another even stronger one says “There shall be no hairstylists in all of Israel. It is an insult to God”. Another biblical passage tells the story of Peluca and Gorra (Wig and Cap), two towns in Canaan where people cut their hair so often that they went around with wigs and caps so as not to show the results. This bothered Yahweh so much that he struck them both down. In the New Testament, Paul was even stricter. In a letter to the sponsors of the Miss Universe pageant, he threatened:” None of the women who have their hair styled shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, neither shall the sylists, nor the braiders, nor the shampoo users, nor the users of conditioners, rollers, dyes, combs, brushes and hair pieces”.

Our aim was to show the prostitutes that their job might be seen just like any other if it were not for the long history of religious condemnation and negative attitudes towards sexuality. The fact that people condemn prostitution and homosexuality could be as morally significant as if they did it to a hairstylist. Why is it that massaging the scalp is regarded so differently from massaging genital organs? Why are people so worried about genitals while other organs can be massaged, stimulated, treated, touched, or caressed with no moral consequences? Why is it immoral to give someone an orgasm, while going to war, killing, and plundering are not condemned by religion?

The young men reacted very strongly to this exercise. Many of them said it was blasphemous, irreverent, atheistic, and disrespectful. Luis, for example, says religion makes him feel so uncomfortable that he prefers not to think about those things and condemn myself even further. Gerardo feels that it is wrong to play with the Bible and does not question that homosexuality has been condemned by the word of God: [a reference to a state-run bank, the Banco Anglo, which went bankrupt amid political scandals] Ernesto reacted this way: “Religion and morality is a load of crap. If you're poor, nobody helps you. I don't know why I should be ashamed of making a client feel good if it's nobody' business and I'm not stealing anything from anyone. How many politicians have gotten rich by robbing people? They do it, and the world kisses their ass. There was Calderón (Costa Rica's former President) staying at the house of a drug-lord in Mexico, and nobody condemns him the way they do us. The worst we do is give pleasure to people that nobody wants.” Lila puts it more eloquently: “This exercise seems like a good idea to me, because there's nobody more corrupt than the Church -- they have the least right to open their mouths to condemn people who work. Why should that bunch of transvestites in black care if people enjoy sex? Why don't they sell that mansion in Rohrmoser (the luxurious residence of the Papal Nuncio) and give the money to the poor?”

Finally, one of them completely missed the point of the allegory: Of course, says Carlos, “I always knew that God had condemned hairstylists 'cause they're all queens. They're sure to be condemned to Hell for being gossipy hens. That's why I go to a barber... never to one of those unisex queens”.

AIDS PREVENTION

The interviewees were very knowledgeable about AIDS. All were aware of the main forms of transmission and prevention. During the first interviews, they claimed that they always used a condom when penetration was involved. However, they also had contradictory information on this point. Some, like Augusto, believe there is no risk of infection if they perform active penetration. Luis believes he is not at risk because he does not ejaculate inside his clients. Others believe that oral sex carries no risk of transmission. Although almost all the "cacheros" practice oral sex with their clients, none mentioned using a condom for this activity. There were other misconceptions, such as Cerebrón's idea that the real danger of infection is when you let yourself be penetrated by small penises. He believes “that these tear everything, whereas, when it's a big dick, it goes in and stays in without tearing anything, and it doesn't make the sphincter bleed”. Few use lubricants and they are not aware of the increased likelihood of the condom breaking if no lubricant is us-based lubricant to help put a condom on, his response was negative. The interviewees were even less knowledgeable about different brands of condoms and the fact that some are not suitable for anal sex and break easily. They tend to use condoms brought by the clients or provided by the owner, without knowing the differences in quality. They also have false notions about the protection afforded by washing the genitals with soap or applying alcohol after sexual intercourse. Although these precautions do not do any harm (with the exception of using Sanipine disinfectant as a lubricant to counteract foul odors), neither do they offer any protection against the AIDS virus.

Some of the "cacheros" know people who have contracted the AIDS virus and died. Despite this, they still do not always use condoms. Many of the interviewees claimed that they do use condoms, but that others do not. Copo, for example, has papilloma and has sought help from one of his clients who is a doctor. However, in the interview, he insisted that he does not have sex without a condom. Until our arrival, condoms were not a-workers contradict their affirmations and tell us that they, too, make exceptions.

Married cacheros, or those who live with women, are usually more careful, since they are fearful of transmitting venereal diseases, especially AIDS, to their women. Given that they dislike using condoms with their wives or girlfriends, the price of not using them with their clients is greater. Nevertheless, many of those who have female partners who know about their work do not always use condoms. Mono claims that he will not do anything without a condom, but his co-workers say he has sex with married men who do not like using condoms.

Since we could not conduct this study and simply observe the situation without doing something to help, we told Lila from the beginning that we would supply these young men with condoms. He agreed to give one to each worker who requested one. As a result, condoms have begun to circulate more often around the house. The evidence can be seen in the wastebaskets and in the fact that the young men come to ask for them when a client requests penetration. According to Ernesto, now that condoms are available, he has begun to use them often. Mono and Hugo say they request them directly from Lila. If I'm going to give it to a client, “I ask for a condom”, admits Cerebrón. But despite some initial success, not all "cacheros" are so assertive. Mono says that “ he sometimes has to stop a client who asks him not to use a condom. I can afford to tell him to go to Hell, if I have to. However, he says, many guys here can hardly talk, much less to stand up to a client”.

Other factors, such as crack and alcohol consumption, made them proned to not use condoms. “We'll never use a condom, says Carlos, when high”. Having a regular partner is also conducive to making exceptions. “That regular client I told you about had a four-year relationship with me, and I never used a condom with him. If he was giving me money and supporting me...how could I show distrust?” According to him, “I was faithful”. .Love, according to the interviewees, is shown by trust, faithfulness, and by not using protection.

The interviewees make exceptions for known or regular clients. Part of being intimate is doing it without a condom:

I used a condom at the beginning with this client. But after the fourth time, he asked me to do it without a condom. I told him I didn't want to, that it was dangerous. But he said he really liked me and he wanted to continue just with me. He started to give me really good head, and when I realized what was happening, he'd already gone ahead and put it in without a condom. After a while, I asked him if he wanted to keep going or stop. He told me it felt so good, so full, that I should keep going.

Not only does the definition of intimacy affect condom use, but also the cacheros' desire to have children. As we have seen, most are fathers and had children when they were very young. Many want to have more children, either because they like the idea, or to demonstrate their manhood. Gerardo has four and he still wants more: I like being a Dad. I don't use condoms because I want more children.

Another factor has to do with the lack of solidarity among cacheros. They comprise a minority with few channels of communication among themselves, since they tend to regard each other as competition. Cerebrón complains that many of them charge any ridiculous price, which brings down the prices of the rest. I yelled at Emilio about letting himself be penetrated for 2,000 colones.”Don't be a fool!” I told him.”Don't you see that clients are taking advantage of us?” The same thing happens with condom use: Look, says Hugo, “I always try to use a condom ... but what can we do when this seventeen-year-old punk shows up and, for five hundred colones more, doesn't use one”. Mono feels the same way: “The youngest guys are the most sought-after, the most unaware, and the most desperate for money. They're the ones who will do anything without a condom”.

Compartmentalization is another reason why condoms are seldom used. Cacheros live in different worlds with little connection between them. In Costa Rica, there are two parallel AIDS-prevention campaigns. The official campaign, directed at the heterosexual population, emphasizes fidelity and monogamy as means of prevention. The unofficial version, developed by ILPES, places emphasis on condom use and is aimed more at the gay community. There is no specific campaign for bisexual sex workers, and neither of the two existing initiatives has attempted to regulate pornography so as to integrate a message of safe sex Pornography, which remains illegal in this country, has not adapted to the reality of AIDS, or, if it has, it is not what these young mens are looking at. Many of the available movies probably came out decades ago, before AIDS, and do not include condom use.

Instead of assimilating the message to always use condoms, both with men and women, "cacheros" combine the two campaigns. In theory, they accept the use of condoms in their homosexual relations, but not in their heterosexual ones. Therefore, the notion of prevention becomes compartmentalized in the same way as their sex lives. Mario, for example, says he uses a condom with men, “but I'm faithful to a good looking woman and I don't use it with her.”

“He must have been as pretty as a picture when he was young” says another client referring to one of the old clients who comes to help Lila. Out of friendship, the client was willing to make Lila's dream come true: “to get me out of this roach motel and into a nice place”. He promised to give Lila the money after a trip abroad. The owner had already chosen a house, located just four blocks from the present one, and costing 10 million colones. The Dominican promised a low interest rate, with a reasonable payment plan. However, fulfillment of this promise was a long time coming. La Preciada had already warned Lila that he was living in a fantasy world: “You're crazy if you think he's going to lend you that money. Why dont you come down off that cloud and think about how you're going to clean the house?” Lila, for his part, believed that La Preciada was jealous of him: “That queen just wants to see me humiliated in this pigsty. She turns green with envy just thinking about how I might have a better house and how I wouldn't need to depend on her, so she could insult me”. But the money never materialized.

Had Lila already decided to close the brothel before the Dominican betrayed him? From the time we began this investigation, Lila knew that once the book was published, the house would be in danger. No matter how much we tried to conceal the location of the house and change the names of the characters, some people would recognize them. Any person harboring a grudge could very easily call the police and give them the address. With all the jealous people around, someone's going to denounce me, if I get famous”, he warned us. Deep down, Lila wanted to finish with the brothel: “ m tired of this business. I'd like to have done something better with my life and not have to live with the terror of ending up in jail again. That's my worst nightmare”. When the Dominican told Lila he could not lend him the money, Lila knew his life as a madam was at an end, and so was his house. I want to grow old in a dignified manner, to repent and be forgiven, and then become a saint, like Eva Perón. After I'm dead, they'll say I was generous, that I fed the poor, “Santa Lila, Santa Lila (she starts singing “Evita). Don't cry for me Costa Rica. I still love you, don't keep your distance. And as for fortune, and as for fame, I never invited them in, though it seemed to the world they were all I desired. They are illusions, they are not the solution they promise to be, the answer was here all the time.”

During the writing of this book, Lila began to paint and fix up the house. One day he started to fix up the back room where the interviews took place. Then, he decided to put pieces of zinc on the patio near the kitchen. Another day, he decided to paint the house. His goal was to close the house as a center of prostitution and do something else. “I don't know...all your questions, when I sat down to think about my life, about living in danger, about going to jail, all this had to do with closing the brothel”.

Our character is an intelligent man, who, given the opportunity, might have done something better with his life. He is shrewd, introspective, analytical and cultured. However, his life has been no bed of roses. His addiction to sex has combined with the young men's addiction to drugs and clients' addiction to danger. He is no less trapped than they are, nor is he a simple exploiter of cacheros and their clients. Lila is simply one more victim of addiction: I haven't made any money or gotten out of this dump. “The guys have gotten as much money from me as Ive gotten out of them”-he says.