Blame it on Rio

Published: Oct. 16, 2011, 10 p.m.

b'Sex for money is as old as human currency, however in the last few years, traveling abroad for sex has become the new eutopia for some men. At a minimum, black men make trips overseas for physical reasons that include sex. However, many have experienced a level of physical and sexual intimacy, a sort of sexual healing, that they see as lacking in many of their current relationships with black women. They also make these trips for cultural reasons. They describe a deep embrace and recognition to a people, a time and a land that they do not get here in the United States and do not see in black women. Most importantly, these men increasingly travel overseas because of a profound sense of identity that they find and create on these trips. So what they ultimately end up paying for is access to an elite male experience, and intercourse with a set of beliefs and ideas about black manhood that they think are denied to them by black women in America. The problem is that during these journeys, sometimes consciously but also unconsciously, black men are led further away from black women--not just physically, but also emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.Are these trips more for emotional comfort than sexual? Do these trips fill the void that men feel they are missing in the household. Does the racial equality between traveling men in Brazil create a sense of fraternity or acceptance that they cannot achieve in the US? Is there a fear of sexually transmitted infections due to the excessive rates of prostitution? LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! 718-508-9972'