GAY COMMUNITY AND AIDS.   Term Paper ID:30792 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses how the HIV/AIDS epidemic altered the gay community.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Discusses how the HIV/AIDS epidemic altered the gay community. Public perceptions toward homosexuality and fear of the disease. Politicization of AIDS by gay acitvists. Engagement in risky sexual practices by ethnic groups. Examines the effect of the AIDS crisis on severalt groups, including the leather community, the Latino population. Paper Introduction: The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected many sectors of society and has especially altered the gay community. Because of the epidemic, the public perceptions towards homosexuality have been transformed by the fear of the disease. In their struggle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, mainly white gay members of the community have rallied together and politicized their presence. However, minority ethnic groups such as the African Americans and Latino continue to engage in risky sexual practices. In this paper, the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on different groups will be described and examined. According to different polls to assess public attitudes towards the gay population during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it appears that the public had not altered their opinions on certain issues because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The public Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Rubin, G. Their AIDS organization has not helped in establishing the gaycommunity because it has had to project a non-gay image due to the strongChristian fundamentalist opposition (Schneider, 1997, pp. (1997). Gagnon (Eds.), In changing times: Gay men and lesbians encounter HIV/AIDS (pp. 2 2-3). 211). On theother hand, the Santa Barbara organization has succeeded in asserts astrong gay presence because of strong experienced leadership (Schneider,1997, p. P. Depending on the size of the city, gays in towns have respondeddifferently to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In M. The collaborationbetween the gay community and the public institutions in the fight againstAIDS has certainly brought the society together (Herek, 1997, pp. N. (1997). M. 29 ). 165). Schneider, B. 55-82). During the AIDS crisis, manygay individuals have relied upon the support of their gay family.Therefore, difficulties over the rights of each "family" emerge when thegay individual dies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. In spite of these changes, surveys on the sexual activity of gay menbefore and during AIDS showed that there was no significant difference inthe numbers (Nardi, 1997, p. However, the leather community has reasserted its identity by raisingmoney for AIDS support organizations. Because of theepidemic, the public perceptions towards homosexuality have beentransformed by the fear of the disease. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Thus, this definition that was once simply enforcedwithin the gay communities became a political, social and economic issuethat had to be determined in court cases (Nardi, 1997, pp. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. For the gay people,such areas were no longer safe for them (Rubin, 1997, pp. AIDS-Related risks and same-sex behaviors among African American men. N. (1997). P. P. In M. 228-236). Herek, G. N. According to some studies, the African American men who arethe most uncomfortable about their homosexual activity are the most likelyto engage in unsafe sexual practices (Peterson, 1997, p. Nardi, & J. Gagnon (Eds.), In changing times: Gay men and lesbians encounter HIV/AIDS (pp. M. Although they were deprived of theirspace, the leather community still holds a South of Market street fairannually-the Folsom Street Fair (Rubin, 1997, pp. M. Because of the stereotypical associations of leathersexualities with dangerous sexual practices that lead to AIDS, the leathercommunity in San Francisco was stigmatized by the general public during theearly years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Rubin, 1997, p. M. Withincreasing recognition in court battles and public forums, the perceptionof gay individuals as having domestic relationships has replaced the sexualimage of gay individuals. In this paper, the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on differentgroups will be described and examined. 165).This collection of writings has highlighted the way in which the AIDScrisis has brought forth the underlying tension between the gay communityand the general public. Gagnon (Eds.), In changing times: Gay men and lesbians encounter HIV/AIDS (pp. Their need to conform to thepassionate image of Latin men and their to conceal their homosexualityfrom their families play a large part in their participation in riskysexual practices (Diaz, 1997, pp. However, minority ethnic groupssuch as the African Americans and Latino continue to engage in risky sexualpractices. What is most important is the factthat gay men have made the efforts to highlight the need to practice safesex and acknowledge the devastating impact of AIDS in towns that do notacknowledge a gay presence and gay activity. The Latino population has been hit hard by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Ultimately, it is the interaction between the HIV/AIDS epidemic andthe opposition of conservative groups that has propelled gay people tovolunteer their services, to come out of the closet and assert theirpresence (Schneider, 1997, p. (1997). Nardi, & J. Therefore,in spite of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, these men continue to engage in unsafesex even when they know that they are at risk (Peterson, 1997, p. Nardi, & J. Levine, P. However, it is possiblethat risky sexual practices were reduced significantly during the HIV/AIDSepidemic (Nardi, 1997, pp. 1 9). In their struggle against theHIV/AIDS epidemic, mainly white gay members of the community have ralliedtogether and politicized their presence. In this section, the paper will focus on specific groups within thegay community. 59-61). 116). Levine, P. 288). The public continued to show tremendous support for the FirstAmendment rights and employment rights for gay people (Herek, 1997, pp. The AIDS crisis has highlighted the fact that gayfamilies did not have many advantages of typical families, such as spousalbenefits (Nardi, 1997, p. Furthermore, thepublic has tended to stigmatize the behavior of gay men during the earlyphase of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Friends, lovers, and families: The impact of AIDS on gay and lesbian relationships. 145-7 ). 221-244). S. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. P. Nonetheless, the AIDS crisis has also provided public exposure of thelives of gay individuals who have previously hidden their sexual identityfrom their families. 1 1-144). 71). (1997). Nardi, & J. 171-19 ). M. Latino gay men and psycho-cultural barriers to AIDS prevention In M. Nardi, & J. N. 221-5). (1997). The mass media has also allowed the public to seefirst-hand the unusual lives of many gay people's lives. To the public, gay men havingsex, regardless of their practices and their health status, are likely tocontract AIDS (Herek, 1997, p. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected many sectors ofsociety and has especially altered the gay community. In M. Thus, the community has becomepoliticized. Because of the lack of recognition of African American gay activity,most of these men engage in recreational sex outside of heterosexualrelationships. It has created a fund, the AIDS Emergency Fund, to helpindividuals suffering from AIDS and need help. The "Mr. Gagnon (Eds.), In changing times: Gay men and lesbians encounter HIV/AIDS (pp. However, the fight against AIDS has brought thewhole society together in recognizing not only the vulnerability of eachindividual, but also the fundamental unity of humanity. In Bismarck, a smallorganization has succeeded in carving small, but significant presence ofgay community in their battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Schneider,1997, p. In M. Leather" contestshave also served as a means of raising money as well as recruiting newleaders to replace the massive numbers of leaders who died in the HIV/AIDSepidemic (Rubin, 1997, pp. Levine, P. 74-5). M. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 154). Elegy for the valley of kings: AIDS and the leather community in San Francisco, 1981-1996. Furthermore, sexual activity was notsignificantly reduced, nor did abstinence increase. 156-7). Thedeath rate of the Latinos population from HIV-related causes exceeds theirpopulation. Gagnon (Eds.), In changing times: Gay men and lesbians encounter HIV/AIDS (pp. 128-9). M. 212-3). In spite of thefact that the leather community utilized baths and the clubs to disseminateinformation about AIDS, these facilities were closed under public andpolitical pressure. Nardi, P. Consequently, the existenceof leather community was annihilated by the invasion of stores, clubs,businesses that catered to the heterosexual population. Thedistinctive cultural perceptions and practices are the primary factors inpreventing them from altering their practices. In fact, they are associatedwith drug users. Levine, P. N. 124-5). The HIV epidemic and public attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. M. Owning an Epidemic: The impact of AIDS on small-city lesbian and gay communities. P. P. However, increasing numbers of people opposed the legalization ofhomosexuality during the mid-eighties (Herek, 1997, 2 3). Essentially, an integral part of the gay community wasdestroyed because of the public's adverse reaction to the HIV/AIDS epidemic(Rubin, 1997, p. L. Contrary to thecommon perception of family as "the family of procreation," the family ofgay individuals includes lovers and friends. Furthermore, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has intensified theconflict between the gays and the heterosexual population in a town likeGainesville. 121-3). Levine, P. Gagnon (Eds.), In changing times: Gay men and lesbians encounter HIV/AIDS (pp. E. N. Nardi, & J. According to different polls to assess public attitudes towards thegay population during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it appears that the public hadnot altered their opinions on certain issues because of the HIV/AIDSepidemic. 78). References Diaz, R. In their perceptions, gay men deserve toget AIDS because of their sexual activity. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought to the forefront thegay community's redefinition of the concept of family. In addition, the public has also established a strongconnection between AIDS and homosexuality. M. 283-3 2). Peterson, J. In spite of their knowledge of the HIV virus, the Latino gayscontinue to engage in risky sexual practices (Diaz, 1997, pp. In M. Levine, P. While the Castro district revived, the South of Market area becamethreatened by redevelopment in the eighties. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.