The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been a major catastrophe for gay communities. In less that two decades, the disease has profoundly altered the lives of gay men and lesbians. HIV has become an opportunistic social invader, reshaping communities and the distribution of wealth, altering the social careers of gay profesionals and the patterns of entry into gay and lesbian life, and giving birth to groups like ACT UP and Queer Nation. This volume discusses the ways HIV/AIDS has changed collective and individual identities, and how our perceptions of the disease have been affected. It covers such topics as the impact of the epidemic on small towns, cultural barriers to AIDS prevention, gay youth and inter-generational relations, and the roles of lesbians in AIDS organizations. The book seeks to provide insights into the new communities among gay men and lesbians, and the new kinds of identities and relationships which are emerging form the social and cultural ferment engendered by HIV/AIDS. Martin Levine was a pioneer AIDS researcher who died of AIDS in 1993.
