Customer Reviews

AIDS, Identity, and Community: The HIV Epidemic and Lesbians and Gay Men (Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian & Gay Issues)

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After a time when talking heads of all sexual orientations have tried to emphasize that "gay does not equal AIDS and AIDS does not equal gay," the contributors in this anthology ask how the AIDS pandemic does shape or affect gay and lesbian identity. In this book, various psychologists analyze this question in terms of coming out, volunteering, and gay rights advocacy. Moreover, the editors see this book as a lamentation to all the psychologists who have died of the illness. The first chapter begins with a therapist summarizing his dealings in the AIDS era and the last chapter consists of a late, HIV-positive psychologist theorizing about the future of AIDS prevention funding.

This book is the second volume of a very sharp and needed series on gay and lesbian psychological issues. Herek and Greene re-prove that they are on the cutting edges of this field and are great champions in extending research into this area. The contributors are diverse in terms of gender and race. I am saddened that this book will be hard to find outside of university libraries and away from the access of everyday gay men and lesbians.

Each of the articles summarizes a lot of the research that has been done on AIDS and gay identity. Most readers will be surprised how much research has been done on these questions. The book includes a chapter on AIDS volunteerism that I found confusing. However, the chapters dedicated to Black, Puerto Rican, and Asian-American gay men fighting HIV were incredible. The book has a very important chapter on HIV and lesbian. Still, in many instances throughout the chapters, "gay and lesbian" really signifies "gay male" and this may rub feminist and pro-feminist readers the wrong way. Then again, there is information here about Asian-Americans and lesbians that highlight that no group can be seen as not being at risk or in need of AIDS education. Some readers, especially now, may be disturbed by the focus on AIDS in the US and the exclusion of global AIDS concerns.

All in all, gay and lesbian psychotherapists and gay rights activists must get their hands on this book.