ABSTRACT
B e c a u s e o f A I D S , and the civil r ights m o v e m e n t it genera ted , gay peop l e again appear threatening to the nuclear family, the un ion o f church and state , and the sexist underp innings o f capitalist e conomies . F o r the sys tem, the dis ease surfaced at an o p p o r t u n e t ime. PWAs and h o m o s e x u a l s became the s c a p e g o a t e d explanat ions for insti tutional failures. Bo l s t e red by medical or publ ic health fears, a virulent and forever present gay bash ing has dramatically inc reased . 1 I g n o r i n g this p h e n o m e n o n as a perver ted cr ime o f sexual harass men t is a political s t rategy o f direct in t imidat ion des igned to contain gay inter ests and power .
