DOUBLE STIGMA AND BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE

Abstract
The presence of AIDS within the gay community provides a locus for studying the effects of a new stigma on an already stigmatized group, the gay community. The spread of AIDS through sexual contact among homosexual and bisexual males has reinforced the broader society's stereotype of the promiscuous gay. As a result, singly stigmatized gays distance themselves from the doubly stigmatized by drawing physical and symbolic boundaries around interaction. This exploratory study examines the strategies gay men employ to limit or avoid contact with persons with AIDS. Data were collected through interviews and a focus group with gay men who did not have AIDS.

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