Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality

The radical sexuality of gay American men in the 1970s is often seen as a shameful period of excess that led to the AIDS crisis. Beyond Shame claims that when the gay community divorced itself from this allegedly tainted legacy, the tragic result was an intergenerational disconnect because the original participants were unable to pass on a sense of pride and identity to younger generations. Indeed, one reason for the current rise in HIV, Moore argues, is precisely due to this destructive occurrence, which increased the willingness of younger gay men to engage in unsafe sex.

Lifting the'veil of AIDS, ' Moore recasts the gay male sexual culture of the 1970s as both groundbreaking and creative-provocatively comparing extreme sex to art. He presents a powerful yet nuanced snapshot of a maligned, forgotten era. Moore rescues gay America's past, present, and future from a disturbing spiral of destruction and AIDS-related shame, illustrating why it's critical for the gay community to reclaim the decade.

Author: Patrick Moore
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published: 01/14/2004
Pages: 264
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.63lbs
Size: 8.48h x 5.50w x 0.64d
ISBN13: 9780807079577
ISBN10: 080707957X
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | LGBTQ+ Studies | Gay Studies
- History | United States | 20th Century
- Medical | AIDS & HIV

About the Author
Patrick Moore has worked extensively on gay issues as both an activist and a writer. The author of two novels, This Every Night and Iowa, he was the founding director of the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS in New York City. Moore currently lives in Los Angeles, California, and is developing projects for film and television.