Bearing Witness

Kayal, Philip M

This book explores how one community-based initiative - Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York - overcame the obstacles of homophobia and fear of AIDS by organizing groups of volunteers who "bear witness" to the suffering of people with AIDS.

Dedication -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- PART ONE AIDS: The Issues -- 1 Getting Involved -- 2 The Sin Stigmaand Gay/AIDS Volunteerism -- 3 Morality" and AIDS Issues -- 4 Democratization and the Response to AIDS -- PART TWO Ideology: Volunteerism and AIDS -- 5 Volunteerism, Conununity and Blaming the Victim -- 6 The Political Economy of Volunteerisin and AIDS Prevention/Education -- 7 Who Volunteers: Minority Volunteerism and GMHC -- 8 Gay Volunteerism Before amd After AIDS -- 9 Gay/AIDS Volunteerism: A Question of Altruism? -- 10 Volunteerism and Voluntary Associations -- PART THREE The Significance of Gay/MDS Volunteerism -- 11 GMHC and the Community Interest: Institutionalization and Successful Volunteerism -- 12 GMHC as Organizational Success and Problem -- 13 Homophobia, Bearing Witness, and Empowerment -- 14 Gay/AIDS Volunteerism as Political Innovation -- Epilogue: Toward the Future -- Notes -- Bibliography -- About the Book and Author -- Index.