Abstract
Teiji Furuhashi revealed his HIV-positive status to his friends by “the letter” in October, 1992. This revelation started grass-roots movement in Kyoto, Japan. This paper investigates why though he let only about 20 friends know his HIV-positive status the letter sparked movements such as those associated with multiple identities that were not limited to the HIV/AIDS. In what way is the rhetoric of of Furuhashi's counter claim making unique? This paper suggests that Furuhashi's counter claiming had such an impact because it used a motif that problematized not only HIV/AIDS or male homosexuality and a rhetoric based on comradeship.
Furthermore, rather than identifying himself as a gay male homosexual, he identified himself as an artist. Therefore, this allowed movement participants to conflate intimate internal personal relationships and make rhetorical links among various sexual/gender identities.
