Grass Roots Activism through the Gay Magazine G-men

Abstract

This paper reveals the hidden history of AIDS grass roots activism through the gay magazine G-men. There are few qualitative sociological studies that focus on the lives of persons living with HIV that has been sexually transmitted, and even fewer resilience studies on how these people have survived and what they have achieved. To address these topics, in this study, we interviewed Hiroshi Hasegawa, a former editor of the gay magazine G-men. Hasegawa emphasized the pleasure-based approach, promoting an understanding that it is possible to participate in safer sex while indulging in one’s fantasies. Based on the experiences of people who are living with HIV, readers were able to discover practical perspectives and reduce the stigma that society has attached to their sexualities and HIV/AIDS.