Interview with Lawrence D. Mass, MD

Abstract

In this interview with physician, activist, and writer Lawrence D. Mass, MD, the story of Dr. Mass's development and entry into medicine at a time of cultural revolution unfolds, illustrating how social forces shaped his drive to write and act toward powerful social change. The initial stimulus for this activism was Mass's experience with psychiatry during the decade that followed the APA declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973–74. The impact of the emergence of AIDS on this process is examined, illustrating Mass's key role in discovering, making public and helping those afflicted by AIDS. His exploration of the impact of other forms of discrimination, including anti-Semitism, through his writing is also discussed.