The Sexual Health of Gay Men in the Post-AIDS Era: Feminist, Post-Structuralist and Queer Theory Perspectives

Abstract

This article discusses feminist, post-structuralist and queer theories as a framework for masculinities research on sexual health promotion efforts targeting gay men, particularly in relation to HIV prevention. The theories discussed have the potential to challenge the social categories associated with gender, sex, sexual identity and sexual orientation which often determine identities and subjectivities. Recognizing masculinity as a gender “performance” rather than a fixed identity enables health researchers to more fully investigate gendered sexual behaviors which are imbued with social, political and economic meaning. A combined feminist, post-structuralist and queer theoretical framework provides a way to understand how concepts of masculinity organize social interactions and how these in turn shape and inform the sexual health behaviors of men. The purpose of this article is to offer an approach for use by gay men’s health researchers working on health promotion.