Gay-Boy Talk--Mutchler
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men remain resilient in the face of many social obstacles that could place
them at risk for problem behaviors such as suicide or unprotected sex. Coming
out is a chance for young gay men to learn to love themselves and to espouse
ideals such as equality and justice in order to resist the effects of societal
stigma and survive the process of coming out, particularly in the era of AIDS.
Contrary to popular myths depicting young gay men as irresponsible in
the realm of safer sex, most of the young men interviewed for the ‘‘Sexual
Stories’’ project deployed some version of safer sex in their lives. It is
still important to acknowledge that the majority of the young men interviewed
(28 out of 40) were at risk for HIV infection because they engaged in sexual
risk behaviors such as UAI. Understanding the social forces that inhibit
individuals’ resiliency is also critical in our efforts to encourage young gay
men to practice safer sex. A number of social trends contributed to
environments in which the young gay men interviewed were inhibited from
learning about and practicing safer sex. Growing mandates at the federal
level fund programs that solely teach abstinence until marriage programs,
despite the fact that none have met scientific tests for proven effectiveness
(Kirby, 2001). Such programs prohibit discussions about homosexuality,
explicit language about sex, and instruction on proper condom use (Boscarino &
DiClemente, 1996). This approach to sex education may lead young gay men to
believe that they are not at risk for HIV infection since the sex education
currently provided is irrelevant to their experiences and needs. Another
implication of such educational policies is that young gay men cannot wait
until marriage to have sex since they are not allowed to marry in the United
States. The message to young gay men, then, is that they either do not exist
or they are not supposed to ever be sexually active. Young gay men are placed
Convention