1. Persecution of Gay Men in 1980s AIDS Era

2. Background HIV infection was spreading throughout the US and people were dying in large numbers from AIDS Many of those who were infected were homosexual males. Sensational reporting in the press led to the misconception that gay men were responsible for the disease. It was referred to as the “gay plague” and people thought you could get the virus just by being in the same room as someone with the infection. This fear led to persecution and abuse, often referred to as “gay bashing.”

3. Incidents One typical example was reported in San Francisco where a man named David Johnson was dragged from his car in a supermarket parking lot by a group of teenagers who shouted at him, calling him a “diseased faggot” and claiming he was “killing us all.” They beat him with their skateboards, kicked him and clawed his face. His jaw and three ribs were broken, his head was gashed, his kidneys bruised, and his face and neck cut with deep fingernail scratches.

4. Resolution As the public gained greater understanding of HIV, how it is transmitted, and why it was affecting gay men in larger numbers, the panic died down. When treatments began to be available allowing people to live with HIV and it was no longer a death sentence, the panic was reduced even more. There is still a lingering concern, but the number of incidents has declined dramatically since the high point of the 1980s.