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As heated debates over the existence of commercial sex establishments take place in urban centers across the country, Policing Public Sex probes the new crisis points that have emerged in gay/lesbian/queer politics and AIDS activism. In the second decade of the AIDS epidemic, this important collection argues that the complexity of safer sex education has resulted in the lack of a clear vision for future prevention strategies. Recent studies suggesting a resurgence in HIV transmission among men who have sex with men have prompted some activists to view the first generation of HIV prevention efforts as a failure and convinced them to switch gears from education to regulation, from encouraging responsibility to enforcing repressive laws.

In contrast, the contributors to this volume acknowledge that the potential increase in HIV transmission poses serious questions, but they seek solutions in new forms of community activism and education efforts. As debates rage over what role the state should play in regulating community behavior, they consider whether the law can be mobilized in new ways to protect public health while affirming sexual freedom.

The essays collected in this volume represent a variety of activist and academic perspectives on the current public sex debates and their implications for the future of AIDS activism.

Contributors include well-known activists and writers such as: Priscilla Alexander, Allan Berube, Lisa Duggan, Amber Hollibaugh, Carol Leigh (a.k.a. Scarlot Harlot), John Lindell, Jose Munoz, Walt Odets, Scott O’Hara, Andrew Ross, Kendall Thomas, and more. Their diverse voices and radical thinking will appeal to a broad readership, including health practitioners, students, and intellectuals who are commited to queer politics and AIDS activism.