Different spaces, same faces: Perth gay men's experiences of sexuality, risk and HIV

Abstract

This study investigated the experiences and behaviours of 25 gay, bisexual and queer identifying men in the context of their perceptions of sexuality, risk and HIV; how sex and relationships are negotiated; and the influence of the environments and community on living and loving in a small gay community. Purposive sampling techniques were used to recruit participants in Perth, Western Australia. Symbolic interactionist theory provided the analytic framework. The study found that the men brought with them a range of meanings related to venues, contexts, identity and community. The men weighed up a number of simultaneous risks and benefits in their relationship with others, of which HIV was one of many variables. Assumptions about the culture and size of the Perth gay community permeated many of the assumptions men made about both venues and spaces, but also the characteristics of the men in those spaces.

Notes

Graham Brown is a lecturer and Bruce Maycock a senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at Curtin University of Technology.

Consistent with previous studies (Richters et al. 2003) this study utilises the words ‘some’, ‘many’ and ‘few’ when presenting how many men reported particular behaviour or views. Although based empirically on the approximations of counts of ‘mentions’ produced by the coding process, these are not intended to stand up to significance testing, and no such claim should be inferred from the wording. Sometimes they include the reported behaviour of other men by research participants.

The term beat is an Australian colloquial term for public environments such as parks and beaches where men meet for sexual and social purposes. These spaces are significantly utilised by men who do not identify as gay or homosexual but have sex with men, however this study did not sample these non‐gay identifying men.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bruce Maycock

Graham Brown is a lecturer and Bruce Maycock a senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at Curtin University of Technology.