"No Glove, No Love" HIV/AIDS and the Educational and Societal Evolution of Safer Sex

Abstract

The emergence of AIDS in Canada in March 1982 demanded a change in approaches to sexual education. Past practices of abstinence-only education were no longer sufficient as both queer and heterosexual populations grappled with the devastation brought by the disease. When Canadian federal and provincial government institutions failed to act, the queer community came together to introduce the modern, now-commonplace idea of safer sex. This form of education was driven largely by the experiences of gay, bisexual, and queer men in the early years of the pandemic and has now become a core element of queer identities. The evolution of sexual education and the politics of sexuality have been shaped by the experiences and work of queer communities throughout the AIDS epidemic.