This study tells how one community-based initiative - Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) in New York - overcame the obstacles of homophobia and fear of AIDS by organizing groups of volunteers who "bear witness" to the suffering of people with AIDS. The book explores the gay community's response to AIDS, examining the relationship between personal motiv

The untold story in the AIDS crisis is that of the mobilization of the gay community. Bearing Witness is a compelling study of how a community-based initiative--Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York--neutralized the immobilizing power of homophobia and fear of AIDS. From his unique perspective as both a sociologist and volunteer at Gay Men's Health Crisis, Philip Kayal illuminates the social and political meanings of volunteerism by showing how gay/AIDS volunteerism is radical political and religious work.