Research Project

Unique health needs and various forms of discrimination prevent queer people from getting adequate healthcare. Legal restrictions, social stigma, and ignorance from healthcare professionals can negatively affect access to things ranging from hormone replacement therapy to preventative HIV medication. To circumvent these obstacles, queer people rely on underground networks to disperse vital information and resources. Today, nonauthoritative actors like drag queens and sex workers can be more effective than government officials and licensed healthcare professionals at mobilizing healthcare resources for queer people. My research delves into the history of queer culture that informs contemporary dynamics of healthcare access. I argue that there’s a historical precedent for illicit queer networking that fell out of fashion during the AIDS crisis, and stayed subdued until recent developments in medical and social media technologies revived the political potential of sexual sites.  I analyze media related to queer sexual health– including digital ads for PrEP, ads in gay bar bathrooms promoting DoxyPEP, and posters at queer raves prohibiting GHB usage– a to understand how queer people are staying healthy. Ultimately, I find that nonauthoritative actors and underground sexual spaces can produce better health outcomes than traditional channels in the digital and pharmaceutical age. These findings are relevant to queer people seeking healthcare and any actors seeking to facilitate that care– whether they be DJs or MDs.