Community in Gay Male Experience and Moral Discourse

Abstract

The three sociological conceptions of community are outlined: the imagined community, community as friendship, and community as local organizations or groups. The extent to which gay men in New York City experience a gay community in each of these ways is investigated by means of in-depth interviews. The type of moral discourse utilized by the gay men interviewed is also discussed. Finally, gay men in New York City are compared to the new Russian Jewish community in Brooklyn as to which is more "postmodern."

Older Gay Men and Their Support Convoys

“…Unlike heterosexual older adults (Ajrouch, Blandon, & Antonucci 2005;Antonucci et al, 1997;Perkins, Ball, Kemp, & Hollingsworth, 2013), participants' friends were usually their primary source of support. This is consistent with research, which has primarily focused on younger and middle age gay men, showing that friendship is key to understanding gay men's social worlds (de Vries & Megathlin, 2009;Nardi, 1999;Weeks et al, 2001;Woolwine, 2000). Although authenticity is generally important to satisfactory relationships (Reis & Patrick, 1996), Nardi (1992, p. 115) notes the specific cultural effect of it, asserting that, in the gay world, "at the core of the concept of friendship is the idea of 'being oneself' in a cultural context that may not approve of that self."…”

“…This may be critical for marginalized groups. Indeed, many gay men, whose experiences are not reflected in the studies of cultural variation, have been ostracized within their families and geographic communities of origin and, as a result, have had to define and organize their relationships differently (Nardi, 1999;Woolwine, 2000).…”

Imagined Futures and Communities: Older Lesbian and Gay People's Narratives on Health and Aged Care

“…Recent research in the United Kingdom identifies the importance of both local communities centered on particular geographical locations and non-het- Mark Hughes 169 erosexual communities in influencing older gay and lesbian people's experience of ageing (Heaphy, Yip, & Thompson, 2004). A study by Woolwine (2000) on gay men's experiences of community identified three key aspects of community as meaningful: imagined communities of gay people (people who one will never meet yet still feels connected to), involvement in gay community organizations, and friendship networks.…”

“…Imagined communities-such as the notions of a "gay and lesbian community" (Woolwine, 2000) and a "retirement community" (Conway, 2003)-are argued to exist in our minds and are promoted by the mass media. Although we will never have contact with all the people in these communities, we imagine a bond with them because of particular commonalities (Anderson, 1983).…”

Redefining the American quilt: definitions and experiences of community among ethnically diverse lesbian and bisexual women

“…For example, previous research has suggested that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities and ethnic minority communities provide members with a safe space in which they can interact without threat of persecution, socialize with similar others, and access resources, as well as having been the heart of activism for LGBT and civil rights (Harper & Schneider, 2003;Howe, 2001;Rosenthal, 1996;Woolwine, 2000). Community has also been an important factor in the women's rights movement.…”