ThedangerofinvokingtheHIV/AIDSepidemictopromotemeasurestoprotectsexualminorities（especiallygay，bisexualandtranssexualpersons）isobvious.Linkingalreadystigmatizedminoritiestoanepidemicthatisthesourceofignoranceandfear，mayonlyaddtotheburdenofstigma.Nevertheless，theexistenceofthiscohortofpeopleatriskdemandsinitiativesspecificallyaddressedtotheirrisk.Suchinitiativeswill，totheextentthatitisrelevantandpossibleinChina，drawupontheexperienceofothercountries.Itwillrequirelegalinitiatives，affordinglegalprotectionsthataccepttheHIV/AIDSparadox.
Inthecountrieswhereinitiativeshavebeensuccessful，theyhaverelevantlymobilisedgayrepresentativegroupstospreadknowledgeaboutHIVandthemodesofitstransmission；providedinformationcampaignstargetedatsuchgroups；educatedpoliceandotherofficialssoastoreducetheharassmentandalienationofthiscohort；promotedandadoptedlawsandpoliciesaffordingprotectionandredressagainstdiscrimination，inequalityoftreatmentandviolence；andacceptedstrategiestoencourageamorerationalandinformedpublicawarenessoftheexistenceofsexualminoritiesandanunderstandingoftheirhumanneeds，whicharesubstantiallythesameasthoseofothercitizens.
Mixedmessages：DespitethedangersofmixingthemessagesofsexualequalityandHIVpreventionandcare，theadventofHIVdoesrequireofallsocietiesintheworldamorerationalandinformedapproachtowardstherealworldofhumansexualdiversity.
Thismaybeuncomfortablefortraditionalists.Itwillbeopposedbysomereligionists，inthenameofdivinerevelation.However，certainlyinthecurrentstateofvaccineandtherapeuticdevelopmentsandavailability，nootherstrategyislikelyinpracticetoreducethespreadofHIVandlessentheenormousburdenoftheepidemic.Thatburdenisindividualandsocial.Itiseconomicandthreatenstorobmanydevelopingcountriesofthefruitsofhard-earnedeconomicprogress.Importantchoiceshavetobemadebypoliticalleaders.Somuchiscoldreality.Itistheroleofuniversitiestoprovidethoseleaderswithscientificdataontheextentoftheepidemic；onitspotentialcosts；andonthecrucialdecisionsthathavetobemadetocontainitandreduceitsimpact：personal，social，nationalandglobal.
Amongtheharddecisionsthatarerequiredarethoseaddressedtotheneedsandrightsofmenwhohavesexwithmenandofothersexualminorities.TheadoptionofnewlawsandpublicpoliciesthataddresstherealitiesofsexualdiversityhasthereforetakenonanewurgencybecauseoftheadventofHIV/AIDS.Theadoptionofnewlawsandpoliciescanbejustifiedonscientificgroundsandbyreferencetohumanvalues.ButtheadventofHIV/AIDSprovidesanewelementofurgencybecauseoftheneedsforeffectivepreventionandcontainment.IncludinginChina.
Thirtymillenniaago，outofthefeelingsofhumanbeings，camethingsofbeautytodemonstratethatweareaspeciesthatfeelsandcaresandhaveaninnerlifeofperceptionthatgoesbeyondownbruteneedsformereexistence.Wemustreachintothatinnerworld.Itistherethatwillbefoundrespectfortheneedsandfeelingsofotherfellowhumanbeings，includingthosewithinsexualminoritiesthatmaybedifferentfromourown.Perceivinginthoseothersareflectionoftheexistenceofourselvesandthosewelove，weneedtomobiliseourselvestorespondtothedangersofignorance，crueltyandincompetenceasweaddressthedifferent，yetinterconnected，realitiesofhumansexualityandhumandisease.Itisabigneedofourtime.Itisurgent.
SexualityandFamilyRevolutions，EastandWest
ByJudithStacey
ChinafirstinspiredmyresearchonfamilyrevolutionswhenIwasagraduatestudentintheearly1970s.IrememberattendingarousingpubliclectureaboutwomeninChinadeliveredbyCarmelaHinton，daughterofex-patriotAmericanjournalistWilliamHinton，theauthorofFanshen（1966），aclassicstudyofrevolutionarylandreforminaruralChinesevillage.SpeakinginChinese-accentedEnglish，CarmelareportedthatthePRCrecognizedthat“Awomenholduphalfthesky”andwasliberatingthemfromcenturiesofConfucianpatriarchy.Asanenthusiasticparticipantinthegrassrootswomen’smovementthatwassweepingtheU.S.atthetime，Iwasimpressedanddeeplycurious.Soonafter，Ibegantoinvestigatethesources，limits，andeffectsofgenderandfamilytransformationin20thcenturyChina，whichbecamethesubjectofmydoctoraldissertationandmyfirstbook，PatriarchyandSocialistRevolutioninChina（Stacey1983）.
AlthoughChinawastheempiricalsubjectofthatresearch，thebookwasmotivatedbyquestionsabouttherelationshipbetweengender，familyandsocialchangeintheWestthatIhavecontinuedtostudyeversince.EthnographicresearchondiverseaspectsoffamilytransformationintheU.S.ledeventuallytomycurrentworkongayandlesbianfamilyissues.Drawingonmyunderstandingoffamilyrevolutions，EastandWest，Iwantfirsttosketchthebroadestcontoursofincreasinglyglobalprocessesoffamilytransformationthathavetranspiredinindustrializedsocietiesoverthepastfewdecades，andsecondtoreflectontheirimplicationsforsexualdiversity，equality，andfamilypolicy.