Social and Cultural Geography
2018

Migration as an active strategy to escape the ‘second closet’ for HIV-positive gay men in Barcelona and Rome [La migration comme stratégie proactive d’hommes gays séropositifs à Barcelone et Rome pour échapper au « deuxième placard »] [La migración como estrategia activa para escapar del ‘segundo armario’ para hombres gay con VIH en Barcelona y Roma] (Article in Press)

Di Feliciantonio C.*
  • a National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA), National University of Ireland Maynooth, Maynooth, Ireland

Abstract

Centred around the life narratives of HIV-positive gay migrants in two Mediterranean cities, Barcelona (Catalonia/Spain) and Rome (Italy), this paper frames their decision to migrate towards the big city as an active strategy to escape the ‘second closet’, a concept introduced by Berg and Ross in 2014 to refer to the hiding of HIV-positivity by gay men to avoid negative social condemnation. In line with recent literature on gay migration that has emphasized its relational and situated character, the paper focuses on several factors leading to the decision to migrate: sexual desire and the imagery of the big city; the configuration of the welfare regime allowing free access to antiretroviral therapies (ARTs); access to employment in the services sector; and the absence of strong ties in the new city. Methodologically the paper draws from in-depth interviews conducted with 24 HIV-positive gay men between 2014 and 2016. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

qualitative research VIH Rome gay migration Barcelona

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055747974&doi=10.1080%2f14649365.2018.1541248&partnerID=40&md5=d24dda430860a9c8bb39488164cb0343
DOI: 10.1080/14649365.2018.1541248
ISSN: 14649365
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English