With eloquent passion, Robin Hardy writes of the gay man's struggle to maintain power over his health, his body, and his sexuality in the face of a devastating epidemic. Building on the work of books like Paul Monette's Borrowed Time and Randy Shilts's And the Band Played On, The Crisis of Desire combines memoir and social critique in a forward-looking appeal to gay men to accept "the mortal risk of loving." Historically, AIDS forced gay men into a defensive position that devastated their community and their sense of themselves. Today, whether they are fighting for health care or exploring their sexuality, gay men are constrained by society and the government--and also by their own estrangement from the pre-AIDS era of sexual possibility. Because HIV is more manageable for many, the issues of sexual health, responsibility, and sexual empowerment are more vital than ever. A fresh and persuasive call in an urgent debate, The Crisis of Desire is a return to the Stonewall legacy, a bold commitment to connections based on truth, human care, and the sexual authenticity of the individual.