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rschmidt7's review
2.0
A heartfelt examination of the reaction of LGB Catholics during a time of uncertainty and fear. It is beautiful to see how many loving people were able to overcome stigma to put the Gospel into action by helping those suffering from AIDS. The truly loving response of many religious sisters and priests was inspiring. I found particularly interesting the section on the experiences of gay priests during the AIDS crisis: I think this topic is deserving of its own standalone book.
Despite being an important read which I'd recommend, and despite feeling like I learned a lot, I was not impressed with the author or some of the tone in parts of the book. It did seem like the process of research and writing the book itself was a kind of catharsis for the author as he reconciled his faith and his sexuality; this unfortunately made some passages feel self-absorbed and self-indulgent. His engagement with actual Catholic theology also does not go much deeper than to brush aside and dismiss traditional Catholic "theology of the body" as being backwards and hate-centered, which isn't accurate.
Also, I've read several books on this topic, and what strikes me in reading books on AIDS by gay authors is how unfortunately intransigent many in the LGBT community remain about the reckless behavior of men during the height of the crisis.
While recognizing sensitively that this community at the time felt at war against unfair stigmatization and under siege by fear and hate, I think we can still safely discuss the issue of how many men completely ignored public health recommendations and were militantly unwilling to mitigate some of their more extreme behavior. An unwillingness to deal with this unfortunate reality undercuts many histories of the time and does not allow us to engage with any more nuanced understanding of this unique crisis.
Despite all this, I think it is important to read and learn about this topic, especially for Catholics, and especially for traditional Catholics, as we are called on to feed the hungry and care for the ill, and "the king will say...in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’"
Despite being an important read which I'd recommend, and despite feeling like I learned a lot, I was not impressed with the author or some of the tone in parts of the book. It did seem like the process of research and writing the book itself was a kind of catharsis for the author as he reconciled his faith and his sexuality; this unfortunately made some passages feel self-absorbed and self-indulgent. His engagement with actual Catholic theology also does not go much deeper than to brush aside and dismiss traditional Catholic "theology of the body" as being backwards and hate-centered, which isn't accurate.
Also, I've read several books on this topic, and what strikes me in reading books on AIDS by gay authors is how unfortunately intransigent many in the LGBT community remain about the reckless behavior of men during the height of the crisis.
While recognizing sensitively that this community at the time felt at war against unfair stigmatization and under siege by fear and hate, I think we can still safely discuss the issue of how many men completely ignored public health recommendations and were militantly unwilling to mitigate some of their more extreme behavior. An unwillingness to deal with this unfortunate reality undercuts many histories of the time and does not allow us to engage with any more nuanced understanding of this unique crisis.
Despite all this, I think it is important to read and learn about this topic, especially for Catholics, and especially for traditional Catholics, as we are called on to feed the hungry and care for the ill, and "the king will say...in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’"
vivian_ivette's review
5.0
This was an incredibly moving account on a topic I knew very little about. I cried every few pages. I'm in awe of the willingness of some of the interviewees to share about some of the most difficult times in their lives but it's so necessary for us as Catholics to listen. Michael O'Loughlin did all of us a great service by documenting these important stories and for sharing his personal struggle with his own faith life and his identity as a gay man. I would love to have extra copies to share with the people in my life. Definitely worth the read.
daniellearider's review
5.0
It’s impossible to read this book without weeping for the lives lost, the bigotry and hatred so many felt, and the countless acts of tender mercy and Christ’s love fulfilled by so many. I loved this and think it’s a profound and unique look at the Catholic response to the AIDs epidemic; a history that, as mentioned by the author, is slowly being erased as those who lived it have left this world.
siena_j_p's review
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This was really, really good. Incredibly hard to read in places, but really good. The author is queer and Catholic and I think he does an absolutely phenomenal job of capturing the pain and frustration experienced by queer Catholics who are trying to reconcile their faith with their queerness (for context, I was raised Catholic). I’ve had a lot of experiences with queer people telling me it’s not possible to be queer and Catholic or insulting Catholicism, and of course experiences with Catholics not accepting my queerness. This book does a great job of respecting queer people who both stayed with the church and left, rather than casting any judgment on their decision. It still holds the church as an institution responsible, though, with heartbreaking stories of the people who died feeling rejected by their faith and the way the church abandoned those trying to make a difference in the HIV/AIDS crisis. The book begins by establishing a few of the key figures at the intersection of AIDS crisis work and Catholicism – a nun, a gay priest, and a gay lay Catholic – and weaves together their stories with the broader backdrop of the crisis, other vignettes, and the author’s own life. It was gripping, heartbreaking, and absolutely a crucial read for all Catholics – but I’d recommend it to queer people as well.
freder1ck's review
5.0
Great work in documenting the HIV/AIDS crisis among gay men in the US and the response of Catholics, both supportive and oppositional. A distinctive perspective about history in my lifetime. I lived through many of the events in the book, and it was very helpful to hear about them from those who were at the forefront of care in those days. Having listened to the Plague podcast, much of the book was familiar but reading the book made things hit home in a new way. And there are some new stories and details that weren't in the podcast as well. I love the journalistic approach of the book, getting at what happened with people, how they reacted and responded, and tracing their journey even to today.