René Esparza

René Esparza, a historian and assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, dives into the intersection of LGBTQ politics and the AIDS crisis in Midwestern America. He reveals how assimilationist strategies among white gay activists led to the gentrification of vibrant queer spaces, diluting radical activism. Esparza discusses the criminalization of marginalized groups during the AIDS epidemic and the contrasting dynamics of privacy and protection in political discourse. His insights shed light on urban change and envision a future beyond homonormativity.