The Institute for Scientific Analysis was recently granted funding by the National Institutes of Health to study club drug use and dance event attendance among gay and bisexual Asian American men. While there is an enormous body of research on the use of drugs by gay and bisexual men, relatively little of it has explored the meanings of drug use, particularly among Asian American men, who are often left out of large-scale, national studies of drug use. Consequently, there is a need for research that examines the particular challenges and issues facing the large and diverse Asian American gay/bisexual male community.
Our current project entitled "Asian American Gay and Bisexual Men, Club Drugs, and Nightlife" follows nearly a decade of work on drug use and nightlife in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are looking to interview gay/bisexual Asian American men between the ages of 18 and 30 from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds who are involved in the club scene and/or are users of "club" drugs. If people are interested in participating, we ask them to call our office so we can describe the study and the nature of the interview in depth. This gives them a chance to ask questions about the project before deciding whether they want to participate. Respondents are paid a $65 honorarium for participating. All interviews are confidential and no identifying information will be associated with them.
We are interested in examining issues of drug use among gay and bisexual Asian American men, especially the meanings and connections between drug use, involvement in the gay scene and ethnic and sexual identity. A significant portion of this project will be dedicated to exploring notions of identity and how Asian Americans of varying backgrounds, ages, and ethnic groups, conceptualize and negotiate their own sense of ethnic and sexual identity, particularly as it relates to their drug use. We believe our study will provide much needed empirical data on a growing but understudied population.
For more information contact: Geoffrey Hunt