Bibliographie complète

Divided between essentialism and constructivism, the mobilization of united-statesian homosexuals becomes a real social movement when it goes beyond the opposition between integrationism and differentialism. Thanks to a complex identity forged by ACT-UP, it has been able in this way to resist AIDS. A comparison between San Francisco and New York shows that the initiative comes from the bottom up. Collective action is most effective as it takes account of differences (such as ethnicity) between homosexuals. This requirement has been dictated by the evolution of AIDS since the 1990s. It is, therefore, in stressing the subjectivity of the actors that the gay and lesbian movement can continue and contribute to social change in the United States.