S has certainly brought the society together (Herek, 1997, pp. 212-3).
The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought to the forefront the gay community's redefinition of the concept of family. Contrary to the common perception of family as "the family of procreation," the family of gay individuals includes lovers and friends. During the AIDS crisis, many gay individuals have relied upon the support of their gay family. Therefore, difficulties over the rights of each "family" emerge when the gay individual dies. Thus, this definition that was once simply enforced within the gay communities became a political, social and economic issue that had to be determined in court cases (Nardi, 1997, pp. 59-61). With increasing recognition in court battles and public forums, the perception of gay individuals as having domestic relationships has replaced the sexual image of g
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