Abstract

In this study, I argue that early depictions of HIV/AIDS in the mainstream media displayed a marked emphasis on the skin. I locate these depictions within a history of Western preoccupation with skin as a symbol of social belonging, bodily integrity, and modern selfhood. I also maintain that these depictions played a crucial role in constituting both the epidemic as a whole and the bodies associated with it. I draw connections between skin studies, queer theory, and critical disability theory in order to uncover some of the ways in which the skin acts as a repository for cultural imaginings of selfhood, good health, and psychosocial wellbeing. In keeping with my interest in the intersections of sexuality and disability studies, my thesis is organized into three related chapters: 1) sexuality and the skin; 2) disability and the skin; and 3) death and the skin.