TABLE 2—

HIV-Related Stigma Resulting From a Loss of Moral Experience in the New York City HBC: January–March 2009

Component of Moral Experience	HBC-Adapted Component of Moral Experience	Examples
Stigma is sociosomatic and moral–emotional, whereby cultural values are tied to an individual’s experience of emotions	Feelings of shame result from physiologic attributes or the loss of status and support	Not competing at balls and fading in and out of the scene because of illness
		Fear of bringing shame to one’s house because of HIV status
		Internalizing humiliation brought on by not winning competitions
Stigma is intersubjective, whereby stigma occurs in the space between people at the local level of ascribed words, gestures, meanings, and feelings	Existing in a social world with decreased societal stigmas heightens HIV-related stigma	Experiences of racism, homophobia, or transphobia in home communities
		Balls are one of few available spaces for marginalized populations in New York City to congregate
		Competition categories derived from gender and class norms increase internalized oppressions
Stigma threatens what matters most, whereby what is most at stake for individuals (i.e., what they have the most to lose from) in their local world becomes endangered	HIV poses a threat to attain ball status in the community	Spread of shade and gossiping in the HBC because of serostatus
		Fear of losing respect and recognition after disclosure
		Members usually comfortable disclosing HIV+ status only after obtaining legendary ball status

Note. HBC = House and Ball Community; HIV+ = HIV−positive. Source. Yang et al.²⁶