Vectors of transnationality in the adoption of a liberal public health response to HIV and AIDS in Ireland

Abstract

Historical transnationalism offers a lens through which vectors of international ideas influence national social and political dimensions to illuminate the policy transfer pathways that may shape contemporary events. This article applies a historical transnational perspective to examine the ascendency of the liberal consensus in Ireland which largely defined the international response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. While AIDS was neither the initial nor the sole driver of policy change, it was a catalyst for the transformation of Ireland’s traditionally Catholic and conservative approach to sexuality and sexual health. In considering the role of a pioneering priest, a public health specialist and a gay collective during this initial era of HIV and AIDS in Ireland, conclusions will be drawn as to the extent to which these key actors operated as vectors of transnationality to promote a global ethic of non-discrimination and the conditions required by government to adopt a liberal response to HIV and AIDS.