boys, each group vying for a client population that is finding these
types of sexual exchanges to be increasingly risky propositions.

These two groups, while currently at odds, could coexist if they had
to, but the sense of community and social cohesion that were once felt
would probably be eliminated. Gone will be the days when a certain
etiquette regulated the transactions or when one boy willingly sacrificed
his own trick to keep an eye on a buddy. Gone, too, will be the one
thing that kept many boys going: the opportunity to feel like a part of
something greater than themselves. Thus, while the trade will likely
continue, what will change is the very thing that once made it be a
relatively safe and stable phenomenon.

This project began as an attempt to examine how high-risk groups
deal with AIDS, and turned into a study of a community and the
pressures it faces. While immersing myself in this culture, I learned
there were a host of problems for the boys beyond the physical dangers
of the trade. They must contend with the influence of crack, deal with
the obvious risks of acquiring AIDS, and cope with the pressures of
urban progress as the city attempts to restore Times Square.

I also learned that there is a sense of community among the boys of
Times Square, but that social changes are causing this community to
fragment. Moreover, while hustling will remain a part of Times
Square's future, the future of the community of hustlers is uncertain:
the boys face a number of formidable obstacles, and it is not clear that
the hustler community can overcome them.

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