Being a Gay or Lesbian Professional in a Psychiatric Hospital for Adolescents

Abstract

Differing styles and ranges of self-disclosure are highlighted through interviews with lesbian and gay clinical staff at an in-patient setting in the Midwest. Each staff, three men and one woman aged 44 to 62, is presented through a psychosocial history concerning religious, marital, and coming out issues. Participants are interviewed about their style and degree of disclosure of homosexuality to staff, clients, and family. The author concludes that degree of “coming out” correlates with positive adjustment to sexual orientation for the interviewees more than with fears about job loss or personal reprisal.     

Family roles and work values: Processes of selection and change

This study focuses on whether marriage and parenthood influence work values after taking into account the influence of work values on family formation. In a recent panel of young adults (N= 709), stronger extrinsic and weaker intrinsic work values during adolescence predicted marriage and parenthood 9 years out of high school. Controlling these relationships, wives, but not husbands, came to attach less importance to extrinsic rewards, and both husbands and wives attached less importance to intrinsic rewards, compared to single men and women. Fathers came to place greater importance on extrinsic rewards than men who had not become parents. The effect of motherhood on extrinsic values depended upon marital status, with positive effects only evident among single mothers. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for models of work‐family relationships and understanding the meaning of contemporary family roles, especially motherhood and fatherhood.     

How Intimate Relationships Are Impacted When Heterosexual Men Crossdress

Abstract

Few studies have been conducted to understand the phenomenon of transvestism, or crossdressing, as it is commonly referred. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of crossdressing on a person's dating/love relationships and sexual practices. The study was comprised of a non-random sampling of 21 male heterosexual cross-dressers who reside in Maine and New Hampshire.

Most of the men had identified themselves as crossdressers for decades. Almost all of the respondents had an entire femme persona with name, and regularly appeared in public crossdressed. Most of the men were married to women who were tolerant or accepting of their activity. The most negative responses were from wives who had found out about their husband's crossdressing years into their marriage. Feelings of anger, betrayal and fear were typical reactions by these women. The most common concern expressed by the crossdressers' partners was having others find out about their husband's behavior. Implications, as well as the limitations of this study, are discussed.     

Racial and Sexual Identities of Asian American Gay Men

ABSTRACT

This paper reports results of two studies about the racial and sexual identities of Asian American gay men. In the first study, 32 Asian American gay men completed measures assessing racial and sexual identity attitudes. Results suggested that Assimilationists had the most negative sexual identity attitudes, followed by Marginalists and Separationists, with Integrationists having the most positive sexual identity attitudes. Study 2 was a qualitative study based on interviews with 10 of the participants in Study 1. Twenty-nine themes were identified and grouped under five domains (personal background, coming out, being Asian in the U.S., being gay in the U.S., and multiple identities). Most themes were related to the parallel and interactive processes between participants' racial and sexual identity development. Practical and research implications are discussed.     

Marrying a Man with “Baggage”

Abstract

Cultural views of previously married men include the assumption that they bring ex-wives and children as “baggage” into subsequent marriages. Analysis of 274 questionnaires of second wives revealed that such baggage was significantly associated with reporting less marital happiness, thinking about divorce, and wishing that they had not married their current husband. Implications for women contemplating marriage to a previously married man include acknowledging the vulnerability of second marriages to marital instability, questioning if living together ensures subsequent marital success, delaying the marriage until issues settle out, and considering moving into a new home or apartment with the new spouse rather than having him move into her home.     

When His Ship Comes Home: The Stress of The Australian Seafarer's Partner

This article explores the stress that the wives of Australian Merchant Navy men experience as a result of the seafarer's lifestyle. The article first describes the difficulties that the wife and family experience due to the long absence of the seafarer. An exploratory survey was conducted in which 52 partners of seafarers answered questions regarding the stress they and their family experience. In addition, data were collected on their work patterns, the effect of the lifestyle on their marriage and sexual relations. While the sample obtained in this study was small, it did reveal several interesting problems associated with the seafaring family life. Eighty-three per cent (83%) of seafarer's wives found it stressful before and after their husband was due to return home. In their roles as mothers, they also felt their children experienced considerable stress because of the seafarer's absence. Many women felt that the seafaring life caused difficulties in their marriage and 25 % of the wives believed that their husbands had or were having sexual relations outside their marriage. The results of this study offer a preliminary profile into some of the difficulties families experience as a result of the seafaring life.     

The Power and Limits of Marriage: Married Gay Men's Family Relationships

Same‐sex marriage has received much scholarly attention in the United States in the past decade. Yet we know little about how same‐sex couples experience marriage. In this article, I present findings from in‐depth interviews with 32 legally married gay men in Iowa. I focus on their experiences with families of origin and investigate the legitimating potential of same‐sex marriage. The men had high expectations about the power of marriage to help them gain recognition and support, but their experiences with family members were more varied and complex than they expected. Although marriage often led to positive family outcomes, it also commonly had negative consequences, including new and renewed experiences of family rejection. This study complicates ideas about the legitimating potential of marriage for same‐sex couples by illuminating both its power and limits in helping gay men gain status and support from their families of origin.     

Chapter 14. Older Lesbian and Gay Caregivers

SUMMARY

This chapter will explore the experiences of older lesbian and gay men caregivers by examining the socio-historical times in which they have lived, the impact of a lifetime of adverse societal messages about homosexuality, family rejection, and internalized homophobia, as well as their development of resiliency and psychological well-being. Once the contextual issues have been identified, the research on older lesbian and gay caregivers for families of origin and families of choice will be explored.     

Conceptions of Gay Male Life-Span Development

Abstract

Four of Erikson's eight psychosocial crises were used in this qualitative, exploratory study as an organizing framework. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, seven men were interviewed with the goal of understanding how they have navigated Erikson's life stages. Significant results included: an early sense of being different and a period of time between “coming out to self” and “coming out to another person,” both complicating Erikson's sense of “social trust.” The men also described finding non-biological ways of achieving generativity as well as the development of a strong internal sense of authority or locus of control. Other strengths gained included: achieving a broad base of social support or a “family of choice,” and becoming role models themselves in response to a clear absence of positive role models during their own adolescence, which many identified as delaying their coming out. Finally, AIDS was discussed by many as a critical factor affecting how these men navigate each of Erikson's stages. Implications of these tentative findings are suggested for research, teaching, practice, and for psychosocial theory itself.     

Conceptualizations of Family by Older Gay Men

SUMMARY

Gay lives challenge historically dominant understandings of family. Given that definitions of family have been heterosexually based, how do non-heterosexuals define and understand “family?” Drawing from the family life course perspective, we propose that contemporary cohorts of older gay men represent a strategic vantage point for understanding innovations in family life, and thus expand current understandings of a gay life course. We use data from an interview study of gay men over the age of 50 who talked about their family relationships. While providing diverse definitions of family, biological ties and closeness were two consistent dimensions for defining both positive and negative family relationships by these older gay men. Narratives of coming out were central to discussions of current relationships with parents and children. The findings from this study indicate that sexual orientation influences life trajectories and transitions and point to useful avenues for further research on contemporary family life.     

The Performance of Desire: Gender and Sexual Negotiation in Long-Term Marriages

We integrate theoretical traditions on the social construction of gender, heterosexuality, and marriage with research and theory on emotion work to guide a qualitative investigation of how married people understand and experience sex in marriage. Results, based on 62 in-depth interviews, indicate that married men and women tend to believe that sex is integral to a good marriage and that men are more sexual than women. Moreover, husbands and wives commonly experience conflict around sex and undertake emotion work to manage their own and their spouse's feelings about sex. We refer to this emotion work as "performing desire" and show how it is linked to gendered experiences in marriage and to competing cultural discourses around gender, heterosexuality, and marriage.     

Intimate mobilities—International (transnational) marriage and migration: Japanese marriage migrants floating between Japan and Korea

In the past decade, intense mobility within Asia has led to increased international marriage (kokusai kekkon) in the region. A growing number of scholars have explored this phenomenon—called the intimate part of Asia—with a focus on foreign brides from emerging economies. Concerning international marriage between Japanese and Koreans, most research focuses on the Korean wives of Japanese husbands who reside in Japan, and little research has been conducted on the Japanese wives of Korean husbands. In this study, the postmigration experiences of Japanese marriage migrant women in South Korea are explored. Semistructured interviews were conducted in Korea with 13 participants. Drawing on the interview data, this article elucidates the trajectories of Japanese marriage migrants, focusing on subjective elements. The participants' accounts demonstrate that their experiences were intertwined with the media, politics, gender roles, parenting ideologies, and family relations. Their various emotional responses underline the ways such factors have shaped their lives.     

The influence of donors on cross class social movements: same sex marriage and trans rights campaigns in New York State

ABSTRACT

New York State’s largest gay rights organization, the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA), won significant legislative victories, including the legalization of same sex marriage in 2011. Yet ESPA was never able to mount comparable efforts for its long-standing commitment to transgender rights before disbanding in 2015, despite the fact that marriage equality was less widely supported than transgender rights in ESPA’s own public opinion polling. In-depth interviews reveal that ESPA was constrained by the class and personal interests of its affluent major donors, mainly high-income gay white men. The organization’s abrupt closure provided an unusual opportunity to research the often secret topic of major donor influence, as frustrated former staff were willing to be frank in interviews. ESPA was only able to successfully campaign on issues that were especially compelling for these donors, and was forced to close when its legislative agenda diverged from their interests. This case suggests class interests and access to resources shape the causal impact of collective identities on social movement dynamics.     

Social and Demographic Characteristics of Gay,Lesbian, and Heterosexual Adults with and Without Children

SUMMARY

This is the first study to compare lesbian mothers (n = 150), lesbians without children (n = 236), heterosexual mothers (n = 175), heterosexual women without children (n = 38), gay fathers (n = 40), gay men without children (n = 163), heterosexual fathers (n = 157), and heterosexual men without children (n = 32) on social and demographic characteristics. Demographic differences included age, education, length of relationship, religion, and geographic location. Only 28% of gay fathers and 37% of lesbian mothers had at least one child from their current relationship. For women the most important factor in predicting contact with family of origin was sexual orientation, while for men it was parenting status. More gay and lesbian parents had disclosed their sexual orientation than those without children. Gay fathers reached most milestones in the coming-out process between 2.5 and 4 years later than gay men without children, while lesbian mothers reached all milestones in the coming-out process 3 to 5 years later than lesbians without children. Lesbian mothers who had children before coming out reached developmental milestones 4 to 8 years later than lesbian mothers who had children after coming out.     

Adult Daughters whose Mothers Come Out Later in Life: What is the Psychosocial Impact?

SUMMARY

When a family member comes out, it is a process not only for that individual lesbian but also for their entire family. Adult daughters whose mothers come out later in life have distinctive paths to navigate. This article reports findings of an interview study with six daughters who were adults when their mothers came out to them. Most daughters felt they emerged from childhood with an open mind about sexual identity, but had no idea about their mother's lesbianism until told by her. Half the participants questioned the role of women in their lives after their mother came out. Five of the six have a very close relationship, or have become closer, with their mother, since her coming out.     

Strategies Used by Gay and Bisexual Young Men to Cope With Heterosexism

ABSTRACT

Although the pervasiveness of heterosexism in the lives of gay and bisexual youth is well established, little is known about the strategies these youth use to cope with stigma and discrimination based on their sexual minority status. In this qualitative study, the authors present findings and implications for clinical practice based on interviews with 43 gay and bisexual young men. Respondents’ coping strategies are discussed in relation to current theory and research on coping with stigma, as well as the emerging field of emotion regulation. The narratives from the current study suggest that the emotion regulation paradigm is well suited to understanding the functions of strategies for coping with heterosexism and similar types of stigma.     

Coming Out in a School Setting

Abstract

The present study was conducted to learn more about the experiences of gay men and lesbians in educational settings, particularly about experiences relevant to disclosure of their sexual orientation. One hundred six gay men and 156 lesbian women responded to an anonymous questionnaire dealing with how their sexual orientation had affected their experiences in school.

As students, very few respondents had chosen to disclose their sexual orientation to principals, teachers, counselors, or friends. Reasons cited for nondisclosure included fear of the consequences and not wanting others to know. The majority of those who did disclose their sexual orientation received positive feedback for doing so, but respondents reported both positive and negative consequences of coming out. Gay men were aware of their sexual orientation at an earlier age than lesbians and were somewhat more likely to recommend disclosure to principals and teachers. Females were more likely to disclose only to females, whereas males were likely to come out to both males and females. Generally, the similarities between males and females were greater than the differences, with both groups being cautious about coming out in the school setting.     

Love attitude and marital adjustment in the family life cycle

The present study examines husband and wife perceptions of attitude toward love and marital satisfaction through seven family life cycle stages. A significant relationship was determined between husbands’ and wives’ attitude toward love and marital satisfaction for couples in the early years of marriage with no children, and for couples with children in the preschool years. Marital satisfaction and attitude toward love seem to function more independently of one another in the other family life stages. Overall, husbands vary slightly more than wives on marital satisfaction and attitude toward love, but the pattern for both is similar in that each relationship is curvilinear.     

Marital Quality and Spouses' Marriage Work With Close Friends and Each Other

Through in‐home interviews with 142 married couples, we explored how husbands' and wives' marriage work with close friends and one another was linked to their perceptions of marital quality. Results showed that husbands engaged in more marriage work with their wives than with close friends, whereas wives engaged in similar levels of marriage work with their close friends and husbands. For wives, marriage work with their spouses was found to moderate the relationship between marital quality and marriage work with friends. At low levels of marriage work with their spouses, wives' marriage work with friends was negatively related to their reports of marital love and positively related to reports of ineffective arguing. In contrast, at high levels of marriage work with their husbands, no significant relationship was found between wives' marriage work with friends and marital quality for wives. Findings underscore the role of spouses' friendships and suggest that the strength of spouses' ties to one another is linked to the social context they and their close friends create.