Sexual Orientation Victimization and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Youth

This cross-sectional study utilized data gathered from 350 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, and examined the relationship between significant life experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PSS), with an ultimate goal of analyzing contribution of sexual orientation victimization (SOV) to PSS among LGB youth. Results of bivariate analyses indicate that verbal and physical sexual orientation victimization, childhood gender atypicality, internalized homophobia, and stressful life events unrelated to sexual orientation were all individually related to PSS. Multivariate analysis showed that verbal and physical sexual orientation victimization explained a significant portion of variance, over and above the study's other variables. Internalized homophobia, stressful life events, and verbal sexual orientation victimization were found to be the most significant predictors of PSS among LGB youth.     

Empowering Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Youth: Lessons Learned From a Safe Schools Summit

ABSTRACT

The bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in schools is a significant problem in the United States. This study examined responses of youth participants at a statewide Safe Schools Summit to a survey of their experiences with school-based violence, harassment, and discrimination, and of the effects of their attendance at the Summit. Quantitative analyses found that 92% of respondents felt “more empowered” following participation in the Summit. Qualitative analyses found several emerging themes related to respondents' experiences with victimization (leading to a sense of powerlessness and attempts at self-protection) and to their experiences at the Summit itself (leading to catharsis, strengthened skills, and a commitment to confront bullies and to make schools safer). A conceptual model of the interaction of these factors is presented and implications for further research and practice are discussed.     

Patching Holes and Integrating Community: A Strengths-Based Continuum of Care for Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transgender and Questioning Youth

This article describes an integrated model of service provision called a continuum of care (CoC), and illustrates the application of this approach to working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth through a case example. The CoC described in this article includes provision of individual and group counseling, case management, housing/family supports, socialization events, and prevention workshops, along with relevant outcomes. The relevance of a CoC model for LGBTQ youth due to the inclusion of community context and potential to empower service users is explored. Key recommendations for CoC models with LGBTQ youth include a focus on collaboration, provider education, and affirmative practice, and incorporating service user feedback.     

Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Families

This article reviews new scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families. The past decade witnessed rapid expansion of data and strong research designs. The most notable advance was in studies on variation among mostly planned lesbian comother families. Cumulative evidence suggests that although many of these families have comparatively high levels of shared labor and parental investment, they may not be as “genderless” as previously depicted. Gay men's diverse paths to family formation and planned parenthood have also been explored, but almost no research studies their children's experiences. Conceptualizations of sexual orientation expanded to include bisexuals and others, and some understanding of the experiences of transgender people has begun to emerge. Future work should explore relationships among members of the families they create.     

Psychotherapy with Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Older Adults

A small literature has addressed psychotherapy with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) samples over the past two decades. Older adults have also been investigated in a growing number of psychotherapy research studies. However, psychotherapy specifically with LGBT older adults has not received adequate investigation. This review relies on converging lines of research to provide an integrated discussion of evidence-based psychological treatments (EBTs) with current research and clinical observations in the field of gerontology and suggests ways in which these topics can inform psychotherapy practice with LGBT older adults. We summarize current research on aging in several areas of practical interest to psychotherapists seeking to apply EBTs in their work with LGBT older adults. These areas include: adult development, coping, stigmatization, social context, and the effects of cohort membership. The results of these studies belie stereotypes regarding both the aging process, in general, and more specifically LGBT older adulthood, with significant implications for the practice of psychotherapy. EBTs are adaptable to a variety of issues encountered in later life by LGBT older adults, and these modifications to therapeutic technique are addressed throughout.     

Building Community for Toronto's Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transsexual and Transgender Youth

SUMMARY

This paper describes the development of Supporting Our Youth, an innovative grassroots program that builds community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgender youth in Toronto. Hundreds of adults and youth have worked together to develop a broad range of arts, cultural, recreational, and employment training activities, as well as a very popular mentoring and housing program. Initiated in 1997, Supporting Our Youth has been developed according to underlying principles of community development and community building which value broad participation, diverse skills, partnerships, coalition building, and grassroots ownership and direction. As a model, it is transferable to other queer and trans communities, as well as to other marginalized populations.     

Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual,and Transgender (GLBT) Elders

Abstract

Current gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) individuals age 65 years and older grew up before the Gay Rights movement. They have learned over many years to hide their identities in order to avoid discrimination and ridicule. Unfortunately, this secrecy has led to the near invisibility of the elder GLBT population and to poor health and service access. This paper reviews what we know about GLBT elders, describes some of the unique strengths they bring to the aging process, and outlines some of the challenges they face. Micro, mezzo, and macro practice implications are suggested.     

Stress and Adaptation Among Families of Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Youth

Abstract

As research has accumulated on gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) youth, more attention is being directed to their families. Research on the families of GLB youth is limited, although several studies have identified parental reactions to learning their offspring is GLB, and others have attempted to discover patterns of responses within families. Some problems with current research on the families of GLB youth are identified. A human development model is described which can help direct future research efforts.     

Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual,and Transgendered People and Chemical Dependency: Exploring Successful Treatment

This exploratory and quantitative study presents a model of treatment success of the nation's oldest and largest chemical dependency treatment provider for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) population. The main purpose is to examine the potential ability of the predictor variables’ degree of affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the severity of chemical use, the strength of a higher power relationship, attitudes about sexual orientation, and length of time in treatment to predict length of time clean and sober.

The proposed model demonstrated the ability to explain 29% of the variance in time clean and sober. Results lend tentative support for culturally competent treatment and include specific intervention recommendations for professionals, including social workers, chemical dependency counselors, and therapists.     

Risk Factors of Gay,Lesbian, and Bisexual Adolescents

Abstract

Many researchers of gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents describe them as an “invisible” minority. These youth are also one of the most “at risk” youth populations, as they often experience a range of problems related to society's stigmatization of same-sex orientation. Although sexual orientation is not necessarily related to heightened difficulties, lack of social support, infrequent positive interactions, and chronic stress may lead to increased problem behaviors for these youth. To further understand the risk and protective factors experienced by sexual minority adolescents, this article explores a number of these factors and reviews the current empirical research on specific topics, including: family, peer and school, substance use, suicide, and HIV/AIDS issues. Finally, practice implications are discussed to guide clinicians in working more effectively with this youth population.     

Support Networks of Gay Male and Lesbian Youth

The support networks of 90 self-identified urban gay male and lesbian youth (ages 14 to 21 years) are examined. The youth, who are predominantly black and Latino/a, indicated an average of eight persons in their support networks, most of whom were close friends. Other significant groups included were parents, siblings, other relatives, and lovers or partners. A large majority of the support network members knew that the youth were gay or lesbian. Youth were moderately to very satisfied with the support they received from the network members—being more satisfied with the support provided by those who knew of their homosexuality compared to those who suspected or were unaware. Nonetheless, most youth felt that they did not have enough friends, and that they often to seldom felt lonely. These two feelings correlated positively with suicide ideation and attempts; and feeling lonely also correlated positively with drug use.     

Substance Abuse in Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Communities

Abstract

This article calls attention to the lack of knowledge concerning alcohol and other drug (AOD) use in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations. Twenty-five Internet Web sites related to the LGBT substance use are reviewed.     

Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Sexual-Orientation Questioning Adolescents Seeking Mental Health Services

Summary

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and sexual-orientation questioning (LGBQ) adolescents have many of the same health needs as straight adolescents. In addition, they must learn to manage a stigmatized identity that may create confusion, anxiety, and emotional turbulence for them. Beyond stigma, LGBQ youth are often found to be at higher risk for substance abuse, violence, depression, suicide, and sexual health problems. Based on responses given by urban adolescents seeking mental health services to a clinical self-assessment questionnaire (Adquest), this article examines the relationship between sexual identity and risk factors related to safety, health, sex, substance use, family and friends, worries, and their desire to talk about these in counseling. Findings indicate that LGBQ youth are at higher risk than straights, and express greater desire to talk about substance use, health, their personal lives, and their friends. Mental health practitioners working with these young persons must properly assess and address their risks by creating a sense of community and safe environment for open discussion.     

Exploring the Experiences of Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Questioning Adolescents in Foster Care

This article is based on the findings from a subset of gender identity and sexual orientation questions from The Casey Field Office Mental Health Study (CFOMH). It aims to contribute the experiences of youth in the care of Casey Family Programs to the increasing body of research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) youth in foster care, as well as inform future studies in this area. The CFOMH study interviewed 188 adolescents ages 14 to 17 who were receiving foster care services from Casey Family Programs in 2006. The experiences in care of youth who identified as LGBQ (n = 10) are presented in narrative form, along with data from all youth in care (N = 188) regarding their perceptions of the foster care environment for LGBTQ youth. These findings are intended to underscore the need to conduct a larger, more in-depth study of the experiences of LGBTQ youth in foster care and the environment that foster care provides for them.     

School and Community Service Providers' Perspectives on Gay,Lesbian and Questioning Bullying

ABSTRACT

Existing literature details many forms of harassment against sexual minority youth, including those behaviors that are present in schools. School and community service providers, such as counselors and psychologists, often witness first-hand the bullying that occurs in schools. Through their direct contact with sexual minority youth, they remain knowledgeable of current school environments facing these youth. Their perspectives on bullying of this population, however, are lacking. Sixteen school and community service providers participated in face-to-face, in-depth interviews regarding their perceptions and observations of general bullying and specific bullying of GLBTQI youth. The principles of grounded theory are used to analyze the data, which resulted in themes on bullying of GLQ youth. Results on these themes are presented in six main categories: Types and Locations of Bullying, Characteristics of Victims, Characteristics of Bullies, Effects of Bullying, Victim Response, and “Non-Targets.” The perspectives of the service providers give support for existing literature on the nature of bullying of sexual minority youth, and provide anecdotal information on victim approaches seen to be effective at combating or preventing sexual minority bullying.     

Intimacy and Emotion Work in Lesbian,Gay, and Heterosexual Relationships

Knowledge about how gender shapes intimacy is dominated by a heteronormative focus on relationships involving a man and a woman. In this study, the authors shifted the focus to consider gendered meanings and experiences of intimacy in same‐sex and different‐sex relationships. They merged the gender‐as‐relational perspective—that gender is co‐constructed and enacted within relationships—with theoretical perspectives on emotion work and intimacy to frame an analysis of in‐depth interviews with 15 lesbian, 15 gay, and 20 heterosexual couples. They found that emotion work directed toward minimizing and maintaining boundaries between partners is key to understanding intimacy in long‐term relationships. Moreover, these dynamics, including the type and division of emotion work, vary for men and women depending on whether they are in a same‐sex or different‐sex relationship. These findings push thinking about diversity in long‐term relationships beyond a focus on gender difference and toward gendered relational contexts.     

Moral Identity in Friendships between Gay,Lesbian, and Bisexual Students and Straight Students in College

People construct moral identities for being a supportive affiliate of stigmatized groups. To extend past research that focused on such identities within formal organizations, this study seeks to identify the process of moral identity construction in a personal setting—friendships between gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) people and straight people. Analyzing data from in‐depth interviews with college students, we show that straight students claim moral worth by emphasizing their deliberate decisions to develop and sustain friendships with GLB people and by highlighting how the friendships led them to personal enlightenment and political engagement. GLB students, as a stigmatized group, also claim moral worth by emphasizing their ability to transcend the community boundary and to be accepted in the larger society. Students make such claims as they strategically link these aspects of cross‐orientation friendships to existing moral discourses in the larger society and draw on resources available in the organizational and life course contexts.     

Conducting Research Among Older Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Adults

Gerontologists and developmental researchers have neglected the study of sexual orientation among older adults. The apparent assumptions are either that it does not exist or that it is not necessary to know; consequently, older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults remain invisible groups with the exception of a relatively small number of studies using convenience samples. This article examines some conceptual, practical and ethical challenges involved in designing and conducting research among older LGB adults. The limitations and emphases of extant research and the challenges in conducting such research are examined. The design of two studies that focused on mental and physical health and on care-giving among older LGB adults are discussed to suggest ways of meeting the challenges.