Workplace Problems and Needs for Lesbian and Gay Male Employees

Abstract

This article presents research findings pursuant to the problems and needs of lesbian and gay male employees, as perceived from a randomly selected national sample of employee assistance professionals. The research was based on a conceptual model for framing workplace interventions addressing issues of protection, inclusion and equity (PIE) for gay/lesbian employees. Findings indicate that heterosexual employees greatly underestimate the level of discrimination sexual minorities experience; women respondents were more sensitive to gay/ lesbian workplace issues than men; existing EAP and human resource services, programs and policies inadequately address gay/lesbian needs; significant differences exist between heterosexual and gay/lesbian employees' on perceptions of diversity training content and gay/lesbian EAP professionals feel the workplace is only somewhat “safe” for them as sexual minority employees.     

Support for gay and lesbian rights among social work students in Greece

This study explores social work students’ level of support for gay and lesbian rights. Respondents were all the students (N?=?460) attending classes in a Social Work Department in Greece. While students were generally supportive of gay and lesbian rights, a significant percentage believed that social workers should support gay and lesbian rights only when lesbians and gay men do not offend or upset others and their rights do not contradict the prevalent religion and societal values. Religiosity was an important correlate of students’ level of support for gay and lesbian rights. Findings are discussed in relation with social work education.     

Youth Perspectives on Being Adopted from Foster Care by Lesbian and Gay Parents: Implications for Families and Adoption Professionals

ABSTRACT

This article presents findings from a qualitative study on the perspectives of youth who were adopted from the United States foster care system by lesbian and gay parents and includes focus group data from adopted persons and survey data from adoptive parents. This study fills a unique gap in the literature by hearing directly from the youth through focus groups. Findings indicated that children use a variety of strategies for sharing or not sharing that their parents are gay or lesbian and that many experience bullying and teasing that may be different than experienced by other children. The children adopted by lesbian and gay parents often perceive themselves as being more accepting of others, having more understanding of people, and being more compassionate toward people than those not raised by lesbian or gay parents. Suggestions are provided for training of adoption professionals and prospective families about the challenges and benefits for youth adopted by lesbian and gay parents.     

TWENTY YEARS AND STILL IN THE DARK? CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ARTICLES PERTAINING TO GAY,LESBIAN, AND BISEXUAL ISSUES IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY JOURNALS

To what extent do marriage and family therapy journals address gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues and how does this coverage compare to allied fields? To answer these questions, a content analysis was conducted on articles published in the marriage and family therapy literature from 1975 to 1995. Of the 13,217 articles examined in 17 journals, only 77 (.006%) focused on gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual issues or used sexual orientation as a variable. Findings support the contention that gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues are ignored by marriage and family therapy researchers and scholars.     

Still Among the Missing? A Content Analysis of LGBT Articles in Social Work Journals, 1998–2009

In 2002, Van Voorhis and Wagner published an article that examined how often, between 1988 and 1997, four major social work journals published content on gay and lesbian people. This content analysis is a follow-up to the previous one to see if the findings were different when the same four journals were examined between 1998 and 2009. As with the Van Voorhis and Wagner study, articles were coded depending upon their focus on HIV/AIDS and the gay community or other issues impacting gays and lesbians. Similarly, articles were coded depending on whether they focused on the client, worker, or macro system. This study found a decrease in the number of same-sex articles from 77 in the first analysis to only 50 in the present one. Furthermore, there was a decrease of almost 90% in the number of articles on HIV/AIDS, from 51 to 5. Van Voorhis and Wagner indicated that social work educators would not be able to easily find gay and lesbian content if they had to rely only on the four major journals. This study reaches a similar conclusion.     

Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Sexual Fantasies,Psychological Adjustment,and Close Relationship Functioning

SUMMARY

This study focused on the impact of relationship functioning, relationship satisfaction, psychological adjustment, and the thematic content of sexual fantasies endorsed by lesbian and bisexual couples during masturbation and sexual relations. The sample consisted of 129 women (85 lesbian, 44 bisexual) who were part of a same-sex couple (average relationship duration of 5–10 years). Participants (94% The authors would like to acknowledge Wendy E. Stock, PhD, of Alliant International University, San Francisco Bay Campus, who provided assistance during the preliminary phases of this research endeavor. Portions of this data set have been presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Western Region Meeting as well as the American Psychological Association Convention. Euro-Americans) were recruited through advertisements placed in national gay and lesbian periodicals. Relationship functioning significantly predicted the thematic content of sexual fantasies. However, psychological adjustment did not significantly predict the thematic content of non-traditional sexual fantasies. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for clinicians who practice with lesbian and bisexual women who are in same-sex relationships.     

Standing OUT/Fitting IN: Identity,Appearance, and Authenticity in Gay and Lesbian Communities

Sexuality scholars have noted the historical connection between appearance and gay or lesbian identity. However, as the social landscape for lesbian women and gay men has shifted over the past forty years, little research has documented how such changes influence gay and lesbian individuals' appearance choices as they form, manage, and maintain their identities. To explore the impact of this “post‐closet” ( Seidman 2002 ) era on the identities and appearances of lesbians and gays, in‐depth interviews were conducted with twenty individuals, aged eighteen to thirty. Findings suggest that while most people use appearance to attain a sense of authenticity after “coming out,” achieving a feeling of authenticity in gay and lesbian spaces presents unique challenges as individuals come under scrutiny by the community.     

‘Even if Martians exist,they’re far from our everyday life’: faculty perspectives regarding gay and lesbian students in social work education

Following a study on gay and lesbian students’ experiences in a Social Work Department in Greece, this qualitative study explores faculty perspectives regarding lesbian and gay students in social work education. Perceptions of gay and lesbian students’ invisibility and low level of comfort were held in common by participants, although some faculty members referred to the more inclusive and accepting climate of the Social Work Department compared to other higher education Departments and Greek society in general. Most participants reported that same-sex sexuality issues are inadequately covered in the curriculum. Displays of heterosexist behaviour by students were reported by most participants and so were conflicts among students when same-sex sexuality issues were discussed in class. The lack of official anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation was highlighted. In the absence of a common strategy regarding the teaching of same-sex sexuality content, faculty determined on an individual level how and to what extent to discuss such issues in the classroom. At times the faculty appeared willing but not adequately prepared to approach gay and lesbian issues. Implications for social work education are discussed.     

The Relationship of Practice Beliefs and Practice Behaviors among Social Workers with Lesbian and Gay Clients

This study explores the levels of beliefs about practice and practice behaviors with lesbian and gay clients among social work practitioners in a medical setting. The Gay Affirmative Practice scale was utilized to measure the levels of gay affirmative practice beliefs and practice behaviors among the sample surveyed. The relationship of practice beliefs and practice behaviors is explored and reveals that practice beliefs are significant to practice behaviors with lesbian and gay individuals. The results identify variables that contribute to practice beliefs and practice behaviors.     

Articulations of Same-sex Desire: Lesbian and Gay Male Dating Advertisements

A survey of self and other categorisation in 200 lesbian and gay male dating advertisement texts, taken from current magazines and newspapers, reveals the discursive means by which homosexual advertisers in our corpus commodify and market sexual/self-gendered identities. Detailed analysis of a sub-sample of the advertisements allows us to trace the discourse processes and conventions used in formulating identity in such texts. We interpret these discourse practices in relation to a social critique of gay attitudes, beliefs and lifestyles. The different conventions for self-commodification followed by lesbians and gay men in this survey suggest generalisable differences in sexual stance and cultural identification     

Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy: A Phenomenological Study

There is a need for gay and lesbian affirmative psychotherapy in a society in which gay men and lesbians endure prejudice and discrimination. Using a phenomenological model informed by feminist methodology, this study investigated the gay male client's experience of gay affirmative therapy. The participants shared their experiences in in-depth interviews. Phenomenological analysis revealed certain therapist qualities which were experienced as affirmative. Findings showed that with sensitivity, imagination, and experience, the heterosexual therapist can be gay affirmative; the gay therapist may more readily serve as a role model. Results are compared with other research, and recommendations are offered for future inquiry.     

Comparative Relationship Stability of Lesbian Mother and Heterosexual Mother Families: A Review of Evidence

It has been concluded from a review of the literature involving only one study that lesbian parents were more likely to have unstable relationships. Other scholars have struggled with considerable controversy over how much was or was not known about the stability of lesbian parent relationships as well as whether such relationships were more or less stable than heterosexual parent relationships. Arguments have been made on all sides of the issues. A careful review of the literature suggests that more is known about the stability of lesbian parent relationships than previously suspected and that, on average, such relationships tend to be less stable than those of married heterosexual parents. Less is understood about the factors that may influence relationship stability for gay or lesbian parents, creating a critical need for additional research, especially with different demographic subgroups of lesbian and gay parents.     

Including Curriculum Content on Lesbian and Gay Issues

Abstract

This paper presents a rationale for requiring content on lesbian and gay issues in the social work curriculum. Recent research suggests that a considerable percentage of social workers possess homophobic attitudes. Some support exists for making education a tool to reduce negative attitudes toward the gay population. However, students are unlikely to receive adequate information about this population before they enter the social work curriculum. The goals of including content on lesbian and gay issues are to decrease homophobic attitudes and to prepare students to provide effective social work practice with lesbian and gay clients. Methods and resources for incorporating content on lesbian and gay issues in human behavior, direct practice, policy, community organization and research courses of the social work curriculum are presented.     

Dyadic Adjustment and Community Involvement in Same-Sex Couples

This study examines the effects of age and involvement in the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community on dyadic adjustment in 62 male and 54 female same-sex couples. Participants completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976) and scales of political and social involvement in the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community based on Peplau and Cochran (1981). Those in midlife (35 years and older) had significantly lower conflict in matters of affection and sex than those younger (less than 35 years old). Political involvement interacted significantly with gender and age in predicting dyadic consensus scores: Among younger women, greater political involvement was associated with higher dyadic consensus. Inter-partner differences in social involvement were significantly associated with greater dyadic conflict in sex and affection. Inter-partner dyadic adjustment and community involvement scores were positively correlated, in general. Findings support the importance of age in the study of same-sex couples. The implications for conceptualizations of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities and dyadic adjustment are discussed.     

Invisible students: experiences of lesbian and gay students in social work education in Greece

This article explores through semi-structured interviews the experiences of four lesbian and two gay students from the Social Work Department in the Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Greece. The complete absence of openly out lesbian or gay students or faculty members in the Department was considered reflective of the particular social and cultural context of Greece. Participants reported that lesbian and gay issues were marginalised in the curriculum and that heteronormativity often prevailed in the classroom. Consequently, same-sex sexuality was generally invisible and, when discussed, certain faculty members and peers often appeared to be uncomfortable. Within this context, participants stressed the importance of the professors’ role regarding the climate and content in the classroom. None of the participants considered that their sexual orientation had affected negatively their academic attainment; the lesbian or gay identities sometimes had a positive effect on participants’ academic attainment level exactly because of the negative impact these identities had on their social life. Most participants felt that their studies had not prepared them adequately for gay affirmative practice. Implications for social work education are considered.     

Sexual identity development among gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths: consistency and change over time

A longitudinal report of 156 gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths examined changes in sexual identity over time. Fifty-seven percent of the youths remained consistently self-identified as gay/lesbian, 18% transited from bisexual to gay/lesbian, and 15% consistently identified as bisexual over time. Although youths who consistently identified as gay/lesbian did not differ from other youths on time since experiencing sexual developmental milestones, they reported current sexual orientation and sexual behaviors that were more same-sex centered and they scored higher on aspects of the identity integration process (e.g., more certain, comfortable, and accepting of their same-sex sexuality, more involved in gay-related social activities, more possessing of positive attitudes toward homosexuality, and more comfortable with others knowing about their sexuality) than youths who transited to a gay/lesbian identity and youths who consistently identified as bisexual. Contrary to the hypothesis that females are more sexually fluid than males, female youths were less likely to change identities than male youths. The finding that youths who transited to a gay/lesbian identity differed from consistently gay/lesbian youths suggests that identity integration continues after the adoption of a gay/lesbian sexual identity.     

Mostly Heterosexual and Lesbian/Gay Young Adults: Differences in Mental Health and Substance Use and the Role of Minority Stress

Individuals mostly attracted to other-sex but also to same-sex partners are a distinct and common sexual orientation group with possibly increased levels of health problems. The current study examined whether mostly heterosexual individuals differed in mental health and substance use from lesbian/gay individuals and whether sexual minority risk and protective factors offer an explanation in a sample of 528 Dutch young adults (16 to 25 years old, M = 21.2 years). Mostly heterosexual participants reported higher levels of psychological distress, suicidality, drug use, and smoking than lesbian/gay participants and equal levels of binge drinking. They also reported higher levels of internalized negativity to same-sex attractions, less openness to family members and others, less community involvement, and lower numbers of lesbian/gay/bisexual friends. However, bootstrapped mediation analysis showed that the differences in minority stress risk and protective factors did not mediate most of the differences in mental health and substance use with one exception: higher levels of psychological distress were mediated by the higher levels of internalized negativity to same-sex attractions. The limited explanatory power of the minority stress factors combined with the elevated level of problems of mostly heterosexual individuals call for future studies examining other risk and protective factors.     

Heteronormativity Prevails: A Study of Sexuality in Norwegian Social Work Bachelor Programs

This article reviews how sexuality is addressed in the curricula of Norwegian social work bachelor’s programs. The purpose of the review was to examine whether heteronormativity was problematized in social work curricula. A keyword search revealed that sexuality was addressed in only 0.08% of curriculum materials in the 2013–2014 academic year (90 pages). Among the 6 articles identified that addressed sexuality, a thematic analysis showed that 5 problematized heteronormative assumptions, whereas 1 focused solely on problematic aspects of being gay and lesbian. The finding that heteronormativity was addressed in less than 0.08% of course content indicates that heteronormativity prevails. This study concludes that heteronormative discourses dominate the curricula of Norwegian social work bachelor’s programs. Suggestions for reorienting course content to address sexuality as a hierarchical construction producing otherness are presented.     

Gender Socialization Practices Among Bisexual and Other Nonmonosexual Mothers: A Longitudinal Qualitative Examination

Though social scientists have researched sexual-minority parenting practices regarding the gender socialization of children, to date this research has focused exclusively on sexual-minority parents in same-gender relationships, and almost exclusively on the experiences of gay and lesbian parents. This article addresses the gender socialization parenting practices of 25 nonmonosexual sexual-minority women who are in different-gender relationships through analysis of qualitative in-depth interviews that took place over the course of 1 year. Our findings indicate that the experiences of these participants differ from both those reported in previous literature on sexual-minority parents in same-gender relationships, as well as heterosexual parents in different-gender relationships. Specifically, participants do not report sexual identity stigma as restricting the degree of cross-gender socialization in which they engage, nor do they report a gender normative influence from their male partners. Findings are discussed in the context of a socioecological framework.