A Catholic Perspective on Gay Priestly Ministry from the Closet

Abstract

Overview of Catholic doctrine and interpretation of Catholic teachings pertaining to homosexuals and homosexual practice are reviewed by two “closeted” homosexual priests. The paper considers the role of the clergy and expectations of the Church regarding pastoral ministry to homosexuals. Case studies highlighting unique contributions by ‘closetedr’ and ‘open’ homosexual clergy to pastoral care of homosexual parishioners are presented. The authors discuss personal and professional dilemmas facing homosexual clergy including ‘coming out’, homosexual bonding within religious communities, and the wide range of attitudes among Catholics, lay and religious, concerning homosexual Catholics.     

Reflections on Closeted Helping Professionals

Abstract

Reflections noted in the provocative paper by Roui-lard elsewhere in this volume are reconsidered from a variety of professional and client perspectives. Among these viewpoints is a discussion regarding the boundaries of disclosure of sexual orientation. Public or professional responsibilities concerning disclosure are considered in light of the right to privacy of lesbian and gay helping professionals. The impact of disclosure upon lesbian or gay clients as it relates to the age of the client and of the service being provided is considered. Some political implications of “coming out” versus remaining “closeted” are also discussed.     

Existential social work and the quest for existential meaning and well-being: A conceptual framework

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to conceptualize “existential social work.” A greater understanding of what existential social work means may enable social workers and those studying social work to see how its practice can reveal “the truth” about human existence and how they, as professionals, can enhance existential meaning and existential well-being among their clients. In such work, existential social workers have at their disposal tools such as the Frankl therapeutic approach to existential analysis (i.e., logotherapy) as well as spiritual-sensitive modalities (prayer and mindfulness). To interpret and understand apparent phenomena in the therapy is the ultimate goal with existential social work practices, thus providing clients with the opportunity to discover the meaning that exists in themselves. In addition, these practices pave the way for existential well-being.     

Reparative Therapy for Gays and Lesbians

Abstract

In recent years there has been much public controversy about “conversion or reparative therapies” designed to change homosexuals into heterosexuals. Various national mental health associations have taken a stand against these therapies. Social service professionals who work with gay and lesbian clients need to develop beliefs about the mutability of sexual orientation that reflect sound research findings.     

From College Counselor to “Risk Manager”: The Evolving Nature of College Counseling on Today's Campuses

Abstract

College counselors are increasingly being called upon to assess “risk” and protect the college community from harm. This paper explores how this changing role for counselors might be impacting its reputation with students. It further discusses the complex and ever-changing dimensions of “risk,” noting the difficulty in developing reliable risk assessment tools.     

The Second Closet: A Qualitative Study of HIV Stigma Among Seropositive Gay Men in a Southern U.S. City

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Stigma connected with HIV/AIDS has decreased considerably since the early epidemic yet affects those living with HIV in many ways. Little research, particularly qualitative research, concerning HIV stigma from the perspective of gay men has emerged. The present qualitative study aimed to fill this evidence gap by examining how HIV stigma is perceived and experienced by gay men who have become HIV-infected and how they respond to this stigma. Methods: Thematic analysis of 19 gay men's narratives identified six main themes. Results: Encountering HIV stigmatization was common and was linked to the physical stigmata identifying respondents as HIV-positive. Overwhelmingly, they found stigmatization to be most intensely felt within gay communities. One profound theme was internalized HIV stigma, referring to respondents’ internalized negative feelings about their HIV status. A related theme was the closeted nature of HIV. Lastly, regarding how the men dealt with the HIV diagnosis and experiences of HIV stigma, a theme of adaptation became clear. Conclusions: Although exploratory, the results can serve as a beginning framework for understanding and assisting seropositive gay men who experience HIV stigma. The findings are important because it is realistic to expect that in a climate in which HIV has become increasingly invisible and closeted and in which infections are on the rise, gay and bisexual men will be increasingly affected and infected by HIV.     

A Family Matter

Abstract

The 2004 debate over civil marriage for same-gender couples highlights issues faced by mixed-orientation couples after one of the spouses comes out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. The disclosure becomes a family matter as their spouses and children cope with the new information and antigay attitudes. The majority of couples divorce. A minority stays married for three years or more by developing strategies that enhance the relationship, offset outside pressures, and sustain the family circle. Peers provide the most support, while therapists are often unfamiliar with sexual orientation, mixed orientation couples, or societal attitudes that impact families with a gay, lesbian, or bisexual parent. This article provides that information so that professionals can help these couples improve the quality of their lives and develop skills to create a future in which homosexuality, same-gender relationships, and gay parenting are more widely accepted and legalized. This development would decrease the number of mixed-orientation marriages with closeted spouses and increase the potential for both types of families to form lasting marriages and strong family units.     

Theologies of Exclusion: Christian Universities and Discrimination against Sexual Minorities1

Abstract

In an era of rapidly evolving attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, why do some Christian colleges and universities continue to discriminate against lesbian, gay, and bisexual students? The most intuitive answer to this question might point to many religious traditions’ conservative teachings about same-sex relationships. Nevertheless, many schools associated with socially conservative religious traditions are actually inclusive of their sexual minority students. Building on recent insights from the literature on religion and the “culture wars,” and analyzing original data on student handbook bans on same-sex relationships and “homosexual behavior” across 682 Christian colleges and universities, I show that it is when schools are associated with individualist religious traditions that emphasize personal piety that conservative teachings on same-sex relationships are associated with discrimination against sexual minorities. The study holds implications both for research on the exclusion of sexual minorities in schools and for theoretical debates on the relationship between religion and social injustice.     

A Comparative Study of Campus Experiences of College Students With Mental Illnesses Versus a General College Sample

Abstract

Objective: Examine campus experiences and relationships of college students with mental illnesses compared to general student norms using the College Student Experiences Questionnaire to understand potential sources of distress and retention issues. Participants: Responses were obtained from 449 former and current students with mental illnesses from more than 300 colleges and universities around the country. Methods: Participants completed an online survey available from July 2005 to July 2006. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance and t test results indicate that college students with mental illnesses report less engagement on campus and poorer relationships, and that these factors were associated with lower graduation rates. Students reporting they were treated differently “most of the time” because of a mental illness had the lowest levels of engagement and poorest relationships. Conclusions: More attention is needed to developing interventions that enhance social functioning and engagement and address stigma on campus in order to reduce distress and enhance retention.     

Videodisc Development for Human Service Professions

Summary

Videodiscs have excellent capacity for storing slides, motion pictures, graphics, or text. Through advanced laser applications, videodisc information and motion pictures can simulate human interaction, allowing the viewer to “interact” in human crisis situations simulated in video. Video presentations can be stopped by the viewer, who can select among alternatives the outcome of actions on the screen. A video screen “teacher” can be programmed to discuss simulations with the viewer. The benefit of this “human dimension” possibility in computer-assisted instruction is the critical ingredient which can be of major interest to human service professionals. Appropriate learning programs need to be made available on videodisc equipment to make a major improvement in the education and continuing education for both human service professionals and their clients. In universities with a spirit of interdepartmental cooperation, there is potential for faculty in social work, education, and psychology to bring together their resources to produce quality videodiscs for use in preservice and inservice programs. Videodiscs for human service professions have been successfully produced by the Colle e of Education and Human Service Professions at the Unlversity o lb' Minnesota, Duluth. Suggestions are reported in this article on how videodiscs can be produced for use in human services.     

Waterpipe Smoking Among College Students in the United States: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Objective: To review the literature on college student waterpipe use with a focus on undergraduates in the United States. Participants: Undergraduate students. Methods: Studies were accessed using the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Premier. Searches included combinations of the following keywords: “waterpipe,” “hookah,” “shisha,” “nargila,” “argileh,” “hubble bubble,” “college,” “university,” and “student.” Results: Results demonstrate that approximately 1 in 5 American college students report past-year waterpipe use. Results also suggest that there are a number of established correlates of waterpipe smoking, including male gender, Arab ethnicity, cigarette smoking, and the belief that waterpipe smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking. Conclusions: Despite its harmful health effects, waterpipe smoking is quite common among college students. Future research with better methodologies and theoretical frameworks are needed to advance the field.     

Sexual Problems and Distress among Men and Women with Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Sexual Partners: An Analysis of a Nationally Representative Sample of Adults in Great Britain

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine differences in reporting sexual problems and distress among men and women with same-sex and opposite-sex sexual partners.

Methods: Multinomial regression was undertaken on risk of reporting sexual problems and/or distress using data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.

Results: Differences were detected between men of different sexual behavior groups when considering the problems “lack of enjoyment in sex,” “felt anxious during sex,” “felt no excitement or arousal during sex,” “lack of interest in sex,” “did not reach/took a long time to reach climax,” and “getting or keeping an erection.” Fewer differences were detected among women.

Conclusions: Women reporting same sex sexual partners, and to a greater extent men reporting same sex sexual partners , have different sexual health needs and report sexual health problems and distress to a different extent than is the case for individuals who only have opposite-sex sexual partners     

Practice What You Preach? The Role of Rural NGOs in Women's Empowerment

Abstract

If NGO employees are facilitating change for self-empowerment, such behavior must be modeled for successful transmission, as suggested in self-efficacy models of behavior change. Rural NGOs in India often depend on employees from the local population who are as likely to be marginalized as their clients. This may cause a gap between what the employees may be trained to “preach” and what they “practice,” thereby diminishing their effectiveness. We examine the employees of a successful rural NGO in India to establish if this gap exists. Using three empowerment instruments, we find that employees indeed “walk the talk.”     

Sexual orientation differences in HIV testing motivation among college men

Objective: To investigate sexual orientation differences in college men's motivations for HIV testing. Participants: 665 male college students in the Southeastern United States from 2006 to 2014. Methods: Students completed a survey on HIV risk factors and testing motivations. Logistic regressions were conducted to determine the differences between heterosexual men (HM) and sexual minority men (SMM). Results: SMM were more motivated to get tested by concern over past condomless sex, while HM were more often cited supporting the testing program “on principle” and wanting a free t-shirt. SMM and HM differed in behaviors that impact HIV risk and other demographics. However, differences in testing motivation by concern over past condomless sex or wanting a free t-shirt persisted when controlling for these demographic and behavioral differences. Conclusions: Appropriately designed HIV prevention interventions on college campuses should target SMM's distinct concern over past condomless sex as a testing motivation.     

The benefits of prisoner participation in interdisciplinary learning

Abstract

This paper considers the provision of an inter-disciplinary workshop day held for Social Work, Police and Nursing students at a UK university. The focus of the day was to give the students an insight into the reality of being a mother in prison, and the impact that having a mother in prison has upon children. A key feature of the day was the involvement of a group of imprisoned mothers from an open prison, who shared their experiences and engaged with students in small groups. The workshop allowed the stereotypes that the prisoners and student professionals held in relation to one another to be challenged. The planning, aims, process and outcomes of the day are considered along with feedback from those taking part. Students reported increased awareness of the stigma faced by this often overlooked vulnerable group of service users, an increased recognition of the needs of children with mothers in prison and an appreciation of the power of interdisciplinary working to deliver a good service. The imprisoned mothers welcomed the chance to educate the students about the issues faced by themselves and their children, and they found the experience of participating to be positive and empowering.     

Giving Clients a Backstage Experience: A Case of Dramaturgical Trouble in the Professional Performance of Drug Treatment

Professionals who provide drug treatment to young people seek to approach clients as agents of change, i.e., highlight clients' agency and ownership of treatment plans. On the basis of ethnographic data from two treatment institutions in Denmark, this article investigates how everyday interaction organizes clients' experiences in ways that alternately support and contradict this professional ambition. Notably, findings indicate that talk and material arrangements “backstage” make professionals, not clients, appear as the real agents of change. Clients are increasingly encouraged to participate in meetings “backstage,” where treatment is organized, but, contrary to intentions, clients may experience participation as debasing rather than empowering.     

An Examination of Drinkers’ Consequences by Sexual Orientation

Abstract

Objective: This study examined college student drinkers by sexual orientation (SO), alcohol use, and negative consequences in a national sample that self-identified gender and SO. Participants: Students completing the Spring 2005 National College Health Assessment (N = 54,111). Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted examining student responses by SO to items regarding negative consequences associated with alcohol. Results: Bisexual students had the highest mean scores on an index of alcohol-related harm. Significant differences were found by SO among male high-risk drinkers for alcohol-related consequences of “fighting” and “injuring another,” and females for “injuring another” and “unprotected sex.” Bisexual students had significantly greater than expected cell counts for significant results, including a significant finding for bisexual low-risk female students for alcohol-related “regret.” Conclusion: These findings suggest that more research is necessary to discern real differences in alcohol-related risk among college students by sexual orientation.     

Impediments to Health Care for the Foreign Student

Abstract

Today's college students occupy a “window” between older adults, whose need for hepatitis B vaccination is minimal, and younger people who receive the vaccine as part of their childhood immunization series. However, because of the high-risk activities that are often part of student behavior, college students are among the individuals who are at the highest risk for this disease; 75% of all reported hepatitis B cases occur in persons between the ages of 15 and 39 years. It is therefore imperative that college health professionals take seriously their responsibility to educate students about issues related to hepatitis B and make available programs that enable the students to receive immunizations. This article briefly describes a successful hepatitis B education and immunization program at an institution that has no mandatory prematriculation immunization requirements.     

Between Money,Morality and Masculinity

Abstract

This paper focuses on the supply-side of Chiang Mai's gay bars, that is, the male sex workers called dek bar or “bar boys”¹ in Thai. I formulate some explanations why these young men -more than half of whom do not consider themselves to be “homosexual” -take on a job as a male sex worker. In this analysis I focus on certain notions in traditional Thai society, trends in contemporary urban Thai society, the economics of work in a gay bar, as well as the sexual behaviour of male sex workers and the concepts they use to describe their work.     

Managing Risk in Community Care of Older People: Perspectives from the Frontline

Abstract

Since the mid-1980s, Australian governments have focused on expanding community and home-based services for older people. This has led to increased levels of dependency, vulnerability, and complexity to be managed in the community. Consequently, aged care services have had to develop mechanisms for regulating and managing these increased risks, and risk management has become more central to the practices of professional workers in this field. This paper reports on some findings from a large-scale study that explores the way risk management policies have been translated into practice by community-based services in Victoria, Australia. Drawing on interviews with 18 frontline and management professionals employed in community aged care, we found that these workers were wrestling with a diverse and new range of institutional risks beyond those encountered in the actual delivery of frontline care. We found that these workers experienced “risk” in four different contexts, which often created demands for contradictory or conflicting responses. Here we examine these “contexts of risk practice”: professional workers' relationships with their clients, relationships with other service providers, the unregulated nature of the home as a work environment, and community expectations about the management of risk. Despite tensions that frequently arose, workers expressed strong professional commitments to their clients and were motivated to find positive resolutions amid competing interests. We conclude that tensions experienced by workers were embedded in the structural dimensions of institutional relationships and the systematic absence of shared understandings of “acceptable” risks in the community care of older people, rather than in the failure of professional agency.