Chapter 7: Lesbians and Gays of Color and HIV/AIDS:

Motivated by a desire to determine if the human service literature reflected the "changing face of AIDS," we reviewed 40 articles addressing needs and issues of gays and lesbians of color. Our review of the multidisciplinary literature confirmed our initial assumption that, despite considerable discussion about the particular needs of lesbians and gay HIV-infected people of color, we could not find an extensive qualitative or quantitative body of research about those needs. An additional finding was the total neglect of minority lesbians and their need for HIV-prevention information. The articles specific to minority gay men were few in number. The majority of studies reviewed dealth quite generally with the risk of HIV transmission among people of color, without specific reference to sexual orientation.     

Introduction: Leading Lesbians Fight Disease and Disability

This thematic issue of the Journal of Lesbian Studies focuses on the ways in which lesbian leaders have dealt with disease and disability. In the articles that follow, eight prominent lesbians describe what it means to cope with serious illness and medical treatment in the context of lesbian identity and community. This introduction provides an overview of some of the themes that arose in the various articles, focusing on lesbian support systems as well as best medical practices.     

Chapter 4:

No abstract available for this article.     

Rural HIV/AIDS Social Services for Gays and Lesbians

Abstract

The HIV pandemic persists into its second decade, with an untoward toll on rural gays which continues to generate suffering and loss. Rural HIV infections are increasing, and the unique problems of health and social services represent new challenges. Professional social services that would overcome barriers to care for rural gays and lesbians have been historically inadequate or non-existent. The HIV pandemic shows that services for HIV diseases must become part of efforts to strengthen the care delivery services for all in rural America, especially by fostering the power and resiliency of gays and lesbians. The empowerment of rural gays, bisexuals, lesbians and transgendered persons assumes that basic differences occur between those in rural and urban areas, and health and social services must build upon the unique strengths of these diverse groups.     

Chapter 4

No abstract available for this article.     

Chapter 2: The Ecological Context of HIV/AIDS Counseling:

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought on social changes bearing considerable impact upon the lives of gay and lesbian communities. An ecological perspective on the counseling process in human services for those impacted by the epidemic is recommended. Issues in counseling which are shaped by the epidemic include fostering support systems within the context of an often hostile social environment; addressing the essential need for shifting assessment paradigms to those which emphasize strengths; recognizing the impact of multiple traumatic occurences and multiple losses on everyday life transactions; and using interventions which promote empowerment, self-acceptance, and healthy lifestyles.     

Attitudes About Lesbians and Gay Men:

In the past 25 years, numerous studies have reported widely held negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Many social service providers hold such negative attitudes. A review of the existing research reveals that the correlates of negative attitudes have remained fairly consistent over time. Knowledge of these correlates can be useful in the design of programs to reduce negative attitudes among students and social service providers.     

Older Gays and Lesbians

Summary

This article discusses the impact that coming of age in the Pre-Stonewall era has had on older gays and lesbians. Anti-gay hate and violence, within a historical context of homophobia and heterosex-ism, are examined. Risk factors, as well as coping capacities, for older lesbians and gays are explored. Research on the psychological adjustment and well-being of older gays and lesbians is reviewed, and suggestions for intervention with this population are proposed.     

Rural Lesbians and Gays

Abstract

The author examines rural helping professionals' perceptions of lesbian and gay consumers and the effects their perceptions have on the provision of services to this population, including the tensions that result when helping professionals' perceptions hinder their acceptance of gay and lesbian consumers. This article uses reports from helping professionals to supplement the discussion. This article challenges helping professionals to evaluate their perceptions of gay and lesbian social service consumers which may hinder their accepting these consumers so that practitioners may gain full acceptance of their gay and lesbian service consumers.     

American Indian Lesbians and Gays

Abstract

This article is a study of American Indian lesbians and gays. Using interview content, this study helps practitioners understand these virtually unstudied individuals. Interview data are compared to reports in the literature in an effort to understand how American Indian lesbians and gays are similar to and different from other lesbians and gays. Implications about future research and social work practice with American Indian lesbians and gays are discussed.     

Adoption and Foster Parenting for Lesbians and Gay Men:

No abstract available for this article.     

Chemical Dependency and Depression in Lesbians and Gay Men:

Addiction to mood-altering chemicals (including alcohol) traumatizes the addict. If, addicted person is a lesbian or gay man, then she or he is subjected to another source of trauma-homophobia. One common response to such traumas is depression. It is critically important that social service providers be able to recognize, assess, diagnose, and treat or appropriately refer lesbians and gay men who are chemically dependent and depressed. This article will give information and suggestions to social service providers which can help them perform these functions.     

Chapter 10: Issues in HIV/AIDS Service Delivery to High Risk Youth

Homeless and runaway youth engage in behavior that puts them at risk for infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Prevalence of HIV disease in homeless and runaway youth is higher than it is among other adolescents. In addition, homeless and runaway youth are often forced to engage in sex as a means of survival. Although they engage in high risk behavior, AIDS education programs have neglected them as a target group for education. To some extent, they have been included in other more general categories of persons with AIDS risk behaviors, such as men who have sex with men or intravenous drug users. However, the number of adolescents receiving age-specific HIV/AIDS information is far below the number infected (Hein et al., 1992). Often high risk youth are disenfranchised, having been forced from home by their families after disclosing their gay or lesbian identities. Lacking a political voice and having no spokesperson, they represent a group with complex unmet needs. These youth typically have immediate needs for food, shelter, and clothing. In addition, they often need medical management, mental health and drug counseling, crisis management, and HIV/AIDS information. These needs are often overwhelming to the agencies that serve youth. This article examines the barriers and issues that exist in providing services to high risk youth. Then, suggsetions for removing those barriers by empowering both service providers and youth are offered. Some of the suggestions are based upon the authors' own experience in providing HIV/AIDS in-service training to service providers to high risk youth. The article makes recommendations for policy on youth and HIV/AIDS.     

Old Lesbians in the UK: Community and Friendship

Drawing on data from the first large-scale comprehensive study of older lesbian life in the United Kingdom, this article explores the nature of friendship and community among old lesbians. Strong friendship bonds and social networking emerge as key features of old lesbian culture. In particular the article focuses on “chosen families,” including relationships with ex-lovers, and on the extensive network of both organized and informal social groups that continue to structure and support a sense of community among old lesbians. It shows the lasting importance of friendships and social structures formed earlier in life against a background of stigmatization, homophobia, and heterosexism, and argues for the recognition of these communities of identity by those who care for older people.     

Ghosted Images: Old Lesbians on Screen

Screen images of old lesbians combine modes of representing female gender, lesbian sexuality, and old age, all of which contain layers of otherness within a hetero-patriarchal and youth-centered society. Analyzing a range of films, from independent to mainstream cinema, this article explores how the ghosted lesbian paradigm intersects with narratives of aging as decline in representations of lesbian characters who are over the age of sixty. The spectral matters of illness, death, mourning, and widowhood inevitably culminate in an unhappy ending. Removed from a lesbian community context, intergenerational continuity vanishes and the old lesbian emerges as the cultural other.     

Lesbians Define Themselves: Diversity in Lesbian Identification

Ninety-nine self-identified lesbians provided definitions of what being a lesbian meant to them. A content analysis revealed two major categories: politically-based definitions and nonpolitical definitions. The political definitions included two highly interrelated subgroups, one of definitions based on woman-identification and the other including a broader world view that included affiliations with other oppressed groups. Nonpolitical definitions included four subgroups; those who defined lesbianism as sex/love with women, lesbianism as a true essence, just happening to love a woman, and lesbianism as only one small aspect of the person. There were only a few differences between women who cited political definitions and those with nonpolitical definitions. Lesbians who provided political definitions were more likely to identify themselves as feminists, were more involved in political activities and slightly more of them had a history of depression and eating disorders. Lesbians who provided nonpolitical definitions were more likely to have children, to have been raised in a conservative religion, and to think that they were born as lesbians. Various interpretations of the categories of definitions are provided.     

Chapter 4. Older Latinos and Mental Health Services

SUMMARY

This article discusses the biopsychosocial and spiritual aspects related to older Latinos' use of mental health care. It also addresses the environment that older Latinos have to navigate to access mental health services. Structural barriers to mental health services are emphasized as critical to a holistic assessment of the client's situation.     

Chapter 12. Families Caring for Persons with HIV/AIDS

SUMMARY

The extent to which family members are willing and able to assist with daily activities and provide emotional support can greatly affect the quality of life for persons with chronic illness. In the case of HIV/AIDS, the burdens of symptom management and medication are amplified by social stigma. This chapter provides a summary of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual issues associated with HIV/AIDS along with approaches to assessment and treatment.     

Lesbians in China's mainland: a brief introduction

This paper describes and introduces lesbians' lives and the relevant research in China's Mainland. The first part shows the slow development of lesbian culture in the form of literature, films and documentaries. Although lesbians' lives were reflected more or less in modern literature, the "true" lesbian novel was published only recently. Relevant films and documentaries were never shown to the public in China. Lesbian culture is still unevenly developed and remains negligible. The first part also describes lesbian research in the field of literature, psychiatry and sociology. The relevant research in literature is relatively systematic and rich, while that in psychiatry is fraught with discrimination and that in sociology is relatively weak. The second part presents the observation and analysis of lesbian Internet communities. It deals with lesbians' self-identity, role differentiation, sentiments and sexuality. Among them, role differentiation plays an important part in lesbians' lives though few researchers have studied it. Most lesbian organizations founded on the strength of Internet communication lack experience and resources and have little influence on the masses. Some lesbians are accepted by the public, but in return, they compromise to some popular values. This is extremely disadvantageous to those who are unwilling to give in. At the end of the paper, the first author expresses her future plan that she will continue her study on lesbian culture under the help of Internet observation and various activities. doi:10.1300/J155v10n03_08.     

Lesbians Leaping Out of the Intergenerational Contract:

Changing demographics and economic models in modern industrial countries have led to changes in the nature of the intergenerational contract, repositioning of the family as the site for care, and increasing privatization of welfare, housing and health services for the aged. These shifts have important implications for access to services for lesbians and gays as they age and enter their third age, often in the absence of traditional family support. The needs and desires of some older lesbians in Australia in relation to housing and health care were explored via focus group interviews. The results are discussed in relation to the intergenerational contract, policy shifts and the social organization of aged care in Australia.