Maturing Gay Men

Abstract

Two time-limited groups were offered for gay men age 40 and over. From pre-group interviews a list of interest areas was constructed. Interpersonal relations with other gay men emerged as the primary concern. In an effort to describe and organize the concerns group members expressed about their relationships, a model based on the work of Bell and Weinberg and the ethnographic work of Evelyn Hooker was developed. The model is a typology consisting of three dominant sociosexual interactive fields: the Sexual Market Field, the Primary Relationship Field and the Social Network     

An Applied Research Agenda for Homosexually Active Men of Color

This paper outlines a research agenda for designing and implementing services to gay men of color. The paper reviews the anthropological, historical, and international literature on homosexuality for its implications for contemporary service delivery. The paper proposes that a problem-solving model that recognizes the central importance of empathy and rapport may be used to organize research. The paper concludes with a discussion of methodological issues.     

Lesbian brides: post-queer popular culture

The last decade has witnessed a proliferation of lesbian representations in European and North American popular culture, particularly within television drama and broader celebrity culture. The abundance of “positive” and “ordinary” representations of lesbians is widely celebrated as signifying progress in queer struggles for social equality. Yet, as this article details, the terms of the visibility extended to lesbians within popular culture often affirm ideals of hetero-patriarchal, white femininity. Focusing on the visual and narrative registers within which lesbian romances are mediated within television drama, this article examines the emergence of what we describe as “the lesbian normal.” Tracking the ways in which the lesbian normal is anchored in a longer history of “the normal gay,” it argues that the lesbian normal is indicative of the emergence of a broader post-feminist and post-queer popular culture, in which feminist and queer struggles are imagined as completed and belonging to the past. Post-queer popular culture is depoliticising in its effects, diminishing the critical potential of feminist and queer politics, and silencing the actually existing conditions of inequality, prejudice, and stigma that continue to shape lesbian lives.     

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.     

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.     

Sexual Identity,Social Support and Social Networks Among African-, Latino-, and European-American Men in an HIV Prevention Program

On the assumption that effective practice requires knowledge of cultural differences, this study examines the responses of over 400 African-, Latino-, and European-American men seeking services to reduce the risk of HIV infection. The responses of the men to questions about sexual identity, social support, and social networks were compared. Relatively few statistically significant differences were found. Possible confounding conditions as well as the implications for practice and research are discussed.     

EDITOR's NOTES

Abstract

Over the past 20 years investigators have explored the incidence, experience, and extent of grieving following miscarriage for heterosexual partnered women and, to some degree, for men. Prior investigations confirm an increase in disturbed emotions following unexpected pregnancy loss and suggest a variety of predisposing social and obstetrical factors that lead to such responses. Little is known, however, about the ways in which lesbian women experience and respond to miscarriage. An argument is made that given the increased number of lesbian women attempting pregnancy through alternative methods of conception, research is warranted that explores their experiences and potentially unique caring needs following miscarriage.     

Social Support,Coming Out,and Adjustment of Lesbian Mothers in Canada and France

SUMMARY

This study examined the factors associated with individual and relationship well-being, social support, and coming-out of lesbian mothers. We stipulated the existence of three important sources of variations: legal recognition of lesbian families in two distinct countries (Canada and France); mothers' biological status; and donor identity. Sixty-one Canadian couples and 53 French couples completed questionnaires on coming-out, support by family and friends, relationship adjustment and individual well-being. Coming-out and mothers' relationship adjustment were positively associated with social support. Levels of coming-out were higher for mothers in Canada and mothers in unknown donor families. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Making Up for Lost Time

Summary

This article focuses on lesbians in later midlife who are in recovery (for at least six months) from chemical dependency and on the ways the traumatic effects of their chemical dependency affect and influence the issues they face, the decisions they make, the actions they take, and, most especially, the relationships they have with both self and others. Although earlier midlife (from 40 to 50) is an important time, we will focus on the later years (from 50 to 60) because they seem to comprise the critical decade, the time when “old selves are lost and new ones come into being” (Stein, 1983, p. 3).     

Dimensions of Lesbian Identity During Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Abstract

As knowledge about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people continues to mature, social work research must address the complexity of key issues, including sexual identity. The present study examined dimensions of sexual identity among young women who identify as questioning or lesbian, and it illustrates the progress being made in conceptualization and measurement in this area.

Three distinct dimensions of lesbian identity were found: “New Identity Possibilities,” “Consolidation and Fulfillment,” and “Stigma and Mistreatment Management.” For these young women, individual and social dimensions of identity development were not distinct as had been previously hypothesized. These findings are discussed in relation to theory and future research that attends to the intersection of gender, age, and sexual identity.