Midlife Lesbian Parenting

Summary

This study explores the experience of nine midlife lesbian mothers parenting young children. The participants live in the greater Bay Area of San Francisco.

The participants reported positive feelings about their parenting experience. They felt confident and secure in midlife, and this enhanced their parenting. Their own maturation issues, whether they were coming out or other developmental concerns, seem successfully traversed, leaving them more inner resources for mothering.

Participants experienced acceptance from the larger culture, as well as discrimination and ignorance. Participants experienced little conflict regarding nurturing with their partner and little conflict with respect to their identities as mothers.     

Introduction

No abstract available for this article.     

Asian Tsunami and Social Work Practice: Recovery and Rebuilding

This study investigated the attitudes towards lesbians and gay men among the student population of the Social Work Department of the Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Greece, using Herek's ATLG scale. None of the respondents were found to hold completely non-heterosexist or completely heterosexist attitudes; still, 10% had scores in the negative range. On the whole, students held rather positive attitudes towards lesbians and gay men; however, their attitudes were clearly less favourable towards gay men. Having ‘gay-friendly’ parents and having lesbian/gay friends were associated with lower levels of prejudice; religiosity was also found to be a major factor influencing students' attitudes. No statistically significant results were found on the bases of gender and age. Students' attitudes did not seem to be moderated by social work education; this is of concern as the extent of curriculum content on issues related to lesbians/gay men in the particular social work department is very limited. Implications for curriculum design and teaching methods are discussed.     

Social Work with Greek Migrants: A personal experience of the issues and dilemmas

Abstract

Parenthood is increasingly a choice being made by lesbians in Australia. Although children conceived in heterosexual relationships have been raised in lesbian-parented households since the 1970s, there is now an emerging trend of children being conceived within lesbian relationships. The emergence of new family forms has implications for individuals, families, and the broader community. The present paper draws on the experiences of 17 lesbian-parented families living in Sydney and regional New South Wales. Adopting an ecological framework towards child development, it argues that both informal and formal support systems are important in enhancing the protective factors to support these families. The paper identifies a number of critical times of vulnerability for these families. At these times, if informal support systems fracture, the formal support system can play a significant protective role towards lesbian-parented families and support lesbian-parented families to achieve optimum family and child wellbeing.     

Older Lesbians and Gays Accessing Health and Aged-Care Services

Abstract

The present paper examines older lesbian and gay people's experiences of and expectations for the delivery of health and aged-care services. In-depth narrative interviews were conducted with older gays and lesbians in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney (NSW, Australia). Data were analysed by identifying evaluative statements within specific narratives and grouping these statements into themes. Participants reflected on the meaning of their sexual identity and how they would like it to be acknowledged when in contact with health and aged-care service providers. In addition to direct discrimination, participants reported a more indirect form of discrimination in providers’ assumption of heterosexuality among clients and their failure to provide lesbian- or gay friendly services. The findings highlight the need for health and aged-care services to better understand and acknowledge older gay and lesbian people's sexual identities to enable improved access to services in the future.     

Spirituality and the Gay Community

Father Leo Booth examines the need to recognize the effects negative religious messages about homosexuality have on gay and lesbian clients. He describes the difference between religion and spirituality, and offers suggestions for guiding gay client into self-acceptance, even in the face of a religious and social environment, which does not always promote such acceptance.     

Domestic Violence

Summary

Domestic violence in same-sex relationships is still a rarely spoken about phenomenon that occurs far too often. This article explores this heinous behavior as a gross violation of human rights and explores how and why domestic violence may happen. Strategies for professional social work intervention for both the victim and the perpetrator are explored, and myths about same-sex domestic violence are exploded.     

Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Problems: Do They Hold for Lesbians and Gay Men?

ABSTRACT

Research regarding gender differences in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems finds that men drink more and suffer higher rates of alcohol-related problems compared with women. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether these differences also exist between lesbians and gay men. A sample of 335 lesbians and gay men were recruited through lesbian and gay events, Listservs, and friendship networks. Items from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2000 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2000. National household survey on drug abuse: Main findings 1998, Rockville, MD: Author.  [Google Scholar]) measured alcohol consumption. The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (Selzer, 1971 Selzer, M. L. 1971. The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test: The quest for a new diagnostic instrument. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127: 89–94. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and the Drinker Inventory of Consequences (Miller, Tonigan, & Longabaugh, 1995 Miller, W. R., Tonigan, J. S. and Longabaugh, R. 1995. “The drinker inventory of consequences (DrInC): An instrument for assessing adverse consequences of alcohol abuse test manual”. In National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Project Match, Monograph Series, 4, Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  [Google Scholar]) measured alcohol-related problems. Gay men tended to drink more often than lesbians, but there were no significant gender differences regarding alcohol-related problems. Research, theoretical, and clinical implications are discussed.     

The Ladder 1959

ABSTRACT

In June 1958, the lesbian publication The Ladder distributed a four-page mailed questionnaire to its 500 subscribers. The 157 returned questionnaires constitute the earliest study of lesbianism, and the results were published in The Ladder in the September 1959 issue. This survey is reprinted in the Journal of Lesbian Studies with permission of the founding editors.