Adult sexual resocialization

This paper reports on an exploratory study of gay husbands. The social construction of reality framework is employed in addressing a central question: how do gay husbands structure a reality that allows them to solve their contradictory statuses? A four-cell typology is presented of husbands who participate in same-sex sexual behavior by living arrangement and occupational autonomy. Discussion follows on their lifestyles. Strategies of coping, career patterns of coming out, and processes of gay identity development are detailed. Major findings include: (1) gayness and traditional heterosexual marriage are discordant; (2) gay husbands achieve a sense of increased psychological well-being as their stigmatized careers progress. Analysis of the changes in the respondents' lives indicates suggestions toward a theory of adult sexual resocialization.