to promote it (Neisen, 1990). Because only heterosexual relationships are seen as “nor­mal,” the heterosexist feels justified in suppressing or ignoring those who do not follow that model. For example, even those with no ill feelings toward homosexuality are often un­aware that businesses will not provide health care and other benefits to the partners of […]

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals have long been stigmatized. When homosexuality as an illness was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual in 1973 (see Chapter 1), negative attitudes toward homosexuality persisted. It was at this time that researchers be­gan to study these negative attitudes and behaviors. What Is Homophobia? Many terms have been proposed […]

Because many organizations misunderstand the needs of homosexuals and bisexuals, gay and lesbian social services, medical, political, entertainment, and even religious organi­zations have formed. For example, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and its associated Policy Institute advocate for gay civil rights, lobbying Congress for such things as a Federal Gay and Lesbian […]

We have already discussed the increased rates of depression and suicide in gay, lesbian, and bisexual populations. There are also higher rates of substance abuse and alcohol-re­lated problems (Roberts et al., 2005), along with more widespread use of marijuana and cocaine than heterosexual youths and adults (Rosario et al., 2004; Ryan & Futterman, 2001) ; […]

It is estimated that there are anywhere from 1 to 3 million gay, lesbian, and bisexual se­niors in the United States today, and this number will climb to over 4 million by the year 2030 (Cahill et al., 2000). Many studies have found that having “come out” prior to the senior years often helps a […]

The 2000 U. S. Census Bureau revealed that there were 601,209 same-sex families, with approximately 301,000 gay male households and 293,000 lesbian households, in the United States (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). However, it is estimated that actual numbers are significantly higher, because many gays and lesbians may be uncomfortable reporting their sexual […]

Gays and lesbians, like heterosexuals, make love for a variety of reasons and use a vari­ety of positions. Sexuality, for all people, heterosexual or homosexual, can be an expres­sion of deep love, affection, or lust. Some gay and lesbian people have sexual experiences with members of the other sex at some point in their lives […]

Gay and lesbian couples often live together as happily as straight couples; their main challenge tends to be society’s intolerance for their lifestyle. Contrary to the image of gay and lesbian couples having one dominant and one submissive partner, such rela­tionships are actually characterized by greater role flexibility and partner equality (Risman & Schwartz, 1988) […]

Although growing up and coming out can be difficult for many gay, lesbian, and bisex­ual youths, the next step is establishing intimate relationships. Let’s now explore same — sex coupling, sexuality, parenting, and aging. Looking for Partners Meeting other gay, lesbian or bisexual partners in the heterosexual world can be difficult, so the gay community […]

  number of authors have created models of the process of coming out. For example, Vivienne A Cass (1979, 1984) has proposed the following six — stage model of gay and lesbian identity formation. Not all gays and lesbians reach the sixth stage; it depends how com­fortable one is at each stage with one’s sexual […]