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Males as sexual assault victims: multiple levels of trauma.

The definite and persistent phenomenon of sexual assault upon males is virtually ignored in the literature, although incidence data reported here suggest the greater scope of the problem. The avoidance of the subject of sexual assault on males creates a negative environment for victims. While the motivation of assailants is briefly discussed, the article focuses on the psychological aftermath for sexual assault victims. A paradigm is offered, consisting of "Set-up," "Attack," and "Aftermath" phases. Male victims suffer "Rape Trauma Syndrome" as described for females, as well as various forms of stigmatization and secondary trauma. Differences and similarities between male and female victims are identified. Victim responses are discussed as they proceed through several stages, with implications for appropriate interventions on both the clinical and community levels. The article concludes with an extensive bibliography.

Adolescent↗

A study of the married bisexual male: paradox and resolution.

Men who live in conventional marriages and at the same time have significant love-sex relationships with members of their own sex are largely an invisible group in our society. However, there is evidence to suggest that they are not rare, only rarely identified. How these men perceive themselves, reconcile the ordinary aspects of their lives with their atypical sexuality, and conduct themselves in marriage and family life are the focus of this study. Particular attention is paid to two major paradoxes in their lives: the contradiction between their heterosexual public identity which places them comfortably in the mainstream of society and their stigmatized and forbidden homosexual desires and behavior; and the ethical issue of deceiving their wives as well as others to whom they are intimately related. Sixty men drawn from a non-clinical population presented their life stories in extended tape-recorded interviews. These men show great variations in their patterns of psychosexual development as well as in their accoMmodations to marriage and do not fit readily into simple categories. Most of them have found fulfillment and have no wish to change the pattern of their lives. In part, the study contrasts the more successful with the less successful marriages. A major conclusion is that some men are able to express with minimal conflict their homosexual and heterosexual impulses within the framework of a conventional marriage.

Adult↗

Developmental issues and their resolution for gay and lesbian adolescents.

The primary developmental task for homosexually oriented adolescents is adjustment to a socially stigmatized role. Although the individual homosexual adolescent reacts with diversity and great resilience to societal pressures, most pass through a turbulent period that carries the risk of maladaptive behaviors that may affect adult performance. Despite individual variation, certain issues have been found to concern most homosexual adolescents. Empirical data from the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth, Inc. in New York City suggests that isolation, family violence, educational issues, emotional stresses, shelter, and sexual abuse are the main concerns of youth entering the program. If not resolved, the social, cognitive, and social isolation may extend into adulthood, and anxiety, depressive symptoms, alienation, self-hatred, and demoralization may result. In a non-threatening supportive environment that provides accurate information and appropriate peer and adult role models, many of the concerns are alleviated and internalized negative attitudes are either modified or prevented from developing. The authors discuss the effects of prejudice and the impact of negative societal attitudes on the developing social and personal identities of homosexual youths.

Adolescent↗

A sociological approach to counseling homosexual clients and their families.

Stigma lies at the root of many problems typically experienced by homosexual clients and their families. Sociological theory and research shed light on the dynamics of stigma and its consequences, both for the stigmatized population and for their heterosexual families and associates. This article summarizes key sociological research on the nature and development of sexual orientation. It considers the dynamics of homophobia and its implications for homosexual youngsters and their families. It offers practical tips for helping clients to understand their own or a family member's homosexual orientation, for coping with stigma, for reconciling issues of religion and morality, and for determining lifestyle. Suggestions for therapist office materials are also included.

Attitude↗

Gay youth in four cultures: a comparative study.

Young and older homosexual men in four countries (Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and Australia) were compared on a number of psychological, social, and psychometric indices to determine what differences existed between them, and the effect of culture on any such differences. Data show that there are greater differences between younger and older homosexual men as the culture appears more antihomosexual, and that younger homosexual men are less likely to accept their sexual orientation and more likely to accept myths surrounding homosexuality. Younger homosexual men were also more likely to have had gonorrhea (regardless of their number of sexual partners), to prefer receptive anal intercourse, and to have contacted partners by cruising. These data confirm that mental health consequences of antihomosexual environments are most negative where homosexuality is most severely stigmatized.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

The stigma of AIDS: fear of disease and prejudice toward gay men.

Three hundred college students were presented with vignettes describing an ill person; the vignettes were identical except the illness was identified as either AIDS or leukemia and the individual was described as either homosexual or heterosexual. After reading one vignette, each subject completed a set of measures sensitive to interpersonal evaluation, prejudicial attitudes, and willingness to interact casually with the portrayed individual. The findings indicate the presence of highly stigmatizing attitudes towards AIDS patients and suggest that the public views AIDS patients and gay persons with similar attitudinal prejudice. The need for greater attention to AIDS by social and behavioral researchers is discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Teaching lesbian/gay development: from oppression to exceptionality.

Few opportunities exist for young lesbians and gay men to learn about their lives. A university course on lesbian and gay development is described and its impact on students' lives is presented. The course focuses on the exceptional talent of lesbians and gay men in creating lives in a stigmatizing culture. The course's emphasis on how individuals develop or are oppressed by their social environment produces personal change and social action in students.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Should I come out to my students? An empirical investigation.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual educators have faced many barriers in their professions, including harassment, discrimination, and even nationwide antigay political campaigns. Recently, lesbian, gay, and bisexual educators, particularly on college campuses, have challenged such stigmatization by coming out. Because previous research has demonstrated that interpersonal contact with lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals is related to less heterosexist attitudes, the current study investigated the impact of a gay instructor's coming out on his students' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Data were collected from 156 undergraduate students enrolled in an Introductory Psychology course, 40 of whom were taught by a gay instructor. Herek's (1984, 1994b) Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (ATLG) scale was used to measure students' relative levels of heterosexism and was administered to students at the beginning and end of the semester. Midway through the semester, the gay instructor disclosed his gay identity to his students as part of a lesson about sexual orientation. Results from the postcourse survey indicated that students in the gay instructor's course section exhibited improved attitudes. Conversely, students enrolled in the same course in sections taught by heterosexual instructors demonstrated no change in their attitudes. Implications of these findings are discussed, and it is argued that gay instructors' coming out may positively affect their students' attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. However, these efforts by individual instructors must only be a small part of more comprehensive institutional efforts by university communities to address homophobia and heterosexism in educational settings.

Adolescent↗

Accepting the gay person: rental accommodation in the community.

Effects of the "homosexual" label in obtaining community accommodation were examined, in a sample of 180 individuals advertising rooms or flats for rent in two Canadian cities, Windsor and London, Ontario, and in Detroit, Michigan. Telephone calls, for half the sample, made simple enquiries as to availability; for the other half, similar enquiries were made by an individual who was ostensibly homosexual. In the latter condition, rooms were significantly more likely to be described as unavailable. Comparisons are made to similar, previous research, and to current perspectives about community reactions to stigmatizing conditions.

Canada↗

Heterosexuals' use of "fag" and "queer" to deride one another: a contributor to heterosexism and stigma.

This paper is on heterosexuals' use of words such as "fag" and "queer" to refer to one another in an insulting manner. This behavior perpetuates heterosexism and the stigmatization of gays. Two hundred and fifty-seven university students (73% Euro-American) served as participants. Males exhibited more anti-gay prejudice and anti-gay behavior than females. Heterosexual males frequently used words such as "fag" and "queer" to put one another down. Anti-homosexual prejudice was predictive of anti-gay behavior. However, approximately half of those who engaged in the behavior were not strongly anti-homosexual. For these individuals, the behavior may win approval from their social group. Awareness campaigns and peer reminders that the derisive use of "fag" and "queer" harms homosexuals may be effective in changing this group. It is more difficult to reduce this behavior in individuals with strong anti-homosexual attitudes. The role of individuals and educational and work organizations in bringing about change is discussed.

Adult↗

Gay men and lesbians' experiences in and expectations for interactions with heterosexuals.

We analyzed 97 gay men's and lesbians' experiences with and expectations for interactions with majority group members. Respondents described reactions to previous or imagined future interactions with an unfamiliar heterosexual person who had just become aware that the respondent was lesbian or gay. Results indicated that respondents are more proactive than reactive (in contrast to expectation states theories), that the contact hypothesis can be appropriately applied to this group, even though the formulation of the theory was based upon negative attitudes in the absence of extensive contact, and that they have different reactions for people of different prejudice levels, rather than being globally suspicious, as is predicted by many intergroup theories. Future research should direct more attention to the stigmatized group members' attitudes about and reactions toward the majority group.

Adult↗

"Let the drag race begin": the rewards of becoming a queen.

Drawing upon my ethnographic experiences in a drag venue called The Park in Roanoke, Virginia, this article explores the experiences of female impersonators in terms of their early motivations for doing drag, how they create and maintain drag personas and identities, and the obstacles to becoming a queen. Departing from previous researchers that have framed female impersonation as a deviant, stigmatizing, and pathological activity, this research analyzes the significant benefits some drag queens garner by donning women's attire. An experiential understanding of drag reveals that the significant rewards from the activity--contextual power and status, self-affirmation and empowerment--are powerful motivating factors. Instead of being deviant and/or partaking in pathological behavior, female impersonators can be seen as operating on an incentive system where the benefits of doing drag positively enrich the quality of the performer's life in a context where successful queens are held in the highest regard.

Drama↗

The identity transformation of biological parents in lesbian/gay stepfamilies.

This paper investigates the identity transformation of lesbian and gay biological parents in homosexual stepfamilies. I explore previous models typically used to describe gay and lesbian identity formation, arguing that these models provide little understanding of the experiences of those who have been previously married and have children. Lesbians and gays who leave heterosexual unions and form homosexual stepfamily units undergo a series of transformations. The results show that the transition is relatively positive and less internally stigmatizing and stressful than that experienced by younger, childless lesbians and gays.

Adult↗

Disease-related stigma: comparing predictors of AIDS and cancer stigma.

This study explores the prevalence of AIDS and cancer stigma as influenced by attitude toward homosexuality, religiosity, authoritarianism, and androgyny. This study used a quasi-experimental survey design (N = 485) to examine attitude toward people with AIDS and cancer, and interaction with people with AIDS and cancer. Negative attitudes toward homosexuality, high religious intensity and ideology, high authoritarianism, and low expressive emerged as factors related to more negative attitudes toward people with AIDS and unwillingness to interact with people with AIDS. Attitudes toward people with cancer were generally not related to the variables. Findings explore how to campaign efforts to reduce existing negative attitudes toward AIDS and homosexuality, given that gay men with AIDS are especially stigmatized. Implications and directions for future research are discussed, especially for interventions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Need for HIV/AIDS education and intervention for MTF transgenders: responding to the challenge.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of qualitative and quantitative research to develop an HIV/AIDS education intervention for MTF transgenders. Findings revealed that MTF transgenders have high prevalence of adverse health outcomes such as HIV, substance use, and psychological problems. MTF transgenders of color-African American, Latina, and Asian Pacific Islanders-experience heightened risk due to multiple stigmas associated with ethnicity and gender identity. Based on this evidence of need, we developed a series of transgender- specific HIV prevention, substance use and mental health treatment, and health education programs. Future health programs for stigmatized gender minorities, such as MTF transgenders, will benefit from conducting descriptive studies to identify the health needs of the community, and by linking research scientists, health providers, and community agencies to form a collaborative network for delivering evidence based and community sensitive services.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

From "Male Bonding Rituals" to "Suicide Tuesday": A qualitative study of issues faced by gay male ecstasy (MDMA) users.

Use of MDMA and other club drugs has increased among gay men, but questions remain concerning the use, context, and popularity of these drugs; and views of their side effects. We interviewed in-depth 12 gay MDMA users in New York. MDMA had specific appeals to gay men, who often described isolation and stigmatization. Users underwent a period of initiation and social networks often became comprised of greater numbers of other users. Club environments fostered drug use and vice versa. Awareness of potential adverse effects varied and was minimized. Appropriate educational and prevention programs are needed to address these issues, and must take into account the specific contexts of these gay men's lives.

Adolescent↗

Attempted suicide among transgender persons: The influence of gender-based discrimination and victimization.

To determine the independent predictors of attempted suicide among transgender persons we interviewed 392 male-to-female (MTF) and 123 female-to-male (FTM) individuals. Participants were recruited through targeted sampling, respondent-driven sampling, and agency referrals in San Francisco. The prevalence of attempted suicide was 32% (95% CI = 28% to 36%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis younger age (<25 years), depression, a history of substance abuse treatment, a history of forced sex, gender-based discrimination, and gender-based victimization were independently associated with attempted suicide. Suicide prevention interventions for transgender persons are urgently needed, particularly for young people. Medical, mental health, and social service providers should address depression, substance abuse, and forced sex in an attempt to reduce suicidal behaviors among transgender persons. In addition, increasing societal acceptance of the transgender community and decreasing gender-based prejudice may help prevent suicide in this highly stigmatized population.

Adult↗

A resident clerkship that combines inpatient and outpatient training in substance abuse and HIV care.

Substance abuse and HIV infection are important medical problems that receive comparatively little attention in residency training programs and residents often feel unprepared to deal with them. We developed a month-long rotation that combined outpatient care for patients with HIV infection and addiction, with inpatient care for medically-ill patients on a detoxification unit. At the end of the rotation, residents reported greater comfort with caring for these patients and improved self-rated competence. They also rated the rotation highly. Our experience shows that a rotation combining inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and HIV care was valued by residents and increased their comfort and proficiency with caring for these underserved and stigmatized populations.

Ambulatory Care↗