Therapists' needs for training in counseling lesbians and gay men.

A survey of 112 therapists' attitudes, knowledge, concerns, and strategies in counseling lesbians and gay men clients revealed a strong need for therapist training. Although Ss showed generally liberal attitudes toward homosexuals, they admitted a lack of knowledge concerning lesbian and gay male lifestyles. Ss' major concerns in counseling gay clients were the maintenance of objectivity, countertransference, and lack of knowledge of homosexuality. It is recommended that training in counseling lesbian/gay clients become a standard feature of accredited training programs in clinical psychology, that competence in counseling lesbian/gay clients become a prerequisite for state licensure, and that the availability of continuing education regarding therapy for lesbian/gay clients continue for practicing clinical psychologists. (62 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Threat and guilt aspects of internalized antilesbian and gay prejudice: An application of personal construct theory.

Building on G. A. Kelly's (1991a, 1991b) personal construct theory, this study introduced concepts of threat and guilt as different manifestations of internalized antilesbian and gay prejudice. Results with 102 lesbian and gay participants indicated that internalized threat and guilt each accounted for unique variance in global internalized antilesbian and gay prejudice. Also, as expected, internalized threat was associated uniquely with lower preference for lesbian or gay sexual orientation, whereas internalized guilt was associated uniquely with lesbian and gay identity denigration. Finally, threat partially mediated the relations of internalized antilesbian and gay prejudice with intrapersonal identity stresses (i.e., identity confusion, difficulty of identity formation process), whereas guilt partially mediated the relations of internalized antilesbian and gay prejudice with interpersonal identity stresses (i.e., maintaining privacy, discomfort with disclosure). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gay and lesbian clients' selection of therapists and utilization of therapy.

Examined gay and lesbian clients' therapy utilization and therapist selection. Specifically the study examined whether clients' sexual orientation and gender relate to the total number of therapists seen and to the average duration of therapy, what the demographic characteristics of the therapists chosen by gay and lesbian clients are, the likelihood that gay men and lesbians prescreened potential therapists for gay-affirmative attitudes, the methods used to prescreen, and if the prescreening related to client satisfaction. 172 gay men and 220 lesbians (aged 22–71 yrs) who had seen at least 1 therapist participated in the study. A comparison group of 81 heterosexual individuals matched for demographic characteristics also participated in the study. Results show that 41% of the therapists gay and lesbian Ss saw in the 1990s were gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Of the therapists seen, 63% had been screened for gay-affirmative attitudes by respondents before being selected. Prescreening was associated with higher therapist ratings. Several methods for therapist screening were reported including seeking a referral. Results also show that gay and lesbian Ss reported seeing more therapists and seeing therapists for longer durations than heterosexual Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Masculine gender role conflict and negative feelings about being gay.

Professional psychologists who work with gay men have noted that traditional masculine ideals play a prominent role in the gay community whereby some endorse these traditional ideals and stigmatize effeminate behavior by other gay men. One hypothesis is that this behavior reflects negative feelings about being gay. This article examined this hypothesis by reporting the results of an online survey of 622 self-identified gay men. Participants completed the Gender Role Conflict Scale, Lesbian and Gay Identity Scale, the Social Desirability Scale, and questions related to the importance of masculinity. Results showed that most participants valued the public appearance of masculinity; and they ideally wished to be more masculine than they felt they were (Cohen’s d = 0.42). A multiple regression analysis showed that the degree to which they valued masculinity and were concerned with violating masculine ideals was positively related with negative feelings about being gay (Cohen’s f2 = .67). These findings highlight the importance of exploring the role that masculine ideals play in gay client’s lives given that negative feelings about oneself can adversely affect psychological well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' attitudes toward gay and lesbian parenting.

How does the average practicing psychologist view a gay or lesbian couple wishing to adopt a child? Psychologists (N?=?388) from across the United States read and rated 1 of 6 vignettes describing a couple interested in adopting a 5-year-old child. The vignettes were identical except that the couples' sexual orientation was depicted as gay male, lesbian, or heterosexual and the child was either a girl or boy. Results indicated that participants who rated the gay male and lesbian couples with a female child were less likely to recommend custody for these couples than participants who rated the heterosexual couples. Before psychologists provide mental health services to gay and lesbian people and their children, they should complete formal, systematic training on sexual diversity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

AIDS-related bereavement among gay men: The inadequacy of current theories of grief.

AIDS-related grief among gay men has specific and unique characteristics that differentiate it from other types of loss. To understand the phenomenon and address adequately the needs of grieving gay men, clinicians need to take into account several components of AIDS-related grief. They are (1) the adverse effects of multiple, cumulative loss; (2) the unique characteristics of the gay male subculture and the relevance of "gay grief"; (3) the shortcomings of popular grief models; and (4) the importance of finding meaning in ongoing adversity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The disclosure dilemma for gay men and lesbians: "Coming out" at work.

This study examined disclosing sexual orientation at work for 220 gay men and 159 lesbians. Self-acceptance, the centrality of one's identity, how "out" one is to friends and family, employer policies, and perceived employer gay-supportiveness were associated with disclosure behaviors at work for gay/lesbian employees. Disclosing at work and working for an organization perceived to be more gay supportive was related to higher job satisfaction and lower job anxiety. Reactions of coworkers to gay or lesbian workers mediated the relationship between disclosure and gay/lesbian workers' job attitudes. Implications and solutions for management are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications.

Reviews the book, Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications by Beverly Greene and Gregory M. Herek (1994). This volume is a collection of theoretical, research, and clinical articles which share in common only their focus of a psychological approach to gay and lesbian issues. Particularly admirable is the handling of a variety of lesbian issues including sexual pride and shame, physical appearance, and feminist politics of sexual orientation. There are also good articles on stereotypes and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. This volume moves the psychological study of lesbian and gay issues beyond being merely gay affirmative into looking at hard issues, and reconnecting gay studies with the larger body of psychological theory, research, and clinical practice. As a psychological potpourri of articles, it suggests what can be accomplished in lesbian and gay psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual orientation of adult sons of gay fathers.

The sexual development of children of gay and lesbian parents is interesting for both scientific and social reasons. The present study is the largest to date to focus on the sexual orientation of adult sons of gay men. From advertisements in gay publications, 55 gay or bisexual men were recruited who reported on 82 sons at least 17 yrs of age. More than 90% of sons whose sexual orientations could be rated were heterosexual. Furthermore, gay and heterosexual sons did not differ on potentially relevant variables such as the length of time they had lived with their fathers. Results suggest that any environmental influence of gay fathers on their sons' sexual orientation is not large. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Relationship of Symbolic Beliefs and Prior Contact to Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Gay Men and Lesbian Women.

Research has examined the relation of prior contact and/or symbolic beliefs on attitudes toward homosexuals or gay men. Little research though has been conducted on attitudes toward lesbian women. We examined the simultaneous relationships of symbolic beliefs and prior contact on attitudes toward gay men and attitudes toward lesbian women. Regression analyses indicated that on their own either symbolic beliefs or prior contact were significant predictors of attitudes towards both groups. When examined together though symbolic beliefs predicted attitudes toward lesbian women whereas prior contact predicted attitudes toward gay men. Overall, participants had more contact with gay men than lesbian women. The implications of our results are discussed in terms of the contact hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gay people and government security clearances: A social science perspective.

Lesbian and gay male applicants routinely are denied government security clearances or are subjected to unusually lengthy and intensive investigation. This article reviews social science data relevant to the principal justifications for this policy and presents the following conclusions: (a) Lesbians and gay men are no more likely than heterosexuals to suffer from a personality disorder or emotional stress, or to be psychologically unstable; (b) lesbians and gay men are no more likely than heterosexuals to be unduly sensitive to coercion, blackmail, or duress; and (c) lesbians and gay men are no more likely than heterosexuals to be unwilling to respect or uphold laws or regulations, or to be unreliable or untrustworthy. Three major flaws underlie current government policies toward gay applicants for security clearances: (a) Groups rather than individuals are screened for undesirable characteristics; (b) applicants are rejected on the basis of problems created by government policies themselves; and (c) homosexual applicants are scrutinized according to criteria that are not applied similarly to heterosexual applicants. An alternative hypothesis, that experience with stigma actually may increase a gay applicant's ability to maintain secrecy, is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pioneers in Partnership: Lesbian and Gay Male Couples in Civil Unions Compared With Those Not in Civil Unions and Married Heterosexual Siblings.

This study compared 212 lesbians and 123 gay men who had civil unions in Vermont (during the first year legislation made this available) with 166 lesbians and 72 gay men in their friendship network who had not had civil unions, and also with 219 heterosexual married women and 193 heterosexual married men consisting of civil union couples' siblings and their spouses. Married heterosexual couples had been together longer and had more traditional division of labor and child care than did lesbians and gay men in both types of couples. Lesbians in civil unions were more open about their sexual orientation than those not in civil unions, and gay men in civil unions were closer to their family of origin than gay men not in civil unions. This is the first study on same-sex couples with civil unions, and the first to compare lesbians and gay men with their married siblings. At a time of legal changes for same-sex couples, these results indicate that legalized same-sex relationships are related to visibility of same-sex couples to their family and the general public. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Essential issues in working with lesbian and gay male youths.

Psychologists working with young gay men and lesbians may experience public and agency resistance based primarily on the confusion of moral and rational thinking and on homophobia. To work effectively with young lesbians and gay men, psychologists need to be relatively free of homophobia and knowledgeable about gay male and lesbian life-styles. Provision of developmental process information to the client is very useful. Internal and external homophobia, a lack of healthful role models, coming out to oneself and others, and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) are among the most critical problems faced by young gay men and lesbians. Although a discussion of intervention techniques is beyond the scope of this article, bibliotherapy is briefly described as one effective intervention in that it provides necessary information to the client and it serves as a springboard for therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research on sexual orientation and human development: A commentary.

Over the last 25 yrs, dramatic advances have occurred in the understanding of the development of sexual orientation. Gay and lesbian interests and behavior appear to result from a complex interplay of genetic, prenatal, and environmental influences. Gender identity develops early, especially for males, and is difficult to change. Homosexuality is less likely to be characterized as pathological, although discrimination and hate crimes continue to affect many gay men and lesbians. The overall emotional well-being of gay men and lesbians, as well as children raised in gay and lesbian families, is as psychologically healthy as that of their heterosexual counterparts. Methodological difficulties in research remain with continued needs for more delineated definitions of sexual orientation and empirically derived databases of population statistics of gay men and lesbians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children of lesbian and gay parents: Psychology, law, and policy.

Legal and policy questions relevant to the lives of lesbian and gay parents and their children have recently been subjects of vigorous debate. Among the issues for which psychological research has been seen as particularly relevant are questions regarding child custody after divorce, same-sex marriage, adoption, and foster care. This article provides an overview of the current legal terrain for lesbian and gay parents and their children in the United States today, an overview of relevant social science research, and some commentary on the interface between the two. It is concluded that research findings on lesbian and gay parents and their children provide no warrant for legal discrimination against these families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of sexual orientation similarity and counselor experience level on gay men's and lesbians' perceptions of counselors.

Investigated the effects of sexual orientation similarity of counselor and client as well as counselor experience level on perceptions of counselors by gay men and lesbians. After receiving pre-session information in which the variables of counselor sexual orientation (gay male/lesbian or heterosexual) and experience level (experienced vs inexperienced) were manipulated, 40 gay male and 40 lesbian Ss in parallel experiments viewed different 15-min videotapes of same-sex counselor–client pairs and then completed the Counselor Rating Form (A. Barak and M. B. LaCrosse, 1975). Results indicated that the lesbian Ss rated the experienced therapists, both lesbian and heterosexual, as more expert; there were no other significant main or interaction effects. The results suggest that sexual orientation of the counselor may be a less salient concern of gay men and lesbians when the therapeutic issue is not sexual in nature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of parenting stress among gay adoptive fathers in the United States.

The authors examined correlates of parenting stress among 230 gay adoptive fathers across the United States through an Internet survey. As with previous research on adoptive parents, results showed that fathers with less social support, older children, and children who were adopted at older ages reported more parenting stress. Moreover, gay fathers who had a less positive gay identity also reported more parenting stress. These 4 variables accounted for 33% of the variance in parenting stress; effect sizes were medium to large. Our results suggest the importance of social support and a positive gay identity in facilitating successful parenting outcomes among gay adoptive fathers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extreme right-handedness, older brothers, and sexual orientation in men.

Two of the most consistent correlates of sexual orientation in men are handedness and fraternal birth order (i.e., number of older brothers). In the present study, the relationship among handedness, older brothers, and sexual orientation was studied in 4 samples of heterosexual and gay or bisexual men (N = 944). Unlike previous studies, which have only observed an increased rate of non-right-handedness in gay or bisexual men relative to heterosexual men, an elevated rate of extreme right-handedness was found in gay or bisexual men relative to heterosexual men. The results also demonstrated that older brothers moderate the relationship between handedness and sexual orientation. Specifically, older brothers increase the odds of being gay or bisexual in moderate right-handers only; in both non-right-handers and extreme right-handers, older brothers do not affect (or decrease) the odds of being gay or bisexual. The results have implications for an early neurodevelopmental origin to sexual orientation in men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science and advocacy issues in research on children of gay and lesbian parents.

Herek (see record 2006-11202-004) identified the question "Does having gay, lesbian, or bisexual parents disadvantage a child relative to comparable children of heterosexual parents, parents, such that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is ultimately beneficial for children?" (p. 607) as a central issue that has featured prominently in legal and policy debates about same-sex marriage. This comment is a response to Herek's minimization of the significance of the virtual lack of any research focusing on the overall adjustment of children of gay fathers and his failure to clarify that findings about children raised by lesbians are being generalized to children of gay fathers. Given that opponents make egregious statements about the unfitness of gay and lesbian parents and the pathology of their children, are we justified in lowering our standards about how scientific research is described and reported? Herek was correct when he called for more research in understudied areas (p. 614), but until such research is conducted, psychologists must consider carefully what standards to use in summarizing and communicating research findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Content analysis and methodological critique of articles concerning lesbian and gay male issues in counseling journals.

Examined research of lesbian and gay male issues in counseling psychology journals. Of the 6,661 studies reviewed from 6 major counseling psychology journals over a 12-yr period, 43 (.65%) focused on variables related to lesbian or gay male sexual orientation. The content of the articles demonstrates a perspective of gay male and lesbian acceptance or affirmation. Study samples were composed mostly of university-affiliated, White, East-coast, urban persons. Sexual orientation of study participants was more often assumed than directly ascertained by self-report. The results of content analyses, a methodological critique of the empirical studies, and 12 recommendations for conducting research on issues concerning lesbian women and gay men are presented and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)