What Do We Know about Gay and Lbian Coupl? on JSTOR

Contents:

• UNRSTANDG GAY & LBIAN INTI
• LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUEER, & INTERSEX LIFE
• ABOUT THE CENTERSCE 1983 THE CENTER HAS BEEN SUPPORTG, FOSTERG AND CELEBRATG THE LGBT MUNY OF NEW YORK CY. FD MORE RMATN ON AND OUR WORK ABOUT THE CENTER. VIS ABOUT THE CENTEROUR MISSNCYBER CENTERCENTER HISTORYRACE EQUYMEDIA CENTERLEARSHIP & STAFFEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNICORPORATE PARTNERSHIPSANNUAL REPORTS & FANCIAL INFORMATNCONTACT USHOURS & LOTNSEMAPSUPPORT THE CENTER
• LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
• QUEER VS. GAY: HOW THE WORDS ARE DIFFERENT, AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
• HETEROSEXUAL AND HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAG – ARE STRAIGHT AND GAY MARRIAG INTIL?
• DIFFERENC AMONG LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, HETEROSEXUAL INDIVIDUALS, AND THOSE WHO REPORTED AN OTHER INTY ON AN OPEN-END RPONSE ON LEVELS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY
• COMPARG LBIAN AND GAY, AND HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS: FOR LOVE OR MONEY?
• LBIAN AND GAY PARENTG
• INTIMACY AND EMOTN WORK LBIAN, GAY, AND HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS

UNRSTANDG GAY & LBIAN INTI

Helpful rpons of a therapist treatg an dividual who is troubled about her or his same sex attractns clu helpg that person actively pe wh social prejudic agast homosexualy, succsfully rolve issu associated wh and rultg om ternal nflicts, and actively lead a happy and satisfyg life.

LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUEER, & INTERSEX LIFE

The phrase “g out” is ed to refer to several aspects of lbian, gay, and bisexual persons’ experienc: self-awarens of same-sex attractns; the tellg of one or a few people about the attractns; wispread disclosure of same-sex attractns; and intifitn wh the lbian, gay, and bisexual muny. The vast majory of scientific studi that have directly pared lbian and gay parents wh heterosexual parents have nsistently shown that the same-sex upl are as f and pable parents as heterosexual upl, and that their children are jt as psychologilly healthy and well adjted. Lbian (L), gay (G), and bisexual (B) dividuals experience social and stutnal prejudice and opprsn social teractns (Mays & Cochran, 2001), ls social support than heterosexual dividuals (Saen & Pantalone, 2006), ternalized shame, and are the targets of sexual mory vlence (Kg, et.

Stemmg om biased beliefs that bisexuals are unstable their inty, greedy, immature, and/or immoral) is experienced om not only the heterosexual populatn, but also om lbian and gay populatns (Brewster, Moradi, DeBlaere, & Velez, 2013; Brewster & Moradi, 2010; Burlon, 2005; Weiss, 2003). Margalized sexual orientatns) are likely to experience a high equency of stigma-related thoughts durg social suatns, suggtg that non-heterosexual dividuals might have more negative thoughts surroundg social suatns than heterosexuals (Smart & Wegner, 1999), higher levels of social anxiety (along wh lower self-teem and greater fears of negative evaluatn) have been found LGB populatns when pared to heterosexual dividuals (gay men: Pachankis & Goldied, 2006; LGB: Gilman, Cochran, Mays, Hugh, Ostrow, & Ksler, 2001; Potoczniak, Ala, & DeBlaere, 2007; Saen & Pantalone, 2006). Comparable rearch has been replited sampl of gay man, monstratg that higher expectatns of rejectn, and more equent experienc of discrimatn are lked to higher levels of social anxiety (Hatzenbuehler, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Erickson, 2008; Pachankis, Goldied, & Ramrattan, 2008).

ABOUT THE CENTERSCE 1983 THE CENTER HAS BEEN SUPPORTG, FOSTERG AND CELEBRATG THE LGBT MUNY OF NEW YORK CY. FD MORE RMATN ON AND OUR WORK ABOUT THE CENTER. VIS ABOUT THE CENTEROUR MISSNCYBER CENTERCENTER HISTORYRACE EQUYMEDIA CENTERLEARSHIP & STAFFEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNICORPORATE PARTNERSHIPSANNUAL REPORTS & FANCIAL INFORMATNCONTACT USHOURS & LOTNSEMAPSUPPORT THE CENTER

Given the higher prevalence of SAD LGB populatns, we mt nsir the bed impacts of livg wh both a margalized sexual orientatn and experiencg mental health stggl, as the tersectnaly uld potentially make both inti more summary, gay and lbian populatns face signifint mental health dispari pared to their heterosexual unterparts. Unrreprented sexual mory groups uld potentially experience even greater distrs than lbian and gay populatns, as unrreprented sexual mori likely have even ls social support due to lower muny siz and awarens of and attentn to their sexual the prent study, we will vtigate levels of social anxiety participants who intify as lbian/gay, bisexual, heterosexual, as well as those who endorse the wre- rponse optn to see whether rat of social anxiety vary when we break down sexual inti to the subgroups. Further, we provi a scriptn of dividuals the wre- rpons group, acknowledgg the breadth of possible sexual orientatn inti prent wh our hypothize that, siar to prev rearch, heterosexual dividuals will report lower levels of social anxiety than all other groups (lbian/gay, bisexual, and those the wre- rponse group).

Fally, we hypothize that dividuals the wre- rponse group will rate higher social anxiety than all other groups (lbian/gay, bisexual, and heterosexual) bee of the lower public awarens of their sexual inti, as well as potential lower social support experienced by those dividuals.

Further, livg a liberal cy is rrelated wh greater social support, and turn lower levels of social anxiety (Potoczniak, Ala, & DeBlaere 2007; Saen & Pantalone, 2006) fdgs also revealed that dividuals who intified as bisexual reported signifintly more social anxiety related fear and avoidance and greater anxiety on the social and performance subsl pared to those who intified as lbian/gay, or heterosexual. Wh the limatns md, our rults provi sight to varied experienc wh the LGB”O” fdgs suggt that a liberal, urban cy, dividuals who intify as bisexual and those who dite a wre- rponse experience higher rat of social anxiety than their gay/lbian, and heterosexual unterparts. Bee most LGBTQ people are raised the same society as heterosexuals, they learn the same beliefs and stereotyp prevalent the domant society, leadg to a phenomenon known as ternalized homophobia, whereas LGBTQ-intified dividuals feel shame, guilt or hatred towards the part of themselv intified as LGBTQ.

LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The failure to appreciate possible differenc between lbian and gay and heterosexual relatnships leads to the expectatn that marriage (or civil partnership) will brg the same benefs to lbian and gay upl as do for heterosexual upl (many lbian and gay fancial advisers argue otherwise: see Flemg, 2004).

The assumptn here is that lbian and gay upl, bee they are no different om heterosexual upl, are seekg to merge their inti and their fanc a way that is enuraged by ‘morn marriage’ (Burgoyne & Routh, 2001), and that (monogamo) marriage reprents the ‘gold standard’ of relatnship achievement (Flay & Clarke, 2004).

QUEER VS. GAY: HOW THE WORDS ARE DIFFERENT, AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Even though a key argument support of same-sex marriage emphasis the enomic equaly marriage rights will offer lbian and gay partnerships, there is ltle discsn of how legislatn might bt reflect the specifici of the enomic dimensns of lbian and gay relatnships, and limed psychologil evince to feed to such discsns. There is a need for more rearch on money management lbian and gay relatnships, not least bee velopments policy and legislatn – for stance, the Civil Partnership Act 2004 – rely on mols of heterosexual behavur that may not aquately reflect the lived realy of lbian and gay relatnships. Unlike heterosexual parents and their children, however, lbian and gay parents and their children are often subject to prejudice bee of their sexual orientatn that n turn judg, legislators, profsnals, and the public agast them, sometim rultg negative out, such as loss of physil ctody, rtrictns on visatn, and prohibns agast adoptn (ACLU Lbian and Gay Rights Project, 2002; Appell, 2003; Patterson, Fulcher, & Waright, 2002).

The relevance of this cricism has been greatly rced as rearch has expand to explore life a wir array of lbian mother and gay father fai (many of which have never lived through the divorce of a heterosexual uple), and as newer studi beg to clu a wir array of ntrol groups. Three ncerns have historilly been associated wh judicial cisn makg ctody ligatn and public polici erng foster re and adoptn: the belief that lbians and gay men are mentally ill, that lbians are ls maternal than heterosexual women, and that lbians' and gay men's relatnships wh sexual partners leave ltle time for ongog parent-child teractns (ACLU Lbian and Gay Rights Project, 2002; Falk, 1989, 1994; Patterson et al., 2002; Patterson & Reddg, 1996). There is no reliable evince that homosexual orientatn per se impairs psychologil functng, although the social and other circumstanc which lbians and gay men live, cludg exposure to wispread prejudice and discrimatn, often e acute distrs (Cochran, 2001; Freedman, 1971; Gonsrek, 1991; Hart et al., 1978; Hooker, 1957; Meyer, 2003; Reiss, 1980).

Beliefs that lbian and gay adults are not f parents likewise have no empiril foundatn (Anrssen, Amlie, & Ytteroy, 2002; Brewaeys & van Hall, 1997; Parks, 1998; Patterson, 2000; Patterson & Chan, 1996; Perr, 2002; Stacey & Biblarz, 2001; Tasker, 1999; Victor & Fish, 1995). A recent study of 256 lbian and gay parent fai found that, ntrast to patterns characterizg the majory of Amerin parents, very few lbian and gay parents reported any e of physil punishment (such as spankg) as a disciplary technique; stead, they were likely to report e of posive techniqu such as reasong (Johnson & O'Connor, 2002).

HETEROSEXUAL AND HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAG – ARE STRAIGHT AND GAY MARRIAG INTIL?

Certaly, rearch has found no reasons to believe lbian mothers or gay fathers to be unf parents (Armto, 2002; Barret & Robson, 1990; Bigner & Bozett, 1990; Bigner & Jabsen, 1989a, 1989b; Bos et al., 2003, 2004; Bozett, 1980, 1989; Patterson, 1997; Patterson & Chan, 1996; Sbordone, 1993; Tasker & Golombok, 1997; Victor & Fish, 1995; Wton, 1991).

DIFFERENC AMONG LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, HETEROSEXUAL INDIVIDUALS, AND THOSE WHO REPORTED AN OTHER INTY ON AN OPEN-END RPONSE ON LEVELS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY

For stance, one such ncern is that children brought up by lbian mothers or gay fathers will show disturbanc genr inty and/or genr role behavr (Falk, 1989, 1994; Hchens & Kirkpatrick, 1985; Kleber, Howell, & Tibbs-Kleber, 1986; Patterson et al., 2002; Patterson & Reddg, 1996). Three aspects of sexual inty are nsired the rearch: genr inty, which ncerns a person's self-intifitn as male or female; genr-role behavr, which ncerns the extent to which a person's activi, occupatns, and the like are regard by the culture as mascule, feme, or both; and sexual orientatn, which refers to a person's choice of sexual partners, who may be homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual (Money & Ehrhardt, 1972; Ste, 1993).

Although some children have scribed enunters wh anti-gay remarks om peers (Gartrell et al., 2005), young adult offsprg of divorced lbian mothers did not rell beg the targets of any more childhood teasg or victimizatn than did the offsprg of divorced heterosexual mothers (Tasker & Golombok, 1995, 1997). Much of the existg rearch on lbian mothers, gay fathers, and their children was iated to addrs ncerns that arose for such fai the ntext of child ctody disput, and was apparently signed at least part to exame the veracy of mon stereotyp that have been voiced legal proceedgs. Although those om lbian fai were more likely to explore same-sex relatnships, particularly if their childhood fay environment was characterized by an openns and acceptance of lbian and gay relatnships, the large majory of children who grew up lbian fai intified as heterosexual.

Subjects evaluated vigt pictg eher a gay male uple or heterosexual uple and their adopted son along the dimensns of parentg abily, gree to which the child's problems were attributable to the parental relatnship, distrs of the child (cludg genr and sexual inty nfn), and the extent to which ctody reassignment was perceived to be beneficial. A sgle qutn on relatnship satisfactn revealed no signifint difference between groups reported satisfactn, while the 32-em DAS revealed the gay parentg upl to be signifintly more satisfied wh their relatnships than the heterosexual upl, pecially the area of dyadic hn and affective exprsn. A review of rearch on children of lbian and gay parents intifi some of the sourc of diversy wh lbian and gay parentg muni / prent rearch on those who beme parents the ntext of heterosexual relatnships, before g out as lbian or gay / scribe studi of lbians who beme parents after g out [prent] rearch on children born the ntext of heterosexual relatnships...

COMPARG LBIAN AND GAY, AND HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS: FOR LOVE OR MONEY?

The amework foc on (1) whether selectn effects produced by homophobia acunt for associatns between parental sexual orientatns and child out; (2) the role of parental genr vis-à-vis sexual orientatn fluencg children's genr velopment; and (3) the relatnship between parental sexual orientatns and children's sexual preferenc and behavrs. Although is clear that homosexualy is not and of self related to psychopathology, there are persistent suggtns that the particular strs endured by gay men and lbians, pecially adolcence and young adulthood, may e an upsurge attempted suici and perhaps chemil abe, perhaps temporary or perhaps a segment of homosexuals. The paper foc on (a) methodologil problems rearch on homosexualy; (b) studi parg adjtment levels of male homosexuals and male heterosexuals, effemate and noneffemate male homosexuals, and female homosexuals and female heterosexuals; (c) the relatnship between gree of homosexualy and adjtment; (d) homosexual subculture; and (e) the relatnship between homosexualy and psychopathology.

(From the chapter) social science theory and empiril rearch to scribe and expla psychologil heterosexism the US today / addrs the attudal and belief ponents of psychologil heterosexism, wh special attentn to gnive and motivatnal procs / behavral aspects of psychologil heterosexism-specifilly, acts of vlence agast lbians and gay men-are discsed / the nsequenc of psychologil heterosexism are nsired. (From the chapter) child ctody / sexual orientatn and liftyle on their children / ctodial gay fathers / children's reactns to havg a gay father / social ntrol strategi / boundary ntrol fluencg factors / mutualy / father's reactns / protective strategi / role molg / children's velopment of sexual inty / homonegative reactns of children. This text featur iativ to improve the procs of clil re for gay and lbian dividuals and their fai, as well as the muny as a whole; mon scenars enuntered clil practice, along wh a discsn of their meang and re; and explic suggtns for child health profsnals to direct efforts to change the ntext of medil tn.

Divid to three segments, the book tak an unflchg and entirely new look at motherg: "New Lsons" exam the way which sons of lbians grow up to be different men; "Makg a Fay" looks at fay nstcts and "Facg Loss" reveals the heart-breakg realy that many women have had to nont when their fai were threatened by homophobic urts and tradns.

LBIAN AND GAY PARENTG

(From the chapter) gay fatherhood has emerged to public awarens and brought qutns / who are gay fathers, and how do they bee parents / what kd of parents do gay men make, and how do their children velop / what special challeng and strs do gay fathers and their children face daily life, and how do they pe wh them / what n acquatance wh gay fathers and their children offer to the unrstandg of parenthood, child velopment, and fay life / although rearch leratur bearg on such qutns are que new and relatively sparse, existg studi addrs some issu raised by the existence of gay fathers.

“WHEREAS, The legislative protectn afford to children of parents homosexual relatnships vari om state to state, wh some stat enactg or nsirg legislatn sanctng -parent or send parent adoptn by partners of the same sex, several stat clg to nsir legislatn, and at least one state altogether banng adoptn by the send parent; and.

INTIMACY AND EMOTN WORK LBIAN, GAY, AND HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS

“Homosexualy per se impli no impairment judgment, stabily, reliabily, or general social and votnal pabili; Further, the Amerin Psychologil Associatn urg all mental health profsnals to take the lead removg the stigma of mental illns that has long been associated wh homosexual orientatns. “The Amerin Psychologil Associatn plor all public and private discrimatn such areas as employment, hog, public acmodatn, and licensg agast those who engage or have engaged homosexual activi and clar that no burn of proof of such judgment, pacy, or reliabily shall be placed upon the dividuals greater than that imposed on any other persons. Further, the Amerin Psychologil Associatn supports and urg the enactment of civil rights legislatn at the lol, state, and feral levels that would offer cizens who engage acts of homosexualy the same protectns now guaranteed to others on the basis of race, creed, lor, etc.

“WHEREAS people who also experience discrimatn based on age, race, ethnicy, disabily, genr and genr inty, relign, and socenomic stat may pecially benef om accs to marriage for same-sex upl (Divisn 44/Commtee on Sexual Orientatn and Genr Diversy Jot Task Force on Guil for Psychotherapy wh Lbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients, 2000);. “WHEREAS there is no scientific evince that parentg effectivens is related to parental sexual orientatn: Lbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provi supportive and healthy environments for their children (Patterson, 2000, 2004; Perr, 2002; Tasker, 1999);.