An analysis of 12 structured clinical interviews with lesbians ranging in age from 22 to 46 reveals limited support for Cass' stage theory. Implications for theory development, counseling, and counselor training, are presented, along with suggestions for future research. (Author/JDM)

Outlines the ethical considerations for sexual orientation conversion therapy for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. There are numerous reasons not to acquiesce to a client's desire to change his or her sexual orientation. Presents guidelines for responding to a client seeking reorientation and evaluating one's biases regarding lesbian, gay,…

Teachers attended an inservice presentation on gay and lesbian education in elementary schools. Educators followed focused discussion guidelines established by the National Issues Forums Institute and presented the issue from three perspectives: a biological, religious, and societal and lifestyle approach. Although no consensus was reached,…

Objective: To examine sexual orientation group differences in eating disorder symptoms in adolescent girls and boys. Method: Cross-sectional associations were examined using multivariate regression techniques using data gathered in 1999 from 10,583 adolescents in the Growing Up Today Study, a cohort of children of women participating in the…

Increasing numbers of adolescents are disclosing their sexual orientation to parents at an earlier stage of the family life cycle than their predecessors. Although we know that parents are coexperiencing the range of difficulties reflected in reports of gay and lesbian youths after disclosure, there is a paucity of investigative research exploring…

School leaders must recognize and respect the freedom of expression rights of students within reasonable limits, but they may restrict student expression that creates material and substantial disruption to the educational process. The challenge for school leaders is to achieve the proper balance between the rights of students and the needs of…

We examine how the issues of gender and sexual orientation have been addressed in family therapy and identify critical issues as the field defines itself in a postmodern, inclusive era. We show how unintentional bias and creation of the category of "other" persist throughout the history of clinical practice despite a rise of interest in diversity.…

The field of rhetoric has generated studies of definitional disputes and of the relationship between definition and power. Informed by the idea of collective definition created over time, these studies raise an important theoretical-practical question about definition and contestation that may be approached through a concept of authority.…

The intersection of race, faith, and sexual orientation is a complicated place. This chapter examines students with these multiple identities and uses theory and personal accounts to illustrate the challenges of navigating community on campus.

This article describes the Spare Tyre Theatre Company, which has been creating theatre about gay issues including homophobia since the mid-nineties. They have worked with a variety of groups and over the years have aimed their projects at a younger and younger age group. Shows are accompanied by workshops run by the actors, and audiences are…

Although a growing number of child placement agencies are serving lesbians and gay men, a dearth of literature exists for adoption agency policies and practices related to working with this population. This article explores the unique characteristics and strengths of prospective gay and lesbian adoptive parents throughout each of the three phases…

In 2002, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund began Fostering Transitions: CWLA/Lambda Joint Initiative to Support LGBTQ Youth and Adults Involved with the Child Welfare System. To document the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, as well as identify…

This exploratory study examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence in a sample of gay men who are HIV positive. The concept of intergenerational transmission of violence, from family systems theory, provided the basis of this examination. It was hypothesized that men who had witnessed or experienced violence in their families of origin…

The nature of public schooling, particularly at the early and middle childhood levels, makes designing critical qualitative studies around gay and lesbian issues in the school context problematic at best. This article provides a retrospective dialogue between an associate professor and her then Ph.D. candidate advisee that reflects on the tension…

A growing body of recent research has identified that "rave" attendees are at high risk for the use of "club drugs," such as 3,4-methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy"). Rave attendees, however, comprise only one of several club-going populations. In the current study, we explore the prevalence of ecstasy and other club drug (EOCD) use…