Discusses the problems faced by homosexuals in American society due to misconceptions, fear, and bigotry. Reviews the roles of politicians, organized religion, and the press in perpetuating discrimination against homosexuals and stresses the need for gay individuals to openly declare their sexual orientation in order to dispel secrecy and…

Approaches for teaching about homosexuality as part of the school health curriculum are offered. Suggestions include discussion of popular values and stereotypes, teaching by example, and teaching through role playing. (JMF)

Issues raised in gay parent custody cases are examined. Data indicate that notions about gay fathers' compensatory behavior, molestation of children, negative influence on child development, and instigation of harassment are largely unfounded. The father's "coming out" to his children tends to relieve family tension and strengthen the father-child…

Asserting that educators and educational institutions should view equal rights as a human, rather than sex specific issue, this panel discussion explores the ramifications for society when equal rights are not afforded males, females, homosexuals, or minorities. A case is made for using experiential education to equalize sex roles. (JC)

The author proposes affection training as an alternative to sexual reorientation for homosexuals. This training emphasizes the expansion of behavioral repertories rather than the sexual preference of an individual. Presented at the annual convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, San Francisco, 13 December 1975. (Author)

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and a 60-item structured interview questionnaire were administered to 25 white single homosexually-oriented women and 25 white single heterosexually-oriented women to investigate psychological adjustment and current life styles. Differences between groups were found only on items directly…

It is proposed that clinicians should develop research-based assertiveness training procedures for homosexuals that are designed to facilitate homosexual functioning. Subjects (N=27) were assigned to a behaviorally oriented assertive training group or a non-directive group run by a homosexual guidance service. Self-report measures indicated…

Undergraduate students (N=404) read vignettes depicting a sexual interaction between a child and an adult in which the child's sex, child's age, and adult's sex were manipulated. Abuse was perceived as worse if the child was younger and for same-sex (rather than opposite-sex) interactions. Gender-role attitudes were not related to abusiveness or…

Viewpoints of five camp professionals from a discussion on "Sexual Orientation in Camps: What Is the American Camping Association's Role?" at the 1996 American Camping Association (ACA) national conference. Discusses whether counselors' sexual orientation should be a factor in hiring, and whether the ACA should take a position on the…

Used meta-analytic techniques to compare men's and women's attitudes toward homosexual persons, homosexual behaviors, and gay people's civil rights. As expected, size of sex differences varied across these categories. Men were more negative than women toward homosexual persons and homosexual behavior, but the sexes viewed gay civil rights…

Three education classes of mostly prospective teachers provided instruction on issues related to lesbian- and gay-identified (LG) youth in schools. Written responses of 97 students revealed lack of knowledge of LG youth prior to instruction. Though some students voiced resistance related to religiosity, the dominant stance was a strong…

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) persons and their families present unique ethical challenges for marriage and family counselors. A series of brief case vignettes touch on a range of ethical issues for couples and family counselors, including training, supervision, custody evaluation, ethical decision making, counselor bias,…

Reports data from a nationwide survey of New Zealand high school students and staff that examined their attitudes toward lesbian/gay/bisexual students. Most respondents perceived that lesbian/gay/bisexual students were not safe at school and that these students experienced subtle and extreme forms of intimidation. However, many students and staff…

Whereas multicultural advances in the area of gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues have been made for increased knowledge and awareness, little development has been made regarding counselor skill building. This article outlines a model of training using role-playing to enhance counselor skill when working with gay male, lesbian, and bisexual male and…

Asserts that the social context of coming out may be vital to the overall psychological health and well-being of gay youth and to their HIV risk behavior. Coming out is a multifaceted developmental process. Interventions targeting anti-gay attitudes and behaviors in families, schools, and communities, in addition to combating discriminatory social…