For those acquainted with Japanese lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues, "Queer Voices from Japan" can be good reading. But with only 1 of its 22 chapters informative for researchers, those interested in LGBT youth studies will only indirectly gain insight into a non-Western perspective on youth and sexuality.

Identity formation and self construction are inherently cultural phenomena. Although it may seem that human psychology--e.g., basic traits, tendencies, "characteristics," or even the definition of self--are universal and ahistorical, this essentialist view is quite erroneous and needs to be recognized and avoided. The task of studying one's…

This empirical study explores the subjective experiences of Israeli lesbigay school students and their perceptions of the school climate. It provides descriptive data on different socio-demographic characteristics of Israeli lesbigay youth and presents the participants'' experiences of school climate in the context of lesbigay issues. Further, it…