Teachers committed to breaking the silence on lesbian and gay issues in college-level writing classes can consult a growing body of literature by teachers similarly committed. None of this literature, however, has yet identified ways to bring readers in "queer" theory to the undergraduate writing class. Examining the work of four…

Being gay or lesbian has been associated with many risk factors for youth, including the risk of rejection by family and peers. A limited study concerning gay youth at play and the significance of play in identity development of gay youth is reported here. The report has two purposes: to describe the social activities at a gathering specifically…

A study of gay men and their experiences of "coming out" to their parents found that both the mother's and father's reported level of education and religious orthodoxy significantly predicted the relationship change between the mother or the father and the self-disclosing son. This study sought to broaden the available database by sampling both…

Homophobia is a term used to describe irrational fears about, prejudice, and discrimination against homosexuals. Past research has shown that religious people were more homophobic than nonreligious ones and that these same individuals were more likely to have a high level of sex anxiety. In recent research, it has been found that with the onset of…

Gay and lesbian adolescents are marginalized at many levels. Their needs and interests are slighted in the balance of advocacy work that purports a concern for the welfare of minority children. Their presence is overlooked in studies of youth and the mass media. Their existence is excluded from American popular culture. The symbolic annihilation…

Teachers of writing are well trained to take the lead in inspiring a change in communication and behavior within the classroom to create more positive schooling experiences for gay and lesbian students. Many gay teenagers become aware of their sexuality at an early age; however, by the time most of them reach college composition, they have still…

This paper focuses on the emergence of a sense of sexual difference during childhood and the attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality internalized by children. Data on a variety of issues associated with growing up gay or lesbian were gathered from young adult homosexuals (N=13) in South Carolina, school guidance counselors (N=142), preservice…

To ascertain the audience's perception of the homosexual stereotyped character in reference to the social contact variable, two groups were shown a television situational comedy that depicted two homosexual characters. The two groups, one composed of 45 homosexual and the other of 95 heterosexual college students, were then asked to evaluate the…

The purpose of this study was to develop and establish psychometric properties of the Sexual Orientation Counselor Scale (SOCS), an instrument assessing the awareness, skills, and knowledge of counselors working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. The sample consisted of 287 undergraduates, master-level students, doctoral-level…

Sexual minority youth (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning) function in a society that condones homophobia. Results of a research study conducted by J. Sears (1991) indicated that teachers often expressed that they should be more proactive, supportive, and committed to the welfare of all their students, but the realities of…

Gay youth enter high school with the knowledge that they are different and with the belief that heterosexuality is normal and that homosexuality is not normal. Also, gay youth enter high school with the belief that honesty and integrity are important personal values. Additionally, the gay youth enter high school without family knowledge of their…

Building on an earlier study, this paper presents the findings of a series of studies that asked senior newspaper editors throughout the United States how they view newspaper coverage of issues of concern to gays and lesbians. The paper presents detailed findings reported in four earlier papers analyzing data from the survey: "Daily Newspaper…

The need to create social work interventions consistent with the needs and perceptions of different gender and ethnic groups has long been recognized. This article presents a method for using empirical data and consumer input to create a gender and ethnically relevant AIDS prevention intervention for African- and European-American adolescents. To…

The impact of homophobia on health education practice has received little attention until recently. As a profession, health educators have not yet adequately addressed lesbian and gay health issues. This paper defines homophobia and discusses the consequences of homophobia in health education and implications for practice. The health education…

This study hypothesized that male counselors whose sexual orientation and physical characteristics do not conform to conventional notions of masculinity (those who have had homosexual experiences and who do not fit the mesomorphic ideal) will be less traditional in their gender role attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs than those who adhere to more…