by Christopher J Alexander
page 1-12
Fourteen gay men, all of whom had been in prior long-term relationships, were interviewed about why they felt the relationship had ended. Participants were asked to address the positive aspects of the relationship, the negative aspects of the relationship, arrangements regarding fidelity, and to offer their views about what constitutes a successful gay relationship. Lack of communication in the relationship was found to be the most significant contributor to ending the relationship. The need for mental health professionals to teach gay couples communication skills is emphasized.
by Judith L Burke and Patti Faber
page 13-22
In helping lesbian couples, therapists have relied upon concepts such as "merger" and "fusion," as well as a variety of intervention tools. One such tool - the genogrid - clarifies the relationships of both the individual partners and the couple. Its purpose is to provide social assessment based upon the data and perceptions of partners. Genogrids, accompanied by open-ended interviews, may further address issues about merged or isolated couples and in clinical settings may help assess strengths and potential areas for change. The genogrid process can be extended to support network interventions and research to conceptualize the couple relationships of gay men, bisexuals, and heterosexuals.
by Leigh Nations
page 23-47
The author explores the current experience of 39 lesbian families in light of issues raised in earlier studies. Most lesbian mothers were raising children with a committed lesbian partner, who contributes greatly to the emotional and financial responsibility of raising children. Findings indicate that children are not likely to be influenced to become homosexual. Information is provided about the context of motherhood and custody, children, parenting issues, families of origin, experience of discrimination, and attitudes about counseling. This study concludes that lesbian families are struggling against societal misconceptions to function as a strong family unit, and validation of this distinctive family form remains a goal. Implications for service delivery and policy are discussed.
by Elizabeth P Cramer and Tamara L Eldridge
page 49-72
This article describes the planning and implementation of Les Ms., and education and support group for women who are lesbian, bisexual, or questioning their sexual orientation. In its first year of operation, 114 women attended Les Ms. at least once. Descriptive data about group members and their experiences are presented. The authors propose an interdisciplinary team-facilitated group model grounded in issues/milestones and social constructionist theories of identity development, and a holistic view of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health. The dynamics of locating the group within the lesbian and gay community in a conservative southern environment are discussed. Limitations of, and difficulties with, evaluation design and implementation are also described.
by Michael Shernoff
Mshernoff@AOL.COM
page 73-85
Some gay men spend their entire lives living in small towns or rural areas. Many more grow up there and emigrate to large cities, with some returning to the communities they grew up in when they become symptomatic with AIDS. Gay men living in rural areas face different obstacles than those living in large urban centers with well defined gay communities. When a rural gay man comes down with HIV or AIDS his problems in gaining access to needed medical and social services are even greater than his urban counterpart. This article details the difficulties encountered by rural gay men living with HIV/AIDS. It reviews some of the research on rural individuals living with HIV and discusses how this pertains to gay men in particular. In addition, some suggestions for meeting the social service needs of this population are offered.
by Christopher K Alexander
page 87-91
by Benjamin Lipton
page 93-98
page 99-104
Transcribed by Kirsty A Smith
7 August 1998