The problems faced by gays and lesbians are multiplied or intensified because stress cannot be reduced in the way it can be by other minority groups. In other words, while other minority groups would find support from families, the same is not true for gays or lesbians who fail to find any support especially if they have been in the "closet."
Harper et al. 2003 writes: "Minority stress has particular manifestations for LGBT people who cope with pervasive oppression, discrimination, and marginalization by remaining closeted. But unlike other marginalized groups, LGBT people often cannot find support in their family and community of origin. While the "closet" is safe it has its own problems -- the increased stress of hiding. Hiding means that ordinary daily interactions become minefields; it requires constant vigilance to avoid mentioning partners, same-gender attractions or dating experiences, as well as other activities that involve a LGBT community."
The lack of support from social network has been cited as a major cause of deepening minority stress. It is found that gays and lesbians often fail to find real support because of heterosexual attitude of not only the heterosexual group but also the prevalent beliefs that have been internalized by the LGB themselves. Many gays and lesbians have been found to subscribe to heterosexist beliefs and thus turning to one's social network for support might only lead to further distress.
When it comes to workplace, the dynamics of relationships can be multidimensional. There are two ways a person would try to cope either he would not reveal his sexual orientation or he would. There are positive and negative repercussions to both choices. If a person reveals his identity, he can develop a better relationship with co-workers and the stress arising from secrecy can be minimized. However openness can lead to other fears such as fear of discrimination or of being fired.
Chrobot-Mason et al. (2001) explains: "For lesbians and gay men, revealing one's sexual orientation at work is not an easy decision, having both...
As of August 2001, 12 states, as well as the District of Columbia, had laws banning discrimination based on sexual orientation" (Horvath & Ryan 115). In the case, High Tech Gays v. Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (1987), a district court held that lesbians and gay men constituted a quasi-suspect class because "homosexuals have historically been the object of pernicious and sustained hostility, and it is fair to say
Lesbian Health Care Lesbian Health Issues in a Heterosexual Society The additional burdens placed on the lives of minorities as a result of social exclusion can lead to health disparities. Social exclusion theory has been used in previous research to investigate the health disparities that exist between socioeconomic classes and individuals of different ethnic backgrounds living in the United States, but it has not yet been applied to another important minority group:
Indeed, the lack of "recognition and protection" by schools in general contributes to the "critically high level of suicide" among this community of minority students (146). Surely alert, competent, contemporarily up-to-date school counselors understand that they have the "daunting but imperative obligation to become social activists for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students" since these students are the most "stigmatized members of school environs," Stone continues. There is no doubt that
, Ellingstad, Timothy, and Brown, Sandra A. (2006). Adolescent Self-Selection of Service Formats: Implications for Secondary Interventions Targeting Alcohol Use. The American Journal on Addictions, Vol. 15, 58-66. The authors employed three formats of intervention (individual, group, and website) on youth in four schools over a four-year window of time. The results of this survey (which involved "Project Options") of 1,147 students is that minority teens who willingly sought alcohol services preferred to
In their second survey, the authors found that the majority of students felt that PROJECT 10 had been positive and beneficial - not merely for LGBT students, but for the overall educational environment. This resonates with one of the conclusions reached by Sedgwick (1993) when she offered her first class in gay and lesbian studies at Amherst College in 1986. While she initially designed the course for the five to
Gay Marriage Same sex marriage has been a topic of much debate in recent years. Many believe that same sex marriage should not be allowed, while others assert that homosexuals should have the right to be legally married. The purpose of this discussion is to investigate the historical context, political impact, sociological impact and the psychological and philosophical perspectives of this issue. Gay Marriage in a historical context According to Coolidge et al.
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