This well-documented book highlights some of the theories of bisexual and homosexual identities and their conceptual bases in cultural history, moral philosophy, biology, and social psychology. Some of the most respected minds in the field of human sexuality challenge traditional views on homosexuality and question the moral principles implicit in many existing psychiatric and psychological theories.

At a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals-often referred to under the umbrella acronym LGBT-are becoming more visible in society and more socially acknowledged, clinicians and researchers are faced with incomplete information about their health status. While LGBT populations often are combined as a single entity for research and advocacy purposes, each is a distinct population group with its own specific health needs. Furthermore, the experiences of LGBT individuals are not uniform and are shaped by factors of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographical location, and age, any of which can have an effect on health-related concerns and needs. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People assesses the state of science on the health status of LGBT populations, identifies research gaps and opportunities, and outlines a research agenda for the National Institute of Health. The report examines the health status of these populations in three life stages: childhood and adolescence, early/middle adulthood, and later adulthood. At each life stage, the committee studied mental health, physical health, risks and protective factors, health services, and contextual influences. To advance understanding of the health needs of all LGBT individuals, the report finds that researchers need more data about the demographics of these populations, improved methods for collecting and analyzing data, and an increased participation of sexual and gender minorities in research. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People is a valuable resource for policymakers, federal agencies including the National Institute of Health (NIH), LGBT advocacy groups, clinicians, and service providers.

Over the last fifteen years, psychological research regarding sexual orientation has seen explosive growth. In this book, Anthony R. D'Augelli and Charlotte J. Patterson bring together top experts to offer a comprehensive overview of what we have discovered--and what we still need to learn--about lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities. Writing in clear, nontechnical language, the contributors cover a range of topics, including conceptions of sexual identity, development over the lifespan, family and other personal relationships, parenting, and bigotry and discrimination. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities Over the Lifespan is essential reading for researchers, students, social scientists, mental health practitioners, and general readers who seek the most up-to-date and authoritative treatment of the subject available.

This well-documented book highlights some of the theories of bisexual and homosexual identities and their conceptual bases in cultural history, moral philosophy, biology, and social psychology. Some of the most respected minds in the field of human sexuality challenge traditional views on homosexuality and question the moral principles implicit in many existing psychiatric and psychological theories.

Changes in biological processes, relationships, and community interactions influence the emergence of sexuality in all young people. The process is more complex and difficult for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) teenagers. This book explores the psychological dimensions of LGB identities from puberty to adulthood.

In the past twelve years, research into homosexuality has undergone a major shift in emphasis. A concern with documenting the etiology, treatment, and psychological adjustment of homosexuals has been replaced by an interest in understanding how people develop homosexual identities-that is, organized perceptions of themselves as homosexuals in relation to sexual and romantic settings. People are not born with perceptions of themselves as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Sexual identities evolve slowly, over a long period of time. This book develops an ideal-typical model of homosexual identity formation that represents a synthesis of, and elaboration on, previous theorizing and research on the subject. The model draws heavily upon accounts provided by homosexuals themselves. The model developed is unique in four major ways: it is grounded in current research and theory; it describes identity formation in both lesbians and gay males; it notes similarities as well as differences between the sexes in homosexual identity development; and it explains differences between gay males and lesbians in terms of their experiences with gender-role socialization. This is the first book to differentiate analytically the constructs of self, self-concept, identity, and homosexual identity within a unified theoretical framework. With one major exception, these conceptual distinctions have not been drawn in previous discussions of homosexual identity, and this lack has contributed to conceptual disarray. The theoretical approach adopted here is symbolic interactionism, a social-psychological perspective within the discipline of sociology. There is a sharp disagreement among theorists about the nature and meaning of homosexual identities. Do homosexuals' identities represent a confusion of being with doing, the mistaken belief that one is what one does, the equation of the entire self with one type of behavior? Do homosexual identities represent one of several major interests that are constructed socially and defined as reflecting essential facets of personality?