Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Issues
Annotated Bibliography

This bibliography was last revised in May, 1998 but I make no claims that it is all inclusive - even in the areas tha t I include below. Please note it includes few works focusing on gay or lesbian sexuality, culture, history, language, and cross-cultural issues. A vast array of fictional works also useful for therapists understanding gay and lesbian subcultures is not included here. In addition, new writings published every month will deserve a place in other such bibliographies, as well as extant works which have (so far) escaped my attention.

General issues
Health Issues/AIDS
Gay and Lesbian Relationships
Sexual abuse
Sexual compulsivity
Spiritual concerns

General issues

American Psychological Association Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns. (1991). Avoiding heterosexual bias in language. American Psychologist, 46, 973-974.
This article offers suggestions for avoiding heterosexual bias in language concerning lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons (e.g., preferred terminology which is clear and not associated with negative stereotypes). The article also offers means of increasing the visibility of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons in language.

Barrett, R.L. & Robinson, B. E. (1990). Gay fathers. New York: Lexington Books.
This is one of the first books focusing on parenting issues for gay men. Most other books have focused on lesbian mothers. For gay clients considering fatherhood, it may provide interesting clients. For gay men with children, it can offer a chance to feel less alone or isolated with their feelings about their situation.

Bell, A. P., & Weinberg, M. S. (1978). Homosexualities: A study of diversity among men and women. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
This publication of the Kinsey Institute reports on the diversity of life-styles within the gay and lesbian worlds. This study has a restricted sample (based only in the San Francisco Bay area) but is useful to examine the variety of life-style and relationship choices for gay men and lesbian and to dispute myths . In addition, the authors offer findings that help illustrate differences between gay men and lesbians. As this study is now 13 years old, some of the findings are rather dated but the notion of diversity presented here is still useful.

Bell, A. P., Weinberg, M. S., & Hammersmith, S. K. (1981). Sexual preference: Its development in men and women. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
This publication of the Kinsey Institute attempts to study the development of homosexuality and heterosexuality among males and females. The research uses data gathered from face-to-face interviews with 1500 individuals. They examined parental relationships, sibling relationships, conformation to stereotypic gender roles, and early sexual experiences. The authors also considers a biologic basis for sexual orientation and suggest future research should pursue that direction. This research suggests sexual orientation is determined at a relatively early age and is the result of a combination of factors.

Berzon, B. (1992). Positively gay (Second edition). Los Angeles: Mediamix Associates.
This book examines a broad range of "life issues" which affect lesbians and gay men. The writings offer excellent sources of information for clients and for heterosexual therapists. Topics particularly well-covered include aging, career, and spirituality.

Blumenfeld, W. J. & Raymond, D. (1988). Looking at gay & lesbian life. New York: Philosophical Library.
This extensively researched book offers a current and well-documented look at understanding the gay and lesbian experience. A useful text for an introductory course in gay and lesbian studies, it may also be appropriate for clients who would like a general source to read about a variety of issues and concerns. The authors cover socialization and gender roles;sexuality; coming out; "what causes homosexuality?;" the heritages of Western religion and sexuality; prejudice and discrimination; gay and lesbian movement politics;AIDS; gay/lesbian lifestyles, families and relationships; and gay/lesbian literature. (Now available in a trade paperback format).

Boston Lesbian Psychologies Collective (Ed.). (1987). Lesbian psychologies: Exploration and challenges. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
A collection of articles which are theoretically based, research based, and clinically applicable to lesbian issues of identity, relationships, families, therapies, and communities. This is an excellent resource!

Brown, H. (1976). Familiar faces, hidden lives: The story of homosexual men in America today. New York: Harvest/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
A former New York City health official speaks out plainly and honestly about what it was like to be a gay male in American in the 60's and early 70's. Told in an autobiographical format, Dr. Brown describes his own passage as he became, for a time, the most prominent, self-acknowledged gay man in this country. In this book, he uses his own life as a vehicle to discuss issues of parents, long-term relationships, work, religion, psychiatry, the law, and coming out. Although somewhat dated now, Dr. Brown's writing still provides insight the thinking and feelings of many men struggling to come to terms with a gay sexual orientation.

Cadwell, S. A., Burnham, R. A., Jr., & Forstein, M. (Eds.). (1994). Therapists on the front line: Psychotherapy with gay men in the age of AIDS. Washington, D. C.: American Psychiatric Press.
This collection of 27 articles focuses on how the AIDS epidemic affects psychotherapists, patients, and the therapeutic relationship. The authors provide a multidimensional approach to these issues and explore social, medical, cultural, political, and psychodynamic factors, with attention to individual, group and couples/family treatment. The final section focuses on when the therapist is HIV-positive. This book offers little on working with lesbians but is a valuable resource for anyone working with gay men (positive or negative HIV status).

Clark, D. (1990). Loving someone gay (Revised and updated). Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.
A gay clinical psychologist offers an introductory look at gay and lesbian life. He includes a discussion of oppression and prejudice, love, growing up gay, conformity, pleasures of being gay, coming out issues (both on the telling and the learning ends), and guidelines for helping someone gay. This book is excellent for therapists working with gay men. The predominant use of male examples makes this less useful for work with lesbians.

Coleman, E. (Ed.). (1987). Psychotherapy with homosexual men and women: Integrated identity approaches for clinical practice. New York: Haworth.
An excellent collection for psychotherapists, this work reviews the most effective approaches to treatment.

Cowan, T. (1988). Gay men and women who enriched the world. New Canaan, CT: William Mulvey.
Forty biographies of gifted men and women whose creativity has offered lasting benefits to humanity. Subjects include Sappho, Plato, Bacon, Tchaikovsky, Willa Cather, Bessie Smith, and Yukio Mishima. This is an excellent source of role models. My main criticism is the predominance of white males among the forty subjects.

Curtis, W. (Ed.). (1988). Revelations: A collection of gay male coming out stories. Boston: Alyson.
This is a collection of 22 stories written by men ranging in age from their teens to their seventies telling their own coming out stories. They live across the country and have quite varied backgrounds. These stories can be useful for heterosexual therapists by helping them better understand coming out experiences - fears of exposure, rejection and isolation; pain of list families, self-esteem, and love; and the joy and excitement of self-discovery and passion; and the growing sense of self-acceptance and pride in this journey.

DeCecco, J. P. (Ed.). (1985). Bashers, baiters & bigots: Homophobia in American society. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (also published as Journal of Homosexuality, 10, 1/2, 1984).
This collection of journal articles includes pieces on misconceptions of homophobia, research on attitudes towards lesbians and gay men, changing attitudes through college sexuality education and examinations of the relationships of sex role characteristics, sexual beliefs, attitudes and experiences with homophobia.

Diamont, L. (Ed.). (1993). Homosexual issues in the workplace. Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Francis.
This collection of fifteen chapters explores a variety of issues which impact the special vocational issues and problems faced by lesbians and gay men. It gathers authors from a variety of arenas. Some are much better than others but all offer helpful data. Topics include corporate concerns; issues in education, the helping professions, sports, and the military; AIDS in the workplace; and social-psychological issues in the workplace.

Duberman, M. (1991). Cures: A gay man's odyssey. New York: Dutton.
This is an autobiographical look at over twenty years of outward success as a noted historian, playwright and critic as well as years of many attempted "cures" at a time when homosexuality was considered an affliction. Duberman writes of his years of acceptance of society's condemnation of homosexuality and eventual evolution to understanding sex and love, and finally his involvement as a gay activist. The writing is candid, witty, intense and brave - and reads like a novel.

Duberman, M. D., Vicinus, M., & Chauncey, G., Jr. (Eds.). (1989). Hidden from history: Reclaiming the gay and lesbian past. New York: New American Library.
This book offers an in-depth look at the "lost" history of gay men and lesbians through the ages. It includes a look at the ancient world, pre-industrial societies, the nineteenth century, early twentieth century and World War II and the Postwar Era. This scholarly text explores each of these areas with thoughtful and detailed pieces by a group of eminent historians.

Dynes, W. R. (1987). Homosexuality: A research guide. New York: Garland Publishing.
This book offers 4,858 annotated references about homosexuality from books and journals around the world. The compiler has materials covering nearly every facet of gay/lesbian/bisexual life including literature, history, anthropology, travel, art, music, philosophy, religion, language, economics, education, politics, military, sociology, psychology, psychiatry, family issues, legal issues, violence, medical issues, and biology. A great reference source but probably not great leisure reading.

Dynes, W. R. & Donaldson, S . (1992). Homosexuality and psychology, psychiatry, and counseling. New York: Garland Publishing.
This book offers reprints of 26 "classic" writings about homosexuality from a variety of journals . The editors identified many of the most seminal publications, many of them rather unavailable, and have collected them into valuable resource. This volume includes Evelyn Hooker's original Rorschach research comparing heterosexual and gay men, Jeffrey Beane's article on counseling gay men who are coming out, Joan Sophie and Barbara Sang's writings on counseling lesbians, and many other significant pieces. For access to historically significant writings, this volume offers some of the most essential work.

Eichberg, R. (1990). Coming out: An act of love. New York: Plume.
This book provides a step-by-step program for coming out to family, friends, and co-workers. He advocates coming out as an act of love and as a political act in the era of AIDS. Much of the book consists of letters written by participants in weekend workshops on coming out issues. This book can provide a variety of models for how to come out to others for clients but will be less appealing to non-psychologically minded readers.

Ellis, A.L. & Riggle, E. D. B. (Eds.) (1996). Sexual Identity on the Job: Issues and Services. New York: Harrington Park Press.
The six articles in this collection cover a variety of issues ranging from sexual identity issues in the workplace, multicultural issues, disclosure and discrimination in the workplace, domestic partner benefits, the impact on productivity of these issues, and special career counseling issues with gay and lesbian clients.

Evans, N . J ., & Wall, V . A . (Eds.). (1991). Beyond tolerance: Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals on campus. Alexandria, VA: American College Personnel Association.
This collection is the first book to focus on gay/lesbian/bisexual issues on college campuses. It includes identity development perspectives, homophobia and issues for students of color and bisexual people. In addition, chapters cover particular focus areas: counseling issues, residence hall environments, fraternity and sororities, career counseling, and working with gay and lesbian student organizations. In addition, the text covers issues of student affairs professionals and the process of becoming an ally.

Fairchild, B. & Hayward, N. (1990). Now that you know: What every parent should know about homosexuality. (New edition). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Authored by a mother of a gay son and a mother of a lesbian daughter , this book draws on dozens of interviews with gay men and lesbians and their parents. A resource for parents, this is often a useful book for someone to share with parents after coming out as gay or lesbian to them. It normalizes a variety of reactions as a parent moves towards acceptance and offers answers to the myriad of questions a parent may have about the gay/lesbian world. This book can also be useful for someone considering coming out to his/her family as preparatory material. This book is highly recommended.

Falco, K . L . (1991). Psychotherapy with lesbian clients: Theory into practice. New York: Bruner Mazel.
This text examines the context of therapy with lesbian clients and examines a host of clinical issues (e.g., identity formation, lesbian relationships, motherhood, sexual dysfunction, alcohol/drug use, and lesbians of color). In addition, it has interesting ideas/exercises on how to prepare oneself as a therapist to work with lesbian clients, suggestions are particularly useful for heterosexual therapists who would like to learn more about what it is like to be seen as lesbian or gay in this culture.

Finnegan, D. G. & McNally, E. B. (1987). Dual identities: Counseling chemically dependent gay men and lesbians. Center City, MN: Hazelden.
One of the few texts to specifically address issues for work with alcoholic gay men & lesbians, it covers both background information and direct treatment issues as well as offering a listing of resources and a bibliography.

Garnets, L., Hancock, K. A., Cochran, S. D., Goodchilds, J., & Peplau, L.A. (1991). Issues in psycho-therapy with lesbians and gay men: A survey of psychologists. American Psychologist, 46, 964-972.
This article presents findings of a 1986 survey of a large and diverse sample of psychologists by the APA Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns. They sought information about respondent-defined biased and sensitive psychotherapy practice and identified major themes of each in the arenas of assessment, intervention, identity, relationships, family, and therapist experience and education. The results suggest psychologists vary widely in their adherence to a standard of unbiased practice with gay men and lesbians.

Garnets, L., Kimmel, D. C. (Eds.) (1993). Psychological perspectives on lesbian and gay male experiences. New York: Columbia University Press.
This collection offers 27 articles divided into eight sections: meaning of sexual orientation and outing; origins of sexual orientation (choice v.s. no choice); identify development and stigma management; gender difference in roles and behavior (including homophobia and anti-gay violence); cultural diversity among lesbians and gay men; health issues; relationship and parenthood concerns; and developmental/aging issues. These articles are well written and are by people well respected in their subject material. It is designed to be a text book but I found it a valuable addition to my collection despite that!

Gayellow pages: The national edition. (1997). New York: Renaissance House.
Updated annually, this resource guide lists gay/lesbian owned and/or affirmative resources: businesses; hotlines; publications; restaurants/inns; therapists; health care providers; AIDS and legal services; religious, recreation, and AA groups; gay/lesbian bookstores, bars, women's centers; etc. This can be useful for helping gay/lesbian clients access the community if they plan to move to a new location.

Geller, T. (Ed.). (1990). Bisexuality: A reader and sourcebook. Hadley, MA: Common Wealth Printing.
This book offers a collection of interviews, essays, and academic works on bisexuality and a bisexual "catalog" of resources. It is the first American anthology on bisexuality to be compiled by a self-acknowledging bisexual.

Gonsiorek, J. C. (Ed.). (1982). Homosexuality and psychotherapy: A practitioner's handbook of affirmative models. New York: Haworth Press. (Also available as Journal of Homosexuality, 7, 2/3)
This collection covers a variety of issues in gay/lesbian mental health. It includes discussions of diagnostic concepts, sexual orientation of therapist, developmental stages of coming out, internalized homophobia, therapy for gay/lesbian couples, group therapy for gay men, counseling parents of young gay men, men as sexual assault victims, religious & moral issues in working with gay clients, psychoanalytic psychotherapy concepts when working with gay clients, and bisexual/gay men in heterosexual marriages.

Gonsiorek, J. C. & Weinrich, J . D .(Eds.). (1991). Homosexuality: Research and implications for public policy. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
This collection of 15 scholarly writings attempts to summarize what science knows about homosexuality and its relevance for public policy. It can serve both as a survey review of the literature or as a guide to finding more extensive coverage of each topic. It includes discussions of defining sexual orientation, cross-cultural issues, stigma's connection to prejudice and violence, legal issues, psychological and medical treatments, the demise of the illness model, sexual orientation conversion therapy, coming out, same-sex relationships, parenting, and HIV/AIDS concerns (such as partner notification). The chapters are uniformly well written and offer solid summaries of the literature and often concise, thoughtful analyses and synthesis of the information.

Greene, B. & Herek, G. M. (Eds.). (1994). Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research and clinical applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
This book is first in a series entitled Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Issues. This volume contains a collection of innovative studies that explores the children of the lesbian baby boom, internalized homophobia/shame, lesbian and gay development, boundaries in therapist-client relationships, identity development, and an exploration of the aspects of relationship quality in cohabitating couples. This is a scholarly, research-based collection from a psychological rather than a primarily political perspective. The book is dedicated to Adrienne J. Smith, one of the first openly lesbian, feminists therapists and a powerful role model.

Griffin, C. W., Wirth, M. J., & Wirth, A. G. (1990). Beyond acceptance: Parents of lesbians and gays talk about their experiences. New York: St. Martin's Press.
This book addresses anxieties of parents of gay men and lesbians and provides useful information to dispel myths that cause many parents to reject their children. It examines self blame/fear and uses research to address misconceptions about homosexuality. The book is filled with stories of 23 parents who found help through Parents and Friends of Lesbians & Gays. It is a valuable took for parents dealing with the shock of learning that their children are gay and for gay and lesbian people trying to understand their parents lack of understanding.

Gumaer, J. (1987, November). Understanding and counseling gay men: A developmental perspective. Journal of Counseling and Development, 66 (3), 144-146.
This article presents a model of gay psychosocial development. In addition, implications for counselors of the needs of clients at each developmental stage are discussed.

Hall, M. (1985). The lavender couch: A consumer's guide to psychotherapy for lesbians and gay men. Boston: Alyson.
Aimed at clients, the author covers issues such as an overview of therapy and historical treatments of gay men and lesbians, as well as the "nuts and bolts" of seeking, negotiating and evaluating therapy. This includes a discussion of how to find a lesbian/gay-affirmative therapist, handling impasses, and a look at "mental health" for lesbians and gay men. It also includes a brief shopping list for clients to use when trying to find a therapist.

Herek, G. M. (Ed.) (1998). Stigma and Sexual Orientation: Understanding prejudice against lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
This book offers eleven chapters which examines recent research on heterosexual responses to homosexuality. The articles address such topics as the nature of antigay prejudice, stereotypes, and behaviors as well the consequences of homophobia. Particularly good chapters address issues of victimization of youth, minority stress, and a critique of Cameron's research.

Herdt, G. (Ed.). (1989). Gay and lesbian youth. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (also published as Journal of Homosexuality, 17, 1/4, 1989).
This collection examines variations in the coming out process and the formation of homosexual identities. In addition, it has pieces on growing up lesbian, male prostitution, some cross-cultural work on gay youth in England, Mexico, Brazil, France, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and Australia.

Herdt, G. & Boxer, A.. (1993). Children of Horizons: How lesbian and gay teens are leading a new way out of the closet. Boston: Beacon Press.
This is a two-year long coming out study based on the successful youth group program at Horizons Community Services in Chicago. They explore rituals of coming out and milestones of sexual identity development as well as what it is like for these teens to be out and the "moral compromises" they face.

Human Rights Foundation, Inc. (1984). Demystifying homosexuality: A teaching guide about lesbians and gay men. New York: Irvington Publishers.
This out-of-print book offers a wealth of resource information for those teaching courses, providing workshops, or otherwise educating people about gay men and lesbians. It includes lesson plans, information on myths and stereotypes, discussion material, and an extensive resource listing.

Hutchins, L. & Kaahumanu, L.(Eds.). (1991). Bi any other name: Bisexual people speak out. Boston: Alyson.
Only the second collection of writing by bisexual people, this volume offers a variety of essays and poems which explore psychological issues, spiritual concerns, politics, and the creation of a bisexual community. The quality of the writing is somewhat uneven, but the power of the emotions of the authors clearly is expressed. This book is useful as a source of affirmation for bisexual readers and can serve to help both gay/lesbian and heterosexual therapists understand the point of view of bisexual clients.

Isay, R. A. (1989). Being homosexual: Gay men and their development. New York: Avon. (also available in hardcover from Farrar, Strauss & Giroux).
Dr. Isay attempts to define the normal path of psychological development for gay men. The author, a psychoanalyst, addresses topics from early childhood and gay identity to adult relationships. His clinical research explores the effects of parental rejection, homophobia, couples issues, and therapy issues with gay men. He offers an alternate model for development for gay men that does not presuppose pathological assumptions traditional psychoanalytic theory dictates when examining homosexuality. This book does not examine issues for lesbians.

Katz, J. N. (1983). Gay/lesbian almanac: A new documentary. New York: Harper and Row.
In this out-of-print book, Katz offers a history of gay men and lesbian in America in the early colonies (1607-1740) and modern U.S. (1880-1950). His chronicles interweave personal testimony, news reports, diaries, medical case records, letters, trial testimony, fiction, laws, songs, cartoons, and reviews of books, films, and plays. He develops his theory of sexual relativity and argues that homosexuality and heterosexuality are recent inventions, that is, historically specific forms of naming, categorizing, relating, feeling, and acting. He suggests they are used as a form of heterosexist oppression to provide social control.

Kehoe, M. (1989). Lesbians over 60 speak for themselves. New York: Haworth Press. (also published as Journal of Homosexuality, 16, 3/4, 1988).
This pioneering effort is the first attempt to reach a nationwide sample of lesbian elders in order to under-stand this deeply hidden segment of our population. These women, usually entirely overlooked, candidly describe how they feel about being "different,;" cope with homophobia and other problems, such as relationships & family issues; deal with aging; and discuss sexual behavior (both when younger & currently). In addition, Kehoe offers a description of a course on lesbian and gay aging. This study is empirical and yet escapes a heavy academic tone by presenting comments of the women in the study which are alternately poignant, funny, and at times scary.

Klein, C. (1991). Counseling our own: The lesbian/gay subculture meets the mental health system. (2nd ed.). Seattle: Consultant Services Northwest, Inc.
The author describes the establishment of the Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - the first of its kind in this country. She examines the development, nature, role and results of such specialized counseling services and the larger subcultural and cultural contexts in which they are embedded. In addition, she offers recommendations for heterosexual mental health service providers to provide better treatment.

Lewes, K. (1988). The psychoanalytic theory of male homosexuality. New York: Meridian/New American Library.
This book offers a step in the psychoanalytic profession's reassessment of its own attitudes and practices regarding homosexuality. Lewes attempts to main aims in this text. First, he has set out, with reasonable fullness and complexity, the psychoanalytic theories of male homosexuality. Second, he has tried to account for how that theory developed - with the focus there on psychoanalysis itself. He points out deficiencies in the theory and criticizes the way psychoanalysis has gathered its clinical data on homosexuality and the way the theory was formulated and developed. This book includes an extensive bibliography.

Lobel, K. (Ed.). ( 1986). Naming the violence: Speaking out about lesbian battering. Seattle, WA: Seal.
This edited collection of writings emerged from a meeting of the Lesbian Task Force of the national Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This anthology is divided into four sections. Two contain stories of battered lesbians from through out the country, chronicling their lives as battered women. The other sections deal with community organizing activities and articles on support groups, understanding the cycle of abuse, how homophobia affects lesbians' responses to violence in lesbian relationships and two workshops on homophobia.

Miller, N. (1989). In search of gay America: Women and men in a time of change. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.
This takes a unique look at a wide variety of gay men and lesbians from across the country - a gay police officer with AIDS in San Francisco; a lesbian couple expecting a baby in Newton, MA.; an openly gay mayor in Morgantown, WV; two gay dairy farmers in Wolverton, MN.; an AIDS activist in North Dakota; and a gay American Indian in Rapid City. For the most part, he focuses outside big city enclaves of gay men and lesbians.

Money, J. (1988). Gay, straight and in-between: The sexology of erotic orientation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Using case studies from his sexology clinic, Money explore topics such as prenatal and postnatal history, gender differences in childhood and postpubertal hormonal theories. He addresses issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, masculinity and femininity, and hormones and sexuality in adulthood. Money offers data from long-term studies that began over 30 years ago and introduces the concept of lovemaps. Lovemaps are the pathways of individual sexual and erotic development and factors that may shape overall healthy or pathological orientations, paraphilia, and gender transpositions. The work is written for researchers and clinicians, not for the casual reader. A background in biology is useful for understanding much of this thought-provoking material.

Moses, A. E. & Hawkins, R. O., Jr. (1982). Counseling lesbian women and gay men. St. Louis: Mosby.
A good beginning text for therapists which covers a great deal of background information important to understanding the gay or lesbian client. It includes material on identity development, coming out, gay lifestyles, sexual activity, and relationships. It includes a chapter on counseling gay and lesbian college students. The book suffers from its age and does not reflect changes in the gay community from the devastation of AIDS.

Perry, T. D. & Swicegood, T.L.P. (1991). Profiles in gay and lesbian courage. New York: St. Martin's.
The authors offer portraits of eight men and who have made immeasurable contributions to gay liberation. Studies of Harvey Milk, Elaine Nobel, Gilberto Gerald, Jean O'Leary, Leonard Matlovich, Barbara Gittings, Harry Hay and Ivy Bottini examine the discrimination they battled in their struggles to achieve.

Rasi, R. A & Rodriguez-Nogues, D.M.L. (Eds.) (1995). Out in the workplace. Los Angeles: Alyson.
This book is based on the premise that what is helpful and healing is the telling of personal stories. The people represented in this book share their storeis - some wonderful and some horrible - and offer advice from a wide range of professions. It also tells the story of United We Stand, an employee group at the Bank of Boston, and provides information on legal rights for lesbigay employees.

Remafedi, G. (ed.) (1994). Death by denial: Studies of suicide in gay and lesbian teenagers. Boston: Alyson.
This is a collection of nine pieces which examine suicide among lesbian and gay youth from a variety of perspectives. It includes a chapter from the controversial Report on the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide which was challenged by the Bush administration.

Ross, M. W. (Ed.). (1983). Homosexuality and social sex roles. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (Also published as Journal of Homosexuality, 9, 1, 1983).
Gender roles, a critical concern when working with gay men and lesbians, are explored in this collection of articles. These writing explore issues of femininity and masculinity, social intolerance, societal enforcement of stereotypes. Cross-cultural concerns are also addressed in one article.

Ross, M. W. (Ed.). (1988). The treatment of homosexuals with mental health disorders. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (Also published as Journal of Homosexuality, 15, 1/2, 1988).
This volume looks at issues of alcoholism, sexual problems, suicide, cross-cultural issues, borderline personality disorders, and therapy considerations.

Rothblum, E. D. & Cole, E. (Eds.). (1989). Loving boldly: Issues facing lesbians. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (also published as Women & Therapy, 8, 1/2, 1989).
This collection includes articles on ethics, lesbians and the cultural oppression of body image, married lesbians, lesbian parenting issues, couple formation, victims of relationship violence or sexual assault, alcoholism, cognitive approaches, self psychology approaches, and supervision issues.

Russo, V. ( 1987). The celluloid closet: Homosexuality in the movies. (Rev. ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
This study examines over 300 films from 80 years of film making in this exploration of portrayals of lesbians & gay men. He traces the evolution of movie homosexuals and demonstrates the film industry's consistent refusal to portray gay men & lesbians as anything but one-dimensional characters. He also takes a look at recent positive changes in the way gay men & lesbians are depicted on screen. Russo points out for decades gay & lesbian characters seldom survived to the closing credits. He provides a necrology which details film by film the cause of death of gay & lesbian characters. Keep in mind film and other media are a primary source of information & images for clients and the negative images of gay men & lesbians in film (and television) do not serve to provide many positive role models for gay and lesbian young adults.

Scher, M., Stevens, M., Good, G., & Eichenfield, G. A. (Eds.). (1987). Handbook of counseling and psychotherapy with men. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
This collection focuses on counseling men. Some pieces are of particular relevance to clinicians working with gay men - including articles on counseling men about sexuality, grief work, adolescent issues. Some chapters specifically address concerns of gay men, of bisexual men, and of men confronting the AIDS crisis.

Schoenberg, R., Goldberg, R. S., & Shore, D. A. (1985). With compassion toward some: Homosexuality and social work in America. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (also published as Journal of Social Work and Human Sexuality, 2, 2/3, 1984).
This collection has articles on family of origin issues as a family adapts to the knowledge of having a gay or lesbian member, meeting the needs of gay/lesbian youth, couples issues, issues of older lesbians and gay men, confronting homophobia in health care settings, alcoholism, homophobic violence, homophobic attitudes of mental health practitioners towards homosexuality, and training issues.

Silverstein, C . (Ed.). (1991). Gays, lesbians, and their therapists: Studies in psychotherapy. New York: W.W. Norton.
This collection of nineteen papers offers a wealth of theoretical and clinical material. The book begins with a history of psychotherapy with gay men and lesbians. The remaining chapters each take a look at a particular issue: infertility, overidentification with a patient, effects of political activism on psychotherapy, sexualized feelings in the therapeutic relationship, sex therapy, therapy with a client with borderlines features, batterers, masochism, bereavement, therapist self-disclosure, and the impact of working with people with HIV infection. The collection is rich with case material and provides a lot of stimulation to explore countertransference. The chapters are also quite revealing of the chapter authors, all practicing psychotherapists of varied sexual orientations. The editor wanted to begin to build case literature to use as a teaching device and to illustrate the emotional rewards and hazards of being a therapist.

Stein, T. S., Cohen, C. J. (Eds.). (1986). Contemporary perspectives on psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men. New York: Plenum Medical Book Company.
This excellent collection of ten papers offers an integration of clinical and theoretical material. The book reviews the history of psychotherapy with gay men and lesbians. This is followed by a reconceptualization of individual treatment with these populations. Merger in lesbian couples, the management of differences (using a cross-cultural perspective), psychodynamic psychotherapy with gay male couples, analytic therapy of gay men, and group psychotherapy with gay man are also discussed. The book includes chapters on three special topics: therapy with lesbian mothers, AIDS and psychotherapy, and the pregnant lesbian therapist. The papers are well written and largely achieve the editors' goal of integrating theory and practice.

Winfeld, L. & Spielman, S. (1995). Straight talk about gays in the workplace: Creating an inclusive, productive environment for everyone in your organization. New York: American Management Association.
Written by two women who work as consultants on these issues,this book provides a thorough overview of the range of workplace issues. The best chapter, in my opinion, is the one on domestic partner benefits but they have some great ideas on designing and delivering training on sexual orientation issues.

Health Issues/AIDS

Delaney, M., Goldblum, P., & Brewer, J. (1987). Strategies for survival: A gay men's health manual for the age of AIDS. New York: St. Martin's Press.
This book offers information and self-help strategies to deal with health issues in the Age of AIDS. This includes examination of sexual practices, stress, substance use/abuse, social support, exercise and nutrition, and activism. The book also offers a detailed resource listing of community services and support materials.

Kain, C. (Ed.). (1989). No longer immune: A counselor's guide to AIDS. Alexandria, VA: AACD.
This book is an excellent resource for counselors dealing with people with AIDS, are HIV-antibody positive and with their families and friends. Many different populations are examined in this clinically useful work.

Macklin, E. D. (Ed.). (1989). AIDS and families: Report of the AIDS Task Force, Groves Conference on Marriage and the Family. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. (also published as Marriage and Family Review, 13, 1/2, 1989).
This out-of-print collection offers a wealth of material on the issues the AIDS epidemic raises for families & family professionals. Written specifically for family professionals & policy makers, it addresses information on the HIV epidemic, strategies for AIDS education & prevention, therapeutic issues when working with families of Persons With AIDS, societal implications of HIV infection, HIV-antibody testing, public policy, and recommendations for effective service delivery, education & public policy. It includes a bibliography, audiovisual materials and organizations for continuing education on the AIDS crisis.

Preston, J. (Ed.) (1989). Personal dispatches: Writers confront AIDS. New York: St. Martin's Press.
This is an anthology of essays on AIDS looks at the "front lines" of the AIDS epidemic. These pieces address loss, of fear, and courage as writers discuss the impact of AIDS on friends, lovers, community, and themselves. The essays are sometimes lyrical, often angry, to deeply spiritual and as a whole are quite powerful.

Shernoff, M. & Scott, W. A. (1988). The sourcebook on lesbian/gay health care (2nd edition). Washington, D.C.: National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation.
This resource offers an overview of physical & mental health care. Chapters address special populations (rural gay men and lesbians, Black lesbians, native American gay men and lesbians, aging, adolescents, and married gay and bisexual men. Other topics include sexual exploitation by therapists, grief, lesbian couples, AIDS prevention, bisexuality, substance abuse, codependency, families, domestic violence, sexual exclusivity, and a section on AIDS.

Shilts, R. (1987). And the band played on: Politics, people and the AIDS epidemic. New York: St. Martin's.
This lengthy piece of investigative journalism tells the story of the spread of the AIDS epidemic in America. Shilts' investigation led him through 12 countries, thousands of pages of government documents and 900 interviews to learn what happened and why the epidemic was allowed to spread so far before it was taken seriously. A common reaction of readers of the book is one of rage at the Reagan administration for its failure to address AIDS as a public health emergency since, at first, it seemed to only affect gay men, Haitians, and drug addicts. Told in chronological fashion, Shilts' book almost reads as a novel as he presents the story through the work and lives of dozens of people as each is in turn effected by the AIDS crisis.

Troiden, R. R. (1988). Gay and lesbian identity: A sociological analysis. Dix Hills, New York: General Hall, Inc.
Troiden takes the stance that sexual conduct is primarily social and that professional thinking about sexuality is undergoing constant change. He believes people are not born with perceptions of themselves as gay, straight or bisexual but rather go through a series of subjective processes which lead to an identity transformation. He offers and ideal-typical model of homosexual identity formation grounded in current research and theory and discusses gender differences in this process as well. This book is quite readable and includes a look at risks of sex education and research in an appendix.

White, J. & Martinez, M.C. (1997). The Lesbian Health Book: Caring for Ourselves. Seattle: Seal Press.
The thirty-three women who contributed to this book created a volume which provides a comprehensive overview of health and wellness isssues for lesbians. They include physicians, women living with illnesses, health activists, and others. The topics of the pieces included in this book include the effect of gender and class on lesbian access to health care, breast cancer, M.S., AIDS, fat acceptance, race, menopause, aging, death, children, battering, and research on lesbian health. This book is particularly good for health care providers to help them understand the patient's perspective.

Winiarski, M. G. (1991). AIDS-related psychotherapy. New York: Pergamon Press.
Winiarski, a clinical psychologist, attempts to integrate writings & seminar presentations for therapists dealing with HIV-related issues. Winiarski believes this work is about both competence (& views HIV-related psychotherapy as a subspecialty) and about healing (compassion is not enough). He argues one probably needs to be willing to avoid rigid enforcement of formality and "frames" with HIV-positive persons if this really serves the therapist's need to feel separate and, hence, safe. Rather, he stresses an appreciation of flexibility and adopting useful ideas from both cognitive-behavioral & psychodynamic orientations. The book describes complexities of medical & sociopolitical aspects of AIDS, discusses the actual work of HIV-related psychotherapy, and explores considerations of varied therapist roles (including watching for physical, psychiatric, & neuropsychological complications that require medical intervention). He also explores therapist's feelings about this work and addresses specific issues of HIV screening, prevention counseling, IV drug users, the "worried well," and spirituality. This book also details a list of resources useful for the practitioner or for referral for one's clients.

Gay and Lesbian Relationships

Berzon, B. (1988). Permanent partners: Building gay and lesbian relationships that last. New York: Dutton.
This book aims to tell same-sex couples what they need to know in order to build satisfying and lasting relationships and how to surmount both internal and external obstacles they face as a couple. This is also a useful book for heterosexual therapists wanting to better understand dynamics of gay and lesbian relationships and the societal context which impacts these relationships.

Carl, D. (1990). Counseling same-sex couples. New York: Norton.
This short book takes a family therapy approach with gay/lesbian couples. Carl offers a variety of practical considerations and an awareness of issues helpful for therapists unfamiliar with same-sex couples. These include pre-coupling issues, typical issues which might emerge in couples therapy, some suggestions for interventions (while wisely avoiding a cookbook strategy of interventions) and a highlighting of concerns prevalent in lesbian and gay populations (alcohol concerns, parenting issues, AIDS/HIV issues, etc.).

Clunis, D. M., & Green, G. D. (1988). Lesbian couples. Seattle: Seal Press.
This is an excellent source of information and ideas on issues lesbian couples face as they deal with beginning, maintaining, and ending relationships. It also includes some discussion of age, disability, and racism. This book is very useful as bibliotherapy for clients and as a resource for clinicians.

Curry, H. & Clifford, D. (1992). A legal guide for lesbian & gay couples (7th ed.). Berkeley, CA: Nolo Press.
Gay and lesbian couples can protect themselves in a variety of legal situations. Contracts, renting, financial arrangements, insurance, buying a home and other real estate ventures, marriage/divorce, parenting/custody/ adoption/artificial insemination, wills, medical emergencies (and durable power of attorney) are discussed. New editions of this book are released as laws and legal protections change throughout the country.

DeCecco, J. (Ed.). (1988). Gay relationships. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.
Articles in this collection appeared in the Journal of Homosexuality between 1976 and 1986. They offer reviews of research on gay and lesbian couples, where gay men and lesbian look for lovers (including "personals" ads), factors in choices of a lover, discussion of how to maintain a gay relationship (including stages in gay relationships, gender roles, value orientations, monogamous or nonmonogamous), and how to solve problems in gay and lesbian relationships (including couples therapy, conflict, and codependency issues).

Eldridge, N.S. (1987). Gender issues in counseling same-sex couples. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 18, 567-572.
The author identifies four potential pitfalls for a therapist working with a same-sex couple: stereotyping, heterosexual bias, the overemphasis on sex roles in understanding intimate relationships, and the difficulty of working with "hidden populations." Research data is offered to suggest how gender may influence these relationships. Finally, she offers guidelines for recognizing and expanding the therapist's frame of reference when working with gay male or lesbian couples.

Island, D. & Letellier, P. (1991). Men who beat the men who love them: Battered gay men and domestic violence. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.
This book examines the third largest health problem for gay men in American today. Personal narrations at the beginning of each chapter vividly brings to life the brutality that can occur in some gay male domestic relationships. The authors explain why this violence occurs, who the batterers are, and who the victims are, as well as different stages of victimization. They also offer practical steps suggestions for victims who want to leave their violent partners.

Marcus, E. (1992). The male couple's guide. New York: Harper Collins.
This guide to relationships offers practical & focused information on social, legal, emotional, familial & professional intricacies of life for male couples. Based on interviews with male couples from across the U.S., their families, health professionals, peer counselors and Marcus' own experiences, this survival guide includes extensive resource listings.

McWhirter, D. P. & Mattison, A. M. (1984). The male couple: How relationships develop. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
This book presents the findings of an 8-year research study based on data from interviews with 156 male couples whose relationships lasted from 1 - 37 years. The authors are a male couple and offer personal insights to this work. They posit a 6-stage theory of passages of male couple relationships and address issues of nurturance, sexual exclusivity, sexual dysfunction, parenting, competition, anger, & commitment. With a narrowly restricted geographic sample - readers are cautioned before generalizing results to the entire gay male community.

Tessina, T. (1990). Gay relationships. New York: J.P. Tarcher.
This book, authored by a bisexual woman, is not the worst book on gay relationships, but is not one I can recommend. The author aims to help readers look at developing relationships and nurture them. She takes a rather superficial approach but does seems somewhat grounded in the literature about gay/lesbian relationships. For very concrete clients, this book may be useful.

Uhrig, L. J. (1984). The two of us: Affirming, celebrating and symbolizing gay and lesbian relationships. Boston: Alyson.
This text, written by a pastor of the predominantly gay/lesbian Metropolitan Community Churches, is a guide for couples using a Christian perspective. He examines myths about romance, discusses relationship skills, offers "true stories from gay relationships," discusses religious ceremonies of Holy Unions and Rites of Blessing of couple relationships, and discusses singlehood.

Sexual abuse

Lew, M. (1990). Victims no longer: Men recovering from incest & other sexual child abuse. New York, Perennial.
While not written expressly for gay men, this gay affirmative book includes examples of gay men from sexual abuse. One of the only books to specifically addresses incest issues for men, it includes a chapter on sexuality, homophobia and shame. The book is designed to be a self-help book but also one which encourages the reader to access other helping resources (therapy, groups, etc.).

Sexual compulsivity

Carnes, P. (1983). Out of the shadows: Understanding sexual addiction. Minneapolis, MN: CompCare.
This is the first book to examine sexual compulsiveness. Controversy in the gay community goes on as to whether one can be "addicted" to sexual behavior. Carnes looks at people whose lives are out of control because of their sexual behavior, both heterosexual and homosexual.

Carnes, P. (1989). Contrary to love: Helping the sexual addict. Minneapolis, MN: CompCare.
Carne's second book expands his descriptive framework for understanding sex addiction. He presents his Sexual Addiction Screening Test plus the stages & identifiable aspects of sexual addition. Carnes draws extensively from Twelve Step programs in his recovery model and takes an "ecological" approach to treatment which looks at assessment, intervention, Twelve Steps, treatment and recovery across seven major dimensions.

Pincu, L. (1989). Sexual compulsivity in gay men: Controversy and treatment. Journal of Counseling and Development, 68, 63-66.
This article provides an overview of compulsive sex among gay men. He explores the clinical usefulness of the addictive model and discusses the two most prevalent and successful treatment approaches to this issue.

Spiritual concerns

Balka, C., Rose, A. (Eds.). (1989). Twice blessed: On being lesbian, gay and Jewish. Boston: Beacon Press.
This collection of writings by gay and lesbian Jews explores their struggles to integrate their Jewish and gay identities. This is excellent for clients struggling with two stigmatized identities and for therapists who want to know more about the Jewish gay/lesbian community.

Borhek, M. V. (1979). My son Eric. New York: Pilgrim.
The mother of a gay son recounts her path to accepting his sexuality and her reconciliation of that with her Christian beliefs. This is a good bibliotherapy suggestion for parents struggling with religious issues around a child's sexual orientation.

Boswell, J. (1980). Christianity, social tolerance and homosexuality: Gay people in Western Europe from the beginning of the Christian era to the Fourteenth Century. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Winner of the 1981 American Book Awards for History, this book presents the history of attitudes toward homosexuality in the Christian West and serves to challenge preconceptions about the Church's past relationship to its gay members. Boswell's research is extraordinarily broad and covers an extensive variety of sources. The footnotes alone offer a wealth of fascinating information. This can be a useful recommendation to bright and literate clients struggling with sexual orientation concerns against teachings of their Christian church. The text is at times somewhat dense but worth reading. The footnotes at times are quite entertaining, and abundant!

McNaught, B. ( 1988). On being gay. New York: St. Martin's Press.
McNaught, a writer/lecturer, offers a collection of essays in sections such as on being yourself, growing up gay, friends & lover, journey forward, and celebration. He offers a lot of factual information on homosexuality and specifically addresses concerns of gay/lesbian Catholics and their families. This book castigates hypocrisy of religious leaders & institutions and offers a sense of pride in self and support in struggles. Clients reported this book was useful and welcomed during times of self-examination. Some essays may be less helpful to non-Christian readers as he often includes thoughts and feelings based on his Christian beliefs.

Pennington, S. (1989). Ex-gays? There are none! New York: Harper and Row.
Third in a series, this now out-of-print volume explores biblical passages, modern beliefs, and shows that gay people are loved and lovable with the Christian faith. She also dispute the notion that homosexuality is chosen. This is excellent as bibliotherapy with clients struggling with Christian issues and for therapists.