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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. Fortunately, the cultural changes that have allowed LGB youths to become more open about themselves at earlier ages have also allowed social and behavioral scientists the opportunity to study them. The essays in this volume explore the psychological dimensions of LGB identities from puberty to adulthood. The essays focus on three general areas: theoretical frameworks that are important in understanding the development of sexual orientation in adolescence, challenges faced by LGB youth, and issues related to interventions and services for LGB youths in community settings. This volume presents authoritative, research-based reviews of this ever-increasing area of study and social concern.
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Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities and Youth This page intentionally left blank Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities and Youth Psychological Perspectives Edited by Anthony R. D'Augelli Charlotte J. Patterson OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2001 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogota Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Paris Sao Paulo Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw and associated companies in Berlin Ibadan Copyright © 2001 by Oxford University Press Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities and youth : psychological perspectives / edited by Anthony R. D'Augelli and Charlotte J. Patterson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-511952-5; ISBN 0-19-511953-3 (pbk.) 1. Gay youth—United States—Psychology. 2. Lesbian youth—United States—Psychology. 3. Bisexual youth—United States—Psychology. 4. Gay youth—Psychology. 5. Lesbian youth—Psychology. 6. Bisexual youth—Psychology. I. D'Augelli, Anthony R. II. Patterson, Charlotte. HQ76.2.U5 L45 2000 305.235—dc21 00-026622 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper Preface The reviews in this volume demonstrate the emergence of social scientific interest in the careful study of sexual orientation during adolescence. Historically, research on sexual orientation focused mainly on adults, with findings based on samples in their late 20's and early 30's. From decades of such work, an image of adult sexual orientation was created, one that debunked earlier views equating same-sex sexual orientation with maladjustment. This normalization, however, served to anchor sexual orientation squarely within the domain of young adulthood, leaving underdescribed the lives of middleaged and older lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. It also ignored adolescents. This process led to the invisibility in psychological research of lesbian, gay, and bisexual identity processes during the years between childhood and adulthood. The invisibility of these issues in our culture, moreover, put little pressure on researchers, particularly developmental scientists, to include an examination of the development of sexual orientation during adolescence in their research. The consequent lack of an empirical knowledge base would prove problematic when early studies of nonhete