As the years go by, a growing number of cartoon characters have been forcibly “outed.” I am amazed that anyone would be concerned about the sexual and romantic orientation of any imaginary two-dimensional figure. First it was poor Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street . These two beloved American figures were minding their own business, taking [...]
The March 2005 issue of OUT magazine includes Erik Piepenburg’s article titled "Is Small Beautiful?" His article focuses on gay men with penises. The journalist interviewed Robert Woodworth, a 59-year-old gay man and Director of Institutional Services at New York’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. Woodworth began an ongoing series of discussions about gay men and [...]
Ex-gays love to point the finger at lesbian and gay "bad behavior," stating that acting out behavior such as promiscuity, being overly vocal about being gay, too much partying and too much chemical use exemplifies what gay life is all about. They further say this is why they became ex-gays to avoid living that type of [...]
The following is a tongue-in-cheek questionnaire designed to illustrate the heterosexism implied in these same questions asked of lesbians and gays. Imagine as you read them if this were real and straight people were asked these questions. Gays and lesbians experience these questions in the same way a heterosexual would. Heterosexism is the belief that everyone [...]
Coming Out is a life-long process of exploring one’s sexual orientation and Gay / Lesbian identity and sharing it with family, friends, co-workers and the world. COMING OUT is one of the most significant developmental processes in the lives of Gay and Lesbian people. Coming Out is short for the phrase “coming out of the closet.” [...]
I’m angry. Every time I open the paper or watch the news and the subject of marriage for gays and lesbians is raised, or when I read or hear some homophobe’s position on it, I get angry. (I refuse to say gay marriage because we are talking about the same marriage as heterosexuals; gay marriage sounds [...]
This article’s title reflects the perpetrator’s belief, that the victim now belongs to him/her, to do with as he/she desires; that his or her sexual needs, wants and sexuality overrules those of the victim’s. The victim will spend a lifetime unconsciously reenacting their original sexual abuse or, hopefully, working on healing it and removing the ill [...]
With the holidays approaching, my clients talk about how they dread the further trauma of going home to their families and not being able to—or feeling able to—be out and open with them about being gay. They call it depression, but I say trauma because it better expresses something emotionally charged and distressing that happens, leaving [...]
A Book Review on The Truth About Love Jerry and Linda came to me to help them with their marital problems. He felt that she had tricked him into marrying her by “pretending” to have a high sex drive, and believed that Linda was now withholding sex in an effort to punish him for problems in [...]
When you look across a crowded room and spot that hot guy, you may think you’ve found the man of your dreams. Usually, it is lust that you are feeling—a purely sexual sensation, until you start to talk to him and get to know him. And suddenly you fall into romantic love. Our society focuses primarily [...]