Gay and Lesbian Aging: Research and Future Directions

by Gilbert Herdt PhD (Editor), Brian De Vries PhD (Editor)

Overview

The year 2003 marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark "declassification" of homosexuality as a disease by the American Psychiatric Association--a watershed in the lives of gays and lesbians in the United States. For the first time in history, a generation of self-identified lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender individuals are approaching retirement. This volume brings to the forefront important issues concerning the health, mental health, and concomitant special social service needs of this population and emphasizes the need for more research on aging sexual minorities.

Based on empirical and qualitative research methods, chapters focus on the myriad issues of aging for lesbians and gay men including:

• Social and Cultural Considerations about HIV Among Midlife and Older Gay Men
• Psychological Well-Being in Midlife Older Gay Men
• Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Single Gay Men
• Lesbian Friendships at and Beyond Midlife

Contributors include Judith Barker, Jacqueline Weinstock, Bertram Cohler, and Doug Kimmel, among others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826122339
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	11/17/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Gilbert Herdt, PhD, is Director of the National Sexuality Resource Center, and Professor and Director of Human Sexuality Studies at San Francisco State University.

Brian de Vries, PhD, is Professor and Director of Gerontology at San Francisco State University and Adjunct Professor of Gerontology at the University of Texas, School of Public Health, Houston.

Read an Excerpt

chapter

Table of Contents

"

Gay and Lesbian Aging: An Introduction, G. Herdt and B. de Vries
Section I: Setting the Stage

1. The Study of Gay and Lesbian Aging: Lessons for Social Gerontology, B. de Vries and J.A. Blando
2. Lesbian Aging: An Agenda for Social Research, J. Barker
3. From A Far Place: Social and Cultural Considerations About HIV Among Midlife and Older Gay Men, E.M. Gorman and K. Nelson

Section II: Empirical Contributions

4. Psychological Well-Being in Midlife Older Gay Men, R. Kertzner, I. Meyer, and C. Dolezal
5. Disclosure and Depression Among Older Gay and Homosexual Men: Findings from the Urban Menís Health Study, T. Rawls
6. Old, Gay, and Alone? The Ecology of Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Single Gay Men, A. Hostetler
7. Lesbian Friendships at and Beyond Midlife: Patterns and Possibilities for the 21st Century, J.S. Weinstock
8. Saturday Night at the Tubs: Age and Cohort and Social Life at the Urban Gay Bath, B. Cohler
9. Narrating Past Experience and Present Concerns: Older Gay Men in Norway, H. Kristiansen

Section III: Future Directions

10. Issues to Consider in Studies of Midlife and Older Sexual Minorities, D. Kimmel

"

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book brings to light important issues for the aging gay and lesbian population, including their health and social service needs, and demonstrates the lack of studies, pointing to a need for more research into the gerontology of their population.”
—Savannah Jones, SirReadaLot.org