This study focuses on a group of homosexual men. The group has been defined as 'Queer' based on the value and pride which they place on their difference to the general norms and values of the wider society. Four of these men were interviewed on their moral structure and the way in which they structure their relationships. The study focused on: the nature of the norms this group has developed; the process by which this has occurred; and the psychological effects of this process. It was found that the research participants have developed new norms and behavioural scripts significantly different to those existing generally in society. These new behavioural scripts relate to the socially mandated scripts in various ways with some mandated scripts being rejected, some being adapted and amended and others being inverted. These differences seem to originate from individuals being rejected and stigmatised. The changes these queer men have made were moves to bring a greater sense of congruence between their experience, their morality and their behavioural scripts. The initial period of divergence between the socially mandated behavioural scripts and their sexual behaviour was marked by psychological distress while the move to greater congruence between behaviour and behavioural scripts was characterised by increased psychological empowerment and sense of self-worth. The study also showed that during these processes other differences developed between the way these individuals act in their world and the general norm of society. These differences included a greater self-awareness; an increased ability to operate at a meta-level; a conscious effort to create the life that one wants; differences in gender behaviour which incorporated behavioural aspects of both genders and new forms of establishing and maintaining relationships. Homosexuality is an historic opportunity to open up new relational and affective potentialities, not in virtue of qualities intrinsic to the homosexual, but because of the position of the homosexual 'offcenter', somehow, together with the diagonal lines which the homosexual can draw through the social fabric, makes it possible to bring to light these potentialities - a famous homosexual Queer (M. Foucault) / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

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This study focuses on a group of homosexual men. The group has been defined as 'Queer' based on the value and pride which they place on their difference to the general norms and values of the wider society. Four of these men were interviewed on their moral structure and the way in which they structure their relationships. The study focused on: the nature of the norms this group has developed; the process by which this has occurred; and the psychological effects of this process. It was found that the research participants have developed new norms and behavioural scripts significantly different to those existing generally in society. These new behavioural scripts relate to the socially mandated scripts in various ways with some mandated scripts being rejected, some being adapted and amended and others being inverted. These differences seem to originate from individuals being rejected and stigmatised. The changes these queer men have made were moves to bring a greater sense of congruence between their experience, their morality and their behavioural scripts. The initial period of divergence between the socially mandated behavioural scripts and their sexual behaviour was marked by psychological distress while the move to greater congruence between behaviour and behavioural scripts was characterised by increased psychological empowerment and sense of self-worth. The study also showed that during these processes other differences developed between the way these individuals act in their world and the general norm of society. These differences included a greater self-awareness; an increased ability to operate at a meta-level; a conscious effort to create the life that one wants; differences in gender behaviour which incorporated behavioural aspects of both genders and new forms of establishing and maintaining relationships. Homosexuality is an historic opportunity to open up new relational and affective potentialities, not in virtue of qualities intrinsic to the homosexual, but because of the position of the homosexual 'offcenter', somehow, together with the diagonal lines which the homosexual can draw through the social fabric, makes it possible to bring to light these potentialities - a famous homosexual Queer (M. Foucault) / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This study examined the influence of interpersonal and mass communication on heterosexual people's attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. In addition, the study examined the relationship between heterosexual people's tolerance for ambiguity, a personality factor, and their attitude toward homosexuality. Survey questionnaires were distributed to 149 heterosexual respondents at a small private university in the western United States. Three pre-existing instruments were used in the study: the Attitude Toward Homosexuality Scale (ATHS), the Index of Homophobia (IHP ), and the Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance Scale (MSTAT-1). Two original instruments were also used: a set of four questions on contemporary gay issues and a survey assessing individuals' perceived sources of information on homosexuality. Frequency of both interpersonal and mass communication was found to be negatively correlated with support for gay issues. In addition, frequency of interpersonal communication was found to negatively correlate with homophobia (IHP). Tolerance of ambiguity negatively correlated with heterosexism on all measures. No statistically significant differences were found between the perceived credibility of interpersonal and mass communication sources. The results of a stepwise regression suggest that attitudes toward homosexuals can be most parsimoniously predicted by the number of acquaintances an individual has who are openly gay or lesbian and gender. Men were found to be considerably more heterosexist than women, except in the case of attitudes toward lesbians for which men's heterosexism was substantially reduced. Although a weak relationship exists between tolerance for ambiguity and attitudes toward homosexuality, tolerance of ambiguity does not appear to be a strong predictor of heterosexism. Interpersonal and mass communication sources exhibited no statistically significant residual effect on attitudes toward homosexuality after stronger predictors (number of gay acquaintances, gender, and tolerance of ambiguity) were entered into the stepwise regression. These results suggest that "coming out" may be the best means of reducing heterosexism in society.

Thesis (MEd )--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During no other time in history have sexual minority individuals been the recipients of so much attention, scrutiny and unprecedented acceptance and inclusion into mainstream culture. However, despite advances and society's ever increasing tolerance toward sexual minorities, many individuals with alternative sexual orientations remain fearful of disclosing their sexuality. Consequently, adolescents often hide their alternative sexual orientation from others or disclose to only a select few. Adolescents with alternative sexual orientations face unique challenges, such as the coming out process, during which they must recognise, explore, define and disclose their orientation in a way that heterosexual individuals need not. Disclosure of an alternative sexual orientation is a struggle for most lesbian, gay and bisexual youth due to fears of discrimination, ostracism and violence from others. Despite a growing body of scientific literature on homosexuality in general, little is known about the disclosure process and its impact on an adolescent. This study seeks to help fill the gaps by giving voice to the adolescent by exploring the experience of disclosure. Furthermore, this study seeks to provide insight and knowledge to mental health professionals to aid adolescent clients throughout the disclosure process. This study's research methodology can be described as qualitative research which is embedded within an interpretive/constructivist paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to select five male and five female research participants. The methods of data collection that were employed comprised semi-structured individual interviews and reflective notes. Furthermore, content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings of this study suggest that many unique issues besides the normative challenges that lesbian and gay adolescents share with heterosexual adolescents characterise their development. This research study suggests that there are several milestones that are characteristic of lesbian and gay identity development, the negotiation of which may hinder development in other areas. The male and female participants described a similar trajectory to coming out, consistently identifying a feeling of being different during early childhood which resolved into an awareness of same-sex attraction that concluded in their self-labelling as gay or lesbian. The findings of this study suggest that the process of disclosure is continuous and emergent. The reactions of parents ranged from extreme outrage and expulsion from the home to support and acceptance of the fact that their child had disclosed his/her homosexual orientation. From the findings of this study it would appear that the participants' parents were initially ill prepared and unable to support their child during his/her disclosure. The participants voiced various strategies to support an adolescent in the position of disclosing to family. There are several implications of this study's findings for mental health professionals working with lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents and youth. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die aandag, noukeurige betragting, aanvaarding en ongekende insluiting binne die hoofstroom van die kultuur wat tans deur seksuele minderheidsgroepe ervaar word, is ongekend in die geskiedenis. Ten spyte van vooruitgang en die toenemende verdraagsaamheid teenoor die seksuele minderheid in die samelewing, vrees diegene wat 'n alternatiewe seksuele oriëntasie toon steeds om hulself bloot te stel. Gevolglik hou adolessente dikwels hul alternatiewe seksuele oriëntasie geheim of onthul hulle dit slegs aan 'n uitgesoekte paar persone. Adolessente met 'n alternatiewe seksuele oriëntasie kom op 'n wyse wat nie vir heteroseksuele individue nodig is nie, voor unieke uitdagings soos die openbaarmaking van hul oriëntasie te staan wanneer hulle dit moet erken, verken, definieër en aan die moet lig bring. Die erkenning van 'n alternatiewe seksuele oriëntasie plaas die meeste lesbiese, gay en biseksuele jeugdiges voor 'n stryd vanweë die vrees vir diskriminasie, verstoting en geweld deur andere. Ten spyte van die algemene toenemende hoeveelheid wetenskaplike literatuur oor homoseksualiteit, is daar weinig kennis van die verklaringsproses en die impak daarvan op 'n adolessent. Hierdie studie poog om die ervaring van verklaring te ondersoek om die adolessent se stem te laat hoor en sodoende die kennisgaping te oorbrug. Verder poog die studie ook om insig en kennis aan professionele persone binne die gebied van die geestesgesondheid te bied, om hulle in staat te stel om adolessente kliënte met die verklaringsproses by te staan. Die navorsingsmetodologie wat vir die studie gebruik is, kan as kwalitatiewe navorsing binne 'n interpretiewe/konstruktiwistiese paradigma beskou word. Doelgerigte toetsing is ingespan om vyf manlike en vyf vroulike deelnemers vir die navorsingspoging te werf. Data is met behulp van semigestruktureerde onderhoude en reflektiewe notas ingesamel. Verder is inhoudsanalise gebruik om die data te ontleed. Die bevindings van die studie dui daarop dat die ontwikkeling van gay en lesbiese adolessente benewens die normatiewe uitdagings wat deur hulle sowel as heteroseksuele adolessente aangespreek moet word, ook deur unieke kwessies gekenmerk word. Hierdie navorsingstudie suggereer dat verskeie mylpale kenmerkend is van die ontwikkeling van lesbiese en gay identiteit en dat die bewerkstelliging daarvan ontwikkeling in ander areas kan stuit. Die manlike en vroulike deelnemers aan die studie het langs soortgelyke bane tot die verklaring van hul oriëntasie gekom en het die gewaarwording dat hulle tydens hul vroeë jeug reeds 'n gevoel dat hulle anders was konsekwent geïdentifiseer. Hierdie gevoel het tot 'n bewustheid van die aantrekking van dieselfde geslag ontwikkel en tot self-etikettering as gay of lesbies gelei. Die bevindings van die studie stel voor dat die verklaringsproses voortdurend en opdoemend van aard is. Die reaksies van ouers wissel vanaf uiterste verontwaardiging en verdrywing vanuit die tuiste tot ondersteuning en aanvaarding van die wete dat hul kind sy/haar homoseksuele oriëntasie verklaar het. Die bevindings laat blyk ook dat die ouers van die deelnemers aanvanklik gebrekkig voorbereid was en nie in staat was om hul kind tydens die verklaring te ondersteun nie. Die deelnemers het verskeie strategieë voorgestel vir die ondersteuning van 'n adolessent wat hom/haar op die punt van hierdie verklaring aan die gesin bevind. Die studie se bevindings het ook verskeie implikasies vir professionele persone wat binne die gebied van die geestesgesondheid met lesbiese, homoseksuele en biseksuele adolessente en jeugdiges te doen het.

This study examined the relationships between parents' and their gay and lesbian children from the parents' perspective. Forty-seven questionnaires containing thirty-two questions were distributed and completed. This study sought to identify barriers parents experienced and the levels of acceptance prior to and after their child's disclosure, in order to assist families during the coming out process.