This is a qualitative study forming half of a coursework/thesis MA in Community
Education (HRD). It investigates some of the influences affecting gay men growing up in
rural communities. It provides material that may be useful in developing education
programs for gay men themselves, for the general community and particularly for health
educators.
The study illustrates and highlights these issues by presenting extracts and case studies
from twenty indepth interviews with rural homosexually active men. It looks at factors
affecting homosexual identity formation in rural communities and finds there are common
influences of family, religion, school and role models. It also identifies and examines other
influences of a rural nature, including concepts of masculinity, heterosexism and
homophobia, which may have a very restrictive effect on an emerging homosexual
identity.
The effects of such influences are explored, revealing common issues of isolation,
loneliness and lack of self esteem. The study reveals some of the particular difficulties
faced by young men becoming aware of and dealing with their emerging homosexuality
particularly in a rural community. Resultant behaviour is investigated and found to include
for some a fairly successful integration of homosexuality into their lives, but for others
there are common behaviours of denial, moving away from the community, or
contemplation of suicide.
The study highlights the importance of contacts with gay-identified men for support and
the need to be exposed to role models with whom gay men can identify. In this respect,
the influence on smaller communities of the mass media is found to be having an
increasing significance Unfortunately, the study also postulates that broader and positive
changes in the wider community may have served to heighten difficulties faced by rural
men if such changes are not mirrored at the local level. An awareness of increasing
acceptance and support for gay men in the wider community may be frustrating at least, if
local support has not also developed. In fact the study finds support for the assertions by
other researchers that there are links between sexuality and recent increases in rural male
youth suicide. The findings support the view that sexuality may play a significant part in
the contemplation of suicide by young gay men.
The particular value of the study is in exploring the issues through the words of the men
themselves. The extracts and case studies offer rich and varied illustrations of growing up
gay in the country.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219391 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Thorpe, Alan, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Alan Thorpe |
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