Social work and gay men and lesbians

Abstract

A literature review about the coming out process of a lesbian/ gay identity was given together with a brief critique of such models. Then the coming out process was studied through the aid of a questionnaire. A sample population of 15 homosexuals (9 males and 6 females) took part in the study. The study was mainly concentrated on three aspects, that are, the coming out process, friendships in the lives of lesbians and gay men, and the uses of personal social services. Friendships were studied to see if they complement the uses of personal social services in the lives of lesbians and gays. It was discovered that the majority of the respondents experienced varying difficulties in the process of attaining a homosexual identity, and that friendships do not replace the uses of personal social services. From these results it was identified that personal social services need to be anti-discriminatory, and new services need to be directed towards the homosexual sub, culture. Moreover, homophobia and heterosexist, which are still an integral part of Maltese society, need to be eradicated.