Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities

Debra A. Hope The Nebraska Symposium on Motivation is steeped in history and tradition. Over the years the series editors have striven to maintain the highest standards of a- demic excellence and to highlight some of the most important trends in psychology. Perusing the chapter titles in the first 53 volumes shows the shifting emphasis as the science of psychology developed in the latter half of the twentieth century. All of the most important topics are there drive theory, social learning, the cognitive revolution, developing perspectives on understanding individual differences and the role of culture, and the increasing role of neuroscience. The key figures are there as well Harry Harlow, Kenneth Spence, Raymond Cattell, George Kelly, Albert Bandura, Carl Rogers, Carroll Izard, Walter Mischel, Sandra Bem, Sandra Spence, Herbert Simon, David Barlow, and many others. In late 2004, I met with a group of interested graduate students, and together we developed a proposal to join this long and proud tradition with a volume on sexual orientation. Our motivation stemmed, in part, from the events around us. The same-sex m- riage debate was covered extensively in the media, reflecting a rapid and important discussion about sexual orientation that we were having (and are still having) as a society. Psychology and related fields have much to offer on many of the issues raised in this debate.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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The scientific study of sexual identity has made great strides in the five decades since Kinsey's early investigations.; We know that sexual orientation exists on a continuum and not within a list of static categories such as "straight" and "gay", yet it's not always clear what should be measured, or what should "count." It's understood that sexual orientation is an intricate blend of sexual attraction, behavior, and identity, but it can also be informed by political identity, social behavior, and nuances of attraction that may possibly transcend sex.

However one defines sexuality, Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities relates these concepts to larger societal issues while also highlighting critical grey areas in the knowledge base, from the psychobiology of desire to the fluidity of adolescent sexual experience and self-expression. Well-known scholars in the psychology of sexual orientation:

• Explore the challenges of answering the basic question "How many gays are there?" when scholars, statisticians, and research participants widely disagree.

• Set out a cogent framework for understanding the degrees of sexual prejudice and stigma, motivation for hate crimes, and their effects on sexual minorities.

• Review the state of research on same-sex relationships as a work in progress.

• Report on the evolving legal status of gays and lesbians, as more same-sex couples consider adoption and lobby to change the marriage laws.

• Present current findings on children raised in same-sex households, from behavioral health to social relationships

• Raise the pertinent questiongiven the disparities between men and women in terms of sexual expression and arousal"What is sexual orientation, and how do we view it through the lens ofgender

Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities is especially timely during this current crossroads of social and political acceptance, and is thought-provoking, influential reading for researchers, practitioners working with sexual minorities, and policymakers.

About the Nebraska Symposium on Motivation
The Nebraska Symposium on Motivation has been sponsored by the Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 1953. Each year the Symposium invites leading scholars from around the world to speak at a conference devoted to a topic of current interest to psychology, the proceedings of which are published in an edited volume.

Contenu
How Many Gays Are There? It Depends.- What is Sexual Orientation and Do Women Have One?.- Sexual Stigma and Sexual Prejudice in the United States: A Conceptual Framework.- An Overview of Same-Sex Couples in Relation Ships: A Research Area Still at Sea.- Lesbian and Gay Parents and their Children: A Social Science Perspective.- Love, Marriage, and Baby Carriage Among Sexual Minorities- and Bias: Discussion of the 54th Nebraska Symposium on Motivation.