'...And Then I Became Gay': Young Men's Stories - Softcover

Ritch C. Savin-Williams

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415916771 ISBN 13: 9780415916776

Publisher: Routledge, 1997

Synopsis

"...And Then I Became Gay is about the lives of young men who express the complications, adversities, and satisfactions of being a sexual outsider in North America during the 1980s and 1990s. Consisting of narratives which chronicle developmental progression from first memories of being attracted to other males to a subsequent integration of their sexual identity with a personal identity, this book is also unique in its cross-section of men from different ethnic backgrounds. Although each story in this volume has a personal meaning to the individual youth disclosing it, aspects of these narratives can express a normative experience growing up gay or bisexual during the past two decades. For many of the contributors and readers, these stories may prove to be not only ones of coming out, but coming of age.

About this title

About the Author

Ritch C. Savin-Williams is Professor of Clinical and Developmental Psychology at Cornell University. He is co-editor of The Lives of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals:Children to Adults (1996).

Reviews

This thoughtful, well-researched study provides a fresh perspective on the formative years of contemporary gay and bisexual males in our society. Savin-Williams (clinical psychology, Cornell Univ.) postulates that although their experiences have some distinct similarities, they are complemented by "differential developmental trajectories." This individuation is illuminated by the "young men's stories," drawn from interviews with 180 men aged 14 to 25 years, which enrich the text. These graphic and poignant reminiscences recount such developmental milestones as awareness and acceptance of a gay or bisexual identity, initial sexual experiences (both homo- and heterosexual), and the coming-out process, as well as delving into issues faced by youths who are both cultural and sexual minorities. Although the book is essentially a scholarly treatise, the sensitive treatment and personal narratives will appeal to well-informed lay readers. Recommended for academic and special collections in gay studies, human sexuality, and psychology and optional for larger public libraries.?Richard Violette, Social Law Lib., Boston
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415916771
• ISBN 13: 9780415916776
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264