Social Work with People Practicing Same-Sex ... - ILGA Europe

I don't think homosexuality is
a choice. Society forces you to
think it's a choice, but in fact,
it's in one's nature. The choice
is whether one expresses one's
nature truthfully or spends the
rest of one's life lying about it.
Marlo Thomas, American
actress, born 1937
1 The term “homosexuals“ is a
generic name that refers to lesbians,
gays, male and female bisexuals.
2 Луковицкая Е.Г. Восприятие гомосексуальности
// Практикум по
гендерной психологии. /Под ред.
И.С. Клециной. — СПб.: Питер,
2003. С.415-426.
3 Dominic Davies. Homophobia
and heterosexism. / Pink Therapy:
Guide for Counsellors Working with
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients.
Dominic Davies, Charles Neal (ed.).
Open university press. Philadelphia,
USA. 2000
4 Омельченко Е. “Не любим мы
геев…”: гомофобия провинциальной
молодежи // О мужественности:
Сб. статей / Под ред. С. А.
Ушакина. — М.: Новое литературное
обозрение, 2002. — С.582-
608.
30
3.3. Basic Principles of Psychological Support
for the Homosexuals 1
Maria Sabunayeva,
Ph.D., psychology,
Project coordinator, Feminist and LGBT organization
Gender-L, St. Petersburg, Russia.
In practical psychology, the main precondition for providing psychological support to
members of various social groups is to take into account these groups profile and their
members' needs. It is important to consider the principle used to identify a certain
community of people as a specific social group. This will largely define the main
directions of psychological support to be provided to its members.
Naturally, homosexuality as such does not represent a ground for the provision of
psychological support. Since 1993, when the World Health Organization revised the
International Classification of Diseases, MCD-10 sexual orientation as such is not seen
as abnormality anymore. A modern Russian researcher has noted that “modern theory
of homosexuality sees it as a side product of the biological evolution albeit quite natural
one, for nature is objectively interested in diversity and variation“ 2 .
The need of homosexuals for psychological support is defined not by the fact of sexual
orientation, but by the fact of their social status: “all gays have faced sexual discrimination
due to their affiliation with sexual minorities“ 3 (this statement may be extended to all
homosexuals). The experience of discrimination, the need to conceal manifestations of
one's personality, the fear of being rejected because of one's sexuality cause a series of
psychological problems typical for homosexuals.
Let us consider a number of important and most usual problems, which a counsellor/
psychotherapist may help resolve, illustrated with examples from the practice of
psychological support provided to homosexual clients (lesbians, gays, male and female
bisexuals).
Acceptance of oneself and one's identity
This issue is closely related to the issue of internalized homophobia. Originally, the
homophobia was interpreted a fear of contact with homosexuals, later this interpretation
was broadened to include any negative feelings toward homosexuals. For instance,
aside from fear, it could be anxiety, disgust, contempt, anger, spite, or discomfort 4 .
Homophobia is subdivided into “external“ (institutionalized) one and “internal“
(internalized) one. The primary one is the institutionalized homophobia — negative
attitude toward homosexuality, embedded as cultural schemes and social attitudes,
norms and stereotypes justifying discrimination against homosexuals. On its basis, a
secondary phenomenon is formed — internal (internalized) homophobia — negative
attitude of the homosexuals toward their own sexuality and oneself, adopted in the
process of socialization in the context of heterosexual norms. Eventually, homosexuals
since they become aware of their “otherness“ also come to realize that they are “bad“,
as the society disapproves of such forms of sexuality. This usually produces negative
feelings regarding one's “non-traditional“ sexuality — anxiety, discomposure, guilt,
and shame, often resulting into significant difficulties in self-acceptance.
It is at this point, that the client may get assistance from counsellor. The counsellor
needs support the client's self-esteem, sense of worthiness of one's personality, one's
needs and feelings, and to help systematize the clients ideas of one's ego including the