Faculty Articles
Gay subculture identification: Training counselors to work with gay men
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Publication Title
Vista Group Counseling
Abstract/Excerpt
Providing counseling services to gay men is considered an ethical practice in professional counseling. With the recent changes in the Defense of Marriage Act and legalization of gay marriage nationwide, it is safe to say that many Americans are more accepting of same-sex relationships than in the past. However, although societal attitudes are shifting towards affirmation of gay rights, division and discrimination, masculinity shaming, and within-group labeling between gay men has become more prevalent. To this point, gay men have been viewed as a homogeneous population, when the reality is that there are a variety of gay subcultures and significant differences between them. Knowledge of these subcultures benefits those in and out-of-group when they are recognized and understood. With an increase in gay men identifying with a subculture within the gay community, counselors need to be cognizant of these subcultures in their efforts to help gay men self-identify. An explanation of various gay male subcultures is provided for counselors, counseling supervisors, and counselor educators.
NSUWorks Citation
Maki, J.
(2017). Gay subculture identification: Training counselors to work with gay men. Vista Group Counseling.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/1822