Towards lesbian and gay psychology
Celia Kitzinger, Adrian Coyle, Sue Wilkinson and Martin Milton present the rationale behind the proposed Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section.
18 November 1998
Reviews of psychology books, ournals and curricula (Kitzinger, 1990, 1993, 1996) confirm that lesbians and gay men are still an 'invisible' minority within the discipline and that the psychology of lesbianism and male homosexuality is rarely included within its scope and contents.
This is particularly true of British psychology: the lives of lesbians and gays are often not considered at all, or are discussed only within the areas of abnormal psychology or sexuality. Yet psychology could significantly contribute to improving the lives of lesbians and gays and of their friends and families; and, in turn, the discipline itself would be enriched by a better understanding of the diversity of people who constitute its 'subjects' (or 'participants').
The proposed Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section will help the discipline in its development towards becoming a true 'psychology of people' (Bronstein & Quina, 1988).
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