Books and Articles — Sexual Orientation

Psychological association calls for legalization of same-sex marriage, by Alden Levin. CNN, August 04, 2011.  “The American Psychological Association is calling on state and federal officials to stop anti-gay legal measures and to legalize same-sex marriage.”

Victimization of LGBT Youth Can Be Deadly, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, May 18, 2011.  “A new study is the first to examine the relationship between school victimization during adolescence - specifically related to sexual orientation and gender identity - with multiple dimensions of young adult health and adjustment.”

Gay or Straight, Youths Aren't So Different, by Jane Brody. New York Times, January 03, 2011.  “Recent research finds more similarities than differences among gay and straight adolescents.”

Rates of Mental Illness Little Different for LGBT Youth, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, December 02, 2010.  “Researchers have determined that although the majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth do not experience mental illness, approximately one-third of the groups have attempted suicide.”

For gay teens, it still needs to get better, by Joseph Kahn. Boston Globe, November 06, 2010.  “While physical assaults on gay teens may be declining overall - thanks to many factors, including tougher antibullying laws and more support systems for high schoolers who choose to "come out," there's ample evidence, too, that bullying and intolerance remain part of their daily lives.”

'It Gets Better': Wisdom From Grown-Up Gays and Lesbians to Bullied Kids, by Meredith Melnick. Time Magazine, September 27, 2010.  “According to a study from Penn State University, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and "queer" youth (a catch-all term for gender and sexually non-normative people) are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. Of all American teens who die by their own hand, 30% are LGBTQ.”

Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better then Peers, by Alice Park. Time Magazine, June 07, 2010.  “Data on homosexual families are sparse, but they are important for establishing whether a child's environment in a home with same-sex parents would be any more or less nurturing than one with a heterosexual couple.”

Sexual Preference Linked with Violence and PTSD, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, April 16, 2010.  “A new study has found that gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals who have ever had a same-gender sex partner are one and one half to two times more likely to have experienced violent events during childhood.”