Gay Male Identity: Sex, Love, Intimacy, & Other Clinical & Community Issues

Catalog description

The development of a self-valuing identity as a modern gay male can be seen as a progressive journey from undifferentiated merger with collective norms (such as the default assumption of heterosexuality) through struggles with internalized homo-negativity, optimally leading to the claiming of one’s sense of self as “gay and good.” While this struggle is intensely personal for the individual, it can also be helpful to look at the rise of gay identity historically, from ancient homosexual wisdom traditions to modern gay experiences. Some attention will be given to the influence of the Gay Liberation Movement on LGBT Studies, multiple oppressions and multiculturalism, assessing for levels of internalized homophobia and differentiating effects of homophobia from more traditionally understood characterological problems. Students will learn to distinguish psychodynamic, humanistic and CBT theories upon which this workshop is based as well as analyze postmodern ways of addressing unjust power and white supremacy. Students will review, develop and analyze interventions to assist gay male clients in working through challenges to a self-valuing identity. Participants will learn to differentiate between attaining a healthy gay identity and a further psychological development that can be stated as “coming out inside.” Students will learn the importance and benefit of working in the transference with gay male clients through practice in recognizing overt and subtle demonstrations of transferential material. Likewise, the countertransference (especially erotic) of the therapist will be reconsidered from a gay-affirmative perspective which, while acknowledging and attending to the shadow aspects of such transference, will also recast these feelings as essential, creative, libidinal, gay psychic energy to be directed toward healing the lingering wounds of homophobia and heteronormativity.