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Trends in contemporary social work include the use of an eclectic theory
base. In an effort to incorporate multiple theories, this article will examine the social
problem of homophobia using two different theoretical perspectives: John Rawls' theory of social justice and lesbian feminist theory.Homophobia, a current social problem, can be defined as "dislike or hatred toward homosexuals, including both cultural and personal biases against homosexuals" (Sullivan, 2003, p. 2). Rawls' theory of
justice and lesbian feminist theory are especially relevant to the issue of homophobia
and provide a useful lens to understanding this social problem. In this article, these
two theories will be summarized, applied to the issue of homophobia, and compared
and contrasted based on their utility.

This article compares the results of two qualitative studies, the first examining conflict between sexual identity and a Christian upbringing and the second examining conflict between gender identity and a Christian upbringing. After briefly reviewing the theoretical frameworks, methodology, and results of these two studies, similarities and differences will be discussed. Finally, this article will offer implications for theory and practice as well as recommendations for future research.

Despite much of the fear and ambiguity over the use of the term queer in professional and academic settings, we recommend researchers include the language and the population in the study of sexual identity. During our own recent research endeavors, where we both recruited and focused on Queer participants, we learned some important lessons. Based on these experiences we explore the existing methodological literature about accessing and including Queer participants, provide an overview of two studies that both invited Queer participation and examined the population's experience, discuss the benefits and challenges of incorporating people who identify as Queer, and finally present recommendations for future research.