Suchergebnisse

Although recent research on African American families has focused on the roles of extended family members and fictive kin (i.e., non-biological members), the participation of openly gay-identified men and women within African American family systems has received little attention. The study examines gay men's and lesbians' disclosure of sexual orientation to immediate and distant kin. Questionnaires assessing disclosure and demographic backgrounds were completed by African American lesbians (n=506) and gay men (n=673), recruited nationally. Results indicate that most had disclosed their sexual orientation to immediate family (i.e., mothers, fathers and siblings) but fewer to other relatives. There was a clear preference for disclosure to females in the immediate family. Significant positive predictors of disclosure for both immediate and more distant family members were being older and reporting initiating homosexual sexual activity at a younger age. Self-reported HIV infection among men predicted immediate family awareness of the individual's homosexuality, but not awareness by the extended family. Apparently over time, individuals disclose homosexuality to those within the close family network. Results are discussed within the context of African American family networks.