Homosexual Issues in the Workplace

Taylor & Francis, 1101 Vermont Ave., NW, Ste 200, Washington, DC 20005-3521. 268p., bibliog., index. (The Series in Clinical and Community Psychology) ISBN 1-56032-038-9. $49.50. (Contributors to this volume: Clinton W. Anderson, American Psychological Assoc.; Robert L. Barret, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; Roger G. Brown, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; Kim Buch, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; Judith Carman, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Louis Diamant, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; John E. Elliot, Univ. of Kentucky; Ruth E. Fassinger, Univ. of Maryland; John C. Gonsiorek, PhD; Jo Ann Lee, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; Gary Thomas Long, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; Richard D. McAnulty, Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte; Michael H. McGee, JD; J. R. McSpadden, Jr, Saluda Psychology Service Center; Sue Margaret Norton, Univ. of Wisconsin at Parkside; Michael W. Ross, Univ. of New South Wales; Nancy L. Roth, Rutgers Univ.; Ritch C. Savin-Williams, Cornell Univ.; H. Ron Smith, American Psychological Assoc.)
Edited by Louis Diamant. 1993.

The second of the 3 chapters is a well-written chapter that attempts to dispel some of the popular AIDS-related myths. The first myth is that this is a gay diseases. It is well-known now that in heterosexuals it has taken a sudden increase. Since it is, however, still depicted as a gay disease, many openly gays in the workplace face discrimination and are victimized. Another myth is that AIDS is easy to catch. True, it is easy to catch if you are practicing unsafe sex. The truth is that it is not easy to catch, and even impossible to catch under the kind of casual, nonsexual contact that generally occurs between employees in the workplace. A third misconception is that people with AIDS do not belong in the workplace. Work is, in many cases, the best therapy for someone diagnosed with an AIDS-related disease. In fact, it may be the only outlet for social interaction. The chapter proceeds to define the legal status of AIDS and how policies are developed to protect those who may be HIV positive. "While there is no single best policy for all organizations, some type of AIDS policy is essential." The following elements are essential for any AIDS policy for the workplace: "Company policy and philosophy statement, education, hiring and continuation of employment, benefits and insurance, medical confidentiality, employee assistance programs, and outside support."

The final chapter of this section cover the mental health issues. "Employment is a source of self-esteem, provides a secure reality base, and is one of the most important predictors of positive mental health." The authors do an excellent job in providing background material to support this statement. An interesting part of the chapter documents the actual experiences of people who are HIV positive, showing "what are for them the most psychologically stressful issues related to the workplace." Some of these issues included using AIDS as a means of discrimination and insensitivity, lack of appreciation, denial, and inaccurate empathy. This is a chapter that all employers should read in order to understand how an individual is made to feel under the stress of being HIV positive.

The rest of the book covers many other interesting issues related to being gay in the workplace, including career development; hiring, firing, and promoting; stigma and honor: gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in the U.S. military; the church; attitudes toward homosexuality; lesbian and gay issues in education; the male prison; the gay athlete; older gay employees; homophobia in the academic workplace; and mental health and the workplace for gay and lesbian individuals. All in all this is a well written book that will be of interest to a wide range of individuals. Although somewhat technical for the layperson, it is still a worthwhile book to have available in the public library setting and is definitely a must book for any academic library. (H. Robert Malinowsky)

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Copyright ©1980, 1993. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .