Career Development of Lesbian and Gay Youth

Abstract

Despite a rapidly growing literature on issues confronting lesbian and gay adolescents in today's society, little has been written about the effects of lesbian/gay identity development, the coming-out process, and homophobia on the career development of lesbian and gay youth. This article first examines normal adolescent career development. Then, it describes the factors that impinge on the identity and career development of lesbian and gay adolescents, most notably the process of coming out to self and dealing with the homophobia of others. Next, it theorizes about the impact of sexual identity development, coming out, and homophobia on lesbian and gay adolescent career exploration and choice. Finally, recommendations for school practice (teaching, guidance, and counseling) and policy are made.