Family Allies Research Articles

Gay men’s and their religiously conservative family allies’ scriptural engagement.

Gay men’s and their religiously conservative family allies’ scriptural engagement.

Supplemental Material for Gay Men’s and Their Religiously Conservative Family Allies’ Scriptural Engagement

Supplemental Material for Gay Men’s and Their Religiously Conservative Family Allies’ Scriptural Engagement

Petitioning for Social Change: Letters to Religious Leaders From Gay Men and Their Family Allies

ABSTRACTComing out is often described as challenging, especially for individuals from conservative religious communities (Etengoff, 2013). In an effort to explore how these sociocultural conflicts are mediated, gay men (n = 16) and their family allies (n = 9) from Christian and Jewish communities wrote letters to religious leaders regarding current sexual minority policies and whether they should change or remain the same. Petitioning tasks were selected as letters can shift author–audience relations to allow for non-normative and unscripted expressions (Daiute & Lightfoot, 2004). Sixteen of the 25 participants addressed their letters to a specific religious figure, illustrating the sociorelational applicability of the task. Ninety-three problems and 75 solutions were discussed, supporting prior discussions of petitioning tasks as a form of living history and conflict mediation (Daiute, 2010). Moreover, 20 of the 25 participants wrote about humanization needs (e.g., “We are not freaks at a freak show”), providing new conceptual structures for participatory research efforts, policy initiatives, and clinical applications.

Online Coming-Out Communications Between Gay Men and Their Religious Family Allies: A Family of Choice and Origin Perspective

Gay men use social networking sites and blogs more than heterosexual men (Harris, 2010). However, little is known about how they communicate online while coming out. Yet, coming out often results in a loss of social support for gay youths from religious backgrounds, suggesting that alternative supports such as families of choice and online networks may be particularly beneficial (Saltzburg, 2007). The present study addresses this gap by focusing on how gay emerging adults (N = 23) and their religious family allies (N = 15) utilize Facebook to make sense of their experiences by communicating with families of choice and origin. Narrative analysis suggests that gay participants primarily make sense of familial and religious challenges by developing online peer supports (i.e., families of choice) in contrast to their family allies’ focus on strengthening existing family-of-origin relationships via online information exchanges. Participants’ reported online sociorelational benefits largely contradict recent research indicating that Internet use may lead to negative mental health outcomes (Kross et al. 2013; Krämer & Winter, 2008). The present study therefore highlights the need for further research to assess the generalizability of online sense-making benefits to other cultural, religious, and sexual minority groups that may be confronting coming-out challenges.

Family Alliances andComparaticoamong a Group of Calabrian-Australian Families in Adelaide, South Australia

The present study examines baptism godparenthood, the Italian spiritual kinship system (known as comparatico) among people originating from rural areas of Calabria, southern Italy, who migrated to Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1950s and 1960s. The study specifically investigates the transmission of norms and the widespread observance of duties associated with the practice of comparatico among participants. Social relations among allied families produce social capital by generating high levels of obligations and expectations. Participants have maintained and reinforced spiritual kinship with non-kin, often originating from the same Calabrian village. The study reveals how the comparatico system evolves into an extended network influencing everyday practices. Non-consanguineous informants, after becoming compari (family allies), are bound by obligations and/or privileges involving both their private and socioeconomic lives.

Family members’ uses of religion in post–coming-out conflicts with their gay relative.

Religion often creates cultural meaning for interpersonal relations as individuals and societies develop interactively (Etengoff & Daiute, 2013). Religious tools, such as God and texts, have reportedly been used in both relationally adaptive and maladaptive ways (Brelsford & Mahoney, 2009; Brelsford, 2011). Extant research regarding relational uses of religion largely focuses on Christian dyads’ general conflicts, as opposed to conflicts related to religious prohibitions. This study expands the current research regarding theistic triangulation (i.e., God/faith positioned as an ally against other party) and mediation (i.e., God/faith invoked constructively to mediate conflict), by focusing on gay men and their Jewish and Christian relatives’ accounts of relational religious tool use (Brelsford & Mahoney, 2009; Brelsford, 2011). 23 gay men (10 Jewish backgrounds, 13 Christian backgrounds) and 15 of their religious family allies (7 Jewish, 8 Christian) completed semistructured interviews focusing on the quality of their post– coming-out relationships and how they use religion to negotiate associated conflicts. Interviews were analyzed utilizing an applied cultural historical analysis (Etengoff & Daiute, 2013). 74% (17/23) of gay men reported that their religious relatives utilized theistic triangulation in post– coming-out conflicts. 65% (15/23) of gay participants reported that theistic triangulation negatively impacted their familial relationships. Alternatively, 69% (16/23) of gay participants also spoke highly of religious family allies that navigated post– coming-out issues and conflicts effectively. These findings illuminate the necessity of including socioreligious contexts in our study and treatment of gay men and their religious families.

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this articleCrocker, David A. and Toby Linden, eds. 1998. Ethics of Consumption: The Good Life, Justice and Global StewardshipCross, Gary. 2000. An All‐Consuming Century: Why Commercialism Won in Modern AmericaFriedman, Stewart D. and Jeffrey H. Greenhaus, 2000. Work and Family—Allies or Enemies? What Happens when Business Professionals Confront Life ChoicesSchlosser, Eric. 2001. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All‐American Meal

Coming Out to Families: Guidelines for Intervention with Gay and Lesbian Clients

ABSTRACT Coming out to families is a major milestone event for many lesbian and gay people. Social work intervention can be an important support for gay and lesbian people who are preparing to come out to their families. This article reviews the literature related to coming out to families, and proposes the following ten guidelines for social work intervention with clients who are considering coming out to family members: evaluate the client's social context; assess the client's level of gay/lesbian identity development; develop a client knowledge base related to gay and lesbian issues; develop a social support system; engage practice experiences before coming out to families; determine the availability of supportive family allies; choose language and terminology appropriate for the receiver of the news; select the method of information delivery; structure the timing of coming out; and, prepare the client for upheaval.