I usually keep my academic hat on a separate peg from my author hat, but I thought this recent article, published in the journal Social Work with Groups, might be of interest to some of my readers. Particularly in light of this past Sunday’s devastating attack at an LGBT nightclub.
In 2001, I was a social worker at a small, community-based organization that had a project for LGBT teens. I had worked my way up the ladder over the years and did a lot of administrative and supervisory work at the time, though one of my favorite parts of the job was facilitating a weekly group for gay and bisexual young men between the ages of 15 and 21.
My three years working with the group brought a lot of surprises. I was only ten or so years older than the group members, and of course gay myself, so I thought I knew the guys and their issues. For instance, I thought that the homophobia which the young men had experienced would make them eager to talk about their problems in a safe, welcoming space.
Some of them were expressive in that way. More often though, they wanted to talk about video games and music, and they tended to communicate through humor and put-downs (not infrequently aimed at me). They were teenagers first and foremost, and boys first and foremost. They didn’t share tough feelings like fear and shame, though we sometimes arrived at those issues symbolically.
My article is a reflection on an unexpected turn in the group after 9/11, and illustrates how male anger and fear can bring out prejudice and violence. You can download it for free here for a limited time, and feel free to share your thoughts with me.
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