ABSTRACT

In spite of an increasing emphasis on gay issues, relatively little attention has been given to African American gay men. The aim of this paper therefore is to further our understanding by outlining a model for assessing their psychosocial well-being and service

needs. The model calls attention to the need to distinguish among three age cohorts---those who are presently adolescents, adults, or older adults. The early life socialization of each of these has taken place during distinct historical periods so that their psychosocial development and ways of interacting are quite different. The paper begins with a review of the literature on African American gays. The assessment model is then presented followed by a discussion highlighting issues relating to race and racism, age cohort, physical appearance and mannerisms, socio-economic status, urban-rural residence, religion, and family and community as reference groups.