ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter addresses new areas of scholarship in sexuality and gender identities and the significance of including the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations in social work scholarship. It explores some of the concepts central to the themes in this book. The book examines the relationship between sexuality, sexual identities and intimacies and the life course and showcases a range of issues pertinent to social work through these particular lenses. It reviews the evidence on a neglected section of the population, that of gender non-conforming children and trans youth. The book discusses the value of friendship family as a way of distinguishing and framing middle-aged gay men's relational experiences. It provides an important overview of literature on the topic of transgender people and intimate relationships, before reporting on findings from their own Australian qualitative study. The book also examines the utility of knowledge about relationship quality for practice.
