ABSTRACT
While working-class gay men are exposed to violence, discrimination, and homophobia, the interviews suggest that exposure was less than what was reported in popular literature. The earlier theoretical discussion of the barriers to gay development might cause the reader to become cynical, were it not for the numerous anecdotal observations of successful coping and resilience. Resilience may range from low to high, derived more from accumulated experiences than from conformity to external authority, and it is subject to influences from new experiences, reinterpretations of earlier events, and knowledge of the experience of others. The protective factors were highlighted in themes: supportive family, relationships with friends, social networks, community involvement, class identity, and legal protection of civil rights. Colon's discussion of Latino men in this collection of papers expands the people cultural understanding by helping the reader to appreciate the greater importance other groups place on family and friendship systems while rejecting individualism so common to Anglo North Americans.
