ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information to students and professionals designed to improve the delivery of health, mental health and human services to working-class gay and bisexual men, their families of origin and choice, and their communities. Concepts of individual and group identity, and related notions of shame, guilt, and internalized oppression, as well as social stereotype, isolation, marginalization and stigmatization will be presented as foundation knowledge. It discusses culture as an important conceptual foundation for understanding social behavior. The task ahead is to better understand the life transitions, environmental pressures and the interpersonal processes that are unique to each group. The chapter explores social class as a significant societal adaptation in distributing power and privilege. People who have been stigmatized respond in a great variety of ways. The negative effects of stigmatization on some groups, such as gay, lesbian and bisexual people have been known for some time, especially the connection between stigmatization and psychosocial dysfunction.
