“Coming Out and Disclosures: LGBT Persons Across the Life Span”– A Guide to Coming Out”

 

Hunter, Ski. “Coming Out and Disclosures: LGBT Persons Across the Life Span”, The Haworth Press, 2007.

A Guide to Coming Out

Amos Lassen

The Haworth Press has given us some of the most notable titles in gay literature, both fiction and non-fiction.  With one of their last publications before folding, “Coming Out and Disclosures”,  gives an accurate and evidence-based practical way to deal with the coming out process. The book deals not only with us, the GLBT community, but with families, the community at large and the entire social system including the workplace and schools. It is a comprehensive and research based study and one that many of us have been waiting for. Looking at both coming out and disclosure of transsexuals, bisexuals and older adults, here is one of the most informative books on the subject that I have ever read.

Ski Hunter looks at the process of coming out from the perspective of social scientists and in depth at the obvious omission of training in our society of many of the issues which are so very important in the way effective services can be provided for the GLBT community. He focuses on our educational system and seriously studies the concept of heterosexism which frames and outlines our environment. In doing so he studies the consequences of antigay violence and the segregation between the coming out process and disclosure and the meanings linked to each of these.

Disclosure is recognized and accepted differently in various groups and as the concepts of sexual identity and orientation are examined, Hunter presents developmental models especially the differences between disclosures at different periods in life. There are also guidelines for social service practitioners who work with clients who are ready for disclosure.

This is a solid book which handles the subject with great style as it merges the existing body of empirical research on coming out and then synthesizes those models which have been developed to understand the transition in life of members of the GLBT community.

This is a book that as an educator I was glad to have read. I learned many new facts and here is an indispensable tool to be used in speaking with others.