Lesbians and Gay Men Join Mental Health Field

To borrow a phrase from the cigarette
commercial “you’ve come a long way
baby.” Lesbian/gay/bisexual people have
suffered much at the hands of psychology,
but today they are becoming leaders in the
very field which once labelled them sick.

Bill Lippert, a gay psychologist, Ex-
ecutive Director of the Counseling Service
of Addison County and President of the
Vennont Council of Community Mental
Health Centers, and Howard Russell, psy-
chologist—intem at the same agency, pre-
sented a workshop on the advent of sexual
minorities into the field of counseling and
psychotherapy at the regional (New Eng-
land) conference of the National Council of
Community Mental Health Centers held in
October in Burlington.

One woman who attended the work-
shop called it “refreshing” in a conference
which was heavily attended by bureaucrats
and administrators and little by front-line
workers or mental health consumers.

The older lesbian/gay/bisexual person
knows well the damage psychology has
historically inflicted on sexual minorities.
Until 1973, said Lippert and Russell,
homosexuality was listed in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual (DSM) as a mental
disorder in and of itself. Political pressure
from gay groups and a growing scientific
enlightenment forced the removal of
homosexuality as a sickness in the DSM-
111 issued in 1973. The latest version of the
DSM, (-111R), makes no mention of
homosexuality.

Until 1973 gay men and women were
often subjected to psychological tech-
niques designed to change their sexual ori-
entation. The treatments ranged from talk
therapy to behavior modification using
electroshock and emetics and other aver-
sive stimuli. The University of Vermont
conducted such a behavior modification
Program in the late 1960’s. Howard
Russell, who is currently studying for his
masters degress, did research on the tech-
Illques used in the 1950’s and l960’s. The
amount of psychic “damage” is shocking,
he commented. -

“Mental health has not been a leader,
But We should be leaders,” said Lippert.

We do not have a proud history.” Lippert
said the listing of homosexuality as a
mental disorder was “a reflection of soci-
‘W8 prejudice” in earlier years.

“We are dealing with a very new phe-
“9“}em0n,” he said. Today there are asso-
Clflnons of gay psychiatrists, psycholo-
31313. and social workers. Lippert added

L

that he is hoping non-discrimination
clauses will be included in agency person-
nel policies across the country.

Lipert said that discrimination against
sexual minorities is legal in all 50 states
except Wisconsin. “This means that les-
bian/gay/bisexual people can lose jobs, be
denied credit, lose children and be denied
housing.”

“We are not ‘marginal’ people,” he

said. “We are not peripheral or expendible.’

We are essential to the well-being of soci-
ety.”

Lippert and Russell spoke of the im-
portance of “allies” to discriminated mi-
nority groups--friends and family mem-
bers who speak out against prejudice and
discrimination. But they added “We don’t
want our allies to be dripping with guilt.
They can be ‘tremendously valuable’ if
their attitude is positive.”

Both men spoke of the importance of
sharing both happy and sad events with
their co-workers. A newly-found lover or
the loss of a lover are significant events in
the lives of lesbians and gay men and they
need to be talked about and shared. The
impact of AIDS on gay people is frighten-
ing and it, too, needs to be shared with
friends and co-workers.

Prejudice causes a phenomenon
known as “scanning” which means simply
“always watching” for signs of acceptance
or non-acceptance. “It is easy to confuse
this with paranoia” said Lippert, “butithas
come from a necessary and functional
place.”

As more lesbians and gay men enter
the “helping professions”, lesbian and gay
clients can hope for more help in adjusting
to their personal lifestyle. It will be a great
help for sexual minorities in becoming
useful and productive citizens. It seems
barbaric and prehistoric that behavior
modification was used on sexual minori-
ties until the l970’s. We need to realize
that the older lesbian or gay man lived
through that dark period of history and
some still bear the scars of that sad time.

Forconfidenfial

AIDS
Information

 

CaH
1-800-882-Al DS

<=i'*./

Introducing: 
3' hour head, neck

and shoulder massage

0 GIFT CERTIFICATES 0
Buy 2, get a 21 hour massage

for free 864-6764

LLEAH WITTENBERG

 

Partners in Recovery and‘ Growth, Therapist

Erica Marks, B.A.S.A.C.

Substance Abuse, Sexuality, Parenting, Grief, Gestalt, Spirituality,
Individuals, Couples, Families, Groups
Hearthstone Assoc.
182 Main St.
Burlington, VT 05401
Sliding fee scale° Phone: 865-2403

 

December 1988

r*'MASSAGE FOR WOMEN-—‘