The goal of this study is to understand and describe the way gay men and lesbian women see and interpret their spiritual journeys. Its intent is to open up the variety of experiences that gay men and lesbians encounter and is, therefore, not based on a single religious tradition or path, such as through crisis or AIDS. The findings included a model which interweaves the coming INTRODUCTIONIn a society where most religious institutions are lined up against them, how do gay men and lesbian women discover and define spirituality? What are the processes they undertake to construct their spiritual identities? How do their identifications with often conflicting communities come together for them as they evolve and change?In this article, I discuss the stories that twenty-six gay and lesbian individuals have shared with me, in which they explain and interpret their spiritual lives. In addition, I explore the implications these stories have for our understanding of how, for gay men and lesbian women, self-definition as gay and spiritual are interwoven and inseparable. This discussion isThe research discussed in this report was supported in part by the University Research Council, DePaul University. Direct correspondence to David Shallenberger, School for New Learning, DePaul University, 243 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604. 196Shallenberger framed by an acknowledgment that contemporary society frequently finds being gay and spiritually-committed contradictory.At the heart of this research is a desire to honor the voices of the participants, allowing them to tell their stories in their own words. Mainstream culture often loses sight of the lives and experience of those who find themselves marginalized within our society. Such is certainly the case with respect to gay men and lesbian women who frequently feel they have been silenced and made invisible in our society, and particularly in connection with religion and spirituality. This central focus on respecting the voice of participants had a significant impact on the study: for example, it was my goal to enter the study informed, but not directed, by previous research, in order to avoid any attempts to "force-fit" a participant's experience into a preconceived framework. Even the use of terms such as "spirituality" and "spiritual journey" was driven by participants' own definitions, rather than one constructed out of the literature. That is, I left it to them to identify and define an experience as spiritual. Naturally, the choice of research methodology was crucial, for it needed to allow these individual perspectives, interpretations, and values to emerge.As a general theoretical backdrop, there are three interwoven threads, grounded in a symbolic interactionist perspective, that I would like to highlight as a way of opening this discussion: (1) the personal (i.e., "coming out") development of gay men and lesbian women; (2) the spiritual development of individuals who are gay and lesbian; and (3) the approach of new paradigm or naturalistic research as a tool ...

The research addressed in this article explores the learning from mistakes international educators have made in the course of their work. Built on the experiences of forty-five individuals, shared through surveys and interviews, the this study finds that the participants learned valuable lessons regarding the value of strong and positive relationships; the impact of culture in their work; the importance of well-designed procedures; the balance between intuition and investigation in evaluating options and making decisions; key considerations in program design; and the importance of self-care. The last three of these lessons are the focus of this article.

We live in a world that, more often than not, questions the spiritual depth, understandin~ and value of gay and lesbian people. This article, based on a year-long narrative research study of gay men and lesbian women on a variety of spiritual journeys, raises the assertion that, rather than being spiritually deficient, these individuals can be gifted ministers in a number of ways. Their contributions may include: (a) a marginalized perspective that is able to see truth and hypocrisy in our churches, and the integrity to challenge these institutions; (b) comfort with the intangible, the ambiguous, the shades of gray and the paradoxical; (c) empathy with and compassion for the disenfranchised and the troubled, and a commitment to social justice; (d) an enhanced understanding of God that comes from being a "survivor"; and (e) self-reflectiveness and the valuing of a community that encourages introspection and exploration. The article develops these ideas, based on the stories and reflections of the study participants.This is a time in our national history when the roles of gay men and lesbian women in our organizations--churches, the military, corporations, and schools---are being explored, challenged, and debated. The various sides of the debate are arguing about civil rights, costs of changing discriminatory policies, the presence of sinful conditions, and the relationship between church and state. Many individuals feel that "homosexual persons" should not be protected by the law or an organization's policies because they (gay men and lesbians) are depraved; others are concerned that switching from a restrictive position to a more affirming one will be costly and awkward.

No abstract

Eager to celebrate and incorporate the minority experience into the classroom, instructors often forget the "invisible minorities"—those who are stigmatized for a characteristic or quality that is not apparent. Gay men and lesbians, incest survivors, and recovering alcoholics are examples. This article addresses why instructors should include these groups, some defining characteristics, and specific teaching suggestions for management and organizational behavior faculty, based on experience with courses in invisible minorities in California and Illinois.