Awareness of mental health issues for gay men and lesbians should become a standard part of training for mental health professionals, who need to be aware of the potential for substance misuse and self-harm in this group and of the discrimination experienced by many lesbians.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual men and women have high levels of mental disorder, possibly linked with discrimination.

This is the unspecified version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link AbstractUsing findings from a qualitative investigation based on in-depth email interviews with 47 Black and South Asian gay men in Britain, this paper explores the cross-cutting identities and discourses in relation to being both gay and from an ethnic minority background. Taking an intersectional approach, detailed accounts of identity negotiation, cultural pressures, experiences of discrimination and exclusion, and the relationship between minority ethnic gay men and mainstream White gay culture are presented and explored. The major findings common to both groups were: cultural barriers limiting disclosure of sexuality to family and wider social networks; experiences of discrimination by white gay men that included exclusion as well as objectification; a lack of positive gay role models and imagery relating to men from ethnic minority backgrounds. Among South Asian gay men, a major theme was regret at being unable to fulfil family expectations regarding marriage and children, while among Black gay men, there was a strong belief that same-sex behaviour subverted cultural notions related to how masculinity is configured. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of social location, particularly education and income, when examining the intersection of ethnicity and sexuality in future research.

2 0 0 3 ) , 1 8 3 , 5 5 2^5 5 8 ( 2 0 0 3 ) , 1 8 3 , 5 5 2^5 5 8 Mental health and quality of life of gay men Mental health and quality of life of gay men and lesbians in England and Wales and lesbians in England and WalesControlled, cross-sectional study Controlled, cross-sectional study