Career Counseling, Gay and Lesbian

Y. Barry Chung

Gay and lesbian persons refers to men and women, respectively, whose primary sexual attraction is toward people of the same sex. Nonetheless, the word gay is sometimes used as a collective term to include both gay men and lesbian women. Due to negative stereotypes, societal stigma, oppression, and discrimination related to homosexuality and nonconformity to traditional gender roles, gay and lesbian persons often face internal and external barriers in their career development and adjustment. Professional literature addressing career counseling issues with gay and lesbian persons began to emerge in the 1980s. Some of the most important topics include career choice, work discrimination, and coping strategies. These topics are introduced below, followed by a discussion of career counseling with gay and lesbian clients. Stereotypes and the limited research available suggest that compared with heterosexual persons gay men and lesbians tend to aspire to or be employed in occupations that are nontraditional ...

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