When you finish reading this chapter, you should be able to:
- Define sexual orientation, including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality.
- Summarize the historical perspectives on homosexuality.
- Discuss the various models for categorizing sexual orientation, including Kinsey’s scale, Storm’s model, and Klein’s grid.
- Discuss the various psychosocial, biological, and evolutionary theories of sexual orientation, including research that supports or does not support these theories.
- Describe the unique issues associated with dating, sex, and relationships for gays and lesbians.
- Define homophobia, including who is most likely to hold negative attitudes toward homosexuals and explanations for why.
- Describe the impact of homophobia on both homosexuals and heterosexuals.
- Explain what is meant by "coming out" and some of the difficulties associated with this.
