Title
"'Coming Out' Homosexual Counselling"
Description
Early ideas for the Coming Out and the Counselling Workshops
Creator
Gary Jaynes
Publisher
University of Melbourne Archives, Sue Jackson Collection, 2000.0199, File 06/04/03
Date
16 Aug., 1975
Format
[Text in Image]
[Image 1]
"COMING OUT" HOMOSEXUAL COUNSELLING I would like to inform the Conference participants of some thoughts behind the conveening of the workshops on 'Coming Out' (Sat. 11-1) and Homosexual Counselling (Sun. 4-5.40)
Coming Out
At the very first Conference Collective Meeting there was some dispute about whom the Conference publicity should be directed to. Was it to be a Conference or politicized homosexuals, those people who at some time had been in Gay Liberation or C.A.M.P, to come together and plan for the future out of the successes and failures of the past? Or was it to present an opportunity for the so-called "ordinary" homosexual to contribute his/her experiences of being homosexual in Australia, standing outside of the movement? This decision on whetehr or not to have workshops on teh theme of Coming Out touched the heart of that dilemma. To some of those for whom coming out had become ultra-public and complete (they're called "up-front" homosexuals in the latest jargon) the idea of a workshop on Coming Out seemed like re-treading old ground. There were some dissenters to this opinion however, even from among up-front homosexuals. "One of the troubles with Gay Liberation", I remember a woman active in Gay Liberation saying, "has been that it is too superior". What seemed basic, even trite, to some is precisely the matter of most importance to many homosexuals in Australia today. And the Collective was agreed.
Two articles have been roneoed for distribution at this workshop. One is an excerpt from George Heinberg's Society and the Healthy Homosexual about communicating with parents. It reflects his experience as a pro-homosexuality therapist who sees the inability of parents to cope with their sons' and daughters' homosexuality as symptomatic of a socety-wide disease called "homophobia". Uncompromising yet highly practical, his advise is offered to both parents and their homosexual son's [sic] and daughters.
The other article by Gerald Hannon is called (with superb irony you discover) "Throat Ramming" - and it is taken from the Canadian Gay Liberation Journal, "The Body Politic". Whereas Weinberg focused on the often traumatic decision to come out with parents, Hannon is talking about theinvisibility [sic] which invariablly follows the coming out with parents and selected close friends. His solution is to be a 24 hour a day visible homosexual.
Neither article stands on its own as far as all the issues of coming out are concerned - and of cours eneither was intened to - but together they cover many of them.
The workshop format is up to the participants to decide. Some preliminary decision however must be made, e.g. will notes be taken or taping alowed? should tehre be a final product or follow up?
Without wishing to pre-empt any particular format I would like to put forward a few questions that seem pertinent to me, and invite all who see these or other questions as being important to come a[cut off]
1. What is good timing for coming out with parents? Is it self-oppressive to be sercetive till one feels confident and ready for a disclosure? When is writing a letter being cowardly? Should parents ever be protected? (e.g. "too old to understand"). What right do we have to actively prevent parents or friends from ignoring our homosexuality after we've come out? (throat ramming)
2. What is legitimate pressure to put on other people to "come out" (especially lovers, or other homosexuals in a household)
[Image 2]
3. What are the consequences of coming out publicly (e.g. through the media)? What are the personal and political benefits? Is it only an option for those privileged to work in a more "liberated" environment? Is the gay liberation/ideology on this oppressive of those not so privileged?
4. What are the available strategies for those working and living in an anti-homosexual environment to prevent "invisibility"?
HOMOSEXUAL COUNSELLING
On Sunday afternoon, 4-5.30, a workshop on Homosexual Counselling will be held. On the surface this might seem to have limited appeal, mainly to those throughout Australia who have been involved in running phone counselling services. In Melbourne there are two (Gay Liberation's and Society Five's), and at least one in both Sydney and Brisbane. It's a comment on the lack of inter-state communication that I'm not sure if I've left some out.
Very little has been written about homosexual counselling by homosexuals (this is a gap in the overseas literature as much as our own, so far as I know). Some of the services have published statistical breakdowns on the nature and frequency of the calls, but little has come to light about some of the questions that bother those of use who sit by the phone pondering over the adequacy of what we're doing. This is a unique opportunity to get such dialogue going, and hopefully to record it. As one with less than a years experience with the Gay Liberation Counselling & Information Service, I'd like to pose some questions for discussion - and invite not only those with phone counselling experience to contribute their ideas, but also those who see a role for homosexual counselling different from the way we're doing it, who see beter ways of doing it, or who think we're doing it badly. I'd particualrly like to hear from people who've experienced us from the other end of the phone. (On the other hand I would like our critics to bear in mind the energy limitations that nearly all the phone services work within).
Some questions:
1. How does one distinguish the "radical therepy" (i.e. the liberation of energy turned against oneself by a hostil [sic] society into a force for changing the oppressive circumstances of that society) from "adaptive counselling" (i.e. assisting only in individuals finding a personal solution by adjusting him/her psyche to an unhealthy society)?
Related to this question:
- Adequacy of one-to-one counselling. In the absense of a healthy and supportive homosexual community, what can be achieved by one-to-one counselling?
- The notion of expertise. Who counsels the counsellors? How do we go about changing our own heads (as we so often feel the [cut off] to do?
- Success of different Counselling Services at initiating support groups. What are the practical consequences of the Women & Madness Conference?
- Political differences between homosexual organistaion ans their respective Counselling Groups. What are the areas of voerlap?
- Allternatives to the commercial 'gay scene'.
[Image 1]
"COMING OUT" HOMOSEXUAL COUNSELLING I would like to inform the Conference participants of some thoughts behind the conveening of the workshops on 'Coming Out' (Sat. 11-1) and Homosexual Counselling (Sun. 4-5.40)
Coming Out
At the very first Conference Collective Meeting there was some dispute about whom the Conference publicity should be directed to. Was it to be a Conference or politicized homosexuals, those people who at some time had been in Gay Liberation or C.A.M.P, to come together and plan for the future out of the successes and failures of the past? Or was it to present an opportunity for the so-called "ordinary" homosexual to contribute his/her experiences of being homosexual in Australia, standing outside of the movement? This decision on whetehr or not to have workshops on teh theme of Coming Out touched the heart of that dilemma. To some of those for whom coming out had become ultra-public and complete (they're called "up-front" homosexuals in the latest jargon) the idea of a workshop on Coming Out seemed like re-treading old ground. There were some dissenters to this opinion however, even from among up-front homosexuals. "One of the troubles with Gay Liberation", I remember a woman active in Gay Liberation saying, "has been that it is too superior". What seemed basic, even trite, to some is precisely the matter of most importance to many homosexuals in Australia today. And the Collective was agreed.
Two articles have been roneoed for distribution at this workshop. One is an excerpt from George Heinberg's Society and the Healthy Homosexual about communicating with parents. It reflects his experience as a pro-homosexuality therapist who sees the inability of parents to cope with their sons' and daughters' homosexuality as symptomatic of a socety-wide disease called "homophobia". Uncompromising yet highly practical, his advise is offered to both parents and their homosexual son's [sic] and daughters.
The other article by Gerald Hannon is called (with superb irony you discover) "Throat Ramming" - and it is taken from the Canadian Gay Liberation Journal, "The Body Politic". Whereas Weinberg focused on the often traumatic decision to come out with parents, Hannon is talking about theinvisibility [sic] which invariablly follows the coming out with parents and selected close friends. His solution is to be a 24 hour a day visible homosexual.
Neither article stands on its own as far as all the issues of coming out are concerned - and of cours eneither was intened to - but together they cover many of them.
The workshop format is up to the participants to decide. Some preliminary decision however must be made, e.g. will notes be taken or taping alowed? should tehre be a final product or follow up?
Without wishing to pre-empt any particular format I would like to put forward a few questions that seem pertinent to me, and invite all who see these or other questions as being important to come a[cut off]
1. What is good timing for coming out with parents? Is it self-oppressive to be sercetive till one feels confident and ready for a disclosure? When is writing a letter being cowardly? Should parents ever be protected? (e.g. "too old to understand"). What right do we have to actively prevent parents or friends from ignoring our homosexuality after we've come out? (throat ramming)
2. What is legitimate pressure to put on other people to "come out" (especially lovers, or other homosexuals in a household)
[Image 2]
3. What are the consequences of coming out publicly (e.g. through the media)? What are the personal and political benefits? Is it only an option for those privileged to work in a more "liberated" environment? Is the gay liberation/ideology on this oppressive of those not so privileged?
4. What are the available strategies for those working and living in an anti-homosexual environment to prevent "invisibility"?
HOMOSEXUAL COUNSELLING
On Sunday afternoon, 4-5.30, a workshop on Homosexual Counselling will be held. On the surface this might seem to have limited appeal, mainly to those throughout Australia who have been involved in running phone counselling services. In Melbourne there are two (Gay Liberation's and Society Five's), and at least one in both Sydney and Brisbane. It's a comment on the lack of inter-state communication that I'm not sure if I've left some out.
Very little has been written about homosexual counselling by homosexuals (this is a gap in the overseas literature as much as our own, so far as I know). Some of the services have published statistical breakdowns on the nature and frequency of the calls, but little has come to light about some of the questions that bother those of use who sit by the phone pondering over the adequacy of what we're doing. This is a unique opportunity to get such dialogue going, and hopefully to record it. As one with less than a years experience with the Gay Liberation Counselling & Information Service, I'd like to pose some questions for discussion - and invite not only those with phone counselling experience to contribute their ideas, but also those who see a role for homosexual counselling different from the way we're doing it, who see beter ways of doing it, or who think we're doing it badly. I'd particualrly like to hear from people who've experienced us from the other end of the phone. (On the other hand I would like our critics to bear in mind the energy limitations that nearly all the phone services work within).
Some questions:
1. How does one distinguish the "radical therepy" (i.e. the liberation of energy turned against oneself by a hostil [sic] society into a force for changing the oppressive circumstances of that society) from "adaptive counselling" (i.e. assisting only in individuals finding a personal solution by adjusting him/her psyche to an unhealthy society)?
Related to this question:
- Adequacy of one-to-one counselling. In the absense of a healthy and supportive homosexual community, what can be achieved by one-to-one counselling?
- The notion of expertise. Who counsels the counsellors? How do we go about changing our own heads (as we so often feel the [cut off] to do?
- Success of different Counselling Services at initiating support groups. What are the practical consequences of the Women & Madness Conference?
- Political differences between homosexual organistaion ans their respective Counselling Groups. What are the areas of voerlap?
- Allternatives to the commercial 'gay scene'.
Language
English