THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 30, 1996 TAG: 9603300282
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARSHA GILBERT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Issues of race, gender and sexual orientation present daily discriminations and barriers to everyone. However, African American gays and lesbians have an added set of challenges, said a guest lecturer at Old Dominion University.
Beverly Greene, a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at St. John's University in New York, lectured Friday on the topic of ``Gay and Lesbian Issues in the African American Community.''
``My goal is to assist the audience in understanding the stresses that African-American gays and lesbians confront,'' Greene said..
According to Greene, African Americans are perceived as more homophobic, which leads gays and lesbians in this community to be more closeted.
Mixed-race dating draws increased attention and homophobia to homosexual couples, asserted Greene.
The non-African American of the couple may experience racism for the first time, may not notice racial slurs, and may take on the role of protector or over-compensate for the racism the partner is receiving.
Greene urged therapists who counsel homosexual patients to be more culturally competent and literate.
She said they should have formal training in this area.
``It is unethical to treat gay and lesbian patients if they haven't had specific training,'' said Greene, who has a private practice in New York. ``They need to go back to school after graduate school and continue to retrain.''
Greene's lecture was sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Minority Issues and the Women's Studies Program.
``About two to three years ago some homophobic messages were written on the walls,'' said Michael E. Hucles, institute director and the associate professor of history at ODU.
``Now the university is more tolerant. This type of speech is not something that is unusual. We've had other speakers on gay and lesbian rights.''
Keith Butler, president of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Students and Allies group at Old Dominion was enthusiastic about Greene's message.
``I thoroughly enjoyed the speech,'' said Butler, a senior Theater Arts major.
``It's a part of who I am, being African American and gay. I love it when we have prominent educators speak to us and they say we're all in this together. We need to stop dividing ourselves.''
Greene is an award-winning co-author of several books including the text book ``Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World.'' Her most recent honor was receiving the 1995 Psychotherapy with Women Research Award. ILLUSTRATION: MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot
Beverly Greene addresses about 50 people at Old Dominion University
Friday on ``Gay and Lesbian Issues in the African American
Community.'' She had advice for couples and therapists who treat
gays and lesbians.
by CNB