The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Volume 6 Article 3
Issue 2 March

March 1979

Homosexuality: A Social Worker's Imbroglio

Carol Tully
Virginia Department of Welfare

Joyce C. Albro
Virginia Department of Welfare

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Part of the Gender and Sexuality Commons, and the Social Work Commons

Recommended Citation
Tully, Carol and Albro, Joyce C. (1979) "Homosexuality: A Social Worker's Imbroglio," The Journal of
Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 6 : Iss. 2 , Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol6/iss2/3

This Article is brought to you by the Western Michigan

University School of Social Work. For more information,
please contact wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu.
 HOMOSEXUALITY: A SOCIAL WORKER'S IMBROGLIO

Carol Tully, M.S.W., is a Welfare Training Specialist in the

Bureau of Data Systems: Virginia Department of Welfare, Richmond,
Virginia.

Joyce C. Albro, M.S.W., is a Purchase of Service Coordinator

with the Virginia Department of Welfare in Richmond, Virginia.

ABSTRACT

Few members of our society take time to put into historical

context their prejudices about homosexuality. This article examines
the historical context of these prejudices as well as how social
workers may become co-opted by society into overlooking the social
service needs of homosexual clients. How to combat institutional
homophobia is also discussed.

Introduction

The existence of homosexuals within our culture evokes fear

and hatred in most members of society because homosexuals are
generally considered to be sinners, criminals and/or mentally ill.
There are, however, others within our society who regard homosexuality
as a viable, alternative lifestyle deserving the same rights and
privileges accorded to heterosexuals. Why does such a dichotomy
exist and what role do social workers play in this situation? The
purpose of this paper is to examine, from an historical perspective,
how negative societal attitudes toward homosexuality developed and
to explore how social workers' personal values about homosexuality
and homosexuals are derived from societal attitudes. Additionally,
while social workers are ethically committed to the concepts of
human rights and self-determination, they often mirror society
through perpetuating prejudices and discrimination against homosexuals.
Because of this phenomenon, the impact of social attitudes and values
about homosexuality on social workers will be discussed and some much
needed, often overlooked social service needs of the homosexual client

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will be considered. Various suggestions will be offered to enable
social workers to more effectively work with their homosexual
clientele.

Historical Perspectives

Few people in our society, including social workers, ever

thoroughly examine their prejudices against homosexuals in any
historical context, but merely accept as "fact" society's general
proscription of homosexuality. Overt homosexuality was practiced
by the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and the
practice has virtually existed in all places and at all times of
history. The Greeks, in fact, looked upon the practice of homo-
sexuality as being more genuine and compassionate than its hetero-
sexual counterpart. As both homosexuality and heterosexuality were
practiced openly in the ancient world, the societal belief of that
1
era was the concept of the bisexual nature of all people.

The pre-Christian cultures were primarily polytheistic and often

overt homosexual behavior was part of the religious ritual. Proscrip-
tions against homosexuality per se were not then known. These
"Great Mother" polytheistic cults of the ancient world eventually
evolved into a monotheistic religious system when the Hebrews began
worshiping Jahweh, an authoritarian, male god who ruled all. With
this transformation from a polytheistic value system to a monotheistic
value system came the first documented proscription of homosexuality.

Exactly how or why the monotheistic system condemned homosexual-

ity is not clear. The system did make clear, though, that homosexual
acts (between men or women) were considered ungodly and a crime that
was punishable by death. Because homosexual acts had been an overt
part of the polytheistic religious ritual, one theory postulates that
condemning such behavior was one way of severing all ties with the
multi-god worshipers. Homosexuality seemed to become equated with
heresy and moral subversion because of its association with the
polytheistic cults.2

Once the single-god religious system became the norm and the
Bible was written, the proscriptions of homosexuality became more
legitimized. The Old Testament clearly details laws that condemn
homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 states, "Thou shalt not lie with man-
kind as with womankind: it is an abomination," and Leviticus 20:13

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warns, "If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman,
both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put
to death; their blood shall be upon them." 3 Quite obviously these
strict laws forbidding homosexuality had a profound impact on the
ancient culture. In the New Testament, St. Paul condemned homo-
sexuality, 4 and in the Thirteenth Century, Thomas Aquinas indicated
that homosexuality was inconsistent with God's design for humanity,
and it offended reason and nature. 5 The Christian ideal of the time
was complete celibacy, and even certain types of heterosexual activi-
ties were banned as being too pleasurable. 6 It is easy to see why the
homosexual was condemned for seeking sexual pleasure without attempting
to procreate.

Our societal views of homosexuality as perverted, unChristian and

contrary to God's will have their antecedent roots in religious laws.
The contemporary church has generally adopted without question the
tenets of the early church and bears the major responsibility for the
anti-homosexual attitudes that pervade our society. 7 Another linkage
from the ancient laws into the post-Christ world is legislation banning
the commission of homosexual acts.
8
Although Christ himself never said anything against homosexuality,
every progressing culture of the early Christian era had strict legis-
lation prohibiting homosexual behavior. In 1533, English law stipulated
that people committing homosexual acts would be put to death. English
law is, of course, the basis for this country's legal system, and laws
in the United States requiring that those committing homosexual acts
be put to death remained unchanged until the mid 1800's when North
Carolina reduced the sentence to a sixty year prison term. Today,
thirty jurisdictions have maximum penalties of at least ten years in
jail for the commission of homosexual acts, and twenty percent of the
states allow a maximum sentence of twenty years incarceration. The
only legal penalties that surpass these are for kidnapping, rape and
murder. 9

Undoubtedly, such strict legislation instills fear in many homo-

sexuals and causes them to remain covert about their sexual practices.
Due to the covert nature of many homosexual liaisons and due to
religiously based proscriptions about homosexuality, stereotypes, myths
and folklore based on misinformation easily evolved about homosexuals.

A prevalent stereotypic generalization which has ancient roots is

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that all homosexuals are mentally ill. According to the ancient
Judeo-Christian value base, engaging in homosexual acts was thought
to be ungodly or out of grace with God. To willfully be ungodly
obviously indicated that the offender was possessed by devils. People
who were mentally ill in older cultures were considered to be possessed
by devils so it is easy to see how homosexuality became equated with
mental illness. Even today, several prominent American psychiatrists
describe homosexualit as a character defect, a pathology or a severe
sexual maladjustment.1 0 These doctors tend to believe the homosexual
is in desperate need of treatment to insure that the deviant behavior
will cease so the once disturbed patient can function normally within
the society. Other contemporary psychiatrists believe that such
psychiatric attitudes toward homosexuality are actually based on moral
values and are reinstatements of the Judeo-Christian code with scienti-
fic rationalizations. 1 1 Such religiously based beliefs were easily
rationalized by clinical experience with small numbers of homosexual
patients who became the basis
12
for generalized psychiatric opinions
regarding all homosexuals.

In an effort to "cure" homosexuality, our society has subjected

homosexual women and men to psychiatric hospitalization, lengthy
psychoanalysis, aversion therapy, group therapy, social work counseling
and counseling by concerned clergy. If the homosexual did not consider
homosexuality a mental illness, s/he was an unwilling participant in
the curing process. The late 1960's, though, brought an increased
trend in psychiatry to view homosexuality as a non-pathological,
alternative lifestyle. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association
13
removed homosexuality from its official list of mental disorders,
but the fight continues to rage within the psychiatric community as to
whether homosexuality is a mental illness or an acceptable, variant
14
behavior.

Obviously, this society's Judeo-Christian value base has played

an important role in how members of the society view homosexuality.
Society's heterosexual majority, for the most part, still harbors
stereotypes and myths about homosexuals based on proscriptions and
prejudices that have transcended centuries.

Societal Attitudes and Social Workers' Values

Because social workers grow up and live in a society that has

conflicting values about homosexuality, social workers themselves

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often have such conflicting values. Generally, our society through
its religious and legal ethics, does not condone a lifestyle other
than the heterosexual, family oriented norm. Society fears anything
that seems to disrupt the familial constellation, and hence, a deeply
instilled fear of homosexuality exists in our culture. This fear has
been termed "homophobia". Homophobia is simply an excessive fear of
homosexuality that arises out of our society's ignorance and condem-
nation of a homosexual lifestyle. Societal stereotypes, myths and
prejudices about homosexuality exist because of widespread ignorance
and are an integral part of homophobia.

There are many unrealistic stereotypes, myths and prejudices

that abound about homosexuals and homosexuality. For example, homo-
sexuals are often stereotyped as primarily sexual beings with all
other personality characteristics subordinate to their sexual drive.
Thus, homosexuals are seen as constantly sexually active beings who
will seduce anyone from an unwilling heterosexual to a child. Homo-
sexuals are, therefore, equated with the criminally sexual deviant
and are viewed as incorrigible child molesters. Such notions are
easily derived due to the illegality of homosexual acts in most
jurisdictions and the widespread belief that homosexuals are
mentally ill. Also, public information on homosexuals is often
based on media attention given to homosexuals who have been arrested
for various crimes or who are otherwise unrepresentative of all
homosexuals.

Homosexuals are also viewed as always conforming to some physi-

cal characteristics of the opposite sex. So all lesbians are be-
lieved to look masculine, while homosexual men are thought to look
effeminate. Another misconception is that all homosexual couples
are thought to follow roles of the traditional heterosexual marriage
where one partner plays the "female" role while the other plays the
"male" role. Finally, all homosexuals are assumed to hate the
opposite sex with a pathological intensity. Because of such mis-
guided beliefs, homophobia abounds. For example, a recent Gallup
Poll found that:

-Seven in ten Americans believe homosexuals should not

be allowed to adopt children.

-Fifty percent said that homosexual relations between

consenting adults should not be legal.

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 -One in three believe that a homosexual cannot be
a good Christian or Jew.

-A substantial majority of Americans believe that

homosexuals should not be hired for certain
occupations such as elementary school teaching
15
or the clergy.

Such prejudices stem from the previously discussed religious

values. In addition, homophobia is particularly strong in refer-
ence to children. Thus, most people believe that homosexuals
should not have custody of children or participate in occupations
where they would be working with children. Society fears that homo-
sexuals would influence children to become homosexual. In recent
custody cases involving lesbian mothers, homosexuality alone is often
found to be a sufficient basis to deny custody of children regard-
16
less of evidence of the fitness of the parent.

Society is sometimes willing to tolerate homosexuality as a

concept when the existence and identity of individual homosexuals
can be ignored. Many people only object when homosexuals overtly
proclaim their existence or try to openly fight for their rights.
If homosexuals would only pretend to be heterosexuals, so say many
homophobics, society would not have to confront the issue of homo-
sexuality. Society enforces such mores by punishing newly discovered
homosexuals with loss of employment and/or civil rights. For example,
in a recent court case, a high school teacher with twelve favorably
evaluated years of service lost his job when his homosexuality
was discovered. The Washington State Supreme Court upheld his
dismissal on the ground of imnorality because the teacher was a
known homosexual, and the court believed his homosexuality im-
paired his ability and fitness to teach which, in turn, injured
his school. 1 7 In summary, being known as a homosexual provides a
person with second-class citizenship and makes her/him the victim
of stereotypes, myths and widespread discrimination.

Social workers, as products of this restrictive, condemning

society are susceptible to homophobia. The social worker, ethically
bound to the ideals of human rights and the individual's right to
self-determination, faces an incredible dilemma when confronted
with the issue of homosexuality. In the wake of centuries of myths

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and through the reinforcement of ancient proscriptions about homo-
sexuality in media coverage and court cases, social workers may
encounter difficulty in being open minded about homosexuality and
may have deeply ingrained homophobic attitudes which are compounded
by ignorance. Such "gut" reactions and personal fears, based on
misconceptions and limited social interaction with openly homosexual
individuals must be confronted by every social worker. Social
workers' values mirror the values of society, and need thorough
evaluation to insure that human rights, individual self-determina-
tion and basic social work ethics are maintained.

The Unmet Social Service Needs of Homosexual Clients

The social service needs of homosexual clients are as varied

as the service needs of heterosexual clients, but due to insti-
tutionalized homophobia, homosexual clients often have unique needs
that are unmet in the traditional social worker/client relation-
ship. While there are a multitude of service needs for any client,
the most frequently overlooked needs of homosexual clients include:
acceptance, specialized counseling, community involvement and legal
referrals.

First, the need for a client to be accepted by a social worker

is a crucial element in the helping relationship. Acceptance means
that the social worker genuinely respects the client regardless of
the client's personality, behavior or values. Such an understand-
ing attitude is most easily conveyed by the worker through a re-
laxed, friendly atmosphere. 1 8 This encourages the client to
develop a trusting relationship with the worker thereby facilitating
the start of the helping process. In order for a social worker to
effectively assist any client, the client must feel accepted and,
therefore, willing to share information that is basic to the re-
lationship. Without a thorough knowledge of the client, a social
worker's efforts to assist the client are often narrowly confined
to superficial or peripheral areas of the client's experiences.
Yet, acceptance of the homosexual client often becomes difficult
for the social worker who has been taught by society to view
homosexuality as a perversion. The myths and unrealistic fears
previously discussed may impede the worker's ability to relax and
convey the acceptance that is more.easily felt when a volatile
issue is not involved.

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 Therefore, because of homophobia and unrealistic beliefs
about homosexuals, some social workers may be unable to develop
an atmosphere in which a trusting relationship with a homosexual
client can develop. Such a relationship is necessary so the
client feels safe to discuss important issues including sexual
orientation. Another hindrance to the emergence of a trusting
worker/client relationship is the general reluctance of some
social workers to discuss sexuality at all. For the homosexual
client who wishes to discuss sexual matters, this reluctance
may become an insurmountable barrier. In order for a trusting
relationship to develop between homosexual clients and workers,
workers must be willing to genuinely accept homosexuality as
19
a viable lifestyle. Only then can the necessary climate of
acceptance evolve.

A second frequently overlooked service need of homosexuals

is specialized counseling. Because homosexuals grow up in a
condemning heterosexual world, homosexual clients may have
difficulty accepting their own sexuality. Through counseling,
the non-judgmental social worker can provide support to help
clients become more self-accepting. Clients can be assisted in
examining the causes of societal condemnation and the effects of
such condemnation on their feelings of self-acceptance and self-
worth. Clients can also be helped in realistically assessing the
problems and the joys of being a homosexual in today's society as
well as being guided in making fundamental plans and decisions
which will best enhance and improve a sense of self-acceptance.

Many homosexuals have difficulty synthesizing their homo-

sexuality with their religion. This is due, of course, to the
ancient Judeo-Christian values previously discussed. Social work-
ers can provide appropriate services to help homosexual clients
deal with this dichotomy. It may be helpful to refer clients to
specific books written by liberal theologians who effectively
synthesize homosexuality with organized religion. If possible,
clients could be referred to local ministers known to be accepting
of homosexuality. In addition, various faiths have organizations
created for homosexuals. The most well known is Dignity, an
organization comprised of homosexual Catholics. Such organiza-
tions can provide invaluable peer support to homosexuals who are
trying to accept their sexuality without rejecting their religious
beliefs.

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 The availability of supportive counseling services becomes
even more important for homosexuals who are just beginning to
admit or understand their sexual orientation. This process of
"coming out" to oneself, family, friends, society etc., is a
primary problem for many homosexuals. Social work services, if
needed, should be provided to assist the client with this process
by helping the client explore the anticipated and unanticipated
consequences of "coming out".

For homosexuals, as well as heterosexuals, a major coun-

seling need is in reference to their relationships with partners.
For homosexuals, maintaining stable relationships without the many
positive sanctions accorded to heterosexual couples is often a
difficult undertaking. Homosexual couples or individuals may
recognize a need for counseling, but not know of any counseling
agencies that actively want to serve homosexuals or that have
social workers known to be accepting of homosexual lifestyles.
Agencies that have staff who are accepting of homosexuality should
make this known in the community.

Needed counseling for homosexuals includes individual coun-

seling as well as forms of premarital and marital counseling.
Social workers can assist homosexual clients with a myriad of
issues from the client's decision to enter into a permanent
relationship to the "marital" difficulties of any long-term
relationship. Additionally, the social worker should be avail-
able to provide appropriate services to the single homosexual,
the homosexual couple that separates or to the homosexual whose
partner dies.

Third, social workers may often be totally ignorant of the

homophile subculture existing within their communities. The
homosexual community can provide a much needed support system for
the homosexual as well as provide opportunities for social inter-
action in an environment in which the homosexual will feel comfort-
able and unconstrained. Homosexuals who are just affirming their
sexuality or are ignorant about the local homosexual community
for various other reasons may need the assistance of a knowledge-
able social worker to provide them with access to community involve-
ment and support. A social worker who is ignorant of the homosexual
community and the access roads into it, for both women and men, be-
comes rather ineffectual when dealing with homosexual clients who

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have specific and unique needs.

Fourth, homosexual clients may need proper legal referrals.

Because homosexual acts committed by consenting adults in private
are still a criminal offense accorded severe punishment in the
majority of jurisdictions in this country, 2 0 homosexuals can
face criminal prosecution. In addition, homosexuals face a
plethora of basic civil rights violations due simply to their
known or assumed sexual orientation. The need for a legal refer-
ral is obvious when criminal charges are involved yet legal
services may also be appropriate when violations of civil lib-
erties are involved. 2 1

Although discrimination based on sexual preference has been 2 2

made illegal in thirty-nine counties and cities in this country,
the provision of full human rights for all homosexuals will re-
quire many more years of legislative and judicial action at local
and federal levels. In the meantime, social workers can make
necessary legal referrals to homosexual clients to assist them
in their legal fight for basic human rights. In order to do
this, it may be necessary for social workers to assist homosexual
clients in evaluating alleged discriminatory acts or events in
terms of the possible personal consequences involved in adminis-
trative or legal challenges versus the potential for furthering
the client's rights and the rights of all homosexuals. It is
also important for social workers to regularly act as
community advocates for homosexuals' civil rights. The support
of respected community members, such as social workers, is
essential to the furtherance of expanded legal rights for
homosexuals.

Generally, social workers may overlook the service needs of

their homosexual clientele simply by being under-educated about
the realities of homosexuality and by being victims of institu-
tional homophobia. To overcome these problems and to begin to
effectively deal with homosexual issues, social workers must
become better educated about the topic. Such education must be
instituted at the baccalaureate and master's degree levels so
social work students have an opportunity to examine their values
and come to some conclusions without impacting upon a homosexual
client. All social workers can become more realistically in-
formed by contacting community or regional homophile organizations

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which will often provide bibliographies and other written in-
formation as well as homosexual speakers. 2 3 By reading realistic
information about homosexuals and by listening to homosexuals
discuss their lifestyles, the social worker can start to discount
stereotypes and myths and can view homosexuals as fully function-
ing, unique persons. Once so educated, the social worker can
then knowledgeably act as client advocate. Providing such an
advocacy support system for the homosexual client can do nothing
but enhance the worker/client relationship and improve societal
attitudes regarding homosexuals.

For every social worker, there are certain things that must
be remembered when working with any homosexual client. To
facilitate this special kind of worker/client relationship the
following suggestions are provided.

A Guide to Providing Services to Homosexual Clients

1) Evaluate personal feelings, attitudes and beliefs about

homosexuality.

2) Accept the homosexual client as a member of an oppressed

minority, not as a pathological entity.

3) Become familiar with the homosexual community in your

area. (Every community has a homosexual subculture.)

4) Become educated about homosexuality - do not believe

myths and stereotypes.

5) Act as an advocate for the homosexual and help others

become better educated about homosexuality.

6) Know resources within the heterosexual community that

will provide a support system for homosexual clients.

7) Be aware that homosexual clients may not totally accept

their sexuality and may have difficulty synthesizing
their sexuality with religion and societal attitudes.

8) Realize that the homosexual individual or couple with

problems is like any individual or couple and may
need appropriate counseling or other services.

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 9) Become at ease when talking to the homosexual client
about sexual matters.

Conclusion

While the N.A.S.W. Code of Ethics does not specifically

prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, the Code does
state that the primary obligation of a social worker is to "the
welfare of the individual or group served, which includes action
for improving social conditions.'L 4 Certainly no other minority
group in this country today has fewer human rights or has more
need for the improvement of their social condition than homo-
sexuals. An inherent ethical responsibility for all social
workers is to aid in the quest for human rights for everyone.
Regardless of occasional signs of an improving climate of
acceptance of homosexuals in our country, pervasive hatred,
ignorance and misunderstanding persist. As long as biases of such
magnitude exist, how can our profession ignore our ethical
responsibility to be community leaders striving for the acceptance
of homosexuals? Confronting such a misunderstood issue as homo-
sexuality both personally and professionally becomes a necessity
for all social workers.

FOOTNOTES

i
Arno Karlen, Sexuality and Homosexuality (New York: W.W.
Norton, 1971), p. 3.
2
Ibid., pp. 9-10 and Delores Klaich, Woman Plus Woman
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974), pp. 232-233.
3
Holy Bible, King James Version.
4
Romans 1:26-27; I Corinthians 6:9; Timothy 1:10.
5
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Question 154, Arts.
11-12, pt. 11-11 at 1825-26 (Fathers of the English Dominican
Province translation, 1947).
6
Genesis 19:1-38; Judges 19:22-30.

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 Betty Wysor, The Lesbian Myth (New York: Random House,
1974), p. 65.
8
John A. Symonds, "A Problem in Modern Ethics," in
Donald W. Cory, ed., Homosexuality: A Cross Cultural Approach
(New York: Julian Press, 1956) , pp. 7-8.
9
"The Homosexual's Legal Dilemma," Arkansas Law Review,
27(Winter 1973), pp. 689-690.
10
Specific psychiatrists that share one or more of these
values include: Edmund Bergler, Homosexuality: Disease or Way
of Life? (New York: Collier Books, 1956); Charles Hite, "Now
That It's Not Abnormal to be Gay, " Washington Star Newspaper,
4 April 1974, sec. 4, p. Dl; Richard Ryan, "A Catholic Psy-
chiatrist Dissents," The Tablet Magazine, 30 May 1974, p. IM;
and Charles Socarides in "Should Marriage Between Homosexuals
be Permitted?," Advocates (Transcript, WGBH-TV Boston, Pro-
ducers: 11 May 1974).
11
Judd Marmor, "Homosexuality and Cultural Value Systems,"
American Journal of Psychiatry, 130 (November 1973), p. 1208
and George Weinberg, Society and the Healthy Homosexual (New
York: Anchor Press, 1973), p. 22.
12
Advocates, p. 9.
13
American Psychiatric Association, Press Release (Wash-
ington, D.C., 15 December 1973), p. 1.
14
Advocates, pp. 9, 20-22.
15
"Gallup Poll: Social Role Sets View of Gays," Richmond
Times-Dispatch Newspaper, 19 July 1977, sec. 1, p. A2.
16
See Gifford G. Gibson, By Her Own Admission: A Lesbian
Mother's Fight to Keep Her Son (New York: Doubleday and Com-
pany, Inc., 1977); Bennett v. Clemens, 196 S.E. 2d 842 (S.C.
Ga. 1973), cited in E. Carrington Boggan; Marilyn G. Haft;
Charles Lister and John P. Rupp, The Rights of Gay People
(New York: Discus Books, 1975), p. 125; Chaffin v. Frye, 2 Civ.
No. 43862 (Cal. Ct. App. 2d App. Dist., 12 December 1973),

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cited in R.A. Basile, "Lesbian Mothers I," Women's Rights
Law Reporter, 2(December 1974), p. 23 and In re Tammy F.,
1 Civ. No. 32648 (Cal. 1st App. Dist., Div. 2, 21 August
1973), cited in Basile, p. 21.
17
"Status as Homosexual Grounds for Teacher Dismissal,"
Sexual Law Reporter, 3 (March/April 1977), pp. 14-15.
18
Gordon Hamilton, Theory and Practice of Social Case-
work (New York: Columbia University Press, 1951), pp. 52-55
and Florence Hollis, Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy (New
York: Random House, 1972), p. 91.
19
It is our contention that any worker who views homo-
sexuality as anything other than a viable, alternative life-
style should not work with homosexual clients. Since homo-
sexuals receive little societal support anyway, the homosexual
client needs and deserves an accepting social worker.
20
"The Homosexual's Legil Dilemma," p. 693.
21
John P. DeCecco, "Studying Violations of Civil Liberties
of Homosexual Men and Women," Journal of Homosexuality, 2 (Summer
1977), pp. 315-322 and Mary Adelman, "Sexual Orientation and
Violations of Civil Liberties," Journal of Homosexuality 2 (Summer
1977), pp. 327-330.
22
"Tucson Enacts Gay Rights Ordinance," Sexual Law Reporter,
3 (March/April 1977), p. 2 1 .
23
Several good journals about homosexuality now exist as well
as more and more credible research on the topic. For information
about the gay community, the best resource now available is the
National Gay Task Force (NGTF), Room 506, 80 Fifth Avenue, New
York, New York 10011. NGTF is an excellent resource for educational
materials and information about the homophile community in your
area.
24
National Association of Social Workers, "Code of Ethics."

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