Deaf and hearing-impaired lesbians and gay males : perceptions of social support

J. LeBlanc, C. Tully

This nationwide exploratory study describes the social support systems of 43 gay men (n = 19) and lesbians (n = 24) with hearing impairments of varying degrees. It examines the configuration and function of these support systems on both an ongoing basis and in the event of a crisis. Data from this sample of relatively young, healthy, well educated, professional, mostly profoundly deaf lesbian women and gay men indicate that lesbian or gay male friends or fictive family provide the most support in times of crisis. Further, respondents were well integrated into the gay male and lesbian community as well as the heterosexual community where they sought and received social services. Although not particularly religious, respondents were politically liberal and tended to vote for candidates that openly supported lesbian and gay male issues. Open and honest about their sexual orientation, most respondents were in long term relationships with same-sex partners and had few disabilities other than hearing loss. Data further demonstrate that social workers working with deaf or hearing-impaired clients must consider the aspects of community (both the gay and lesbian community and the deaf community), use appropriate communication techniques, and employ an empowerment approach to best meet the needs of this population.