Discussion of "being gay and becoming a psychoanalyst: across three generations"

K. Lewes

The author provides a historical background to the three papers of the panel on "Being Gay and Becoming a Psychoanalyst: Across Three Generations" and briefly summarizes the official, published psychoanalytic position on the subject of homosexuality. The author also speaks about the relation of contemporary psychoanalysis to clients and analysts who are homosexual. Although the papers discussed by the author represent a major reconciliation between psychoanalysis and gay people, it is only a beginning as they do not address the deeper structural and dynamic forces that determined such a prolonged period of prejudice. Important work must still be done if we are to avoid a repetition of this smugness and cruelty.<Copies are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Center. The Haworth Press, Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, USA>