d (Harrison, Thyer, and Wodarski, 1996).It is apparent that homosexual behavior existed in all societies throughout history. Sometimes, it has been accepted and encouraged, and at other times it has been condemned or punished. For this reason persons may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors. But rules and sanctions in society have some affect on the degree of visibility and openness of behavior. Some portions of society have shown increased tolerance of or support toward homosexuals, but this is a slow and painful process. But keep in mind that tolerance does not mean acceptance (Cole, 1996). Many people in society just prefer to ignore the influence that these forms of alternate relationships can have on a gay or lesbians life.Many individuals continue to deny the awareness and support of the individual who chose an alternative life-style. For many people, this make the coming out process very difficult. But most people come out because, sooner or later, they can not stand hiding who they are any more. Once they come out, most gay and lesbians admit that it feels much better to be open and honest than to lie and hide. But the first and toughest person you have to reveal your true identity to is yourself (Gelberg, 1996). Then you can deal with friends and family. Coming out to yourself means recognizing and accepting that you are primarily attracted to the same sex. Sharing that aspect of themselves with others is important to their mental health. The process of identity development for lesbians and gay men, usually called coming out has been found to be strongly related to psychological adjustment the more positive the gay male or lesbian identity, the better ones mental health and the higher ones self-esteem. Although it helps mental health and self-esteem, the coming out process is difficult for some gays and lesbians. Because of false stereotypes and unwarranted prejudice toward them, this p...
