Between Gay and Straight: Understanding Friendship Across Sexual Orientation

by Lisa M. Tillmann-Healy

Overview

It started as a class project—a young, married, small-town white woman interviewing a gay acquaintance and his circle of friends. From this developed a three-year exploration of the complexities of carrying on gay-straight friendships. This reflexive, thoughtful, and compellingly written study moves from gay bars to softball leagues to visits with families and friends, both gay and straight. During its course, the author develops a growing understanding of the differences between the two communities, the difficulties of developing bonds across groups, and the inherent rewards of seeking (and being) the Other in contemporary society. She explores sexuality, marriage, lifestyles, and the meanings of friendship, culminating in a boisterous dissertation defense attended by her new community of friends. As a study of a gay community, a narrative of personal development and change, and an exploration of the use of friendship in conducting research that transforms both participants and researcher, Tillmann-Healy's work will be compelling reading for scholars, students, and the broader community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759117068
Publisher:	AltaMira Press
Publication date:	04/26/2001
Series:	Ethnographic Alternatives
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Lisa M. Tillman-Healy is a recent Ph.D. in communication from University of South Florida and teaches at Rollins College.

Editorial Reviews

The study itself is challenging in that it does not merely involve choosing an object and then "studying" it, but takes friendship as its guiding framework....it does discuss a particular community and a particular woman's responses to it. The is not an attempt at generalizing in the way that readers might expect of more typical research. The book does not deal with political issues, but stays with the personal and interpersonal, wherein lies its strengths.

Forum: Qualitative Social Research - Sarah Redshaw

A lively first-person account of her experiences, her husband's and their gay, lesbian and straight friends.

The Graphic, Lake City, Mn - Richard Ousky

A resource to some family or friends who are just coming to terms with their son as part of the gay community, or may be a guide to someone who wants to learn how to be a better straight ally.

Pflagpole

[This] compelling story... started out as a class project—studying a community of gay men living in Tampa—and ended up a narrative of personal experience, friendship and growth.

St. Petersburg Times - Samantha Puckett

Tillmann-Healy has written an easy-to-read narrative study that all began when [her husband] Doug started playing softball with a queer friend from work. Clear, compelling and vunerable, this book offers a real-life look at the tests, triumphs and ramifications of friendships between homos and heteros.

Instinct - Aaron Hartzler

A lively first-person account of her experiences, her husband's and their gay, lesbian and straight friends.--Richard Ousky "The Graphic, Lake City, Mn "

Tillmann-Healy has written an easy-to-read narrative study that all began when [her husband] Doug started playing softball with a queer friend from work. Clear, compelling and vunerable, this book offers a real-life look at the tests, triumphs and ramifications of friendships between homos and heteros.--Aaron Hartzler "Instinct "

The study itself is challenging in that it does not merely involve choosing an object and then "studying" it, but takes friendship as its guiding framework....it does discuss a particular community and a particular woman's responses to it. The is not an attempt at generalizing in the way that readers might expect of more typical research. The book does not deal with political issues, but stays with the personal and interpersonal, wherein lies its strengths.--Sarah Redshaw, Centre for Cultural Research, Univ of Western Sydney "Forum: Qualitative Social Research, Vol 3.4 (November 2002) "

From the Publisher