Expert on Gender Differences Will Discuss 'Coming Out' Issues

Ritch Savin-Williams, professor of developmental and clinical psychology at Cornell University, will visit the College to give a presentation, "Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-gendered, Unlabeled, and Questioning Youth Negotiate Their Relationships with Parents." The free talk will take place on Tuesday, October 8, at 7:00 p.m. in Textor 103. The event is sponsored by the College's Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services.

"This presentation is particularly timely because it will occur during the week of National Coming Out Day," says center coordinator Lisa Maurer.

Savin-Williams has written six books on adolescent development, including ". . . And Then I Kissed Her: Young Women's Stories," ". . . And Then I Became Gay: Young Men's Stories," and "How Families Negotiate Coming Out." He is currently studying the experiences of growing up female with same-sex attractions, the resiliency and suicide attempts of sexual-minority youths, the homoerotic attractions of heterosexual youths, and adolescent sexuality.

In addition to his research and teaching, Savin-Williams is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice specializing in identity, relationships, and family issues among young adults. He has been called as an expert witness in cases involving same-sex marriage and gay adoptions, and he serves on numerous professional review boards. He received the 2001 Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution, which was presented by the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues, a division of the American Psychological Association.

For more information on National Coming Out Day, visit www.hrc.org/ncop/history. For more on Savin-Williams's talk, call Lisa Maurer at 274-7394.