GHC Presentation - Understanding Gay Youth, Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams

In addition to ongoing bullying and the resulting teen suicides, today’s LGBT youth face a world of significant challenges and fluid beliefs.  But is the recent “It Gets Better” campaign really the best support gay adults can offer?  As gay and straight sexual self-identification evolves in ways we may not even recognize, it is critical that gay adults and elders understand the challenges of gay youth so that we can bridge the generational gaps and support and empower a new generation of active, proud and powerful young gay men and woman.

The GHC is excited to host Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams, the Director of the Sex and Gender Lab at Cornell University and author of The New Gay Teen.  There is perhaps no better expert on the new gay teenager and the world in which they are defining themselves.  He will speak about his research with LGBT youth, their current challenges, changing gay identity, how we as adults can support LGBT youth, and some surprising insight about where gay and straight youth may be taking us as a community.  His presentation will cover issues such as:

• How does coming out today differ from when we came out? 
• Who are "Mostly Straight" adolescents, which is now the largest self-identified minority and outnumbers all LGBT youth?
• How does this shifting identity impact LGBT and straight youth and what does this mean for the future of our community?

Our presentation meetings start promptly at 3pm and end at 6pm.  Please be on time.  The presentation will be followed by a social mixer, and we always appreciate you bringing food for the social hour if you would like to do so.  As always, anyone is welcome at our meetings, and please bring anyone who you think may be interested.  We hope to see you there.

Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams is a psychologist, and the Chair of the Human Development Department and Director of the Sex and Gender Lab at Cornell University.  He received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, where he studied sex differences in dominance hierarchy formation at summer camp.  Dr. Savin-Williams has written seven books on adolescent development, including The New Gay Teenager.  Dr. Savin-Williams is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice specializing in identity, relationship, and family issues among sexual-minority young adults. He has served as a consultant for MTV, 20/20, the Oprah Winfrey Show, and CNN and his work has been cited in Newsweek, Time, The New York Times and numerous other publications. Dr. Savin-Williams received the 2001 Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution, the 2005 Outstanding Book Award from Division 44 of the American Psychological Association for The New Gay Teenager, the 2006 APA Science Directorates Master Lecture in developmental psychology, 2009 APA Plenary Address, and fellow status from the Association for Psychological Science.