Women's Sexualities

Letitia Anne Peplau is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has been a member of SPSSI for 2 decades and coedited (with Connie Hammen) an earlier Journal issue on "Sexual Behavior: Social Psychological Issues" (1977). A past president of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, Peplau was the 1997 recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. She has published many empirical papers on gender and close relationships, including studies of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male relationships. Her other books include Gender, Culture, and Ethnicity (coedited with Debro, Veniegas, and P. Taylor), Sociocultural Perspectives in Social Psychology (coedited with S. Taylor) and Loneliness (coedited with Perlman).Linda D. Garnets has been a lecturer in the Departments of Psychology and Women's Studies at the University of California, Los Angles, since 1987, where she teaches a course called "Psychology of the Lesbian Experience." She is nationally known for her publications and presentations on lesbian and gay psychology, including a coedited anthology titled Psychological Perspectives in Lesbian and Gay Male Experiences. She is a currently on the editorial boards of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Lesbian and Gay Psychology, and the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy. Garnets is the Past Chair of the American Psychological Association's (APA's) Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest and of the APA's Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns. She has been a member of SPSSI Council and Chaired both the Continuing Education Committee and the Social Action Internship Committee. Garnets is an organizational consultant and psychotherapist, specializing in nonprofit social purpose organizations and lesbian and gay clients.

• Part I: Sexuality and Sexual Orientation:. 1. "Understanding Women's Sexualities and Sexual Orientations: An Introduction": Linda D. Garnets & Letitia Anne Peplau, University of California, Los Angeles.2. "Sexual Orientation and Sex in Women's Lives: Conceptual and Methodological Issues":.Esther D. Rothblum, University of Vermont.3. "Bisexuality: A Contemporary Paradox for Women": Paula C. Rodríguez Rust, State University of New York at Geneseo.Part II: Social Contexts:.4. "Culture and Women's Sexualities": Evelyn Blackwood, Purdue University.5. "African American Lesbian and Bisexual Women": Beverly Greene, St. John's University.6. "Sexual Prejudice and Gender: Do Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Differ?: Gregory M. Herek, University of California at Davis.Part III: Development:.7. "Biological Research on Women's Sexual Orientations: Evaluating the Scientific Evidence": Rosemary C. Veniegas, University of California, San Francisco; Terri D. Conley, Univsersity of California, Los Angeles.8. "Becoming a Heterosexual Adult: The Experiences of Young Women": Janet Shibley Hyde & Sara R. Jaffee, University of Wisconsin.9. "Explaining Diversity in the Development of Same-Sex Sexuality Among Young Women": Lisa M. Diamond, University of Utah; Ritch C. Savin-Williams, Cornell University.Part IV: Implications for Research and Policy:.10. "Heterosexism and the Study of Women's Romantic and Friend Relationships": Suzanna Rose, University of Missouri-St. Louis.11. "A New Paradigm for Understanding Women's Sexuality and Sexual Orientation": Linda D. Garnets & Letitia Anne Peplau, University of California, Los Angeles.12. "Seeing Is Believing: Research on Women's Sexual Orientation and Public Policy": Sheila James Kuehl, California State Assembly.13. "Afterword": Jacqueline D. Goodchilds, University of California, Los Angeles.