Coming out to families: Guidelines for intervention with gay and lesbian clients

Abstract

Coming out to families is a major milestone event for many lesbian and gay people. Social work intervention can be an important support for gay and lesbian people who are preparing to come out to their families. This article reviews the literature related to coming out to families, and proposes the following ten guidelines for social work intervention with clients who are considering coming out to family members: evaluate the client's social context; assess the client's level of gay/lesbian identity development; develop a client knowledge base related to gay and lesbian issues; develop a social support system; engage practice experiences before coming out to families; determine the availability of supportive family allies; choose language and terminology appropriate for the receiver of the news; select the method of information delivery; structure the timing of coming out; and, prepare the client for upheaval. © 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.