Gay men, drinking, and alcoholism

401 Pages·1994·0.96 MB·English

by  Thomas S. Weinberg

title: Gay Men, Drinking, and Alcoholism
author: Weinberg, Thomas S.
publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
isbn10 | asin:
print isbn13: 9780809318575
ebook isbn13: 9780585107424
language: English
subject Gay men--Alcohol use--United States.
publication date: 1994
lcc: HV5139.W45 1994eb
ddc: 362.29/22/086642
subject: Gay men--Alcohol use--United States.
Page iii
Gay Men, Drinking, and Alcoholism
Thomas S. Weinberg
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY PRESS
Carbondale and Edwardsville
Page iv
For G. W. Levi Kamel, Ph.D.,
Friend, Colleague, and Collaborator in Loving Memory
Copyright © 1994 by the Board of Trustees,
Southern Illinois University
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Edited by Robin Russell
Design and production supervised by New Leaf Studio
97 96 95 94 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Weinberg, Thomas S.
Gay men, drinking, and alcoholism / Thomas S. Weinberg
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Gay menUnited StatesAlcohol use. I. Title.
HV5139.W45 1994
362.29'22'086642dc20 93-48387
ISBN 0-8093-1857-1 CIP
ISBN 0-8093-1858-X pbk.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Page v
Contents
Tables vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
1. Gay Men and Drinking: An Introduction 1
2. Research Methods 9
3. Drinking as Social Behavior 18
4. The Bar 30
5. Love Relationships and Drinking 58
6. Drinking Careers 73
7. Infrequent, Light, and Moderate Drinkers 94
8. Problem Drinkers 103
9. Alternative Explanations for Gay Problem Drinking 126
10. Controlling Alcohol Abuse in the Gay Community 147
Appendix: Interview Schedule 161
Notes 168
References 176
Index 184

Page vii
Tables
1. Demographic Characteristics of Respondents 14
2. Frequency of Drinking by Setting in Which Friends Are 50
Made
3. Number of Drinks When Drinking by Setting in Which 50
Friends Are Made
4. Classification of Drinkers in the Study 93
5. Summary of Correlations Between Measures of 141
Drinking Involvement and Measures of Alienation
6. Summary of Correlations Between Measures of 146
Drinking Involvement and Measures of Participation in
Gay Reference Group
Page ix
Preface
Within the gay community, there is a belief that gays drink heavily
and are more likely to suffer the ravages of alcoholism than are
members of mainstream society. The National Lesbian and Gay
Health Foundation reports that three out of every ten gay people have
an alcohol or drug abuse problem (Buffalo News, October 30, 1990).
No one, however, really knows if this is true. The main source of
information on the extent of gay alcohol use and abuse comes from a
few surveys done in the mid-1970s. More recent studies have cast
some doubt upon the validity of the earlier findings. Casual
observation, however, indicates that alcohol use is an integral part of
the gay world.
This book is not intended to clear up the question of how many gays
have drinking problems. Rather, I am more interested in the nature of
drinking, its variations within the gay male community, and
adjustments and responses to alcohol use. If, in fact, gays have more
problems with alcohol than nongays, the sociological question to be
asked is, How does the social organization of the gay world contribute
to heavy drinking? Issues that need to be addressed include how social
relationships with both friends and lovers affect alcohol use and how
the bar and other social settings encourage or discourage drinking.
Sociologists at one time believed that distinctions should be made
between the findings of research and their practical application. This
is not my perspective. The value of sociological insights lies in their
usefulness in solving real-world problems. My primary motivation in
undertaking this project was a desire to develop insights that could be
used to reduce alcohol problems within the gay community. To that
end, I have added a final chapter that builds upon the research in
making suggestions I hope will be valuable.

Page xi
Acknowledgments
The research for this book was supported by a National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism postdoctoral fellowship sponsored by
Dr. Jacqueline P. Wiseman. I am grateful to Professor Wiseman for
her enthusiastic support, encouragement, and advice, and for her help
in obtaining supplementary grants from the Distilled Spirits Council
of the United States.
A number of other colleagues encouraged this research by critically
reading drafts of several chapters and discussing ideas. Among them
are Herbert A. Aurbach, Carl B. Backman, Gene Grabiner, Peter
Nardi, Narendra Nath Kalia, and Martha S. Magill. Bonnie A. Beane
read several complete drafts of the book, raising important questions.
Levi Kamel was a source of ideas, as well as a companion on bar
excursions. Although he has passed away, I can still hear his voice in
certain phrases and passages in the book.
I am also grateful for the constructive comments and ideas of David
Rudy and two anonymous readers for Southern Illinois University
Press. I am indebted to Richard D. DeBacher and Curtis L. Clark,
editorial directors at SIU Press, for their encouragement. A special
thanks is due to Kathy Callanan of the Research Institute on
Addictions, who obtained material for me that I could not find
elsewhere.
Chapter 5 originally appeared in a shorter and less-developed form as
"Love Relationships and Drinking among Gay Men" in the Journal of
Drug Issues, 16, 637648. Reprinted with permission.