1st Edition

The Construction of Sexual and Cultural Identities Greek-Cypriot Men in Britain

By Constantinos N. Phellas Copyright 2002
    158 Pages
    by Routledge

    158 Pages
    by Routledge

    This title was first published in 2002: Ethnicity, culture and sexual orientation are salient aspects of human identity. While diversity adds richness to the threads of our human tapestry, minorities often feel vulnerable with open disclosure and retreat from exposures they fear could leave them in jeopardy. This is especially so with gay men of colour. Xenophobia, homophobia and fear of HIV/AIDS combine to make our society a difficult one for gay men of colour. This book explores a broad range of culture-related topics specific to the experience of Anglo-Cypriot men resident in Britain who have sex with men. Along with empirical, clinical and theoretical discussions, the inclusion of personal accounts offers poignant insight into additional complexities, pressures and losses that gay men of colour must cope with in a world that often handles diversity with the closed fist of bigotry.

    Contents: Zorba the gay Greek man; Identities, stigma and the control of disclosure; Three worlds in collision; Cypriot culture and homosexuality; Methodological issues; The gay Greek-Cypriot man in Britain: a profile; Epilogue; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

    Biography

    Constantinos N. Phellas, Dr, Senior Lecturer of Social Research Methods, Department of Sociology, South Bank University, London. He was previously a Research Fellow of Health Promotion & Evaluation at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He has also been actively involved in gay men's counselling and gay organisations over the past 15 years.

    ’Cypriot gay men stand in a crucial relationship to two contrasting forms of sexual division - Mediterranean or ancient ( where being the penetrator - of whichever gender - makes the man) and modern western where the gender of the partner marks the distinction between hetero - and homo-sexuality. Here Dr Phellas presents us with a unique sociological and empathic study of these men, as they encounter and respond to London’s cosmopolitan life. It could not be a more important and timely contribution to our understanding of the varied faces of sexualities in the modern world and to how diverse the range of their responses is.’ Professor Tony Coxon, University of Essex, UK