Olejar Books

Although there has been an increasing literature focused on women who have sex with women, there has been relatively little attention devoted specifically to issues relevant to minority women who are also sexual minorities (lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual) and/or who are questioning their sexual identity. Many of the issues that they face as part of their daily lives differ from those encountered by minority men who have sex with men. Each section of this edited book is devoted to a particular issue affecting minority WSW and consists of one or more scholarly chapters that address the particular issue, followed by a chapter or short piece from an individual associated with a nonprofit organization or public health department concerned with this issue in this population. In addition, each section contains one or more writings from minority WSW regarding their experiences and/or perspective on the issue at hand. This organization provides a broad perspective on the relevant issues and gives voice to members of communities that, to a great extent, have not had their voices heard. The text is U.S.-focused but draws from existing frameworks elsewhere. Because much, if not most, of what has been written about sexual minority women has derived from a middle-class white perspective, the voice of minority sexual minority women has not generally been heard or considered in the discourse relating to health and wellness, spirituality, and law and politics. The issues and even the language that is used within these communities differ from that of middle class white sexual minority women. It is critical that professionals in the fields of medicine, public health, nursing, religion and law have a source to inform their practices.