THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 1

The Use of Feminist Therapy on Gay Men with Eating Disorders

Gretchen Herb
Fredonia State University




































THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 2
Abstract

Gay mens body image issues are there as result of a lot of different internal and
external pressure. These factors consist of the medias unrealistic goal for the male
body. It also includes the negative experiences they have endured because of their
sexuality. Other factors include the lack of acceptance that can stem from their
family and themselves surrounding their homosexuality. These body image issues
are directly linked to these new findings of eating disorders in gay men. The gay
men have been found to be a lot more critical of the male physic then heterosexual
men. Which directly relates to womens body image issues and the medias depiction
of a slender body. This goes into the idea that our patriarchal society influences
these negative body images onto gay men and women. Which is why I will be using
feminist therapy to treat gay men with eating disorders. My hypothesis will be that
gay men will benefit from feminist therapy and will be treated for their eating
disorder.
Keywords: gay men, women, eating disorders, body image, self esteem, social
pressure, media





























THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 3
The Use of Feminist Therapy on Gay Men with Eating Disorders

The LGBT community has always been a minority in our heteronormative
world. It has proved to be a significant social force that becomes more and more
prevalent each day. Yet, like many other marginalized groups they have been
through their share of ups and downs. Discrimination against this group of people
can occur in any aspect of their lives. It can transpire through their education, the
workplace, housing, and the law that in the past has actively discriminated again
LGBT rights. In order for this group of people to survive they have to look to each
other for unity and acceptance. The LGBT community provides a support group for
people who want to be out of the closet. Once out in the community that is
widely accepting, one would think that the previous pressures and stressors would
no longer apply. Except like in every group there is standard that these kind of
people are held to. The LGBT community has unrealistic goals and stereotypes for
each identity that falls under the LGBT umbrella (Harper & Schneider, 2003).
Gay men were the group that I specifically wanted to follow who fell under
this LGBT umbrella. These kind of men have been placed into a life that is deviant
from most men. When we think of the typical man, I would say most of our images
revolve around this heterosexual masculine type body. Over time we have
developed this image of the heterosexual male that has become a goal for most men
gay or straight. This image is something most men gay or straight idealize and
would go to great lengths to achieve. The image of a heterosexual male figure
represents masculinity. Not only with the male physic but also with his sexual
orientation. Gay mens sexual orientation and characteristics is typical equated with
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 4
femininity. Normally anything feminine is considered to be second to masculinity.
Femininity is viewed as being weak and powerless. Because of this stereotype most
gay men will try to overcompensate for their lack of masculine qualities. The area
that they tend to overcompensate the most in is their physical appearance. Which
seems to contribute to this growing dissatisfaction gay men have with their bodies.
Making them more prone to classic eating disorders (Arcelus & Morgan, 2009).
Gay male culture holds the male physic at a very high esteem; even more so
than heterosexual men. Homosexuality in itself is also typically known for being a
risk factor to body image issues and is linked to eating disorders in gay men. Things
like social media, family influences, and pressure from the gay and straight
communities all contribute to these risk factors. Its often that gay men compare
their bodies to their peers as much as women do. Much of their anxiety over their
bodies stems from the fear that they will not be able to attract a mate. In one study
that was done gay men responded to a personal ad that was put out by Epel,
Spakanos, Kasl-Godley and Brownell. The responses that researchers received
consisted of these gay men describing their body types. It was found that this was
the dominant demographic thoughout these mens responses. They also found that
gay mens ideal physic for their partners would be one of thin and lean muscular
build. (Bosley, 2011)
The stigmatization of gay men in the male community is a social factor that
contributes to their dissatisfaction with their sexuality and body image. Researchers
have consistently found that heterosexual women and men both say that gay men
act and are very feminine, especially when compared to heterosexual men. (Blashill
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 5
& Vander Wal, 2009) The stigmatization begins early when they are children and
progressively gets worse when they hit adolescence. Many gay men reported that
they experienced a significant amount of teasing when they were growing up. It was
found that they were teased during childhood for their feminine thoughts, behaviors
and or physical characteristics. These pre-gay boys didnt fit the masculine
stereotype so they were then labeled as feminine and then thought of as being weak
(Siconolfi, 2009). Usually masculinity is based on a few aspects, one of them being
sports. For most young pre-gay boys sports are not something that they are dawn to.
Which reinforces the teasing that they undergo as a child about their supposed lack
of masculinity. Also in our society the father son relationship is customarily based
off of masculine activities like sports. So it can be difficult for a father to have a good
relationship with his pre-gay son if he doesnt participate in them. Studies have
show that a combination of these two stressors can have a negative affect on gay
boys self-esteem. This low self-esteem growing up can lead to dissatisfaction with
ones body and then later lead to eating disorders (Bosley, 2011).
Another major factor that attributes to this growling dilemma of eating
disorders and body dissatisfaction among gay men is the media. The media has
always had a strong input on how we view our bodies. Women are stereotypically
known for being self-concious about their bodies because of the media. Bosley
points out though, that the media has also had a strong influence on the ideal gay
mens body. When gay men view the media they come out with sexual images of
men that have bodies with nearly no fat and a defined muscular physic. This
develops the belief that the only way for gay men to attain sexual gratification is if
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 6
they look like these sexualized models in the media. The media is eluding to the idea
that male beauty and masculinity will grant these gay men social and sexual
acceptance. Then ultimately leading them to their goal of power. Which is what the
heterosexual male identity is known for (Siconolfi, 2009).
When we think of eating disorders and body image issues we typically
associate these problems with women. There are many studies surrounding body
dissatisfaction and eating disorders with women but this field is not as well covered
with men. Which is also part of the reason men tend to shy away from admitting
they have an eating disorder (Bosley, 2011). The womens body is just as picked
apart if not more so by societys views of beauty, similar to what I discussed with the
gay mans physic. In both cases slenderness and fitness is associated with beauty,
and this standard becomes unrealistic. These unrealistic standards for the body are
directly linked back to issues with bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Even when
thinness is achieved its not enough for the women and gay men with these
disorders (Alapack, 2011). Ironically enough a result of anorexic gay men that
achieved this sexually thin body type develop a lack of sexual desire. Which is due to
the endocrine abnormalities that are similar to women with anorexia who stop
menstruating (Bosley, 2011). All of these studies end up being a result of the
pressure that is put on women and gay men to fit this so called perfect body type.
This body type t is created by our patriarchal societies views on sexuality and the
body. Another factor that applies is a loss of voice. When a person is unable to
express how they think or feel about a situation (Bosley, 2011). Many times
womens opinions are not take seriously or even into consideration (Alapack, 2011).
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 7
Bosley discusses how the loss of voice is often linked to people that have issues with
eating. The loss of voice also can develop in gay men because of their constant
ridicule as a child by the majority (2011).
What I am trying to prove by this study is that the heterosexual males
ultimately make up the majority of the power in our society. Women and gay men
have both experienced similar types of oppression. Much of it having to do with
these standards we put out for women and gay men that are based off of societies
patriarchal binaries. Which keep masculinity in power over femininity. Proving that
the increased level of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction in gay men is the
result of these social norms that have been put into place by our male dominated
society as well as the media. In this study I plan on using feminist therapy to treat
young gay men who have developed eating disorders because of their dissatisfaction
with their bodies. My hypothesis is that by using feminist therapy these gay men will
gain a more positive body image of themselves, and it will treat the psychological
issues that cause these eating disorders.
Method
Participants
The study will consist of both female and male college students. The likely
age range will be anywhere from 18 to 22. Specifically what Im looking for is a small
group of young caucasian males that identify as homosexual who can attest to
having an eating disorder. The other group I would like for my study is a group of
young caucasian women who identify as heterosexual. This group of women would
also be able to attest to having an eating disorder.
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 8
Materials
The therapy will consist of six therapy sessions, two interviews and three
self-reports. Each therapy session will go for about an hour. The self-report will be
based off of a scale from 1 to 5. Where 1 refers to Never, 2 refers to Rarely, 3
consists of Once in a While, 4 would be Sometimes, and 5 would be Always. The
self-report would measure how happy the participant felt with their body, how
often do they feel oppressed or discriminated against. It will also test how often do
they feel like binging or purging, fear that they will gain weight, restrict their diet,
compare their bodies to others, and how often do they work out. The next step
would be a one on one interview with the participants. The interview would consist
of similar questions that were on the self-report. We would then compare the
answers we got for the self-report and the interview to test the reliability and
increase the validity of the study. My last step would be to compare the success rate
of the heterosexual women to the gay men. This would be see how well feminist
theory worked on men comparatively to women.
Procedure
The therapist would be a white caucasion female. In order to get participants
we would tell them that they will be paid twenty dollars per therapy session as
compensation for their time. There will be six therapy sessions over a six week span.
The first session will be an introduction to the purpose of the therapy, the steps and
the goals of the treatment. The therapist will make sure to explain that the purpose
of the therapy is to use feminist therapy to improve their body image and that the
goal is to eliminate their eating disorder. This step is taken so that the therapist lets
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 9
the client know that they are on the same level. So that there is no hierarchal
relationship between them. Before the therapist and patient start the session the
therapist will make sure to get a written consent from the participant for being in
the study. The participant will also fill out the self-report before hand as well. So we
can develop a base line for all these participants. The second therapy session will
consist of a discussion about the issues he/she has with their body. Then the
participant will identify where these underlying issues come from whether its
family, the media, or social pressure. For the third therapy session the therapist will
explain to the client why they are feeling this way. The therapist will be reframing
the way they think about the issues they have with their body. Then the client will
be reassured that their problems with their body come from the binaries our society
creates. For instance the medias unrealistic goals for men and womens bodies.
There will also be a discussion on the clients thoughts on patriarchy in their
community. The therapist can then explain how their negative frame of mind isnt
their fault. That patriarchy may play a role in this low self-esteem they are have
about their bodies. After this third session they will be taking another self-report to
see if they have made any psychological and physical progress with their body
image and eating disorder. Later that week after the third session they will be
requested to stay for an interview asking similar questions about their progress. By
the fourth session the therapist will be conducting assertiveness training on the
participant. This consists of bringing up past experiences where the client has been
made fun of or teased for either their sexuality, lifestyle, and/or gender. Once the
participant acknowledges these situations they will discuss how they didnt assert
THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 10
themselves at the time, but if they could do it again how would they do it over. The
therapist must let the participant know that they do have the power to have a voice
and stick up for themselves. They will then talk about how they will be taking
control of their eating disorder. By the fifth therapy session the client will point out
what they think is important about their body, and why they believe this is
important. They will also discuss how gender roles have affected their self-image
and what they will be taking out of that observation. By the last session the therapist
will have the client list the things they have achieved since they have been in
therapy. The patient will also make goals to change their negative self-esteem,
improve their body image, and eating disorder. After the last therapy session the
patient will take another self-report to establish their progress. Then later that week
we will ast the participant to do another interview to affirm the reliability of the
self-report, and to evaluate the clients mental status. After we look at the results of
the self-report and interviews, we will compare and contrast the success rate
between gay men and heterosexual women. A month after the therapy there will be
a follow up interview to asses how well the client is doing with their goal, and
whether or not they have progressed or declined in dealing with their eating
disorder.





THE USE OF FEMINIST THERAPY ON GAY MEN WITH EATING DISORDERS 11
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