Speaker: Dr. Loren A. Olson, M.D. is a gay psychiatrist who came out at forty. A father and grandfather, he is also a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a recipient of the "Exemplary Psychiatrist Award" from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He has presented findings from his research on mature gay men at the World Congress of Psychiatry in Prague. In 2009, Dr. Olson legally married Doug Mortimer, his partner of twenty-four years. They live on a farm in Iowa.
Among other things, Rebecca Daniel-Burke asks the following questions:
- How could you not know you were gay until you were 40 years old?
- LGBT individuals have a significantly higher rate of depression, substance abuse and suicide than heterosexuals. What stressors lead to these mental health issues?
- What counsel would you offer someone who believed their friend, sibling or child was a closeted gay and about to enter into a heterosexual marriage?
- Are there situations in which you think remaining closeted is still the most sensible option?
- You say in the book that gay men and women waste a lot of energy hating a homophobic culture and blaming it for the guilt and shame they feel. Isn't their anger justified?
- One of your daughters is a conservative Christian. How does she reconcile her religious beliefs with the fact that her dad is gay?
- What advice do you have for men and women who are contemplating coming out but fear losing the people and things that matter most to them?
Running Time: 50:47
Date Recorded: 5/10/11
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Running time: 50:47
To write the host: rburke@counseling.org
The author's blog: www.MagneticFire.com
Finally Out website: www.FinallyOutBook.com
Buy the book
The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding
The Social Environment and Suicide Attempts in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth