Gay-related stress occurs when gay men and lesbians must deal with stressors that are unique to their sexual orientation. This research examined the relationship of gay-related stress and life events to depressive symptoms. Other potential predictors of depressive symptoms were also considered (internalized homophobia, stigma consciousness, and openness about sexual orientation). A sample of 204 (110 men, and 91 women, three sex-unspecified) gay/lesbian/bisexual individuals completed a packet of self-report measures. The importance of the construct of gay-related stress was demonstrated by explaining independent variance in depressive symptoms compared to variance explained by life stress. Those who reported more severe life stress and more severe gay-related stress also reported more depressive symptoms. Also, gay-related stress and stigma consciousness were independent predictors of depressive symptoms. Those with more severe gay-related stress and more stigma consciousness reported more depressive symptoms. Our results suggest that the construct of gay-related stress is important to understanding the experiences of gay/lesbian/bisexual individuals

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Privacy is viewed as a process of boundary regulation, controlling how much (or how little) contact an individual maintains with others, Self-disclosure involves the verbal transmission of information. Adjustment of self-disclosure outputs and inputs is boundary regulation; the extent of control one maintains over this exchange of information contributes to the amount of privacy one has in a social relationship. Regulation of interpersonal boundaries affects the kinds of relationships we maintain with others (as in friendships and power relationships). There also are implications for personality functioning. Reconceptualizing self-disclosure as a form of boundary adjustment in the maintenance of privacy may provide a useful framework for integrating the self-disclosure literature.Much of the popular literature on privacy has been concerned with "invasions of privacy," in which individuals' personal lives are monitored against their wishes. In our view privacy represents control over the amount of interaction we choose to maintain with others. If one can choose how much or how little to divulge about oneself to another voluntarily, privacy is maintained. If another person can influence how much information we divulge about ourselves or how much information input we let in about others, a lower level of privacy exists.