Disrupting normalcy: lesbian, gay, queer issues and mental health. An introduction.

The timing for the publication of this special issue, Disrupting Normalcy: Lesbian, Gay, Queer Issues and Mental Health, is not insignificant. In Canada, we have seen in the recent election, and will no doubt continue to see, public debates over the issue of same-sex marriage. Many Canadians are supportive of increased rights for gays and lesbians and are tolerant―if not accepting―of gay men and lesbians as equal and contributing members of society. Nonetheless, it seems that the definition of marriage and the extension of marital rights to same-sex couples has brought forward more blatant examples of the ways in which “homosexuality” is still perceived as too different from heterosexuality, as somehow “deviant” or “abnormal.” These examples make it clear that gay and lesbian individuals continue to be seen as not deserving of the same entitlements and privileges as heterosexuals. Convictions about sexuality seem very deeply embraced.