“Good Cake” An Ethnographic Trilogy of Life Satisfaction among Gay Black Men

This qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with three self-identified gay black men. The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of how these men defined life satisfaction and to assess their individual levels of life satisfaction. The results indicated that key elements of life satisfaction included self-concept, social inte-gration, and companionship. The studies also revealed the significance of racial identity in their identity formation as gay men. Key words: ethnic identity; life satisfaction; black male; gay identity With social work’s ethical mandates for cultural competence, the empha-sis has been on preparing professionals to work with those who are racially and/or ethnically different. Although other forms of “culture ” such as social class are frequently addressed, sexual orientation has not received as much attention as is needed. For example, a syllabus for a graduate course, Dis-crimination and Inequality, taught at a North Carolina university lists the fol-lowing as its first objective: Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of prejudice and the effects of dis-crimination on individuals and groups, especially with regard to race and gen-der. Other populations to be considered are ethnic groups, older persons, gays and lesbians, disabled persons and persons who reside in rural areas. (Carlton-LaNey 2003) Of the fifty-seven readings assigned for the course, only three of them address sexual orientation, the fewest of any of the groups mentioned. Fur-thermore, in many regions of the United States, religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell and members of the religious right have worked hard to sup-press issues concerning gay men. The purpose of this field study was to explore the concept of life satisfac-tion among gay black men. The goal was to build a foundation for under-standing the nature of life satisfaction for gay black men to develop an