Researchers and theorists who attempt to generalize about sexuality and sexual orientation in both men and women simultaneously often take male experiences as the norm and ignore unique aspects of women's lives. The purpose of this issue is to focus attention on scientific research and theory about aspects of women's sexualities, with special emphasis on sexual orientation. A new paradigm is presented that recognizes the great diversity of women's erotic experiences and the many sociocultural factors that shape women's sexuality and sexual orientation across the lifespan.

Letitia Anne Peplau is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has been a member of SPSSI for 2 decades and coedited (with Connie Hammen) an earlier Journal issue on "Sexual Behavior: Social Psychological Issues" (1977). A past president of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, Peplau was the 1997 recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. She has published many empirical papers on gender and close relationships, including studies of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male relationships. Her other books include Gender, Culture, and Ethnicity (coedited with Debro, Veniegas, and P. Taylor), Sociocultural Perspectives in Social Psychology (coedited with S. Taylor) and Loneliness (coedited with Perlman).

Linda D. Garnets has been a lecturer in the Departments of Psychology and Women's Studies at the University of California, Los Angles, since 1987, where she teaches a course called "Psychology of the Lesbian Experience." She is nationally known for her publications and presentations on lesbian and gay psychology, including a coedited anthology titled Psychological Perspectives in Lesbian and Gay Male Experiences. She is a currently on the editorial boards of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Lesbian and Gay Psychology, and the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy. Garnets is the Past Chair of the American Psychological Association's (APA's) Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest and of the APA's Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns. She has been a member of SPSSI Council and Chaired both the Continuing Education Committee and the Social Action Internship Committee. Garnets is an organizational consultant and psychotherapist, specializing in nonprofit social purpose organizations and lesbian and gay clients.