This review examines research on the prevalence of problem drinking am
ong gays and lesbians, and dicusses various theories as to the etiolog
y of drinking problems in this population. Early reports on alcohol pr
oblems in this population suggested that gay men and lesbians were cat
alarmingly high risk for alcohol problems; however methodological fla
ws call these results into question. More recent research suggests tha
t gay men are not at significantly higher risk for drinking heavily or
for developing drinking problems than heterosexual men. Problem drink
ing may exist at somewhat higher rates among lesbians than among heter
osexual women, although not at the high rates reported in early studie
s. Both gay men and lesbians appear to be less likely to abstain from
alcohol than their heterosexual counterparts. Numerous theories have b
een pro posed to explain the etiology of problem drinking in this popu
lation, including subcultural phenomena, self-medication hypotheses, a
nd social and cultural pressures. However, none of these theories has
mwe than minimal empirical support. Clinical implications and recommen
dations for further research are discussed.