Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and women's studies at Sacramento City College. Her teaching interests include clinical psychology and the psychology of women and gender, and she developed and teaches a course on the psychology of sexual orientation. She has conducted research on the physical and mental health of lesbians, and she has authored numerous articles and book chapters on women, gender, and sexuality. Backdrop: The Politics and Personalities behind Sexual Orientation Research is her first book.