Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons^™

Cigarette Smoking Behaviors And Nicotine Dependence At The Intersection Of Sexual Identity And Sex In The United States: Findings From The National Survey On Drug Use And Health, Ollie Ganz, Jonathan A. Schulz, Sarah J. Ehlke, Jessica L. King Jensen, Andrea C. Villanti

Psychology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is disproportionately high among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Yet, collapsing these identities into a monolith can disguise important within group disparities (e.g., lesbian/gay versus bisexual female). The purpose of this study is to report recent national prevalence estimates and trends of cigarette smoking behaviors and nicotine dependence by sexual identity and sex. Methods: Data were from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (n = 210,392; adults 18+), a nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional study of substance use and mental health in the U.S. We examined bivariate and multivariable associations between sexual identity and …

The Influence Of Internalized Heterosexism On Life Satisfaction: Comparing Sexual Minority Women In Belgium And Turkey, Esra Ummak, Ezgi Toplu-Demirtaş, Amber L. Pope, Jeffry Moe

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

To date, the majority of research studying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) health has been conducted in Westernized, predominantly individualistic countries. Building on minority stress theory and models of LGBTQ health, we explored how sexual orientation and nationality moderated the association between internalized heterosexism and life satisfaction for lesbian and bisexual (LB) women living in two countries (Turkey and Belgium) with contrasting social contexts. The results of two-way MANOVA, in a sample of 339 Turkish and 220 Belgian LB women, revealed main effects but no interaction effects. LB women in Belgium reported less internalized heterosexism and more life …

Refining An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Of Binge Eating Among Sexual Minority And Heterosexual Young Women: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Kristin E. Heron, Charlotte A. Dawson, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Lauren V. Butler, Abby L. Braitman, Alison Cerezo, Robin J. Lewis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is used to capture daily lived experiences, states, and environments. Although EMA is commonly used in behavioral health research, there remains a dearth of literature on how researchers account for design considerations of EMA techniques when designing studies. The goal of this formative mixed methods study was to elicit feedback on EMA study procedures and materials from the target populations for a larger study about binge eating among sexual minority and heterosexual young women, in which data are collected entirely remotely.

Methods: Sexual minority (n=12) and heterosexual (n=9) women ages 18–30 who binge ate took …

Distorted Reality: A Commentary On Dimarco Et Al. (2022) And The Question Of Male Sexual Victimization, B. Kennath Widanaralalage, Shon M. Reed, Maria João Lobo Antunes, Christina Dejong, Gillian M. Pinchevsky, Rachel Lovell, Cristy E. Cummings

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Our commentary responds to claims made by DiMarco and colleagues in an article published in this journal that the majority of victims of rape are men and that 80% of those who rape men are women. Although we strongly believe that studying male sexual victimization is a highly important research and policy endeavour, we have concerns with the approach taken by DiMarco and colleagues to discuss these incidents. Specifically, we critique their paper by addressing the definitions of rape used by the authors, questioning their interpretation of national victim surveys, evaluating their analysis of the underreporting of male rape, and …

Associations Between Body Dissatisfaction And Relationship Functioning Among Same-Sex Female Couples: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Kelly A. Romano, Kristin E. Heron, Charlotte A. Dawson, Tiphanie G. Sutton, Barbara A. Winstead, Robin J. Lewis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Nearly all past research about body dissatisfaction and romantic relationship factors is among heterosexual couples; little is known about these associations in sexual minority couples. The present study aimed to fill gaps in the current literature by using actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) to examine dyadic patterns of association between body dissatisfaction and different aspects of relationship functioning among same-sex female couples. Participants were 163 same-sex female romantic dyads (326 women) between the ages of 18-35 years who completed measures of body dissatisfaction and relationship factors. Results from significance testing of actor and partner effects indicated higher levels of women's own …

A Crisis Of Erasure: Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Populations Navigating Breast Cancer Health Information, Curtis Shane Tenney, Karl J. Surkan, Lynette Hammond Gerido, Dawn Betts-Green

STEMPS Faculty Publications

In this paper, we use the topic of breast cancer as an example of health crisis erasure in both informational and institutional contexts, particularly within the transgender and gender-nonconforming population. Breast cancer health information conforms and defaults to conventional cultural associations with femininity, as is the case with pregnancy and other “single-sex” conditions (Surkan, 2015). Many health information and research practices normalize sexualities, pathologize non-normative gender (Drescher et al., 2012; Fish, 2008; Müller, 2018), and fail to recognize gender-nonconforming categories (Frohard‐Dourlent et al., 2017). Because breast cancer health information is sexually normalized, an information boundary exists for the LGBTQ+ community, …

Information Activism: A Queer History Of Lesbian Media Technologies, Dawn Betts-Green

STEMPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Socioeconomic Status And Psychosocial Resources Mediate Racial/Ethnic Differences In Psychological Health Among Gay And Bisexual Men: A Longitudinal Analysis Using Structural Equation Modeling, Rainier Masa, Sylvia Shangani, Don Operario

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

A large body of research demonstrates disparities in psychological health attributed to sexual minority identity, racial/ethnic minority identity, and socioeconomic status (SES). Fewer studies have explicated the role of these multiple attributes on psychological health and explored the role of SES and psychosocial resources in determining outcomes. We analyzed data from Project STRIDE, a longitudinal survey involving a diverse sample of gay and bisexual adult men (n = 198). Using structural equation modeling, we tested hypothesized direct and indirect effects of race/ethnicity, SES, and three psychosocial mediational variables (collective self-efficacy, everyday discrimination, internalized homophobia) on two outcome variables-psychological and social …

Evaluating Study Procedure Training Methods For A Remote Daily Diary Study Of Sexual Minority Women, Kristin E. Heron, Abby Braitman, Charlotte A. Dawson, Rachel I. Macintyre, Lindsay M. Howard, Robin J. Lewis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods can be used to remotely assess physical and mental health in daily life for hard-to-reach, marginalized, and geographically dispersed populations in the U.S., such as sexual minority women (e.g., lesbian, bisexual). However, EMA studies are often complex, and engaging participants from afar can be a challenge. This study experimentally examined whether adding videos to written recruitment materials would improve consent rates, reduce dropout rates, and improve survey completion rates for an online daily diary study.

Methods: As part of a 2-week study of same-sex female couples' health, 376 women ages 18-35 were recruited from …

Minority Stress And Alcohol Use In Sexual Minority Women's Daily Lives, Robin J. Lewis, Kelly A. Romano, Sarah J. Ehlke, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Douglas J. Glenn, Kristin E. Heron

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Going Beyond Book Displays: Providing Safe Spaces For Lgbtq Youth, Lisa Gay-Milliken, Jeffrey Discala

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School libraries should be a space where students of all ages feel welcome and safe. I (Lisa) can speak from experience when I say this is not always the case, not in the 1980s and not today. Even in the school library, a place I now cherish, I was fearful of ridicule and harassment. I was frustrated because I did not see myself—a young, questioning, and confused lesbian—in any of the books. Gay and lesbian characters didn’t exist on those high school shelves. “But that was the 1980s,” you say. It hasn’t gotten much better for much of the LGBTQ …

Writing The Rainbow: Facilitating Undergraduate Teacher Candidates’ Lgbtqia+ Allyship Through Multimodal Writing, Judith Dunkerly-Bean, Julia Morris, Valerie Taylor

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This yearlong qualitative descriptive case study conducted by an interdisciplinary team of education faculty with pre-service elementary teacher candidates sought to disrupt heteronormativity and to increase candidates’ awareness and preparedness for inclusivity with future LGBTQIA+ elementary students. Central to our findings was that in researching and authoring multimodal texts addressing topics and concerns faced by the LGBTQIA+ community for their future classrooms, there was a shift in the perceptions and preparedness of the candidates toward working with children identifying as LGBTQIA+. However, we also encountered resistance and/or apathy that led us to develop an analytical framework for disrupting teacher candidate …

Advancing The Field Of Human Services: Lgbt Competencies, Narketta Sparkman-Key, Nicola Meade, Ne'shaun Bordern

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Ethical Standards for Human Services Professionals and Generic Human Services Professional Competencies adopted by the National Organization for Human Services do not include language or competencies specific to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. Without a specific ethical code and/or competency outlined by the field, human services practitioners do not have clear guidelines for their work with these populations. Additionally, researchers lack a way to formally measure professionals’ abilities with these populations. This leaves potential for these historically marginalized populations to continue to be in a vulnerable position. To address these needs, authors reviewed established competencies in other helping …

Rationale And Design Of A Remote Web-Based Daily Dairy Study Examining Sexual Minority Stress, Relationship Factors, And Alcohol Use In Same-Sex Female Couples Across The United States: Study Protocol Of Project Relate, Kristin E. Heron, Robin J. Lewis, Alexander T. Shappie, Charlotte A. Dawson, Rachel Amerson, Abby L. Braitman, Barbara A. Winstead, Michelle L. Kelley

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The Healthy People 2020 initiative aims to reduce health disparities, including alcohol use, among sexual minority women (SMW; eg, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and pansexual). Compared with heterosexual women, SMW engage in more hazardous drinking and report more alcohol-related problems. Sexual minority stress (ie, the unique experiences associated with stigmatization and marginalization) has been associated with alcohol use among SMW. Among heterosexuals, relationship factors (eg, partner violence and drinking apart vs together) have also been associated with alcohol use. Negative affect has also been identified as a contributor to alcohol use. To date, most studies examining alcohol use among SMW …

Beyond Binary Gender Identities, Judith Dunkerly-Bean, Camden Ross

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Judith Dunkerly-Bean and Camden Ross—parent and child—share their perspectives on how Camden, who is transgender, navigates a duplicitous existence in a Christian private school.

Young And Unafraid: Queer Criminology's Unbounded Potential, Vanessa R. Panfil

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Queer criminology, a fairly young subfield, deals with matters of import for sexual and gender minorities, particularly LGBTQ+ populations. Areas of interest include reducing invisibility and inequity, though these pursuits can sometimes be accompanied with potential pitfalls or unintended consequences. This article provides an overview of the goals and considerations of queer criminology, while focusing on how to cultivate queer criminology's unbounded potential to help address pressing social problems. Several global issues of immediate concern for LGBTQ+ people are identified, such as criminalization and devaluation of their lives, which has resulted in their detainment and torture, persecution when they organize …

Sexual Coercion, Drinking To Cope Motives, And Alcohol-Related Consequences Among Self-Identified Bisexual Women, Michelle L. Kelly, Sarah J. Ehlke, Robin J. Lewis, Abby L. Braitman, Wendy Bostwick, Kristin E. Heron, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Given higher sexual victimization and greater alcohol use among bisexual women, a critical public health challenge is to understand within-group variation that may heighten or explain these associations in bisexual women. Objectives: The present study tested a moderated-mediation model in which sexual coercion was hypothesized to be associated with alcohol-related consequences via drinking to cope motives in self-identified bisexual women who reported at least occasional binge drinking. Negative affect was hypothesized to moderate the sexual coercion-drinking to cope motives association. Methods: Participants were a community sample of 107 self-identified bisexual women (age M = 20.97, SD = 2.11) who …

Measuring Sexual Minority Stressors In Lesbians Women's Daily Lives: Initial Scale Development, Kristin Heron, Abby L. Braitman, Robin J. Lewis, Alexander T. Shappie, Phoebe T. Hitson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Lesbian women face unique sexual minority stressors (SMS) because of their stigmatized and marginalized status in society. Existing studies of SMS are primarily cross-sectional and use global measures of SMS. The goal of the present study was to develop a brief daily measure of SMS for use in daily diary or ecological momentary assessment studies. Existing retrospective measures of SMS were reviewed, resulting in an initial pool of 29 items. Thirty-eight lesbian women (Mage = 24.3 years, range: 19–30 years) completed a daily web-based survey including the SMS items for 12 days. Two response scales were tested; participants were randomized …

Empirical Investigation Of A Model Of Sexual Minority Specific And General Risk Factors For Intimate Partner Violence Among Lesbian Women, Robin J. Lewis, Tyler B. Mason, Barbara A. Winstead, Michelle L. Kelley

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: This study proposed and tested the first conceptual model of sexual minority specific (discrimination, internalized homophobia) and more general risk factors (perpetrator and partner alcohol use, anger, relationship satisfaction) for intimate partner violence among partnered lesbian women.

Method: Selfidentified lesbian women (N = 1,048) were recruited from online market research panels. Participants completed an online survey that included measures of minority stress, anger, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems, relationship satisfaction, psychological aggression, and physical violence.

Results: The model demonstrated good fit and significant links from sexual minority discrimination to internalized homophobia and anger, from internalized homophobia to anger and …

Showtime: Pop Culture's Impact On Society's View Of The Lgbtq Population, Hope Comer, Jaime D. Bower, Narketta Sparkman

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Popular culture is an influential aspect that shapes society. Popular culture’s impact on society’s view of the LGBTQ population was examined in the context of video media representations. Students at a Mid-Atlantic university (n = 7) were presented with representations of LGBTQ individuals in television media during two focus groups. Participants completed pre-and-post-test qualitative surveys regarding their impact and perceptions. Responses were coded to identify themes of the target populations. Misrepresentations, perpetuated stereotypes, changing perspectives, advocacy, personal connection, differing types of media representation, and lack of representation were themes identified throughout participant responses about the varying popular culture mediums.

Queer Provisionality: Mapping The Generative Failures Of The Transborder Immigrant Tool, Alison R. Reed

English Faculty Publications

Alison Reed investigates the border- and boundary-crossing performance of Electronic Disturbance Theater 2.0’sTransBorder Immigrant Tool (TBT), an incomplete cell phone program that offers GPS, guidance, and poetry to those attempting to cross into the United States across the Mexico/US border. Reed suggests a provocation-based performance of “queer provisionality,” revealing the aesthetics of oppressive power structures by juxtaposing them to social utopias. Interrogating the national neoliberal project of both US liberalism and US conservatism, Reed’s essay is also a transcription of the performances launched around TBT, the social and political machinery set into motion by Electronic Disturbance Theater’s failed utopian project.

Discrepant Alcohol Use, Intimate Partner Violence, And Relationship Adjustment Among Lesbian Women And Their Same-Sex Intimate Partners, Michelle L. Kelley, Robin J. Lewis, Tyler B. Mason

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the association between relationship adjustment and discrepant alcohol use among lesbian women and their same-sex intimate partners after controlling for verbal and physical aggression. Lesbian women (N = 819) who were members of online marketing research panels completed an online survey in which they reported both their own and same-sex intimate partner's alcohol use, their relationship adjustment, and their own and their partner's physical aggression and psychological aggression (i.e., verbal aggression and dominance/isolation). Partners' alcohol use was moderately correlated. Discrepancy in alcohol use was associated with poorer relationship adjustment after controlling for psychological aggression and physical aggression. …

Emotional Distress, Alcohol Use, And Bidirectional Partner Violence Among Lesbian Women, Robin J. Lewis, Miguel A. Padilla, Robert J. Milletich, Michelle L. Kelley, Barbara A. Winstead, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Tyler B. Mason

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the relationship between emotional distress (defined as depression, brooding, and negative affect), alcohol outcomes, and bidirectional intimate partner violence among lesbian women. Results lend support to the self-medication hypothesis, which predicts that lesbian women who experience more emotional distress are more likely to drink to cope, and in turn report more alcohol use, problem drinking, and alcohol-related problems. These alcohol outcomes were, in turn, associated with bidirectional partner violence (BPV). These results offer preliminary evidence that, similar to findings for heterosexual women, emotional distress, alcohol use, and particularly, alcohol-related problems are risk factors for BPV among lesbian …

Beyond The Strait And Narrow: The Import Of Queer Criminology For Criminology And Criminal Justice, Vanessa R. Panfil, Jody Miller

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

[Introduction] In March 2014, as part of its community relations service, the U.S. Department of Justice held a community service training for police officers that focused on developing strategies to better prevent and respond to bias crimes against transgender citizens. While the impetus for the training was recognition that this group is disproportionately affected by hate violence (see NCAVP, 2013), attendees of the training also highlighted the tumultuous relationships transgender individuals have had with law enforcement as another impetus for change. Transgender activists and the DOJ lauded the event as an important step for improved relationships between law enforcement and …

Gay For Play: Theorizing Lgbtq Characters In Game Studies, Marc A. Ouellette

English Faculty Publications

Despite, and perhaps because of, popular press reactions to stereotypical depictions of beefy boys and busty babes in video games, the realm of gender, sex, and sexuality remains a lacuna in the emerging field of game studies. Of particular interest is the notion of performance and the ways this impacts both on gender and on game play. The combination might be expected to offer a very interesting way of approaching LGBTQ characters in digital games, especially given the recent inclusion of such characters in some popular and well-studied game franchises, including Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar 1997-present), Jade Empire (BioWare 2005-08) …