“Some Vague Utopia”: Searching For Urania,
2025
Virginia Commonwealth University
“Some Vague Utopia”: Searching For Urania, Moira L. Neve
Theses and Dissertations
Despite the global pendulum swing of gender trouble marked by the United States’ President’s declaration that there are only two sexes, activists have been rejecting assimilation (ie. defining equality as gay marriage or queer people in the military) within queer studies long before 2025. In the first half of the 20th century, a journal by the name of Urania (1916-1940), privately published and circulated to their home base in the United Kingdom and beyond, five editors (Esther Roper, Eva Gore-Booth, Jessey Wade, Dorothy Cornish, and Irene Clyde/Thomas Baty), challenged the gender binary and the resulting assumptions of heterosexual marriage. This …
Liner Notes On Black Trans Girlhood: Afrofuturist Affect & Black Popular Music As A Praxis Of Self-Fashioning,
2025
Virginia Commonwealth University
Liner Notes On Black Trans Girlhood: Afrofuturist Affect & Black Popular Music As A Praxis Of Self-Fashioning, Shawn J. Williams
Theses and Dissertations
Liner Notes on Black Trans Girlhood: Afrofuturist Affect & Black Popular Music as a Praxis of Self-Fashioning interprets Black musical performance in identity-making, with a focus on how music and Black trans identity intersect and informs Black trans girlhood. As such, Black trans girls render ourselves legible, i.e. understood without shame or judgment, by constructing our identities through the music by Black women we listen and dance to, or watch and sing. These musical connections affirm the possibilities of Black femme expression. This expression of Black femininity is due to what I call an Afrofuturist affect, by which I refer …
No More Pinkwashing At The Pink Pony Club: A Feminist Media Analysis Of The Potential Shift In Queer Popular Culture To Decenter Homonationalism And Pinkwashing,
2025
Minnesota State University, Mankato
No More Pinkwashing At The Pink Pony Club: A Feminist Media Analysis Of The Potential Shift In Queer Popular Culture To Decenter Homonationalism And Pinkwashing, Taylor G. Maki
All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects
Previous research on queer popular culture highlights the influence popular culture has had on the United States’ legal and political protections for queer people—specifically cisgender gay men and cisgender lesbians with the legalization of same-sex marriage and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” However, some scholars and queer activists critique the homonationalist and pinkwashing agendas deployed by LGBTQ popular culture activists. This research examines whether or not there has been a shift in dominant queer popular culture that decenters homonationalism and pinkwashing. Using a feminist media analysis, this research examines contemporary queer musicians’ activism against the United States’ involvement …
Living With Flying Colors: Associations Among Lgbtq+ Identity, Religiosity, Spirituality, Community, And Overall Well-Being Among Lgbtq+ Older Adults,
2025
University of Kentucky
Living With Flying Colors: Associations Among Lgbtq+ Identity, Religiosity, Spirituality, Community, And Overall Well-Being Among Lgbtq+ Older Adults, Madison T. Diomede
Theses and Dissertations--Psychology
Experiences of discrimination and prejudice place LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood (i.e., 55 years old and older) at risk for poor overall well-being. This risk can be especially salient in the Southern and Midwestern U.S., where LGBTQ+ individuals enjoy fewer legal protections than in the Northeast and Western regions of the U.S. In defiance of these odds, LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood cultivate overall well-being through psychological-level constructs, like LGBTQ+ identity affirmation, and community-level constructs, LGBTQ+ community connection. Yet, little research has examined these avenues of strength among LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood. Guided by Iridescent Life Course Theory and …
The Perceived Internalized Sexual Stigma Measure (Prissm): A New Sexual Stigma Measure For Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Perceived Internalized Sexual Stigma Measure (Prissm): A New Sexual Stigma Measure For Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals, Miguel A. Padilla, Lacey M. Schlappi, Evelyn S. Chiang
Psychology Faculty Publications
Society has long held negative beliefs and attitudes, in the form of sexual stigma, towards sexual minorities (e.g., lesbian, gay, and bisexual; LGB). Sexual stigma can be adopted and internalized by LGB individuals as their own beliefs and attitudes. In LGB individuals, internalized sexual stigma can result in psychological distress such as low self-esteem, depression, shame, and feelings of rejection. However, an instrument to assess internalized sexual stigma specifically developed for LGB individuals is lacking. The present study focuses on the development of a new instrument, the Perceived Internalized Sexual Stigma Measure (PrISSM), that is inclusive of LGB individuals who …
Clinical Implications For Helping Professionals Learned From The Pastoral Care Of Lgbtq+ Youth,
2025
Belmont University
Clinical Implications For Helping Professionals Learned From The Pastoral Care Of Lgbtq+ Youth, John Willis Ward, Heather Deal, Gaynor Yancey
Funded Scholarship
This qualitative article is informed by queer theory, and more specifically queer theology, and explores how youth ministers in various denominations care for LGBTQ+ teenagers in their congregations. Seven youth pastors from three major denominational groups were interviewed from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), Alliance of Baptists, and Presbyterian Church, USA (PC-USA). Participants had to identify as LGBTQ+ affirming, though their congregations could be in various states of affirmation. Thematic analysis found the following significant categories: confidentiality, implications of whole church engagement, student-led engagement, theology/image of God, and degree of support for identity development.
A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Gay White Men In Mid-Level Student Affairs Leadership Roles,
2025
Antioch University
A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Gay White Men In Mid-Level Student Affairs Leadership Roles, S. Craig Mourton
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the lived experience of mid-level student affairs leaders who identify as cisgender, gay, White, and male in order to further understand the multidimensionality of embodying both privileged as well as marginalized identities. Four participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and the resulting transcripts were analyzed utilizing the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) perspective. Experiential themes that emerged from the analysis of the individual cases as well as across the cases include unintended pathways into the field of student affairs, experiences of challenging heterosexual male supervisors and the preference for women supervisors, …
Loving-Learning-Leading-Living: A Scholarly Personal Narrative Of A Black Gay Father,
2025
Antioch University
Loving-Learning-Leading-Living: A Scholarly Personal Narrative Of A Black Gay Father, Russell E. Thornhill
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This dissertation examines the roles, challenges, and contributions of a Black Gay father, a demographic largely absent from academic discourse. While literature explores themes of the church, LGBTQ+ identities, and social justice, there remains a critical gap addressing the lived experiences of a Black Gay father. This study fills that void by elevating narratives as community activists, family leaders, and clergy members, acknowledging their transformative impact within familial and societal structures. The methodology used is the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN). It allows for in-depth, reflective engagement with personal experiences in conversation with scholars while situating them within broader sociocultural, theological, …
A New Normal: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Gender Complexities In Los Angeles Social Justice Theatre Storytelling,
2025
Antioch University
A New Normal: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Gender Complexities In Los Angeles Social Justice Theatre Storytelling, Sue Hamilton
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This study uses autoethnography to examine the role gender plays in Los Angeles social justice theatre storytelling. Chronicling my autoethnography as a queer, nonbinary artist and social justice theatre practitioner, I will examine gender through the context of my social justice theatre company, Artists Rise Up Los Angeles (ARULA), by analyzing selections of its original, politically focused, professional stage plays performed from 2017 to 2019, utilizing ARULA’s emerging themes of gender expression and inclusion. ARULA was born out of a determination to create original social justice theatre storytelling to understand and transform reality by bringing theatrical expression to the environment …
Navigating The Complexities In Gender-Diverse Counseling: Understanding The Interplay Of Gender Identity, Racial Inequities, Economic Marginalization, And Aging,
2025
Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
Navigating The Complexities In Gender-Diverse Counseling: Understanding The Interplay Of Gender Identity, Racial Inequities, Economic Marginalization, And Aging, C. Gerwe
Department of Medicine Faculty Publications
Gender-diverse individuals continue to face unique challenges in daily life, with intersecting identities related to race, socioeconomic status (SES), and age further compounding these barriers. These overlapping factors profoundly impact mental health and wellbeing, especially within environments that may lack inclusive or responsive frameworks. Despite increasing awareness, limited guidance exists for counselors on implementing practices that validate intersecting identities while addressing the cumulative effects of marginalization (Canvin et al., 2022). This article synthesizes current research and case examples to illuminate these challenges and offers insights for fostering more inclusive and supportive counseling approaches.
“A ‘Normal’ Life”: Red Dwarf, Temporality, And The Neuroqueer Absurd,
2025
University at Albany, State University of New York
“A ‘Normal’ Life”: Red Dwarf, Temporality, And The Neuroqueer Absurd, Gretchen B. Graf
Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)
The science fiction series Red Dwarf, beginning in 1988 and broadcasting sporadically over the past nearly four decades, takes place more than three million years in the future where human beings have gone extinct. All, that is, except one; the show’s central character, Dave Lister, is the last known living human being in the universe, outliving humanity by remaining in stasis during a radiation leak that killed the rest of the crew of the titular mining ship. Besides Lister, the narrative also focuses on the nonhuman beings that keep him company. Besides residing in the genre of science fiction, …
Phantasma,
2025
University at Albany, State University of New York
Phantasma, Grace Wright
Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)
Ever since the infamous Ides of March, scholars have been debating the true psychology behind Brutus’s betrayal. The purpose of this project is to take a step back from the politicized motivations and explore the emotional, strenuous conditions of Julius Caesar’s assassination. This project will transform William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar into a novella with its central focus on the relationship dynamics between the key figures of Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius. The intention of the novella is to not only analyze the play through a critical queer lens, but to interrogate the themes of violence and desire that surround male relationships …
Social Media Through A Binary Lens: The Impact On College Students & Their Mental Health,
2025
The University of Akron
Social Media Through A Binary Lens: The Impact On College Students & Their Mental Health, Piper Mallchok
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
It is important to first understand how individuals use social media so that we can then understand how and why their use will change the individual impact social media will have. Some students experience a decline in their mental health when their social media use changes. There is an abundance of research on college students and social media, respectively, that also addresses gender as a variable. In this review, the research will be studied to further understand the voices of those who are not commonly included in research that operates under a gendered framework. Additionally, these ideas will be compared …
"The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love": Identity Creation, Compartmentalization, And Belonging Among Queer Peace Corps Volunteers,
2025
Illinois State University
"The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love": Identity Creation, Compartmentalization, And Belonging Among Queer Peace Corps Volunteers, Laura N. Keeran
Theses and Dissertations
The Peace Corps advertises that it accepts anyone, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation; however, recruiters and staff ask volunteers to go back into the closet for their twenty-seven months of service due to the Peace Corps’ safety concerns about their volunteers being out in their host countries. Queer Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) answer the call to serve, accepting that it means they will need to keep their queer identities concealed for two years and three months. I conducted ethnographic interviews with ten people who have served or are currently serving in the Peace Corps and identify under …
Intersectionality And The Canon Of Romanticism,
2025
Illinois State University
Intersectionality And The Canon Of Romanticism, Serenah Minasian
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation discusses the origins of the canon and the place it has in British Romanticism studies both past and present. This research begins unpacking what has already been done in this sector of study and takes it steps further by the use of Crenshaw’s “intersectionality” theory. The “Introduction” unpacks past scholarly work and its role in the present studies and how we must move beyond the past. “Chapter I” serves as a historical breakdown of the canon’s role and impact in both literary studies and Romanticism studies in specific. “Chapter II” provides an in depth analysis of two major …
At The Mercy Of All Things: Nurturing Experimental Queer Writing On Embodied Mothering,
2025
Illinois State University
At The Mercy Of All Things: Nurturing Experimental Queer Writing On Embodied Mothering, Charley Koenig
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation is an exploration of the ability of experimental queer writing to grow and transform expressions of mothering and care. The moves made here—both in the scholarship and anchor texts examined herein and in my own contributions to this effort—work to dethatch those toxic dominating narratives on motherhood, enforced and reinforced by our current Western society and culture, that contaminate and restrict our constructions of what it means to be and do mother. The collective work of experimental queer writers makes possible more nuanced, realistic, messy, complex, varied, embodied, liberating, and literally and figuratively dirty renditions of mothering and …
Estha And Trans Identity In The God Of Small Things,
2024
Valdosta State University
Estha And Trans Identity In The God Of Small Things, Clara Reid
Critical Humanities
Gender relationships in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy change over the course of the book. In many ways, gender and caste are inseparable from one another in how they interact; it is Estha who bridges the gap between both. Whether consciously or subconsciously, he engages in this transgressive behavior in order to become his sister Rahel. This essay positions Estha as a trans woman longing for a becoming, and it is through his successful pursuit of Rahel in both a queer and psychoanalytic sense that he becomes a woman. This pursuit manifests through transgressive behavior, putting him …
Ballroom: An Exploration Of Queer Survival And Self-Sufficiency,
2024
Wayne State University
Ballroom: An Exploration Of Queer Survival And Self-Sufficiency, Jet Mezini
Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research
The AIDs epidemic and its disinformation alienated queer people from U.S culture. As a result, queer people, especially queer people of color, began meeting together to express their self-made culture, a series of competitions among themselves, the underground scene of “ballroom.” Ballroom reveled in self-awareness and bordered on satire, being inspired by Western standards that were unable to be applied to a queer populous. This essay will analyze these cultural norms, understanding how they served as methods of reclamation for queer people, and how ballroom evolved to reflect social progression.
A Quantitative Examination Of The Role Of Relationship Status In Asexual College Students’ Sexual Victimization,
2024
University of Kansas
A Quantitative Examination Of The Role Of Relationship Status In Asexual College Students’ Sexual Victimization, Amanda Mollet, Wayne Black, Leslie Shelton
Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education
This exploratory quantitative study examines sexual violence among asexual college students using the Asexual Community Survey. We conducted analyses to examine the coercive tactics used by sexual violence perpetrators against asexual college students with a focus on examining statistical differences based on characteristics of students’ relationships. Findings revealed that across multiple forms of relationships, asexual college students’ relationship experiences were significantly correlated with experiencing higher levels of multiple types of sexual violence. The study challenges existing narratives of campus-based sexual violence while highlighting the unique and specific influences of power on sexual victimization within the context of asexual college students’ …
African Women Custodians: Teaching, Toponymy And Tacit Reverie In Heritage Education,
2024
State University of New York, Cortland
African Women Custodians: Teaching, Toponymy And Tacit Reverie In Heritage Education, Tokie Laotan-Brown
Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies
This paper investigates the critical role of women in African cultures as guardians of cultural heritage. It explores their central function in transmitting traditional ecological knowledge and practices across generations through established pedagogical methods, toponymic knowledge systems (place-names within cultural landscapes), and the cultivation of tacit knowledge. The paper emphasizes the significance of women's contributions to environmental education, often overlooked or undervalued within Western scientific paradigms. This marginalization restricts access to resources and participation in decision-making processes. It argues for the integration of traditional knowledge systems, informed by women's expertise, into formal education and pedagogy. This inclusion serves to validate …
