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

Justice As Fairness Or As Inclusion: Putting Rawls In Conversation With The Bans On Transgender Athletes, Nicole Player

Pomona Senior Theses

The last decade has seen a flurry of anti-transgender bills introduced and passed in the United States, and the topic that has likely been the most hotly debated regards the dozens of state bans on transgender athletes. While most discussions of these bans go straight to a debate about physiology, this thesis centers instead on a question of justice. In the debate of whether to allow a transgender girl to compete in girls’ sports, is it more “just” to prioritize fairness in women’s sport, as these bans do, or is it more just to prioritize inclusion? This thesis, in finding …

Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …

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 …

Developing More Equitable And Critically Conscious Organizations: Testimonios And Critical Platicas With Black And Latino/X Lgbtq+ Male Chrd Leaders, Mario Burton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation connects the recent DEIB movement within organizations to larger social justice movements, specifically those that impact workers and the workplace. Critical human resource development (CHRD) professionals, who serve as “insider activists”, are highlighted due to their work to continue movement objectives within organizations. Through testimonios and critical platicas, this study explores how Black and Latino/x LGBTQ+ CHRD professionals, in particular, are experiencing the workplace, especially as it relates to their engagement with how DEIB is practiced within organizations. Through this study, these professionals provide insights into the ways that workplaces can be redesigned and reimagined to be …

The Grief Of Identity Formation: How Non-Death Loss Complicates Trans Identity Narratives, R. Frank

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Trans members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and other marginalized sexual and gender identities (LGBT+) community may be at risk of erasure from both dominant sociocultural scripts and clinical psychological research. Identity development experts have asserted that identity is fixed by late adolescence, with some room for evolution depending on context (Marcia, 2002; Sokol, 2009). Research about grief suggests that anything that has been lost has the potential to be experienced through the lens of grief (Chapple et al., 2016; Collings, 2007). This grief of non-death loss has been linked to loss of relationships, expected life trajectory, and self-concept. …

The Regenarrative: How To Change The Story In Order To Change The Future, S. Rose Bigheart O'Leary

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Abstract

In the era of Climate Change, many are concerned that the end of the Anthropocene, or the end of the era of human life on Earth, is upon us. Western European colonialism and its subsequent systems (settler-colonialism, colonial-capitalism, and globalization - sometimes termed “neocolonialism”) have all been implicated in contributing to unsustainable behaviors linked to accelerating climate change. In searching for possible solutions, some have called for listening to Indigenous Peoples, citing ethics of sustainability found among many Indigenous cultures. However, the cultural products of settler-colonialism are still dominant in ways that do not allow for Indigenous worldviews to …

Intercultural And International Communication In The Surrogacy Industry, Jessica Baker

Undergraduate Scholarship

Understanding the relationship between intercultural communication, international communication, and the proper way to discuss sensitive topics (infertility, surrogacy, LGBTQ+) in the surrogacy industry leads to strong communication. When communicating internationally or interculturally, there may be challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences, and cultural taboos. In order to avoid uncomfortable situations or miscommunication, knowing how to change the way we communicate with Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) is a necessity to navigate important conversations. In the surrogacy industry, knowing how to communicate interculturally and being culturally competent about sensitive topics such as infertility or loss can determine the success of a …

Puppy Love And [Information] Play: An Intersection Of Theatre, Queer Kink, And Consent, Emily Kitchens

Faculty Articles

This note from the field centers on a nexus of queer kink subcultures and consent-based intimacy work in theatre. I report, investigate and wrangle with the process of incorporating queer kink aesthetics into the production of Love and Information by Caryl Churchill I directed at KSU February 2023. What I have learned and hope to demonstrate throughout the paper, is that queer kink subcultures are often paradigmatic examples of communities built on consent, and we as performing arts practitioners can more visibly expand the margins of our cultural competency dialogues to not only include them but look to them as …

Bi-Negativity: An Assessment Of Negativity Surrounding Bisexuality From The Lgbtq+ And Heterosexual Communities, Whitney R. Ford

The Confluence

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that negative attitudes towards bisexual people (bi-negativity) exists within the LGBTQ+ and heterosexual communities and to determine if levels of bi-negativity are higher within the LGBTQ+ group. I administered the Gender-Based Attitudes Towards Bisexuality (GBAB) Scale by Nielsen et al. (2022) to measure bi-negativity using an online survey. The results, obtained from 87 participants who identify as LGBTQ+ and 121 participants who identify as heterosexual between the ages of 18 and 80, support my hypothesis that bi-negativity exists within both groups. However, contrary to my second hypothesis, higher levels of bi-negativity were …

757transfamily: Empowering Parents To Raise Their Transgender Child Through Knowledge, Connection, And Joy, Jessica Gurley

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

Parents of transgender and non-binary children often want to support their children, but are not sure how. Giving these parents the support and resources they need will increase their ability to support their children, further increasing the chance that their children will live a long, healthy, authentic life.

I built a website, and organized a workshop that parents can attend in order to access information and resources about the transgender community. These parents will receive the support they need to be better equipped to support their gender-diverse children. I will be collecting information about the parents' feelings and experience towards …

Queer Theory In The Metal Music Scene: How These Cultures Influence Each Other, Dalton A. Dalton

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

Queer theory has existed in the metal music scene since its beginning. In this paper, many aspects of both topics are dissected. Focusing on metal fashion and its crossover into queer armor, Queer coding, and its translation to metal archetypes on television. And the analysis of queer comfortability in metal music spaces by using queer theory as it applies to mass cultures and subculture

“Imagine Being Homophobic In 2022 In This Economy?!”: Bosniak, Croat, And Serb Perceptions Of Social Justice, Mehmet Yavuz

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

After the three-year war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia finally signed the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) in 1995, thereby ending one of Europe’s most violent conflicts. Although the DPA provided a significant opportunity for communities to construct a new state based on the rule of law, freedom, democracy, and human rights, it failed to create a united civic identity and a well-functioning state with strong democratic policies and the ability to protect people’s human rights. The new generation of youth face unemployment, exclusion, lack of educational opportunities, and poor economic and political conditions while they are …

The Bible And Normative Experiences Of Queer Marriage In The United States: The Interconnected Influences Of Scripture, Law, And Queer Context, Ross H. Potter Jr.

Theses

This thesis explores the relational influences between scripture, law, and queer context as they drive understandings of queer marriage norms in the United States. Emphasis is placed on the role that particular scriptures play in teasing out meaning from the various lived experiences of queer communities over the last century. These lived experiences, in turn, have influenced both approaches to scriptural interpretation and religious and legal norms surrounding the acceptance of queer people and their marriages within society. By utilizing queer biblical interpretation in dialogue with these influential biblical passages and legal and social norms that have developed in the …

The Sun Shines On Us, Too: Bobby Smith And Tampa's Early Lgbtq Community, Connor G. Lasseter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bobby Smith (1923-2008) was a Tampa Bay butch lesbian, photographer, and earlyLGBTQ Florida figure, together with his partner of nearly fifty years, Katherine “Kay” Thompson (1923-2009). Coming of age as the Second World War provided women and girls with a certain level of independence, Smith easily found comfort presenting in a masculine, butch fashion outside of certain spheres such as school, and quickly dropped any remaining femininity once he left it. Throughout his life, in the workplace, at social gatherings, and at home, he maintained a masculine presentation for his entire life. As a photographer, Smith documented numerous photographs of …

Belonging In Unashamed Authenticity, Nathan R. Kitchen

Together We RISE (Making Excellence Inclusive)

In 2020, the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute reported that 47% of LGBTQ adults were moderately or highly religious. This equates to 5.3 million religious LGBTQ adults in America. We cannot ignore this population.

When making the transition into young adulthood, many religious LGBTQ youth feel they must make a choice between their spiritual well-being or their queerness. As a university community interested in the success of the rising generation, we can provide support for religious queer young adults through understanding:

1. What is happening in this transition and why,

2. The well-being needs of religious queer young adults …

Teaching Queer Trauma: Applying Meditation As A Pedagogy Of Compassion, Kody Muncaster

Feminist Pedagogy

Mindfulness practices can help greatly when teaching potentially triggering courses on queerness and trauma. Meditation allows students to learn how to manage triggers, enhancing their distress tolerance and their ability to fully engage with course material. It also has practical benefits for applied courses, as students will learn how mindfulness practices can help when working with queer and traumatized clients in, for example, a social services setting. This original teaching activity describes a course I taught called 'Queer Trauma and Resilience: Canadian Perspectives,' and outlines several meditations that were taught progressively throughout the course. Debriefing methods are included as well …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Dimension, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Fall 2023 Talisman:

• Johnson, Katelyn . Flora & Fauna - Biology
• Pollard, Evynn. Inked Imagination
• Booth, Pandora. Sowing Grace - Mothers
• Murray, Debra. Shapes of Beauty
• Bivens, Emily. The Life Lesson
• Figures of Fall
• Meyers, Jeffrey. Level Up - eGames
• Walsh, Aidan. Unsung Heroes
• Sandlin, Ellie. Place to Be - Habitat for Humanity, Hotel, Inc.
• Youngers, Joel. An Endless Starry Sky
• Muscutt, Carson. True Colors - Queen Venus Knight
• Drury, Faith. Innovative Mind - Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge
• Ousley, Rachael. One Man's Treasure - Matt Tullis
• Haines, Lily. Chuck Close
• Thompson, Sarah. En Pointe
• Hunt, Janie. Open Your Eyes
• Halstead, …

La Significancia De La Instalación De Oficinas De Género Para Estudiantes Universitarias Lgbtq+ En Chile, Lori Hashasian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation explores the significance that offices of gender have for queer university students in Chile. It is based on the historical Mayo Feminista protests and the resulting passage of Ley 21.369, which aims to regulate sexual assault, gender violence, and gender discrimination in higher education. This law mandates Chilean universities to have offices of gender specifically dedicated to meeting these goals. This study draws on interviews to learn from the lived experiences of queer university students and directors of the offices of gender. It concentrates on two universities in Valparaíso, Chile: la Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María and la …

Coming Out In South Africa: What’S Beyond The Closet?, Sophia Ludt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For many queer individuals, coming out is a significant moment in their lives. In South Africa, this process is made even more difficult due to prevalent homophobia, discrimination, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes. The colonial influence of Dutch and British colonization has perpetuated the notion that homosexuality is "un-African," adding to the challenges faced by queer individuals as they navigate their racial and cultural identities. Coming out can be dangerous for them, as it challenges expectations of the patriarchy, marriage, and childbirth. The response to a queer person's coming out greatly impacts their sense of self, safety, and acceptance. This study …

Politics Of Refusal: Justice And Liberation For Black Trans Lives, Quincy Smith

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the challenges faced by Black trans people. In this thesis, I will explore how protest is used to highlight and confront the obstacles faced by the Black trans community. I will also examine the cultural work of Black trans people and what they teach us. The Brooklyn Liberation march and the TV show Pose is an important part of Black trans legacy. They both look at the complications surrounding Black trans lives and contributes to Black trans representation in protesting and fighting marginalization. This thesis will argue the importance of allyship to create safe space for Black …

Lgbtq+ Adults During Post-Breakup Appraisals: Understanding Adaptive Communication Coping Mechanisms Following The Termination Of A Non-Heterosexual Romantic Relationship, Nur E Makbul

Dissertations

This study highlights the intersections among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and/or Other Non-Heterosexual (LGBTQ+) individuals' and/or communities' experiences with romantic relationships, relationship crises, emotional appraisals, coping mechanisms, and cyber tech practices. It employs a mixed-method approach, including in-depth interviews with LGBTQ+ participants and a digital ethnographic investigation of social media platforms. The theoretical framework and review of literature have been drawn from the queer perspectives of numerous critical cultural theories, and media and communication theories. Interviews with LGBTQ+ participants largely demonstrate three distinct mechanisms of coping, including emotional, behavioral, and psychological that LGBTQ+ individuals use after the termination of …

Publishing Inequality In Lgbtqia+ Research In Psychology: A Content Analysis, Mackenzie L. Fingerhut

Student Theses

Despite the American Psychiatric Association’s removal of homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973 and ego-dystonic homosexuality in 1987, nonheteronormative sexual orientations remain stigmatized and underrepresented in scientific literature. To estimate the prevalence of LGBTQIA+ topics in popular psychological research, the author queried more than 20,000 articles from 1987 to 2022 in the two most cited journals in each of four major domains (cognitive, clinical, developmental and social). In addition, the author randomly queried 20% of all empirical articles published from 1987 to 2021 in the top eight empirical journals to understand how often sexuality …

Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Individuals And Intimate Partner Violence Resources In Lgbtq+ Organizations, Claire Herr

Student Theses

A meta-analysis reporting on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization of transgender populations found transgender people were two to three times more likely to experience IPV than cisgender people (Peitzmeier et al., 2020). The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) (2012) found transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people, particularly transgender women and transgender Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), were more likely to be threatened and harassed by their abusive partners than cisgender people. TGNC people may be at a high risk of IPV due to the lack of services designed for TGNC victims of IPV. Once …

Queer Interethnic Relationships: Couple-Level Minority Stress And Resilience For Intersectionally Marginalized Partners, Sree Sinha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interethnic relationships and same-sex relationships continue to increase in the U.S. While LGBQ and heterosexual people are equally likely to be in romantic relationships, LGBQ individuals are more likely than their straight peers to be in an interracial or interethnic romantic relationship. The present work aims to expand intersectional investigations regarding queer people of color (QPOC), including accounting for their individual as well as relational well-being, by use of the couple-level minority stress (CLMS) paradigm. CLMS theory speaks to the unique stressors experienced as a result of being in a relationship that is societally marginalized, impacting both dyadic and individual …

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms On Campus: A Multicampus Study Of Cisgender And Transgender And Gender Diverse College Students, Merle Huff, Katie Edwards, Victoria Mauer, Heather Littleton, Stephanie Lim, Kayla E. Sall

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined cisgender and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) college students’ perceptions of gender-neutral bathroom availability across eight U.S. campuses, TGD students’ fear of harassment related to (lack of) availability of gender-neutral bathrooms, and the relation between fear of harassment and TGD students’ psychological distress.

Methods: Participants were 4,328 college students (4,195 cisgender, 30 binary transgender, 103 gender diverse) from eight U.S. institutions of higher education.

Results: The majority (84.2%) of TGD students and 34.6% of cisgender students perceived there were too few gender-neutral bathrooms on their campus. Further, TGD students’ fear of harassment related to a lack …

The Influence Of Minority Stress, Coping, And A Pandemic On The Relationship Between Sexual Orientation And Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Study, James Michael Macchia

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

For decades, scientific literature has shown that sexual minority individuals across populations are disproportionately affected by negative mental health outcomes when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These disparities are largely attributable to minority stress. Coping is a significant factor that can impact the content and severity of mental health outcomes and coping behaviors have been shown to vary based on sexual orientation. Mental health outcomes may also differ between sexual minority subgroups due to additional factors such as double discrimination and bisexual invisibility/erasure. Moreover, factors such as internalized homophobia and community connectedness have demonstrated strong associations with sexual minority mental …

Queer Crises: Movements From Queerness And Feelings Of White Religion In The United States, Austin Williams Miller

Communication ETDs

Anchored by contemporary crises surrounding queer and trans people in the United States, I employ movements from queerness within an affective queer phenomenological framework to understand how arrangements of “white religion” (Schaefer, 2015, p. 63), a process whereby U.S. American Christian forms escape ideology into religious affective economies in the United States, relegate queer people “to the background… to sustain a certain direction” (Ahmed, 2006, p. 31). I assemble a queer rhetorical context analyzing white religious space in documentary film, secular sexual regulation through contemporary U.S. legal contexts around marriage, and settler colonial Christian nationalist political imaginations to critique how …

Trans-Formation: Establishing Interdisciplinary Support For The Transgender Experience Through Historical, Biological, And Religious Lenses, Gaymarie Vaughan

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Quite frankly, nothing could be more relevant to a modern discussion about what it means to be human than the emergence of discourse on transgender identity. By looking at the long history of human evolution, the impact that the progressing fields of science and medicine have had on human development, and the human need for bodily autonomy, it should be taken for granted that transgender issues belong in public discourse and that transgender people deserve to enjoy the same rights and freedoms all other humans share. This research advocates for best and most inclusive societal practices for transgender individuals by …

“I Don't Know Where The Lesbians Are”: Exploring Lgbtq+ Women’S Experiences Of Place And Community, Ashley M. Green

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines LGBTQ+ women’s experiences of place and community in Central Florida. Through the use of in-depth interviews and virtual ethnography, I begin to answer the following questions: 1. To what extent does geographic location contextualize how LGBTQ+ women experience place and community?, 2. How do LGBTQ+ women within a similar geographic location utilize virtual spaces for the purpose of building community?, and 3. How are the intersections of gender, race, and sexuality significant to LGBTQ+ women’s experiences of place and community? This project provides a glimpse into the phenomenon of consuming community, which speaks to the ways in …

Trans Futures In The Present Moment, Willow Grace Eckmayer

University Honors Theses

The current climate for trans folks in the U.S. remains increasingly hostile and many researchers have called attention to the "joy deficit" within the existing trans literature (Shuster & Westbrook, 2022). This study investigates what trans individuals are currently doing to survive, thrive, and resist in a belligerent socio-political climate. To answer this, five community conversations with 25 participants were held using a semi-structured conversation guide. Within the analysis, the central theme that emerged was that trans individuals are using their communities to create radical futures. Our communities are supporting us through mutual aid and radical acts of care, which …