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

Fem Media Matters: An Inqueery Into Campus Sexual Assault, Andrew Kennedy Garber

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Queer victimization as a topic is often marginalized within research due to hegemonic ideologies within society. When it comes to campus sexual assault research and resources, the focus is primarily on female victimization constructed within a heteronormative framework. Little research and theorization has been done on male victimization or the specificities of LGBTQ victimization of campus sexual assault. The problem this research has identified is that the female-victim-male-perpetrator metanarrative of campus sexual assault portrayed through media exemplifies the heterosexist culture at various levels of analysis within the United States. Further, it has led to an invisibility of LGBT and male …

Bisexuality And Motherhood: An Investigation Of Psychological Distress, Parenting Efficacy, And Self Esteem Through Identity Theory, Laurin B. Roberts

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Bisexual individuals are more likely to be parenting as compared to other sexual minority individuals, however a review of the current research on sexual minority parenting and families demonstrates a limited understanding of the experiences unique to this population. Furthermore, the socialization of parenthood as both a heterosexual practice, and one that is intertwined with womanhood suggests bisexual mothers may encounter unique challenges and experiences in negotiating these two identities. Therefore the current study seeks to expand upon the literature with a primary aim of understanding the relationship between bisexuality and motherhood identities, psychological distress, parenting efficacy, and self-esteem from …

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 …

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 …

Intersexion, Cynthia Davis

English Theses & Dissertations

A combination of memoir, reportage, and opinion writing, Intersexion explores the realities of growing up intersex while also examining the conservative mindset that caused the narrator—a happily married suburban mother—to lose a tenure-track position at a Christian university for being unwilling to label Danny’s intersex condition as “repugnant” and “offensive to God.”

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 …

Initial Development And Validation Of The Transgender Ally Identity Scale For Counselors, Jamie D. Bower

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The Transgender Ally Identity Scale for Counselors (TAISC) is a 35-item scale measuring counselors’ ally identity for working with transgender individuals. The purpose of the current study was to develop and initially validate the TAISC. Using a non-experimental survey design, the scale was developed (i.e., item development, external review, pilot study) and validation analyses were performed (i.e., exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, validity, and social desirability analyses). Electronic data were collected from a nationwide sample of counseling students, professional counselors, and counselor educators (N=285). Participants completed a survey packet consisting of the TAISC, Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale (MCKAS; …

A Daily Diary Investigation Of Discrimination And Binge Eating Among Lesbian Women, Tyler Mason

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Lesbian women may experience discrimination because of their gender and their sexual orientation termed sexism and heterosexism, respectively. Both sexism and heterosexism are associated with increased psychological distress and negative affect among lesbian women. Furthermore, preliminary evidence suggests that heterosexism is associated with binge eating among lesbian women. However, the relationship between discrimination and binge eating has received limited empirical examination. This study examined associations between sexism and heterosexism, negative affect, and binge eating using a daily diary methodology. Participants were recruited online through social media and LGBT organizations after completing an online eligibility survey with measures of demographics, binge …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Intersection Of Sexual Orientation And Spiritual Development In The College Experience, Kevin C. Snow

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This two-phase, exploratory sequential mixed methods study explored the intersection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning (LGBQQ) sexual orientation and spiritual development for college students. The first phase entailed a phenomenological study exploring the lived experiences of LGBQQ former college students (N= 10) concerning how their sexual orientation influenced, if at all, their spiritual development during college. Findings from this qualitative phase were used to develop a quantitative instrument to explore the spiritual-sexual orientation development of college students further (N= 171). This study provides suggestions for working with LGBQQ college students for college counselors 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 …

How Counselors Are Trained To Work With Bisexual Clients In Cacrep-Accredited Programs, Laurie Anne Bonjo

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

In spite of recent progress toward addressing the need for cultural competence with lesbian and gay-identified clients, bisexual-identified clients continue to be marginalized in the principles, theories, and methods of studying sexuality as well as in the training provided by counselor educators. A descriptive content analysis was conducted to determine what is currently taught about bisexuality and bisexual-identified clients in CACREP-accredited counseling programs. Instructors teaching multicultural counseling in CACREP-accredited programs were asked to provide syllabi, as well as information on textbooks and supplemental materials. Combining constructionism with queer theory and elements of post-positivism, I explore the magnitude to which bisexuality …

Altered Bookmaking With Lgbt Individuals: A Coming Out Process, Amber Nicole Lewis

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

According to current research, there is a scarcity of literature aimed at providing art therapy support groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) individuals to who are having difficulties revealing their sexuality orientation and gender identity. Fear of disapproval from family, work colleagues, school peers, and the general public make this process difficult. Group therapy and involvement in supportive LGBT communities are efficacious methodologies that could potentially help this community by providing a supportive place that is safe to explore their struggles (Davies, 1996). The coming out process could be addressed by developing accessible group art therapy experiences as a …

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) …

Factors Impacting Counselor Competency When Counseling Sexual Minority Intimate Partner Violence Victims, Ryan Hancock

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

A queer theory perspective and grounded theory techniques were used to examine perceptions of counselor competency with sexual minority intimate partner violence victims. Ten counselors participated in two rounds of individual interviews. Results indicate that beneficial aspects of competency development occurred prior to, during, and after their graduate counseling program. Training deficits and personal impediments were also identified. Implications for professional associations, supervisors, and counselor educators are discussed.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender And Questioning Students: A Qualitative Study Of The Perceived Effects Of Bullying In Schools, Brandy Kelly Richeson

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Bullying research frequently focuses on incidence and prevalence of bullying in schools, often failing to provide detailed accounts of the experiences and perceived impact of harassment and abuse (Poteat et al., 2009) on victimized lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) students. Further, these studies tend to have small samples of racial and ethnic participants and they fail to address victimization in individuals with multiple oppressed identities (D'Augelli et al., 2002; Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network [GLSEN], 2009). Utilizing a consensual qualitative research (CQR) design, the purpose of this study was to examine the victimization experiences and coping mechanisms utilized …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Safe Space Training On Professional School Counselors And School Counseling Trainees, Rebekah Byrd

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

While professional and social advocacy is an important component of school counselor training, there is little information about the awareness, skills, or knowledge needed to effectively meet the academic, career, and social needs of LGBTQ students (Smith & Chen-Hayes, 2004). The purpose of this study was to evaluate and examine the impact of Safe Space training on Professional School Counselors (PSCs) and School Counseling Trainees (SCTs). In this experimental design, a sample of 74 PSCs and SCTs from three universities and one school district participated in 1 of 7 Safe Space trainings. The Safe Space training, developed by The Gay, …

Proposal For An Art-Based Program Promoting Positive Identity Formation In Sexual Minority Youth, Anthony Philip Stroud

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

According to current scholarly research, there is a paucity of literature aimed at preventing negative identity formation for sexual minority adolescents. Unfortunately, most literature aims at the treatment of the consequences of negative minority identity formation. More important, strengthening positive minority identity formation, particularly in reference to sexual minority adolescents, needs to be a primary goal of current research. This paper provides an arts-based program plan for sexual minority adolescents grappling with identity formation. Moreover, this proposed program plan aims at utilizing art therapy and museum education to prevent negative identity formation amongst the participants.

An Investigation Into The Coming-Out Experience For Families Of Homosexuals: Understanding Through Personal Artmaking And Dialogue, Micah Bennett

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

A review of the literature indicated the lack of art therapy research with homosexuals and their families. The need for research into the implications for the use of art processes and materials to assist in the coming-out process of families of self-disclosed homosexuals was established. A qualitative hermeneutic method of research was initially proposed to study this need. Volunteer participants who were parents or adult relatives of self-disclosed homosexuals would participate in an audio-videotaped workshop to include three art-making exercises intended to evoke expressions of the participants’ experiences of the coming-out process. Data would have consisted of the researcher’s written …

An Examination Into The Effects Of Social Positioning And Capitalist Immersion On Gendered Attitudes Towards Homosexuality In The United States, Fiona J. Blee

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Previous research on attitudes towards homosexuality has concentrated on characteristics of individuals, and neglected the capitalist structure of society that provides the contextual setting for the creation and maintenance of cultural attitudes.

This thesis uses responses collected in the general social survey of the United States between 1993 and 1998, to provide a more comprehensive explanation of differences in attitudes towards homosexuality, through an analysis of social position and the capitalist agenda. The analysis revealed significant relationships between sex, age, race, income, beliefs regarding the domestication of women, and attitudes towards homosexuality.

The analysis showed that respondents categorized as black …

On Rubin's Self Made Men And Green's Becoming A Visible Man, Kristen Schilt

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In their new books, Jamison Green and Henry Rubin create two very different but complimentary works about female-to-male transsexuals (FTMs) [1]. In Becoming a Visible Man, Green, a long-time transgender activist and public speaker, provides a lyrical and moving account of his own experience as a transman, as well as a comprehensive overview of the some of the issues facing transmen today, ranging from the varied effects of testosterone to the pressures to conform to hegemonic masculine ideals. Self-Made Men, on the other hand, is an interview study conducted by up and coming sociologist Henry Rubin …

Review Of Mexican Masculinities, By Robert Mckee Irwin, Ximena Gallardo C.

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Among Disclosure, Internalized Homophobia, Religiosity, And Psychological Well-Being In A Lesbian Population, Sharon Lyn Clayman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship among disclosure, internalized homophobia, and religiosity in a lesbian population and how these three variables are related to psychological well-being in order to build upon the scant amount of empirical research on these variables in the lesbian psychological literature. A total of 679 women, 18 to 70 years old, and from all across the country were recruited via the internet to participate in a web-based survey. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale (Szymanski & Chung, 2001), the Outness Inventory (Mohr & Fassinger, 2000), the Behavioral Self-Disclosure Questionnaire (Carroll & Gilroy, 2000), …

From Johnson To Nixon: Narrative Shifts In Gay Male Pornography, Jeremiah Smith

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In Culture Clash: The Making of Gay Sensibility, Michael Bronski argues that dramatic differences occurred in gay male pornographic magazines around the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. With a sample of gay male print pornography my partner and I have collected, ranging from 1966 to 1970, this article will explore the differences proposed by Bronski and ultimately prove their truth. On the surface, it does appear that the magazines prior to 1969 attempt to masquerade their gay prurience while the artifacts published after 1969 had shed the shame and secrecy of the closet rejoiced in …

Kicking At The Closet Door: The Opinions, Attitudes, And Experiences Of Military Homosexuals, Rodney Lee Parks

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the opinions, attitudes, and experiences of active-duty homosexual/bisexual military servicemembers. Very little research currently exists on this topic because the sample population remains hidden among the ranks of their heterosexual counterparts for fear of discrimination, harassment, and physical violence. Using a snowball sampling technique, survey analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship among homosexual/bisexual military servicemembers and assess their experiences. Most homosexual men and women serve effectively in the military and are proud of their military performance. Although many homosexuals join the military to suppress their desires, the majority (70%) felt that …

Against A Politics Of Desire: Lesbians Romance And Film, Angela Anelalani Cantrell

English Theses & Dissertations

Within much of feminist theory, the lesbian has become much more than a woman-who-loves-other-women-sexually: the lesbian has become a metaphor for female creativity and a female autonomy freed from heterosexual aesthetics, gender model constraints, indeed, anything deemed patriarchal, i.e., misogyny, racism, capitalism, etc. Throughout my analysis of four films, I will argue that lesbian, when used as a metaphor, is a Romantic metaphor; in other words, feminist strategies that employ lesbian-as-metaphor are subscribing to a Romantic vision of lesbian sexuality. Although this is not saying anything new--feminists since the early seventies have questioned the romanticization of femaleness and lesbianism--I hope …

Uncle Sam's Lesbians: Power, Empowerment, And The Military Experience, Patricia Lee Davis

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Why would a lesbian choose to go into an androcentric, mysogynist environment, and, once there, choose to stay? This study examines the military experience of lesbians as represented by a group of twenty-two lesbian veterans and active duty military personnel. This research concentrates on three basic areas of concern: recruitment, retention, and the structure and function of personal networks.

The results show many similarities between this group of women and those in other studies on women in the military with regard to reasons for joining the military and background information. However, these results also indicate a connection between being gay …