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

Problematic Ideas For A Problematic Group: Untangling Common Depictions Of Transgender Characters In Young Adult Literature, Asiyah Noujdi

Summer Research Showcase

The need and desire for diverse perspectives within young adult (YA) literature led to a boom in the amount of stories featuring trans people at the start of the 21st century and has continued to this day. However these perspectives have not all been positive with earlier books written featuring viewpoints that would be seen by a trans individual as not reflective of their lived experiences. This project aims to compare the depictions of trans people in trans YA from the start of the 21st century up to the present day. The perspectives used within this project will be from …

Anti-Transgender Care Bans: The Weaponization Of Disinformation And The Political Ploy To Erase Transgender Youth, Gretchen Delight Larmer

2024 Symposium

Since 2021, the United States has seen the introduction of over 1,000 bills targeting transgender rights and 2024 alone, has seen 133 bills introduced that aim to deny healthcare for transgender individuals. Such bills often prevent access to necessary healthcare, particularly gender-affirming care (GAC) for transgender youth. GAC for transgender youth can include care for mental wellness and puberty blockers which temporarily pause the puberty process. Legislators aim to deny transgender youth access to GAC by criminalizing any support given to youth accessing GAC as well as the medical or psychiatric provision of such care. GAC has been negatively and …

Beyond Craigslist Personal Ads: Contemporary Usage Of The Label T4t, Madi Lou Alexander

Student Research Symposium

Trans for trans relationships (t4t) are a special type of connection specific to transgender individuals, whether in the process of [re]affirming one’s gender identity and/or finding and building community. Originating from Craigslist personal ads, t4t indicates a trans person seeking out another trans person. What are these t4t relationships like for the trans people involved in them? With this research, I hope to evaluate and define the range of what t4t relationships are, hypothesize how t4t relations foster a sense of connection for the transgender individuals in said relationships, and explain why community amongst those who identify as transgender is …

“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 …

Transpositive Learning: Creating A Positive Environment For Trans/Gnc Learners, Jeannie Ludlow, Shelley Berry

Together We RISE (Making Excellence Inclusive)

The first few days of a new semester are anxiety-producing for all students. Our trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students come to our classes carrying all the standard student worries plus fears that they will be outed, misgendered, misnamed, excluded from examples, and/or unable to find convenient restrooms. So many of our normalized teaching practices, especially during introductory sessions, inadvertently exclude or objectify trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals or reinforce essentialized and binary gender norms. Sometimes, even those practices that we intend to be welcoming are not. In this workshop, we provide tips and strategies for making our courses, from the …

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 …

Improving Health Literacy Among Transgender/ Gender Non-Conforming People Using Social Media, Isha Mittal, Michelle Cordoba Kissee

Research Colloquium

Background: Health literacy has been elicited as a barrier to healthcare amongst LGBT individuals. Social media has become a popular force in transmitting health information, but often time lacks evidence-based information.

Aims/purpose: The TikTok channel GenderDefenders was created to address the lack of reliable evidence-based information for transgender and gender-non conforming (TGNC) individuals.

Methods: Data was collected from current TikTok videos that were tagged with TGNC terminology to identify gaps in knowledge and commonly asked questions. Themes were selected and educational video recordings were created using WPATH and UCSF guidelines for transgender healthcare. Some topics included what …

But What Is Troy: Art In Queer Mourning, Ian Lamasney

Symposium of Student Scholars

Death is something that everyone, regardless of any arbitrary divisions, will inevitably have to experience. For a variety of reasons, queer mourning is not practiced the same way that straight society does - it manifests as raw anger at the society around them. Deconstruction and queer theory perspectives reveals political, social, and artistic strategies that inform recent visual art practice. Examinations of the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres and John Boskovich, informed by queer theory perspectives, highlight similarities in the process of queer mourning in the late 20th century. In addition, discussion of the tale of Achilles and Patroclus recorded in …

Mental Health In Sexual And Ethnic Minorities, Aaliyah Bailey, Ashlyn Bowers, Ashley Clark, Cassidy Paquette, Garrett Bassham

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Evidence Based Health Promotion Scientific Abstract

Introduction & Background:

Mental Health resources are scarce in rural areas. In 2020, suicide was the third leading cause of death for African Americans ages 15 to 24; this is only one example of the mental health disparities experienced by minority groups.

Purpose Statement and Research Question:

We saught to answer: “Are there greater mental health disparities among sexual and ethnic minorities, such as LGBTQ+ groups or Middle Eastern women, compared to their heterosexual, majority counterparts; if so, is there anything we can do about the issue as nurses?”

Literature Review:

To match the …

Mental Health Disparities In Minorities And Their Relation To Nursing Practice, Aaliyah Bailey, Ashley Clark, Ashlyn Bowers, Cassidy Paquette, Garrett Bassham

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Evidence Based Health Promotion Scientific Abstract

Introduction & Background:

Mental Health resources are scarce in rural areas. In 2020, suicide was the third leading cause of death for African Americans ages 15 to 24; this is only one example of the mental health disparities experienced by minority groups.

Purpose Statement and Research Question:

We saught to answer: “Are there greater mental health disparities among sexual and ethnic minorities, such as LGBTQ+ groups or Middle Eastern women, compared to their heterosexual, majority counterparts; if so, is there anything we can do about the issue as nurses?”

Literature Review:

To match the …

Beyond ‘Bisexual’: Toward A New Conceptualization Of Bi+ Experience, Brook Hutchinson

Student Research Symposium

Scholars have begun to explore the sexuality binary and the way it is experienced by and reinforced among bisexual individuals. However, extant research has not yet analyzed the experiences of bi+ individuals in heterosexual relationships, including those who have never experienced a non-heterosexual relationship. The current study seeks to fill this gap through a case study of bi+ individuals in Utah. Relying on in-depth interviews with sixteen bi+ identified individuals, this study explores the experiences of bi+ individuals engaged in heterosexual relationships and how these individuals define their sexuality and negotiate their identity. Preliminary analyses reveal unique experiences among this …

The Impact Of Facial Feminization On Qol In Transgender Patients, Odette Rosales, Zane Sejdiu, Justin Michael Camacho, Ali Yasback, Caroline E. Quindlen, Sanjeev Herr, Amir Behnam Md

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Tuwid: A Photo Series Depicting The Experiences Of Closeted Filipino Lgbtqia+ Youth, Francesca Marie R. Caguiat

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

The artist-researcher used pastiche and technology incorporated with photography to depict the household experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ youth in the Philippines. Six participants attended a focus group discussion which was used in art conceptualization. They shared common experiences of having internalized homophobia and fear of rejection because of their families’ religious beliefs. However, a few shared factors apart from religiosity such as the parents’ reaction in general and their personal view on the significance of coming out. The photo series applied references to famous religious paintings and the repetition of subjects. Elements of the photos were …

Abakabadaf: Reclamation Of Queer Spaces And The Adoption Of Gayspeak By The Mainstream, Gel Ralfrey Louie O. Romero

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

Gayspeak is a queer argot that was formed to shield the Filipino LGBT community back when discrimination was rampant in the Philippines. Today, gayspeak can be observed in the vocabulary of people that are not part of the LGBT community which shows progress in tolerance. Despite this, the fight for queer equality has still not been achieved. This paper explores the adaptation of gayspeak by the mainstream by interviewing non-LGBT users of gayspeak and gathering the perceptions of the LGBT community towards them. The research found that non-LGBT people use gayspeak because of its comedic nature, capacity for socialization, and …

Invisible Yet Free: Sapphic Relationships In Late 19th Century Europe, Penelope Van Batavia

Student Academic Conference

Sapphic relationships, described as romantic relationships between two women, were able to proliferate without the watchful eye of society in late 19th-Century Europe due to many factors, including the lack of importance European society felt women had. While not entirely able to pronounce their relationships in public, these women were often able to operate somewhat publicly in three main types of common or “accepted” sapphic relationships. These include intimate friendships, “mother-daughter” models, and hetero-passing relationships. Since historical research on sapphic relationships before the 1970s was almost non-existent (beyond the chastising of such relationships) a number of women and queer academics …

Thematic Use Of Non-Conformity In "Changing My Major" (Ft. Gay Panic), Yazmeen Mayes

Symposium of Student Scholars

CW: Presentation includes references to sex and suicide.

This presentation is an in-depth score analysis of “Changing My Major” from the musical Fun Home by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, which is based on Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical memoir by the same name. The musical examines the similarities and differences between Alison and her father as she attempts to contruct a future without a queer elder to model it. This presentation demonstrates the collaborative, tight structure of thematic messaging in musical theatre. Overall, ““Changing My Major” personifies the show at large and celebrates the process of questioning as its own epic, …

Sample Holiday Cards: Examples To Help Visualize Your Families Holiday Card Or A Reinforcement Of Racism And Heteronormativity In America., Chasidy Harris

Symposium of Student Scholars

The United States is considered a "melting pot" with a diverse population of citizens. Each year, thousands of Americans send out holiday cards, and increasingly these cards are ordered online in bulk and are decorated with photos for family and friends. However, evidence shows that current advertising does not typically reflect the diversity present in the United States population. This research aims to show how the advertisement of photo holiday cards through sample cards posted on the retailer's website includes mostly white heterosexual couples and families and fewer same-sex couples (with and without children), racial-ethnically diverse families. This research will …

Dignity Norfolk: How One Tidewater Group Enabled Gay And Lesbian Catholics To Form Long Lasting Friendships And Chosen Families, Chelsea Lembert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In the past decade, research has been conducted to look into the history of the Queer Community of the Tidewater Region. Students and community volunteers have conducted interviews and gathered documents connected to the queer community to grow the study and breadth of available information for future researchers. However, more in-depth knowledge of community connections and familial ties within the queer community in the Tidewater Region was needed. Through research into Our Own Newspaper, local historical background information, and in-person interviews, I pieced together first-hand accounts of life through the eyes of a gay man or lesbian woman living in …

Crafting An Image: Love, Confidence, And Representation In Leonard Fink’S Photographs Of The Gay Liberation Movement, Alex Del Dago

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

Leonard Fink (1930-1993) was an American photographer who documented the modern Gay Liberation Movement and inaugural Christopher Street Liberation Day marches that evolved into the Pride Marches we now know of today. This research addresses how Fink used photography as both a form of personal expression and participation in the growing LGBTQ community as well as to document these critical moments in modern queer US history. Prior scholars and research have looked at the Christopher Street Liberation Day marches and the role it had on the LGBTQ movement following the Stonewall Riots, however, little has been done …

Stem Inqueery: How Communion And Femininity Affects Lgbtq Individuals’ Belonging In Stem That Affects Their Motivation To Pursue Stem, Jasmine Elise Graham, Elizabeth R. Brown

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Despite the growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in the United States, only 60% of STEM majors complete their degrees. Although STEM is stereotyped as a cis (same gender as birth), straight male, agentic (self-focused), and not communal (other-oriented) field, the inclusion of communion in STEM boosts STEM motivation. Since LGBTQ students highly value communion and LGB(T)Q students are less likely than non-LGB(T)Q students to stay in STEM, we explored whether LGBTQ individuals’ desire for communal opportunities or feminine gender expression shapes their belonging or expectations for success in STEM which in turn affects their (future) motivation …

Two Sides To Every Coin: Analyzing The Historical Perspectives Of Gender Nonconforming Individuals In America, Sydney Meier

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

For some, the idea of any gender other than male/man or female/woman is incomprehensible. For others, gender is seen as a spectrum where individuals flow between man, woman, or somewhere in between. Most live in the gray area where it is recognized that two sexes and two genders exist with a little leeway for variances. The gender binary is a pervasive social construct that limits society due to the refusal of some to accept nonconforming individuals into the feminist umbrella of inclusivity. In this paper, I argue that rather than a binary, gender should be accepted as a spectrum due …

Out And Proud: The Significance Of Jojo Siwa’S Coming Out And Why Queer Representation In Children’S Media Is Important, Savannah Munholland

Capstone Showcase

Queer representation in the media is slowly improving but children's media still severely lacks diversity, especially LGBTQ+ representation. This paper explores JoJo Siwa, a popular children's influencer and entertainer, and how her coming out will effect the integration of queer representation into children's media.

Challenges Faced By Lgbtqiap+ Youth, Sydney Inger

Virginias Collegiate Honors Council Conference

Geography and religion play an integral role in how a family may react to a youth’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Geographic location as well as religious affiliation are predictive of how accepting a family is toward an LGBTIAP+ child, but this is not correlated with every case. When a family is unaccepting, youth can find themselves running away, homeless, in the foster care system, or incarcerated. On top of continuous rejection at home and in the community, youth are left with challenges finding accepting foster families, applying for jobs, and buying homes later in life. There is a strong …

Impacts Of Intersectionality In The Lgbtqiap+ Community, Sydney Inger

Virginias Collegiate Honors Council Conference

Intersectionality plays an integral role in how a family or society reacts to a youth’s identification within the LGBTQIAP+ community and their chances of overcoming societal challenges that may follow. The intersections of geographic location and religion are predictive of how accepting a family is toward an LGBTIAP+ child, but this is not correlated with every case. When a family is unaccepting, youth can find themselves running away, homeless, in the foster care system, or incarcerated. Beyond continuous rejection at home and in the community, youth are left with challenges finding accepting foster families and applying for jobs and homes …

“We’Re Here, We’Re Queer, We Will Not Live In Fear!”: A Content Analysis Exploring Gender Disparity In The Public Reappropriation Of Lgbtq+ Slurs, Nicolas Hall

Capstone Showcase

As minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community have faced many hardships throughout history, such as the use of language as a weapon against them. However, this research explores the public display of linguistic reappropriation of LGBTQ+ derogatory language and terms within the community. Throughout history, the use of slurs (e.g. faggot and dyke) and their social definitions have shifted from having no connection to the community to directly affected these individuals. These terms have been used to demonize members of the LGBTQ+ community for decades. Despite this reality, there are some scholars who suggest that these terms are being reappropriated, …

Firing Queer Teachers From Catholic Schools: Ethical And Theological Considerations, Ish Ruiz

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Since 2007, there have been over 90 cases of queer employees fired from Catholic institutions – many of which include dismissals of queer educators from Catholic schools. As religious institutions, Catholic schools are constitutionally protected by a ministerial exception that offers legal immunity to Catholic educational institutions that fire queer employees (which are sometimes considered “ministers” by the courts). The ministerial exception is an extension of the institution’s right to religious freedom to promote its doctrine though its schools. Although this right to discriminate is legally protected, from a moral standpoint, one may argue that the exercise of one human …

Beware The Cat In The Hat: How Children's Literature Is The Modern Form Of Segregation, Lucy Kebler

Celebration of Learning

Every person grows up exposed to children’s literature. Unfortunately, much of the children’s literature that is published is racially discriminatory, historically inaccurate, blatantly offensive, or pure propaganda. The research for this presentation began in Augustana College’s library and has transitioned to a much broader space: The Saint Louis Country Library. Through this research, it has become obvious that diverse literature is hard to find and is often marketed as only readable for those in the minority race depicted. Many libraries mark literature that contains African Americans, as to help “guide” readers in their selections. Books labeled in this way make …

Understanding The Transgender Patient, Hudson Tibbetts, Msn, Rn

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Transgender Health Care Needs: Can We Improve The Care Of Our Lgbtqia Patient Population?, Christine Marshall, Rn, Msn, Cen, Cn Iv

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Lgbtq In The Workforce, Jenna Salvesen, Payton Shilling, Christal Smith

School of Human Sciences Research Showcase

LGBTQ struggles are still a major problem today in both the LGBTQ culture and the work culture. They feel as though they are not accepted and are discriminated against. When employees do not feel safe or accepted, then not only do companies lose great employees, they also lose their reputation as a workplace.