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

Fostering Lgbtq Spirituality: A Campus Case Study, Tracy Morin

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of spirituality in the lives and identities of LGBTQ students is sufficiently documented in extant scholarship to encourage campus leaders to consider spiritual support in their efforts to improve campus climate (Birch, 2011; Gold & Stewart, 2011; Love et al., 2005; Means et al., 2016; Pryor et al., 2017), but there is minimal research to gauge whether, where, and how this consideration is being enacted. Even the Campus Pride Index, the nation’s premier resource for ranking the LGBTQ-friendliness of colleges and universities, does not consider support for spirituality in their campus assessment criteria. The purpose of this study …

"My Longest Relationship Is With Food": Exploring Eating Related Behaviors Throughout The Gender Identity Journey Of Transgender Males, Angeles Polett Coss

Dissertations

This study sought to explore how transgender adult males have navigated the development of their eating behaviors throughout their gender identity trajectory. While recent research has focused on gender identity development and protective factors of the transgender community, this study explored and examined elements regarding the eating related behaviors of transgender males. Interviews were conducted with six participants within the United States during semi structured virtual sessions; the age range of participants was 19 to 35. Results of this research revealed identity management, Sociopolitical discourse, identity management and inter-relational identity affirmations as inter-multicultural segments that connected with eating related behaviors …

American Perspectives On The Legitimacy Of Transgender Identities, Sethe Zachman

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed-method project examines how Americans’ and Nebraskans’ perceptions of the validity of transgender identities varies by the demographic characteristics of respondents, and how these perceptions are justified. Two representative surveys are used to examine demographic associations with opinion on the cisgender and transgender binary: the 2023 American Values Atlas (AVA) from the Public Religion Research Institute (N=4,788) and the 2022 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS) (N=934) from the Bureau of Sociological Research. A measure from the AVA data examines the degree to which respondents believe there are only two genders versus a range of gender identities. The NASIS …

Examining The Risks And Resilience Of Older Adults Living With Hiv/Aids: Qualitative Community-Based Participatory Research Studies In Southern Nevada, Brandon Ranuschio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the height of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, medical interventions have significantly increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and made HIV/AIDS a livable, chronic health condition. Because of this, PLWH have been living longer lives and thriving with the help of HIV sector healthcare and service providers. However, with their longer life expectancy, older PLWH have been experiencing other health challenges. One such challenge is the risk of developing HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND), which is a condition that affects up to 50% of PLWH at some point in their lifetime, with middle-aged and older …

How Gender Affirming Care Affects The Current Sex Estimation Standards In Forensic Anthropology: A Preliminary Study, Dakota Taylor

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Current sex estimation standards in forensic anthropology are based on individuals whose gender matches their biological/osteological sex, also known as Cisgendered individuals. Recently, transgender individuals have started to become more common in the forensic context due to the increase in hate crimes and violence. This research builds upon past research done on how facial feminization surgery can affect both visual and metric methods, where it was found that forensic anthropologists should rely on the visual methods if they suspect someone to be transgender due to it being more accurate and being able to clearly state the scars left on the …

Determinism & Free Will: An Exploration On Gender Identity As Evidence For Compatibilism, Daniel Mangandi-Escobar

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Determinism is a philosophical concept asserting that every event and action in the universe has been determined by previous causes, which has caused considerable debate within philosophy. Two critical issues within this discussion are the implications of determinism for human agency and moral responsibility. In this work, I argue that free ill is possible, rejecting hard determinism. Specifically, I will be arguing in favor of compatibilism, which is the view that free will can exist even within a deterministic world. From this perspective, free will is not opposed to determinism. Instead, our choices and actions can still be considered free …

The Neoliberal Noirs Of Gary Indiana, Carson Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is concerned with the two AIDS-era novels of Gary Indiana, a long-neglected yet essential literary figure who, as the critic Christian Lorentzen has argued, “connects the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in ways readers and critics are only beginning to apprehend” (xii). Beginning chronologically with a study of Indiana’s first two novels, Horse Crazy (1989) and Gone Tomorrow (1993), this thesis attempts to realize Lorentzen’s call to action, attending particularly to the ways in which Indiana’s novels write the neoliberal subject. More than exploring life under the AIDS crisis and embodying a radical queer approach to narrative, I contend, …

Gentleman Death In Silk And Lace: Death And The Maiden In Vampire Literature And Film, Emily Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains an examination in the psychosocial significance of Hans Baldung Grien’s “Death and the Maiden” art motif, created during the Renaissance period following the Black Death, and its resurgence in the vampire fiction genre of both literature and film. I investigate the motif in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (1976) as well as their film adaptations by Francis Ford Coppola (1992) and Neil Jordan (1994), respectively. By examining the presence of the motif in art, literature, and film, I found that the common threads across all investigated works were the dominant social …

The Queer Gazes Back: A Dowry Of Blood As A Queer Mirror To Cisheterosexual Gothic Fears, Robin Bozik

English

This paper examines the connection between the contemporary Gothic A Dowry of Blood and its literary predecessors, Dracula, Frankenstein, and Carmilla. Through a focus on queer bodies, this work demonstrates the evolution of queer lineage-making and responses to cisheterosexual threats. Using literature as a “mirror” to gaze back on the visceral fears held by those who fall outside the norms of gender and sexuality in their respective time periods, this work also examines social tensions in the 21^st century surrounding reproduction and gender-affirming care.

In addition to literary analysis of the primary texts, this paper is …

Written In Blood: The Cultural Work Of Family, Sexuality, And Race In Adaptations Of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire, Ariana Alvarado

Undergraduate Theses

Anne Rice’s gothic novel “Interview with the Vampire” (1976) has not only stood the test of time as a cult classic, but has continued to be told and retold through a film adaptation (1994) and recent AMC television production (2022). Looking through the lens of adaptation theory and the ideas of Nina Auerbach in Our Vampires, Ourselves, this presentation highlights how both the original novel and subsequent adaptations use the figure of the vampire to represent the social changes of the era of its creation, particularly in regards to queerness and sexuality.

Writing, Performance, Resistance: Examining Feminist Ideology And Theory In Theatre Since The Second Wave, Olivia Cross

Theater Honors Papers

This project seeks to identify and analyze how feminist theatre is informed by theory and activism in its resistance against white, heteronormative, and patriarchal hegemony offstage through onstage representation. By identifying three consistent themes of gender & sexuality, race, and trauma and the methods used to effectively convey them to an audience, feminist theatre displays how advocacy takes unique forms to uproot the status quo. Furthermore, this research highlights how theatre is a viable and rich outlet for feminist intellectual history, displaying its versatility as a frame of analysis.

Beyond The Binary: The Transgender Experience At Csb+Sju, Stellarae Ambord, Rachel Lawrence, Rylie Owen

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Our work focused on two objectives:

1. Examine CSB+SJU campus culture toward and experiences for transgender students.

2. Develop implementable goals for CSB+SJU, the IWL, and individuals to create an accepting environment.

Religious Identity And Perceived Inclusion For The Lgbtqia+ Community At Providence College, Emily Wishart '25, Emma Cody '26

Social Work Student Scholarship

Emily Wishart ’25, Social Work major, Women and Gender Studies minor
Emma Cody ’26, Elementary/Special Education major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Hasson, Social Work

Censorship Of Lgbtq+ Books: Causes And Consequences, Merrick Glass

Honors Projects

Censorship in the United States of America has accelerated over the past four years. LGBTQ+ books are specifically being targeted and banned within high school classrooms. Banned books are nothing new--court cases today are influenced by Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982) plurality decision on censorship. Students and professionals alike have power in their rights and voices. In the framework of bell hooks, the classroom can be perceived as a site of resistance in order to take power back into students' hands. Without a diversity of books, students will lack cognitive development and community.

“Wondered At This Change”: Queer Potential And Telling Silence In The Relationship Of Legolas And Gimli, Hannah Mendro

Journal of Tolkien Research

Queer scholarship on The Lord of the Rings has frequently focused on J. R. R. Tolkien’s depiction of deep, intense male friendships. The tenderness of these relationships and Tolkien’s treatment of homosocial bonds - particularly in comparison to his depiction of heterosexual relationships - raises a question of deeper intimacy and queer potential that cannot be ignored. But in contrast to the relationship between Frodo and Sam, which is frequently explored in scholarly work (even if raised only to dismiss the possibility of queerness), the potential for a queer reading of Legolas and Gimli shows up as a glaring gap …

Coming Out Of The Coffin: The History And Present Of Queerness In The Vampire Genre., Bailey Drummond

Honors Projects

This essay delves into the captivating and lasting influence of vampires on popular culture since their creation. The fascination with vampires can be traced back to literary works such as John Polidori's "The Vampyre" and Bram Stoker's classic "Dracula," which have served as foundations for vampire mythology across different media platforms. Despite the evolution of media and cultural contexts, certain themes surrounding vampires have persisted throughout history. Notably, vampires have been portrayed as symbols of sexuality and queerness, reflecting societal fears and desires from past eras to the present day. These themes have been critically analyzed and dissected in various …

"I Have A Right To Exist Here": An Interview With Photographer Justin Murphy, Nicole Lawrence

Remembrance: A Journal of Queer Culture, Information, and Preservation

An interview with Justin Murphy, founder of Out of the Attic Photography. Born, raised, and still residing in Huntington, WV, Murphy volunteers and freelances for the ACLU of WV. Murphy’s photography and counselor work with AQYS was featured by Nico Lang in Xtra Magazine.

"'What The Suffering Was Like': Digital Affect In The Act Up Oral History Project, Margaret Sullivan

Remembrance: A Journal of Queer Culture, Information, and Preservation

This article considers The ACT UP Oral History Project as an affective site that renders visible the impact of loss and suffering. Focusing on the archive’s filmic and computer-mediated interviews, and placing both in conversation with memory and queer identity studies, I demonstrate that the Oral History Project, as a discursive space, invites its audience into a felt physical contact with grief, loss, anger, and rage.

"There Is Power In Being Out": A Three Article Approach Celebrating The Experiences Of Queer University Leaders, Andrew R. E. Lorenzana

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education were historically built to serve a wealthy, White, straight male student population and the leaders of these institutions still largely reflect these demographics. This project specifically aims to celebrate and amplify the life and career of university administrators who identify within the LGBTQ community. Mainly through the use of a portraiture methodology, this three-article study attempts to examine the ways in which LGBTQ identity and career influence one another.

Worldmaking and narrative will be used as a theoretical frame to help analyze the ways in which the telling of a queer individual’s story makes the world …

Inside The Glass Closet: Analyzing The Representation Of Queer Romantic Relationships In The Literature Of Virginia Woolf, Paige Meyer

Audre Lorde Prize

No abstract provided.

Building Queer Families: Supports And Barriers, Annie Bright

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

A qualitative study was conducted with six participants who identify as Queer and/or Lesbian investigating supports and barriers to family building using Assisted Human Reproduction. Semi-structured interviews were conducted allowing participants to share their experiences and self-identify the significant supports and barriers in their process. Interviews were transcribed and coded using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis identifying three supports and four barriers. Results demonstrated that all participants identified their community and/or their Queer community and their partner and/or family as key supports and two-thirds of participants identified as a support their own background or knowledge. All participants described the high cost or …

Beyond The Binary: Analyzing Transgender Legislation In Spain And Its Implications For Equality And Rights, Stephanie Hernandez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Spain is considered one of the leading countries in LGBT+ acceptance and rights with their progressive laws, gaining a name for itself as a haven for those within the community. In this research paper, I investigate the evolution of transgender legislation in Spain into the current day and how it impacts the public perception and gender affirmative care available to trans people. Focusing primarily on the passage of Trans Ley 4/2023 and the windows it opened in Trans rights. Looking into the improvements made in Trans laws, from Ley 3/2007 to current day. Additionally, this paper will look into attempted …

Colectivo Moriviví: Reconfiguring The Puerto Rican Nation Through Feminist Art Activism, Tania Carrasquillo Hernandez

Faculty Publications

This article analyzes national identity construction in Puerto Rico in terms of gender dynamics and how contemporary artistic production has questioned patriarchal constructions within the nation. I argue that by voicing the narratives of Puerto Rican communities in the public sphere, Colectivo Moriviví validates the active participation and contribution of women, Afro-descendant minorities, and LGTBQ+ groups within the national body, forcing the national discourse to re-envision its purpose, values, and mission

¿Fiesta O Protesta? La Marcha Del Orgullo En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires En Los Inicios De La Era De Milei Party Or Protest? / The City Of Buenos Aires Pride March In The Beginnings Of The Milei Era, Ella Mcdaniel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto investiga el estado actual de la Marcha del Orgullo de Buenos Aires en el contexto del nuevo presidente libertario de la ultraderecha, Javier Milei. Se explora la eficacia de la Marcha en poder alcanzar su potencial político a través de la revisión de la historia del movimiento LGBTTI argentino. Además, se realizaron cinco entrevistas semi-estructuradas tanto con organizadores de la Marcha como con participantes para entender los objetivos y métodos del evento desde la perspectiva de lxs involucradxs. Usando principalmente las teorías de interseccionalidad y homonacionalismo, con una base en la teoría de la Estructura de las Oportunidades …

Queerness In Oaxaca: Perceptions Of The Lgbt+ Community, Sylvana Widman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how young Oaxacans perceive the state of LGBT+ acceptance in Oaxaca. In particular, this study surveys a general university student population, in comparison to the perceptions of a focus group of LGBT+ identifying young people. Focus group data was collected through a survey combined with a thirty-minute interview with four participants, while university data was collected through a survey distributed to 31 students at the Language School of Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca. Results from both groups found that participants’ perceived their peers as more accepting than their family or Oaxacan society at large. A significant …

Queer And Trans Migrations: The Impacts Of Presidential Discourse, Isabella Richards

Women's and Gender Studies Theses

Political discourse, defined as “the totality of all speech acts used in political discussions, as well as rules of public policy, sanctified by tradition and proven by experience” (Valerevna and Rakhmatovna 88) has a profound impact on shaping societal perspectives, policies, and cultural norms. In the United States, historical presidential rhetoric has reinforced ideals like the nuclear family, inadvertently promoting heteronormativity and white supremacy. Consequently, this has led to marginalized groups, such as queer and trans migrants, being unjustly portrayed as outsiders or threats. This research project demonstrates how presidential discourse has framed queer and trans migrants as outsiders or …

Asexuality In Science Fiction: A Study Of Non-Sexual Queer Intimacy In Short Stories By Ursula K. Le Guin, Samuel Delany, And Theodore Sturgeon, Mik Dressler

Honors College Theses

The study of asexuality is still a relatively new concept in queer studies, and the rarity of asexual literature poses questions about how media can help further develop this study. This question takes unique shape in the genre of science fiction, one deeply and intrinsically tied to queer storytelling but very often hypersexualized. This essay evaluates the asexual themes of four sci-fi short stories which predate modern vocabularies and frameworks of asexuality: “The Widget, The Wadget, and Boff” by Theodore Sturgeon, “Unchosen Love” and “Mountain Ways” by Ursula K. Le Guin, and “Aye, and Gomorrah” by Samuel Delany. Referencing queer …

The Bloodless Period: A Transfeminine Experience, Rin Nguyen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is limited research exploring menstruation in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations, and studies have primarily examined the relationship between menstruation and gender congruence. Findings revealed menstruating TGD people experienced distress related to decreased gender congruence (Eisenberg et al., 2021), and 88% of TGD people expressed interest in menstrual suppression to manage the distress (Schwartz et al., 2022). By contrast, Lowik (2020) highlighted a transfeminine person who wished to menstruate to achieve womanhood and commented on the “bloodless period” (i.e., menstrual-like symptoms in the absence of bleeding) upon receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy. To the author’s knowledge, there is no …

"It's Profound To Be Understood": Negotiations Of Household Labor In Trans Families, Eliza Thor

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The gendered division of household labor has long been of interest to family scholars. For heterosexual couples, labor is often unequally divided, with women normatively taking on more labor than their partners. This inequality is often justified through time availability, resource dependency, and gender ideology. However, less studied is the division of household labor in relationships in which at least one partner is transgender or gender diverse (TGD). Drawing on the framework of “doing gender,” I explore how performing labor that aligns with traditional gender expectations affirms the gender identities of TGD individuals, making the division of labor in the …

Exploring The Stereotypes Of Gender And Sexuality In Ballet And Its Impact On The Dance Community, Ava Jackson

Audre Lorde Prize

Ballet has been deemed a feminine sport for hundreds of years. The famous words of choreographer George Balanchine, “Ballet is Woman,” remind us of this. While some may see classical ballet as a feminized birthplace of dance for queer men and women, the art form as a whole denies more flexible roles of masculinity. For men, the majority of roles are limited to strong princes, played by cis-gender men who fit the model of hegemonic masculinity. Dance is not exempt from oppression with intersectionality between dancers. An intersectional approach is imperative for understanding the exclusion dancers face, by challenging these …