Gay Voices Research Articles

Listening to the Voices of Gay and Bisexual Men and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Kenya: Recommendations for Improved HIV Prevention Programming.

Young gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are a key population at high risk for new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in Kenya; thus, increased efforts are necessary to reduce their health risks. This qualitative study describes recommendations offered by young GBMSM in Kenya regarding the development and delivery of culturally appropriate HIV prevention services. Both young GBMSM Community Members and Peer Educators recommend that future HIV prevention efforts enhance economic empowerment, provide mental health and substance use services, and incorporate arts-based health promotion strategies. In addition, participants recommended that public health professionals increase the ease of access to HIV prevention services for GBMSM and that researchers disseminate findings from HIV prevention research back to the community.

CREATIVE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS WITH LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER (LGBTQ+) OLDER ADULTS

Abstract The voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adults are very often overlooked in research contexts. Creative qualitative methods have been utilized to study populations who have been neglected, empowering marginalized communities, and fostering equitable research processes and outcomes (Archibald & Blines, 2021; Jen & Paceley, 2021; McGarry & Bowden, 2017). This innovative symposium explores creative qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, such as creative writing and poetry, which have been employed in research about LGBTQ+ aging and also describes how each method may provide a unique contribution to the research process and literature. The first presentation describes the process of facilitating a weekly creative writing group with LGBTQ+ older adults and how creative writing can facilitate the retelling of life events and reimaging of new futures. The second presentation describes the process of analyzing pieces of creative writing in order to elucidate the potential and possibility of queer futurities and their implications for research on aging trajectories and imaginings. The third presentation details how found poetry created from dyadic semi-structured interviews sheds new light on the relationships of LGBTQ+ couples facing cancer. Through these three presentations, we will illustrate how creative methods contribute strengths of generating evocative and poignant narratives, illuminating not-yet-possible futures, and inspiring equally creative interventions. The overall objective of this symposium is to explore creative qualitative research methods for their utility in research with LGBTQ+ older adults, ultimately fostering more inclusive and nuanced research processes and products.

Stereotypically gay- and straight-sounding auditory cues change adolescent music students’ perceptions of men’s teaching effectiveness

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a stereotypically gay-sounding voice on middle- and high-schooler’s perceptions of teaching effectiveness. Participants ( N = 273) listened to two men with stereotypically gay and straight voices, respectively, reading a short paragraph. Afterwards, they rated the likelihood of each speaker’s ability to demonstrate top skills and behaviors associated with effective music teaching and also predicted whether each man would be a band director, choir director, string orchestra director, or elementary general music teacher. The results from measurement invariance analysis show that participants rated the gay voice higher on measures of maintaining high musical standards and organization, whereas they rated the straight-sounding speaker higher on measures of leadership. The results from a multinomial logistic regression show that listeners predicted that the gay-sounding speaker would most likely be an elementary general music teacher and that the straight-sounding speaker would be a band director. The differences between these findings and prior research, nuance of leadership versus classroom management, and the need for further research on stereotypical voices are discussed.

Gay- and Straight-Sounding Auditory Cues Elicit Stereotyping About Teaching Effectiveness

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a “gay-sounding” voice on heterosexual music teachers’ perceptions of music teaching effectiveness. Music teachers across the United States ( N = 575) listened to two men between the ages of 18 and 25 years old with stereotypically gay and straight voices, respectively, reading a short paragraph. After hearing each speaker in counterbalanced order, participants rated the likelihood of each speaker’s ability to demonstrate top skills and behaviors associated with effective teaching using a 4-point Likert-type scale. Listeners rated the gay voice higher on measures of maintaining high musical standards and organization; they rated the straight voice higher on measures of leadership, classroom management, and maturity. Strategies to combat these stereotypes are discussed.

Gay voices without intersectionality is White supremacy: narratives of gay and lesbian teachers of color on teaching and learning

The primary objective of this collection is to document the lived experiences of queer teachers of color who work in P-20 education, as a means of identifying and analyzing how the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality impact teaching dispositions and lived struggles. Similar to Anzaldua, Tate, and Valadez and Elsbree call for ‘queer border crossings’, working across epistemological boundaries and frameworks; the articles presented here cross many disciplinary borders by connecting with individuals across different cultural contexts, in effect breaking pervasive silences of LGB people of color in educational research.

Unheard Voices from the Global South

In an attempt to include voices from the Global South, many Westerners hear only reflections of their own voices, voices that easily fit within the framework of Western theology, such as Liberation theology. Not only does this give the false impression of a “global theology” but it does the very same thing a blatantly colonial practice has done in the past, this time unseen. Many western liberals and conservatives are guilty of equating African conservatism to American conservatism, which results in an unhelpful caricature of African Christians. African contextual theology does not emphasize reconsidering traditional interpretations of scripture, but making theology and scripture relevant to African problems and situations. The voices most relevant to the controversies between South and West are often the voices most overlooked. The debate about homosexuality in Africa frequently features gay Western voices but gay African voices are missing from almost all sources. Many Westerners feel that African churches are simply homophobic, viewing their claim that the issue of homosexuality is irrelevant in Africa as a dishonest motivation for their opposition. Many Africans, however, feel that it is an issue they are being forced to discuss at the expense of more pressing issues in their own context, such as confronting African Traditional Religions. My intention here is not to come down on one side of the debate between the West and the Global South, but rather to highlight the dissonance between what we hear about the Global South and the realities on the ground. If we are going to claim that we need to hear all voices, let it be all voices.

The Use of Online Posts to Identify Barriers to and Facilitators of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Comparison to a Systematic Review of the Peer-Reviewed Literature.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains an under-utilized HIV prevention tool among men who have sex with men (MSM). To more comprehensively elucidate barriers and facilitators to PrEP use among US MSM, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed published articles and content analysis of online posts about PrEP. We searched peer-reviewed databases (Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar) using MESH headings and keywords about PrEP and/or HIV prevention from 2005 to 2015. We included original studies among MSM in the US that reported on barriers, facilitators, or other factors related to PrEP use. We also searched online posts and associated comments (news articles, opinion pieces, blogs and other social media posts) in diverse venues (Facebook, Slate Outward, Huffington Post Gay Voices, Queerty, and My PrEP Experience blog) to identify posts about PrEP. We used content analysis to identify themes and compare potential differences between the peer-reviewed literature and online posts. We identified 25 peer-reviewed articles and 28 online posts meeting inclusion criteria. We identified 48 unique barriers and 46 facilitators to using PrEP. These 94 themes fit into six overarching categories: (1) access (n=14), (2) attitudes/beliefs (n=24), (3) attributes of PrEP (n=13), (4) behaviors (n=11), (5) sociodemographic characteristics (n=8), and (6) social network (n=6). In all categories, analysis of online posts resulted in identification of a greater number of unique themes. Thirty-eight themes were identified in the online posts that were not identified in the peer-reviewed literature. We identified barriers and facilitators to PrEP in online posts that were not identified in a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature. By incorporating data both from a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles and from online posts, we have identified salient and novel information about barriers to and facilitators of PrEP use. Traditional research approaches may not comprehensively capture current factors important for designing and implementing PrEP related interventions.

We Exist: Combating Erasure Through Creative Analytic Comix about Bisexuality

As the voices of lesbian, gay, and transgender (LGT) individuals gain inclusion in academic spheres, bisexual experiences continue to be silenced and excluded from the discussion. In particular, systems of biphobia, monosexism, and erasure often coordinate to limit bisexual visibility and activism. This bisexual erasure translates into negative social experiences for bisexual individuals who must face a constant struggle to find belonging and acceptance. Therefore, this study used comix to bring awareness to the experiences of bisexual women as they navigated belonging and worked toward community transformation.

Time to ask and tell: Voices of older gay and bisexual male veterans regarding community services

ABSTRACTThis participatory action study involved lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) veterans in determining community-based service needs for health and wellness, illuminating perspectives of older LGBTQ veterans regarding community services. This study explored veterans' perceptions of being LGBTQ later in life. The study included data from interviews with gay and bisexual male veterans ages 51 to 87. Participants valued engagement as part of community. Their recommendations for action included communal meals, transportation, housing, and the coming-out process. Community services facilitated community engagement to support health and wellness for LGBTQ older veterans. The authors used participatory action research (PAR), a method of systematic inquiry integrating the perspective of persons living the experience, to organize the study. Further PAR is recommended to implement community services to meeting health and wellness needs of participants.

Gender and older LGBT* housing discourse: the marginalised voices of older lesbians, gay and bisexual women

PurposeThis paper is a conceptual discussion of the marginalisation of the voices of older lesbians, gay and bisexual (LGB) women, within the collective discourse of “older LGBT* housing”. The purpose of this paper is to critically interrogate its (in)equality implications and to consider ways in which they might be overcome.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual discussion that draws on the social justice model of equality developed by Nancy Fraser, specifically the domains of resources, recognition and representation.FindingsThe housing needs, wishes and concerns of older LGB women are often marginalised while at the same time those of older gay men are privileged. Older LGB women’s preferences for gender- and/or sexuality- specific housing are silenced within collective homogenising discourse – by researchers and activists alike – which mobilises a “mainstream” or “LGBT*-specific” binary about housing options.Research limitations/implicationsResearch findings which do not include the voices of older lesbian, gay and bisexual women are inherently flawed. There is a need to ensure their voices – across the older age spectrum – are included.Practical implicationsThe voices of older LGB women in relation to older age housing need to be better heard so that they can be better resourced.Social implicationsThe marginalisation of older lesbian, gay and bisexual women’s voices in relation to older age housing has profound equality and human rights implications.Originality/valueCritical discussions about the gendering of older LGBT* housing discourse are long overdue. This paper seeks to open a dialogue about these important issues.

We Weren’t Born Yesterday: Reflections on a Radio Documentary Series

ABSTRACTWe Weren't Born Yesterday is a series of radio documentaries produced by the Queering the Air collective on 3CR Community Radio, Melbourne, that explores queer heritage, vocabulary and intergenerational connections in migrant communities in Australia. It was broadcast in February 2015 on 3CR, SBS, Joy and other stations on the Community Radio Network. The collective produced four hour-long radio features focused on the voices of gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer people from diasporic backgrounds, with each feature focused on one cultural/linguistic community—Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic and Indian (Hindi). This article presents insights that emerged from the series as well as the producers’ reflections on the series.

Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers

Book Review| December 01 2015 Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers. Balay, Anne. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2014xi + 172 pp., $34.95 (cloth); $29.99 (e-book) Miriam Frank Miriam Frank Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Labor (2015) 12 (4): 116–118. https://doi.org/10.1215/15476715-3155188 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Miriam Frank; Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers. Labor 1 December 2015; 12 (4): 116–118. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/15476715-3155188 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsLabor Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. © 2015 by Labor and Working-Class History Association2015 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Book Review: Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers, by Anne Balay

Book Review: <i>Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers</i>, by Anne Balay

Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims

Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims

The Sound of Voice: Voice-Based Categorization of Speakers' Sexual Orientation within and across Languages.

Empirical research had initially shown that English listeners are able to identify the speakers' sexual orientation based on voice cues alone. However, the accuracy of this voice-based categorization, as well as its generalizability to other languages (language-dependency) and to non-native speakers (language-specificity), has been questioned recently. Consequently, we address these open issues in 5 experiments: First, we tested whether Italian and German listeners are able to correctly identify sexual orientation of same-language male speakers. Then, participants of both nationalities listened to voice samples and rated the sexual orientation of both Italian and German male speakers. We found that listeners were unable to identify the speakers' sexual orientation correctly. However, speakers were consistently categorized as either heterosexual or gay on the basis of how they sounded. Moreover, a similar pattern of results emerged when listeners judged the sexual orientation of speakers of their own and of the foreign language. Overall, this research suggests that voice-based categorization of sexual orientation reflects the listeners' expectations of how gay voices sound rather than being an accurate detector of the speakers' actual sexual identity. Results are discussed with regard to accuracy, acoustic features of voices, language dependency and language specificity.

“Homosexuality Is Bad for Me”: An Analysis of Homosexual Christian Testimonies in Christianity Today Magazine

This article reviews first-person testimonials written by gay and lesbian Christians in the evangelical newsmagazine Christianity Today between 2000 and 2010 to identify the common and dominant themes on how homosexual Christians negotiate their faith with their sexualities. It addresses how Christianity Today affirms the call by some queer theorists to provide a space for gays and lesbians to speak in their own voices, while framing their experiences so as to uphold, rather than disrupt, evangelical beliefs of homosexuality. The article discusses the strategies used by evangelical media to negotiate between acknowledging the lived experiences of gay and lesbian Christians without challenging traditional beliefs about homosexuality. It also considers how evangelical media appropriate gay and lesbian voices to limit what it means to be a gay Christian rather than explore new perspectives on religiosity and homosexuality.

Identidades suspendidas por el silencio, la opacidad, la vergüenza y los tabúes Narrativas sobre violencia sexual en la guerra irregular en el Caribe colombiano

In this paper, we present the product of the first part of this fieldwork developed in the framework of the research about Narratives of sexual violence in irregular warfare in Colombia's Caribbean: voices of gay, transgender, intersex, bisexual and lesbian, whose objective is to do a literary narrative of the sexual violence cases on the LGTBI population caused by paramilitary groups in this area. To develop our purpose in “introduction”, there is a brief review of the theoretical foundations of our investigation, previously published on Human Rights, a trans-disciplinary approach; then in “A needle in a haystack“, we talk about the difficult search for victims decided to testify; in “The territory, the trip, the music“, we can describe the context in which the interviews were made that led to literary narratives presented in “Living voices and absent voices”, to finally show some of the conclusions of this second part of our research.

Book Review: Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers by Anne Balay

Book Review: <i>Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers</i> by Anne Balay

Book Review: Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims, written by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle

Book Review: Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims, written by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle

Steel closets: voices of gay, lesbian, and transgender steelworkers

Even as substantial legal and social victories are being celebrated within the gay rights movement, much of working-class America still exists outside the current narratives of gay liberation. In Steel Closets, Anne Balay draws on oral history interviews with forty gay, lesbian, and transgender steelworkers, mostly living in northwestern Indiana, to give voice to this previously silent and invisible population. She presents powerful stories of the intersections of work, class, gender, and sexual identity in the dangerous industrial setting of the steel mill. The voices and stories captured by Balay--by turns alarming, heroic, funny, and devastating--challenge contemporary understandings of what it means to be queer and shed light on the incredible homophobia and violence faced by many: nearly all of Balay's narrators remain closeted at work, and many have experienced harassment, violence, or rape. Through the powerful voices of queer steelworkers themselves, Steel Closets provides rich insight into an understudied part of the LGBT population, contributing to a growing body of scholarship that aims to reveal and analyze a broader range of gay life in America.