Gay Identity Research Articles

From emo kid to stylish GQ Gent and back again: Matty Healy and hybrid masculinity

This article examines the evolution of the appearance of British musician, Matty Healy, lead singer of contemporary band The 1975, in his performance as a hybrid man in style and fashion magazines. Hybrid masculinity is often used by young white men as a form of assimilating aspects from marginalized groups into performing their identities. This is to distance themselves from the narrow confines of hegemonic masculinity through transgression. Healy’s performances of gay and feminized hybrid masculinities have emerged through his clothing, from early national success as a typical ‘emo’ kid ‘dressed in black from head to toe’ to a fully groomed, suited and booted Englishman, cover star of GQ and in demand as a model. Prior to global fame, Healy’s style referenced rock stars of the past and he was admired for his simple black clothing, boyish emo good looks and curly hair; style blog IdleMan.com refers to him as a ‘gothic hipster’. Yet in concert with his stylist, Patricia Villirillo, Healy has begun to play on the more feminized aspects of emo fashion such as performing in women’s skirts and dresses, and arguably has produced a twenty-first-century emo aesthetic. Moreover, he also adopts the appearance of a powerful man in a suit or for performances as well as photoshoots. Healy might now be dressed in a suit or tie for performing, as easily as he might wear a skirt, as many men in music have before him. Wearing skirts as an act of transgression highlights the lack of diversity in men’s clothing in its mundanity, and despite advances in acceptance of dynamic masculine identities through performing gay identities, performing hybrid masculinities through femininity, is still highly problematic.

Upgrading <em>The L Word: Generation Q</em>

Upgrading <em>The L Word: Generation Q</em>

Association of Coming Out as Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual+ and Risk of Cigarette Smoking in a Nationally Representative Sample of Youth and Young Adults

Coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or other identities besides heterosexual (LGB+) may represent a susceptible period for cigarette smoking initiation in youth and young adults. To assess whether young people who change their sexual identity have higher risk of cigarette smoking initiation and current smoking compared with those with consistent sexual identities. This cohort study used data from the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study (wave 1, 2013-2014; wave 2, 2014-2015; wave 3, 2015-2016; wave 4, 2016-2018). Youth and young adults aged 14 to 29 years who were never smokers at wave 1 were included in this study. Analysis began October 2018 and ended June 2020. Consistent sexual identity (consistently heterosexual, consistently LGB+) vs changing sexual identity (coming out as LGB+, other LGB+ patterns) based on 4 waves of sexual identity data. Identities were further classified by distinguishing between bisexual and lesbian, gay, and other nonheterosexual identities. Smoking initiation and current cigarette smoking at wave 4. Among 7843 individuals who never smoked at wave 1, 6991 (90.7%) reported a consistent sexual identity, and 852 (9.3%) changed sexual identity across waves. The mean (SE) baseline age of participants who reported consistent heterosexuality was 20.1 (0.8) years; consistently LGB+, 20.0 (3.7) years; coming out as LGB+, 18.0 (2.9) years, and other LGB+ pattern, 20.3 (3.8) years. A total of 14.1% (weighted) initiated smoking, and 6.3% were current smokers at wave 4. Compared with consistently heterosexual identities, coming out as LGB+ (23% vs 13%; odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% CI, 1.34-2.20), consistently LGB+ identities (17% vs 13%; OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.03-2.04), and other LGB+ patterns (17% vs 13%; OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.04-2.08) were positively associated with smoking initiation by wave 4. Compared with consistently heterosexual identities, ORs for smoking initiation were 2.24 (28% vs 13%; 95% CI, 1.72-2.92) for coming out as bisexual, 1.99 (23% vs 13%; 95% CI, 1.20-3.29) for consistently LGB+ with change to/from bisexual, and 2.20 (23% vs 13%; 95% CI, 1.40-3.46) for other LGB+ patterns with change to/from bisexual identity. Current smoking estimates were similar to those for smoking initiation. Compared with consistently heterosexual identities, changing sexual identity over follow-up was associated with smoking initiation and current smoking. The risk associated with changing sexual identities was concentrated among participants coming out as bisexual or reporting other changes in their identity to/from being bisexual. More research is needed on mechanisms underlying the association between changing sexual identity and smoking initiation to inform tailored prevention programs and tobacco regulations.

Clinical psychology PhD students' admission experiences: Implications for recruiting racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ students.

The purpose of this study was to explore differences in the clinical psychology PhD program admissions experience (i.e., interviewing and decision-making) by race/ethnicity and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) identity. Participants were 803 students (24% racial/ethnic minority; 19% LGBTQ) enrolled in US clinical psychology PhD programs. Two-group comparisons tested for differences in admission experiences by race/ethnicity and LGBTQ identity. Racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ students considered a programmatic commitment to diversity as more important in application decisions compared to non-Hispanic White and cisgender heterosexual students, respectively. LGBTQ students were more likely to be advised to not discuss personal information (e.g., sexual orientation) than cisgender heterosexual students. Racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ students identified financial considerations and program outcomes as more important in their decision-making compared with non-Hispanic White and cisgender heterosexual students, respectively. Increasing funding and fostering authentic training environments should be prioritized in institutional conversations around recruiting racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ trainees.

Acquainted Strangers: Thwarted Interaction in Digitally Mediated Urban Gay Bars

AbstractWhile some situations in sexual contexts facilitate interaction, others can make overtures difficult to negotiate. Furthermore, social media creates new challenges as individuals navigate sexualized spaces in an increasingly digital world. Drawing on fieldwork in Philadelphia gay bars and supplemental interviews with young gay club-goers, I find that men experience unexpected challenges that inhibit their ability to socialize with gay others and enact positive gay identities. I show how the social organization of particular bars, as well as the popularity of mobile dating applications, undermines the interactional accomplishment of positive outcomes such as identity affirmation and “having fun”: (1) men’s embodied work to evade effeminacy constrains their facial expressions, comportment, and speech; (2) gay bars’ multiple functions as sexual fields and community outposts render both social and sexual interaction difficult to initiate; (3) patrons struggle over whether and how to interact with other mobile dating app users, a novel social tie I conceptualize as acquainted strangers, in the bars. I discuss how these mechanisms—managing stigma corporeally, negotiating discrepant frames, and navigating ambiguous social ties—may thwart interactional achievements while reproducing inequalities in contexts beyond the gay bar.

Fun with Dick and Dick: Homosociality on r/MassiveCock

Social media and content-sharing platforms provide new opportunities for the circulation of not only professional and amateur porn productions but also “pornographic self-representation”. This study examines the interactions that occur when male pornographic self-representation is shared in an inclusive space that welcomes both straight and gay men to post dick pics and gaze/comment on them. Focusing on the Reddit forum, Massive Cock, we conducted a discourse analysis of a selection of posts, comments and account profiles collected over a seven-month period. Based on our findings, we contend that Massive is a homosocial space where homoerotic dick gazing reaffirms and disrupts the heterosexual–homosexual binary. Our findings point to an uneven dynamic in which the majority of the posters perform a straight identity, whereas the majority of commenters perform a gay identity. Their comments serve to disrupt hegemonic masculinity and, in turn, create a space that welcomes mostly straight and bi-curious performances of masculinity. Such performances are possible due to recent cultural shift away from homo-hysteria and towards a more inclusive heteromasculinity. Collectively these performances produce an inclusive “fraternity of the cock”, but it is one which maintains a heterocentric focus and function.

“Víctima del terremoto del amor y la pasión”

This essay examines Poet Francisco X. Alarcón’s artistic expression of romance for gays within Latino communities. This study advances the concept of a “homoamorous” genre that privileges intimacy and romance between gay men without sensationalizing the physical contact such relationships may include. It also traces the evolution of Alarcón’s expression of his gay identity over the course of three decades from verse that centered upon loneliness and guilt, through a period of “liberation” poetry, and ultimately to a long and very productive period resulting in a body of work that captures the love and sexual satisfaction that can grow from a committed relationship. These periods are marked by different imagery, language, and poetic structure.

Resilience Moderated the Predictive Effect of Dual Stigma on Distress Among Chinese Newly Diagnosed HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men.

Previous studies have examined the distinct stigmas of people living with HIV or of men who have sex with men (MSM). To capture the composite stress of HIV-positive MSM and the mixed stigma they experience, we conceptualized a compound stigma combining HIV status and homosexual identity. At two waves with an interval of 6 months, the results of 112 Chinese newly diagnosed HIV-positive MSM showed that dual stigma at baseline increased distress symptoms 6 months later. Resilience moderated these effects, as the dual stigma increased, distress symptoms intensified more rapidly for individuals with lower resilience than they did for those with higher resilience. Our findings highlight that dual stigma, as an intensified risk factor, predicted distress among the Chinese newly diagnosed HIV-positive MSM, conditioned by the protective factor of resilience. The results have strong implications for developing resilience-based intervention programs in this population.

The Development of Homosexual Tendencies's Inventory

Homosexuality is a controversial issue. In general, Indonesian society rejects the existence of homosexuals because they are not in accordance with the prevailing values and norms and are the cause of HIV / AIDS so that it not only endangers individuals and the perpetrators but can also destroy the fabric of society. This is the basis for the need for an instrument to identify a person's sexual orientation. More often than not, homosexual identification tools have been developed abroad so that they are not suitable for the context of Indonesian society. This study aims to develop an instrument capable of measuring the level of a person's homosexual tendency. The research method used follows the steps of developing Gall, Gall, and Borg's model. The research sample used was 265 students. Initially this instrument consisted of 28 items which were analyzed using the IRT approach. The results indicated that the inventory of homosexual tendencies was valid and reliable, totaling 26 items. Thus this instrument can be used to identify levels of homosexual tendencies

Private Pages, Public Spaces

Research Article| September 21 2020 Private Pages, Public Spaces: Diaries and Autoethnography Jarrett Neal Jarrett Neal Jarrett Neal’s first book, What Color Is Your Hoodie?: Essays on Black Gay Identity, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. His writing has appeared in The Gay and Lesbian Review, Chelsea Station, NewCity, Litbreak, and other publications. He is the Writing Center Coordinator at Governors State University and is currently writing a collection of short stories titled The White Boy Does HisWork. He lives in Oak Park, Illinois. email: nealwriter2@hotmail.com Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Autoethnography (2020) 1 (4): 425–427. https://doi.org/10.1525/joae.2020.1.4.425 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Jarrett Neal; Private Pages, Public Spaces: Diaries and Autoethnography. Journal of Autoethnography 21 September 2020; 1 (4): 425–427. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/joae.2020.1.4.425 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentJournal of Autoethnography Search When I was a little boy, my mother took me to the mall with her whenever she went shopping for new clothes. Mama, a much-too-young single mother, was a power shopper, a fashionista, the Denise Huxtable of our family. A shopping trip with her took on the tactical skill and physical endurance most armies display in combat. I tired quickly, and when she saw that my boredom was slowing her down, she gave me permission to roam the mall by myself. In later years, Mama said that she never worried I would get lost because she knew I would end up in Waldenbooks. Books held a mesmeric power over me; they still do. But blank books, curiously, enthrall me as no other books can. Anytime I enter a bookstore I feel myself pulled toward notebooks and diaries. Thick ones,... © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California2020 You do not currently have access to this content.

“It’s Not Only about Clinical Tools but Also Our Role as Agents of Social Change”: Implementing a LGBT Competency Training for Future Mental Health Practitioners in Mexico

ABSTRACT Recent studies recommend implementing a curriculum that is inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) identities in health-related higher education programs. Inclusive health services are a means to address stigma-related adverse health outcomes in these populations. In Mexico, research has revealed that sexual and gender minority individuals experience discriminatory conditions that put them at risk for mental health problems. The present study tested the impact of a LGBT training protocol in Mexico; 17 psychology majors living in Mexico City received 12-plus hours of training on LGBT multicultural competencies. A quantitative retrospective assessment of participants’ attitudes toward LGBT individuals, knowledge of LGBT issues, and willingness to work with LGBT clients, alongside qualitative data collected from a focus group, provided evidence on the impact of this training strategy. Implications for LGBT multicultural competency training in undergraduate and graduate programs in psychology are discussed herein.

Saída do segundo armário: análise das narrativas autobiográficas de Felipe Mastrandéa

No presente artigo, apresentamos uma discussão sobre visibilização de temáticas da esfera do privado (SENNETT, 1988) e do segredo (SEDGWICK, 1990), por meio da análise de narrativas autobiográficas de Felipe Mastrandéa em seu canal no YouTube, em que o vlogger revela ser soropositivo. A partir dessa análise, objetivamos perceber como se dá a construção dessas videografias de si (COSTA, 2007; 2009), assim como a saída do chamado segundo armário (MISKOLCI, 2012a). Para tanto, recorremos a bibliografias sobre diários contemporâneos na internet e sobre o HIV e, uma vez que esse vírus, assim como outras questões relacionadas ao sexo, é alocado no âmbito do sigilo, principalmente em razão do estigma a ele atribuído historicamente, abordamos temas como público versus privado, exposição de intimidade e regimes de visibilidade, valendo-se das contribuições de Arfuch (2010), Bruno (2013), Sibilia (2003; 2016), Goulemot (2009), Ranum (2009), Foisil (2009), dentre outros autores. Como principais resultados, percebemos que as videografias são marcadas por um imbricamento do público e do privado. Neste caso específico, o domínio pessoal é publicizado com função estratégica, para adquirir visibilidade e manter um status de webcelebridade. No entanto, essa revelação é parcial, uma vez que Felipe Mastrandéa confere mais importância à exposição da identidade homossexual e menos à soropositividade. Além disso, contar que convive com HIV poderia ser utilizado por ele como um posicionamento contra discursos preconceituosos e discriminatórios, entretanto, o vlogger acaba, na contramão, reforçando os estereótipos relativos à promiscuidade e à irresponsabilidade.

LGBT individuals and the struggle against Robert Mugabe's extirpation in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Queer identities and non-heteronormative sexualities are increasingly becoming visible globally and Zimbabwe has witnessed an emergent queer mobilization and sexual identities politics. There have been significant attempts to expunge non-heterosexuals from Zimbabwean citizenry by drawing borders on the basis of sexual orientation. Over the years, western and local media have mediated a narrative of a thoroughly homophobic Zimbabwe, not the least emanating from the former president, Robert Mugabe's homophobic utterances which recurrently generated global news stories. A dominant discourse framed homosexual identities as on or beyond the border of what is socially acceptable, whilst the individuals with queer identities have been denied legal protection and status. Predominantly, homophobic sentiments are expressed, often reflecting the view that homosexual identities should not be given space in Zimbabwe, nor should anything associated with it be tolerated. The populist arguments are based on among other things, depicting heterosexuality as ‘natural’, homosexuality as ‘uncultural’ and ‘unChristian’, and stereotyping gay people as licentious. Drawing on ethnographic research, this paper explores how LGBT people in Harare perceive, make sense of and cope with the infamous hate speech, ‘worse than dogs and pigs’, by the former president and the implications of this on their self-perception as they defiantly express a narrative of self-affirmation challenging the marginal status in popularized discourse.

When Does Sexuality Matter? Cross-cultural Analysis of Gay Identity

Many scholars have studied migrant gay men, but few have examined the changing salience (i.e., a subjective importance a person attributes to a particular identity) of sexual identity across cultural contexts. Drawing on 45 in-depth interviews, this study investigates the experiences of two groups of Polish migrant gay men—one that migrated from various parts of Poland to Warsaw, and one that emigrated from Poland to Chicago—to examine the differences in their respective sexual identity salience. I find that the interaction of the cultural climate, structural factors, and respondents’ individual status characteristics can better account for between- and in-group differences among the Chicago and Warsaw men. Respondent’s occupation, educational attainment, work environment, race, same-sex experiences before migration, the timing of migration, and English langue fluency variably affected how and when sexual identity mattered to these men.

Autonomeação e autoclassificação das homossexualidades masculinas e sexualidades alternativas no Brasil

El objetivo de este estudio fue comprender las prácticas de autodenominación en aplicaciones sociales de interacción para desarrollar una clasificación de la homosexualidad masculina, sexualidades alternativas y deseo en Brasil. El presente estudio cualitativo, basado en una investigación documental y bibliográfica en forma de cartografía, trabajó con un corpus de 1 732 palabras extraídas de 1 005 perfiles de usuario en Scruff (una aplicación móvil de interacción social utilizada por hombres que buscan relacionarse afectiva y sexualmente con otros hombres). Se utilizó el software de minería de datos Voyant Tools, el cual permitió la visualización de correlaciones, coincidencias, flujos y dispersión de temas textuales, así como análisis de contenido para identificar los principales temas del corpus. Se concluye que, en su autoclasificación, algunos sujetos usan términos que provocan ligeros cambios de significado, a la vez que se distancian de una identidad gay y refuerzan su masculinidad basándose en estereotipos y prejuicios.

Promoting Identity Wellness in LGBTGEQIAP+ Adolescents Through Affirmative Therapy

Affirmative therapy is a strength-based and non-pathological treatment approach that allows counselors to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender/two-spirit, gender expressive, queer/questioning, intersex, agender/asexual/aromantic, pansexual/pan/polygender, and other related identities (LGBTGEQIAP+) adolescents meet important developmental milestones and achieve a positive self-identity. The wellness model allows counselors to emphasize a client’s protective factors, self-identity, and address the intersectionality of various life roles promoting a holistic picture of health. The authors explored how affirmative therapy and the wellness model can be utilized together when working with LGBTGEQIAP+ adolescents through a review of literature and a case conceptualization. Finally, counseling implications are discussed.

Individual and Social Network Factors Associated with High Self-efficacy of Communicating about Men's Health Issues with Peers among Black MSM in an Urban Setting.

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) bear a disproportionate burden of HIV in the USA. BMSM face stigma, discrimination and barriers to health care access, and utilization. Peers (male or female) may assist BMSM in navigating their health issues by engaging in communication to support in their health care needs. Individuals with high self-efficacy of communicating about men's health issues with peers can be trained as community popular opinion leaders (CPOLs) to change peer behaviors by promoting risk reduction communication. We examined the characteristics associated with high self-efficacy of communicating with peers about men's health issues among 256 BMSM from a behavioral HIV intervention conducted in Baltimore, Maryland. In the multivariate logistic model, gay identity (AOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.15,3.83), involvement in the house and ballroom community (AOR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.14,5.49), larger number of network members who are living with HIV (AOR: 6.34, 95% CI: 1.48,27.11), and larger number of network members who would loan them money (AOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.05,2.03) were statistically significantly associated with high self-efficacy of communicating with peers about men's health issues. We also found that having depressive symptoms (AOR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.77) was negatively associated with high self-efficacy of communicating with peers about men's health issues. Findings from the current study can inform future studies to identify better CPOLs who are able to communicate effectively with peers about men's health issues for BMSM.

YOUTUBE AS A MEDIA EXPRESSION OF TRANSGENDER WOMEN

YouTube becomes an alternative media to represent homosexual identity that is not portrayed by mainstream media. Dinda Syarief, one of transgender women, uses this platform to express herself as a transgender woman. This research investigates 32 YouTube videos uploaded on her YouTube channel by using content analysis from May 2019 to March 2020. The study reveals that based on the themes, the YouTube videos mostly discussed about her photoshoot activities, apartment tours, truths and dares about Dinda Syarief, modelling, her achievement to be the third winner of Miss International Queen in Thailand and make-up tutorial. Based on transgender-specific issues, disclosure becomes the issue mostly discussed in her videos such as the transition from male to female, surgery, and family reaction after she became a transgender woman. Meanwhile, based on the physical transition, hormones, surgery, voice, and non-surgical procedures become the issues mostly discussed.

Queer English Language Teacher Identity: A Narrative Exploration in Iran

This qualitative study explores the narratives of a queer female English teacher to understand (a) how Iranian cultural, familial, and relational discourses influence feelings of “belonging” for queer Iranian women, and (b) how queer Iranian women cope with the challenges of being both LGBTQ and Iranian. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory analysis, revealing that queer Iranian women experience feelings of cultural isolation as a result of the homosexual identity delegitimization that is often perpetuated within the Iranian community. The Participant copes by creating cultural distance between herself and the Iranian community when she experiences this isolation.

Depression in High School: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity as a Moderator of Sexual Assault.

Depression continues to be a public health crisis for young adults. For high school students, past research has identified trauma as a significant predictor of depression. Congruent with the theory of cumulative stress, the present study hypothesized that the effect of sexual assault on depression would be stronger among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students than among their straight peers. Using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey completed by students attending Duval County Public Schools in Florida (N=3053), this study used secondary data analysis to conduct 2 regression analyses, one for boys and one for girls. LGB status was associated with 3-fold increase in the odds of reporting depression for both boys and girls. History of sexual assault was associated with a significant increase in reporting depression. There was also a significant interaction effect between sexual orientation and history of sexual assault among male students only (p < .05). Contrary to the hypothesis, the effect was stronger among straight boys than among LGB boys. Minority students continue to evidence greater risks for depression. Opportunities for systemic changes to address these include training teachers, banning conversion therapy, and implementing comprehensive sex education.