Intersections Of Sexuality Research Articles

Between worlds: Cis-and trans-identifying diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women in Ontario, Canada on the intersections of gender, sexuality and sexual health.

Youth Sexual Health and HIV/STI Prevention in Middle Eastern and North African Communities (YSMENA) is the first community-based research study in Canada to explore key determinants of sexual health among diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women living in Canada. Our objectives were to identify the factors influencing sexual health for MENA youth and grow an evidence base to strengthen the sexual health response for MENA communities. Using mixed- method design, data were gathered through a quantitative socio-demographic survey and qualitative focus groups with 24 women-identifying MENA youth (16-29 years) living in Ontario, Canada. Six (6) focus groups were held virtually via Zoom, with heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ), and trans women. Members of each group participated in two sessions as per the sequential critical dialogical method and transcripts were coded in NVIVO. While participants identified with diverse sexual orientations and across the trans-feminine gender spectrum, key commonalities surfaced, namely the pressures to conform to familial expectations and the barriers faced when accessing healthcare. The trans group experienced compounded levels of exclusion given their unique positioning. Although the challenges faced by the group were deeply entrenched in patriarchy, heteronormativity and internalized shame, many participants demonstrated resilience and self-acceptance that enabled them to forge pathways to health. Findings have important and valuable implications for community-based health programs targeting MENA women as well as healthcare practitioners and service providers.

Gay Dreams: Exploring the Relationship Between Sexual Orientation and Dream Content in Men.

Although numerous individual factors influencing dream content have been explored, research on the link between sexual orientation and dreaming remains limited. This study examined this relationship among 119 German-speaking men (mean age = 31.97 years), including 55homosexual and 64heterosexual participants. Participants completed a questionnaire on their waking life sexuality and dreams and provided two dream reports. Homosexual men reported more sexual partners in waking life and lower satisfaction with their sexual orientation compared to heterosexual men. No significant differences were found in dream recall frequency, emotional tone, nightmare frequency, or distress, though homosexual men reported more sexual dreams. Dream reports showed no significant differences in sexual interactions or the number of sexual partners between groups, but homosexual men's dreams featured a higher ratio of male to female characters and more romantic relationships with men. These findings partially align with the continuity hypothesis, suggesting that the dream content of homosexual men reflects their social interactions and romantic preferences. Overall, the study suggests that homosexual and heterosexual men share a similar dream pattern. The implications of these findings highlight the importance of considering sexual orientation in dream research to better understand the intersection of sexuality and unconscious processes.

Visual Pleasures? Wehrmacht Vernacular Trophy Photographs and the Female Other in Nazi-Occupied Europe

ABSTRACT Innumerable historical snapshots from World War II depict German soldiers visually celebrating their victories over an enemy or conquered population. Trophy photographs of German soldiers serve as one valuable heuristic tool to probe German visual cultures and military performances of the self. Indulging in common pictorial tropes that include fixating on female bodies, they have largely been ignored by Holocaust scholars who tend to concentrate on photographs of violence and their evidentiary value. This article places German images of wartime courtship and sexual conquest in dialogue within a broader spectrum of images depicting encounters with women in Nazi-occupied Europe. Photographs of hookups and flirtation with the female vanquished population enable us to embed Nazi warfare and the Holocaust not only in the larger context of conquest and exploitation, but also the cultural and affective mindset of combatants. Delving into the multifaceted histories of these images allows one to deconstruct the violence that lurks beneath the esthetically ‘benign’ visibility and to question the ambivalent affective power of the hyper-violent photographs. In the aggregate, images of violence, humiliation, and non-injurious sexual desire expose a range of behaviors and further shine a light on the ways in which mass violence and genocide are embedded in photographs. The article investigates different motives and ways in which German soldiers visually and physically conquered foreign women and how they ogled and photographically appropriated them. By scrutinizing body language, gestures, facial expressions, and poses the article peels back different layers of the camera’s gaze and of the depicted German soldiers and female subjects, while simultaneously scrutinizing the intersection of sexuality and violence, where desire, spectacle, and esthetics converge into visual pleasure.

Access, Choice, and Pleasure: Towards a New Model of Disability Sexual Rights

The paper offers a comprehensive exploration of the concept of disability sexual rights by integrating insights from both legal and sociological frameworks. Sexuality is an integral and inseparable part of human existence, encompassing a wide range of biological, physiological, psychological, and social aspects. Our understanding of sexuality developed over time, and contemporary social models view sexuality as shaped by social, cultural, and political factors. The rise of disability studies and social and critical models marked a significant shift in the way disabled sexuality is perceived. These studies underpin social aspects and constructions that contribute to the disabling process. Current Literature situates disability and sexuality within broader sociological frameworks of sexual citizenship, disability legal studies, and human rights, emphasizing the importance of recognizing disability sexual rights in forming an inclusive society. We examine the evolution of human rights discourse, mainly focusing on disability sexual rights as a marginalized subject within the human rights and disability rights agendas. We conclude by weaving together theories from disability studies, sexual citizenship, and law, proposing a new theoretical model of sexual rights that situates them in the intersection of disability, sexuality, law, and society. The model suggests three essential elements that cover the full scope of disability sexual rights: Access, choice, and pleasure. These elements can be applied to all aspects of disabled sexuality, encompassing sexual needs, participation, and autonomy.

Fucking Men, tsolia and mpares: translating camp talk for the Greek stage

ABSTRACT The premiere of Joe DiPietro’s Fucking Men in Greece, in November 2018, sparked intense interest, particularly in the local gay community. Adapted from Arthur Schnitzler’s controversial La Ronde, the play delves into the emotional and sexual dynamics of gay men within late capitalism, exploring themes such as promiscuity, fear of outing, HIV/AIDS, closeted lives, and the complex nature of relationships. Antónis Galéos translated the play, offering insights into Greece’s modern gay landscape. This article addresses the underexplored intersection of gender, sexuality, and theatre translation, focusing on the construction of gay identities through verbal camp. Using Keith Harvey’s descriptive framework on surface features of camp, it examines how verbal camp is translated into Greek, highlighting its impact on stage effects and on broader societal implications. This study aims to shed light on the nuanced construction of gay identities across languages and cultures, emphasizing visibility and representation within the local gay community.

For love and country: queering nationalism in Kate O’Brien’s Mary Lavelle and Farewell Spain

ABSTRACT Considering Irish writer Kate O’Brien in the context of sapphic modernisms might seem misguided as her fiction is traditional in form. Still, revisiting her writing has illuminated its play with modernist themes, and her radical establishment of transnational feminisms in her juxtaposition of Ireland and Spain. Referencing theories by Nira Yuval-Davis and the work by Jane Garrity that map the intersection of gender, sexuality and citizenship, this article argues that O’Brien presents alternative possibilities for women’s relationship to nationhood in her representations of Spain in her 1936 novel, Mary Lavelle, and her 1937 Farewell Spain. The travelogue, chronicling O’Brien’s sojourn in Spain accompanied by Mary O’Neill, her life partner, is an elegy to her experiences of a country ravaged by Franco’s fascist forces. Tracing the sapphic erotics that course through her love letter to the “femme fatale among countries,” from the language of ecstatic pleasure in her description of bullfights, and her adoring depictions of gendered, anthropomorphized towns, O’Brien presents a love of Spain in sapphic terms that is itself an object of queer devotion. As a result, her relationship with Spain revises perceptions of women’s connection to nationhood, even if temporarily, and opens new spaces for a queer nationalism.

Race, Gender, Sexuality, and the Pursuit of Modernity: British Biopower and Female Sexuality in Domestic and Colonial Practice

This paper explores how female sexuality became a primary site for the exercise of British biopolitical regulation as illustrated both in colonial Hong Kong and Singapore, and in domestic practice within the metropole. The application of biopolitical regulation on the subject of female sexuality was based on a discursive production making indissociable the success of the imperial project and the survival of the imperial race and the control of the female body. This discursive production mobilized intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality through the Victorian cult of domesticity, resulting in a racialization of female sexuality with implications transcending the permeable frontier between the metropole and the colonies. Making “the prostitute” the exemplar of deviant, dangerous, and immoral sexuality had discursive repercussions for female sexuality more broadly; explained in contrast to “the prostitute,” the construction of sexual deviance had implications for understandings of sexual conformity and acceptability both in Victorian society and abroad.

Staging Desire Androgynously: An Alternative Vision of Identity

This article examines the intersection of sexualities and identities, with a particular focus on the ways these elements can be transgressed in Western theater. The study postulates that theater represents a distinctive forum for challenging established societal structures, thereby enabling actors and, by proxy, spectators to perform multiple identities that challenge conventional constraints and break traditional expectations. The research demonstrates the dynamic nature of identity formation on the modern stage, illustrating that identity can both reflect societal norms and serve as an alternative to them. This allows for the expression of diverse sexual identities that deviate from the heteronormative order. Consequently, the theater becomes a site for subverting conventional codes and for negotiating with mainstream society the potential for exploring a plethora of non-standardized identities. This process culminates in the crystallization of norm-divergent gender identities.

Religion and Sexuality: A Qualitative Study of Young Muslim College Students’ Experiences

ABSTRACT Few studies to-date have explored the intersection(s) of Islam and human sexuality. This paucity translates into poorly-equipped educators and clinicians who would otherwise be positioned to help young adults navigate contemporary Western culture(s). The qualitative investigation presented here engaged eight Muslim university students via key informant interviews. Principal topics covered included sexuality, religion, family, social media, friends, and culture(s). Thematic analyses followed an iterative data reduction method that was guided by a feminist lens, with particular attention to equity and power foci. Participants shared struggles and successes with integrating their Muslim identities in a Western world. They described how, by reinterpreting elements of the Quran and through self- and family- differentiation, it was (is) possible to embrace Islam in a manner that feels personally pious and sexually healthy. Research-, education-, and clinical- implications are presented in conclusion.

From LiLLes to lilies: an autoethnography of coming out and coming in to a later in life queer eco-spiritual identity

ABSTRACT Most of my life I both pressed against social constructions of gender and sexuality and tried to fit within those same social constructions. After being married for twenty-six years as a cis-gender woman in a heterosexual relationship, raising three children, and serving as a pastor and faith-based nonprofit director in a conservative religious tradition and community, I leaned into and authentically claimed my sexual identity as a queer lesbian womxn. When I decided to pursue a PhD and research the intersections of gender, sexuality, spirituality, and religion, I discovered a large community of later in life lesbian womxn with stories like mine where I could belong. My spiritual journey into an authentic gender and sexual identity has also been a journey into belonging with the more than human world. Using a framework of queer ecofeminism and the method of critical autoethnography to engage my coming out later in life narrative offers the opportunity to explore how individual intersectional experiences of gender and sexuality can inform and impact collective social justice and environmental justice efforts in the work to dismantle oppressive binary systems.

Decolonising integrative practice with Black queer men who experienced trauma: A thematic analysis

AbstractAimBlack queer men in the UK are increasingly at risk of mental health problems related to anxiety and depression, often triggered by traumatic experiences. This study explored the efficacy of integrative practice with Black queer men who experienced trauma from a decolonised, intersectional and queer‐affirming perspective.MethodOne‐to‐one semi‐structured interviews with nine integrative practitioners were completed. Data collected from these interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six stages of reflexive thematic analysis (RTA).FindingsRTA identified four subordinate themes: (1) understanding the experience of Black queer men, (2) developing the working alliance and use of self in practice, (3) effective integrative practice and (4) intersectional differences and considerations. Findings discussed the varying forms of trauma Black queer male clients experienced that impacted their mental health and how developing a strong working alliance with Black queer men was crucial when supporting them to recover from trauma. Additionally, the participants described a breadth of trauma‐informed integrative counselling and coaching practice. A decolonised approach utilising the intersection of race, gender and sexuality of Black queer men was successfully integrated into the approach used by practitioners in this study.ConclusionOverall, this study evidenced that a decolonised perspective to integrative practice effectively supports Black queer men to recover from trauma. Future research should focus on an integrated approach with Black queer men and other gender and sexual ethnic minority clients who experienced trauma.

Critical social psychology, qualitative research and on being a research butterfly/magpie: ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’

Hannah Frith is a critical social psychologist and is Associate Professor in Psychology and Research Director for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Surrey. Her work draws on interdisciplinary theory and research to examine the intersections of sexuality, gender and embodiment, using creative qualitative research methods. Hannah has published numerous research articles and texts, illustrating a wide range of topics and research methods, including her latest book A Feminist Companion to Research Methods in Psychology’, with Rose Capdevila. The interview was conducted by one of our editors (Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez) together with a Psychology PhD student (Tilbe Nur Aslan) and centred on Hannah’s journey and work as a critical social psychologist, using qualitative and creative qualitative research methods, as well as pointers on how to branch out both in research topic and method. The interview was a thoroughly enjoyable, lively and vibrant experience!

Engaging With Sexuality of People With Disability-Organisational Efforts/Endeavours

As people with disability participate in the abled world, they are at a clear disadvantage as there is an apparent gap in resources. This is evident at the intersection of disability and sexuality. They are viewed as asexual beings and denied basic rights when dependent on society and care-givers. We aim to study the available resources and ways of making it stakeholder friendly. We aim to provide a framework for creation of resources through qualitative data analysis. The purpose is to investigate ground reality and develop understanding and strengthen policy making, infrastructure and working on social conditioning in the Indian context. Analysis of the depiction of disability, sexuality and inclusivity in select films to view issues of representation is done. In-depth interviews with experts have provided insights about the complexity of the subject. In conclusion, as this subject remains in the shadows, active ground work is required on all fronts.

Picturing the dance: intersections of gender, sexuality, and age in older women queer square dancers

A dearth of research has focused on the diverse experiences of aging sexual minority populations and, in particular, older sexual minority women. Studies that have disaggregated the population of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex and two-spirit (LGBTQIS+) older adults reveal that due to minority stress and a lifetime of disadvantage. Lesbians experience higher rates of chronic health conditions and mental health problems (including loneliness) than heterosexual women and greater financial inequalities compared to gay men or heterosexual women. Despite this, limited inquiry has explored the everyday lives of older queer women and fewer still draws upon women’s commentary on their own lived experiences or centers older women as authoritative agents and experts on their own lives. In response to this knowledge deficit, this research traverses the aging experiences of female-identified members of a gay square dance (GSD) club in Toronto, Canada. We apply queer theory to explicate the unique ways in which a GSD club queers the aging process for 14 older women dancers. Findings of the inquiry highlight the ways in which these dancers confront and reject heteronormativity, while illuminating pathways to successful aging for older sexual diverse women. The older women dancers in this study perform gender in ways that challenged heteronormativity and gender binaries, enhanced belongingness and acceptance, embodied joy, and fostered wellness. These concepts have been identified as critical factors in successful aging and highlight what queering aging might look like for this resilient population who have overcome a lifetime of disadvantage.

“Genderation,” Identity, and Authenticity in the LGBTQ Marketplace

This study explores how LGBTQ identities and expressions evolve across generations, emphasizing the impact of sociocultural dynamics. It introduces the concept of “Genderation” to capture the fluidity and plurality of LGBTQ identities among younger cohorts, challenging traditional binary frameworks. The paper delves into the complexities marketers face in authentically representing this demographic, urging for inclusive and sensitive communication strategies. It highlights the pivotal role of digital platforms in identity formation and advocates for marketing practices that recognize and celebrate the diversity within the LGBTQ community. The research calls for a broader, global understanding of these generational shifts and a deeper investigation into the intersections of gender and sexuality, offering insightful directions for future inquiry and practice.

Towards Sustainable Practices of Diversity and Inclusion of SOGIESC in Japanese Language Education & Japanese Studies

ABSTRACT Research into Japanese language education and the intersections of gender and sexuality has demonstrated the importance of critiquing heteronormative biases in teaching materials and resources. We propose that collaborative approaches which decentre regimental heteronormative understandings of the Japanese language and which facilitate inclusivity and affirmation of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) are crucial to sustainable practices in Japanese language education at all levels. Adopting a critical reflexive stance, we first trace the community advocacy which has resulted in changes to representations of sexual identities in Japanese dictionaries. We next critically examine Japanese language education materials which are used across a diversity of locales before offering some practical ways in which small changes can be made to ensure greater inclusion and affirmation of SOGIESC in local learning environments. Further, we discuss the importance of developing metalinguistic awareness in relation to gendered speech styles and language ideologies. We argue that collaboration and co-construction are fundamental to sustainable practices which learn from histories of advocacy and research, are responsive to shifts in Japanese society and culture, and adaptable to a diversity of learning environments.

Development of a multidimensional measure of health care access among LGBTQ midlife and older adults in the United States

PurposeLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) midlife and older adults are a health disparity population whose health and health care needs are distinguished by the intersection of gender, sexuality, and age. Research and measurement considering multidimensional factors influencing health care access among this population, however, remain limited. Theoretically cohesive indicators of health care access were combined to develop a comprehensive and reliable, yet parsimonious scale that assesses the unique health care access needs and experiences of LGBTQ midlife and older adults. MethodsData from the U.S.-based Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS) were used, including 2322 LGBTQ participants from the 2015 wave of data collection. Twenty-four items were initially included in an assessment of scale reliability. The underlying factor structure of health care access was tested. Differences in mean health care access scores were examined across sexual identity, current gender, gender identity, and age cohort. ResultsNineteen items remained in the final scale (α=0.90). Data supported health care access as multidimensional among NHAS participants. Heterogeneity in health care access scores was identified across participants. Bisexual, straight, and sexually diverse participants, women and gender diverse participants, and transgender participants faced more difficulties accessing care. Participants aged 66–80 and 81+ reported significantly higher health care access scores. ConclusionFinal indicators represented the complex health care experiences of LGBTQ midlife and older adults. This scale can be utilized in future health equity research. Using NHAS longitudinal data, future research could assess changes in access over the life-course and as a predictor of health outcomes.

Editorial Introduction

We are pleased to release the inaugural issue of the Critical Gender Studies Journal (CGSJ). The journal serves as an interdisciplinary platform for exploring the intersection of gender and sexuality with social, cultural, historical, and political contexts. It also aims to foster discussions on the relationship between gender, sexuality, and other facets of identity while challenging assumptions and advocating for social justice. The journal eagerly looks forward to publishing groundbreaking research on gender and sexuality in our time.

The rural side of the rainbow: Mental health and the intersections of geography, sexuality, and partnership.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons tend to be geographically concentrated in larger metropolitan areas and research persistently observes LGB persons as a disadvantaged population for mental health outcomes when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Conflicting evidence suggests that mental health risk exposures are greater for LGB people in rural spaces while other research posits that urban residency is more detrimental for LGB mental health. One positively contributing factor to the mental well-being of LGB persons is their partnership status. To date, no study estimates how partnership may ameliorate unfavourable mental health outcomes for LGB populations in urban and rural areas. Using 10 years of pooled data from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), this study examines mental health and the intersection of sexuality, geographic residency, and partnership. Logistic regression models estimate the intersections of sexuality, geography, and partnership status on mental health, stratified by respondents' gender. Findings show partnered gay men in rural areas experiencing better mental health than their partnered heterosexual counterparts in the largest urban cities. Although not significant, the same pattern is observed for partnered lesbian women who do not experience a significant mental health disadvantage at any geographic level. Regardless of partnership and geographic space, bisexual men, and especially bisexual women, exhibit worse mental health outcomes compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

Epistemology of Bodies as Closets: Queer Theologies and the Resurrection of Martyrized Christo-Morphic Bodies

This article seeks to rethink martyrdom, suffering, and resurrection from the perspective of queer theologies within the Latin American context and in dialogue with the praxis of the first faith communities who witnessed Jesus’ martyrdom. Starting from the queer body of Jesus—which incorporates in its praxis an ethos without gender violence and discrimination—the theological reflection contributes to the recovery of the fundamental principles of human experience. To this end, the analysis begins by addressing the feminist contribution to the understanding of violence against women to then rethink the intersection of bodies, sexuality, and violence against queer individuals and communities as a theological locus. It concludes by recognizing that queer theologies configure a resistant theological community that empowers queer bodies as a territory of hope of resurrection and transformative political action that does not disregard the suffering and the injustices perpetrated against them.