Intersex Individuals Research Articles

Limits of mice and men: Underrepresenting female and intersex patients in anaesthesia research

Animal model research is insufficient to guide the application of novel therapies in human patients, but the same objections should apply to human trials which do not representatively sample sexes in the population. Female participants have historically been excluded from anaesthesia research due to concerns of potential teratogenicity and unfounded apprehension that female hormones would interfere with the physiologic processes under examination. Consequently, many drugs currently available on the international market have not been thoroughly tested in female patients. The representation of intersex individuals in anaesthesia research, moreover, is exceedingly rare. An increasing awareness of these disparities in recent decades has led to the recognition of biological sex as an important pharmacodynamic variable, and the prospect that clinical decision-making in anaesthesia can be informed by known sex differences in the sensitivity to anaesthetics, the risk of adverse drug reactions, and the distribution and excretion of agents used to induce and maintain anaesthesia. Despite this, sex representation in anaesthesia research remains poorly regulated and sex-specific data are often reported in aggregate. Greater formal recognition of sex differences in study protocols and practice guidelines is warranted to meaningfully and incrementally improve anaesthesia care for female and intersex patients.

Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Transgender and Intersex Individuals Among Medical Students and Health Care Providers of Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Transgender and intersex individuals face numerous hurdles in accessing health facilities. Furthermore, there is no formal training for the provision of care for such a vulnerable population. This study explores the knowledge and attitude of medical students and Healthcare Providers (HCPs) about transgender and intersex individuals in Karachi. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students of a government medical college and HCPs, from August to September 2019. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitude of study participants, towards intersex and transgender individuals. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the 200 participants, 171 returned the complete questionnaire with a response rate of 85.5%. There were 100(58.5%) females and 71(41.5%) males, with 93(54.4%) medical students and 78(45.6%) HCPs. All study participants were familiar with the term transgender, whereas 138(80.7%) reported having heard the term intersex, whereas 35(20.5%) regarded the conditions as a mental illness. Knowledge of PMC code regarding gender orientation was significantly higher in HCPs than medical students (41% vs 14%, p<0.001). Medical students were more in favor of corrective surgery to be performed (61.3%) as compared to the HCPs (43.6%) (p=0.02). Conclusion: Even though medical students and HCPs were familiar with transgender and intersex terms yet there were different misconceptions regarding them. However, our target population was willing to learn the healthcare needs of such individuals. It is recommended that the latest guidelines regarding gender spectrum are taught in the medical curriculum.

Investigation on the interrelation between total length, age,sex maturation and sex reversal in <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic>

The growth, development and maturation are comprehensively affected by age, total length, sex hormone and so on in teleosts. The blacktip grouper <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic> is an important and valuable marine economic species widely distributed in the coastline of east Asian countries. Recently, with the global warming and increase of sea water temperature in the coastline of Japan, the time of growth, development and maturation of this species has become shorter than before while the size of growth and maturation has become smaller than before. Therefore, the access to information and research work on the growth, development and maturation of this species becomes very important and indispensable in the coastline. To understand the interrelation between total length(TL), age, sex maturation, and sex reversal, <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic> was captured in the coastline of Nagasaki city in Japan from July 2015 to June 2018. The TL, body weight, age, sex, gonadal developmental maturity, and gonadosomatic index (GSI) were measured and calculated. In addition, the changes of 17β-Estradiol (E₂) content in the serum were analyzed. The results indicated that the mature proportion and GSI of female <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic> individuals reached the peak in July, suggesting that the sexual mature timing of this species might be in July. The mature female <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic> individuals were firstly detected at 3 years old, and the TL was about 24.5 cm. Accompanied with the increase of TL, the quantities of the mature individuals gradually increased, which indicated that the age of the first sex maturation was at 3 years old in this species. In addition, at 3 and 4 years old in female <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic>, the E₂ content in the mature individuals was significantly higher than that in the immature individuals (<italic>P</italic><0.05), suggesting that E₂ played an important role in inducing oocyte maturation in this species. The intersex individuals were detected at about 35.7 cm and 9 years old, and the male individuals were detected at about 36.7 cm and 7 to 12 years old. In summary, the sexual mature timing of the <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic> in the coastline of Nagasaki city in Japan was in July, which was closely related to the increase of E₂ content. The first sex maturation and sex reversal were at 3 years old or 7 to 12 years old, respectively. Based on the investigation of <italic>Epinephelus fasciatus</italic> in the coastline of Nagasaki city, the interrelation between total length, age, sex maturation and sex reversal was studied to provide the basic biological data and theoretical basis for resource conservation and artificial propagation.

Menstrual Dignity for Bar Examinees

This Article examines the issue of menstruation and the administration of the bar exam. Over the summer and fall of 2020, test takers and commentators took to social media to critique state board of law examiners’ (BOLE) policies regarding menstruation. Menstruators worry that if they unexpectedly bleed during the exam, they may not have access to appropriately sized and constructed menstrual products or may be prohibited from accessing the bathroom. Personal products that are permitted often must be carried in a clear, plastic bag. Some express privacy concerns that the see-through bag outs test takers’ menstruation as well as their birth-assigned sex, an especially difficult problem for transgender, genderqueer/nonbinary and intersex individuals who do not wish to share that information. The authors conducted a study documenting experiences with menstruation and the bar exam and examined BOLE policies and practices relevant to menstruation. The Article uses the new data from these studies to delineate the contours and substance of the problem. To guide this analysis, the Article also analyzes BOLE policies under the Equal Protection Clause and local human rights laws, determining that current policies are likely unconstitutional and discriminatory. Finally, the Article proposes a detailed and comprehensive Model Policy that appropriately balances BOLE concerns against the important principles of privacy and respect, fairness and nondiscrimination, health and security, accommodations, and transparency. If adopted, the Model Policy would bring BOLE policies closer to the critical intersectional movements urging diversification of the legal profession, bar exam reform, and menstrual justice.

Why New Realities Demand New Rights: The Coming Good Society by William F. Schulz &amp; Sushma Raman

Reviewed by: Why New Realities Demand New Rights: The Coming Good Society by William F. Schulz & Sushma Raman Howard Tolley Jr. (bio) William F. Schulz & Sushma Raman, Why New Realities Demand New Rights: The Coming Good Society ( Harvard University Press, 2020), ISBN 978067424577, 314 pages. The Coming Good Society's co-authors address new realities and prospective rights involving animal species, robots with artificial intelligence, and Nature as well as twenty-first century threats necessitating enhanced human rights protection concerning gender equality, privacy, genetic manipulation, and political corruption. William Schulz, the [End Page 214] former Director of Amnesty International, and Sushma Raman, Executive Director of the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy fully appreciate the dangers posed by recent attacks on previously recognized, increasingly precarious human rights. They nevertheless insist that without ongoing consideration of prospective new rights for non-humans, then established rights may wither and a truly good society cannot be realized. "[T]his book is designed less to predict than to provoke."1 In explaining why rights change, the authors provide a basic theoretical framework that grounds universal rights in international standard setting rather than religion or natural law. Since UN adoption of the Universal Declaration of human Rights, essential norms have steadily expanded, making clear that rights are fluid, social constructs that can also be eroded. "Rights are 'transactional' … not static; … '[they] contain the seeds for their own expansion.'"2 As the less powerful become informed and make fresh demands against those with power to affect their lives, new rights emerge. Adults advanced new rights for children, "moral patients" who could not make claims on their own. Similarly animals, robots and trees need human representatives to claim legal standing for the assertion of new rights. A revolutionary cultural change in attitudes toward gays and lesbians resulted in extraordinarily swift legal recognition in the West for same sex marriage and protection from discrimination in the workplace. The authors note the need for enhanced rights for transgender or intersex individuals including teens' access to puberty suppressing drugs while deferring surgery until competent.3 Commodified tracking devices have stripped consumers of privacy in their purchase preferences, but the consequences go far beyond irritating pop up ads. Culturally biased algorithms perpetuate racial inequities in lending, a credit score, and more importantly dubious criminal profiles, a threat score, applied by law enforcement agencies. India has pioneered in developing a national digital identity program "Aadhaar." China developed a biometric identity base equally valuable to identify individual needs for food, education, and housing as well as to control free thinkers and their ability to organize collective action. Medusa "helps governments … gather information at rapid speed on private emails, chats, social media, and browsing histories."4 The authors recognized the need for government use of private medical records to contain the Ebola epidemic; the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated that contact tracing trumps privacy rights. The growing abuse of technological surveillance nevertheless threatens personal dignity that must be defended with vigilant efforts to maintain the optimum balance between security and privacy. Biomedical advances similarly provide valuable tools with the potential for egregious misuse. DNA databanks successfully used to confirm guilt or innocence of accused felons also threaten to "magnify societal disparities" between citizens providing government agencies with a genetic map "which includes [End Page 215] … their ancestry, their immediate and extended relatives, their current medical condition and propensity for future diseases, and even 'behavioral tendencies and sexual orientation.'"5 CRISPR, DNA gene editing of an egg or sperm that can prevent disease, also enables the wealthy to make irrevocable decisions about their newborn. Bioscientists have also experimented with synthetic embryos (SHEEF) that develop human organs. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World vision of an artificially created super caste appears increasingly within reach. When advocating for an expanded vision of rights to include animals, robots, and trees Schulz and Raman succeeded in provoking this reviewer to reconsider long held views, to reflect on how man made machines could possibly be entitled to rights, and to appreciate more fully the need to protect plant and animal life demonstrating extraordinary super human capabilities. The authors provide a three part framework clarifying how...

Sex and Gender Diversity in Southeast Asia

The United Nations human rights system has recognized rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals (LGBTI), with key decisions in 2011 and 2016. To what extent are the rights of these groupings respected in Southeast Asia? The visibility of LGBTI is low in Southeast Asia and government attitudes vary. Criminal laws, both secular and Sharia, in some jurisdictions, have prohibitions, but active enforcement is rare. Discrimination in employment is prohibited by law in Thailand and in local laws in the Philippines. Change of legal ‘sex’ for transgender individuals is sometimes possible. Legal recognition of same-sex relationships has been proposed in Thailand and the Philippines, but not yet enacted. Marriage has been opened to same-sex couples in neighboring Taiwan. Laws on adoption and surrogacy generally exclude same-sex couples. So-called ‘normalizing surgery’ on intersex babies needs to be deferred to the child’s maturity, to protect their health and rights.

Introduction and Editorial

The struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex individuals and groups to express their differences, demand social justice and reclaim a place in history 1 are not new ones...

Legislative and Judicial Politics of LGBT Rights in the European Union

Since the 1980s, the law of the European Union (EU) has become a substantial transnational source of political empowerment for LGBT actors in Europe. The Rome Treaty (1957), which established the European Economic Community, contained a gender equality clause. In the 1990s, this provision was used to protect employment rights of intersex individuals via litigation schemes based on EU law. Yet the subsequent attempts to push forward a similar legal protection for gay and lesbian equality at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), based on the EU sex-equality clause, failed. Since then, the position of the LGBT community in EU legislative politics has evolved significantly through two dimensions. First, the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) extended the number of grounds protected against discrimination in EU law, adding sexual orientation, among others, to this palette. The Amsterdam Treaty permitted the EU Council to adopt the Framework Equality Directive 2000/78/EC, an instrument of secondary Union law that has safeguarded minimum standards of protection against homophobia in relation to matters of employment in all member states. This framework EU legislation has been used by LGBT litigants in their fight for equal working opportunities and pension rights at the CJEU. Second, the introduction of EU citizenship by virtue of the Maastricht Treaty (1992) and the respective secondary law (the EU Citizenship Directive 2004/38/EC) have paved the way for status recognition of same-sex spouses in the member states that have not previously recognized same-sex partnership or marriage. The future of LGBT legislative politics and the LGBT community in Europe will largely depend on whether EU law is able to extend protection beyond the current confines of the employment area, broaden its scope to cover social dimensions such as health and education, and fully recognize same-sex marriages and partnerships throughout the EU.

Performing the techno-self: Paul B. Preciado’s Testo Junkie as a twenty-first century feminist narrative

This article examines Paul B. Preciado’s Testo Junkie as portraying the need for a postpornographic trans* feminism that contests homonormative queer and feminist responses to LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual) individuals in neoliberal French and Francophone societies during the rise of far-right anti-gender movements. Interrogating Preciado’s autotheory text, which questions what gendered performance entails in the pharmacopornographic era, allows for a consideration of the author’s bodily subjectivity and how he represents material-discursive practices to theorise his techno-identity. The article argues that Preciado highlights his sexual and gendered performance to assert a trans* identity that rebels against classification. Unveiling the multiplicity of gendered and sexual experiences that counter Western hegemonic binary categorisations, Preciado shows readers that through his material representation, he controls his own subjectivity to centre possibility with postpornographic feminist performance, expanding what it means to be a feminist subject in the twenty-first century.

Multi-aspect testing and ranking inference to quantify dimorphism in the cytoarchitecture of cerebellum of male, female and intersex individuals: a model applied to bovine brains

The dimorphism among male, female and freemartin intersex bovines, focusing on the vermal lobules VIII and IX, was analyzed using a novel data analytics approach to quantify morphometric differences in the cytoarchitecture of digitalized sections of the cerebellum. This methodology consists of multivariate and multi-aspect testing for cytoarchitecture-ranking, based on neuronal cell complexity among populations defined by factors, such as sex, age or pathology. In this context, we computed a set of shape descriptors of the neural cell morphology, categorized them into three domains named size, regularity and density, respectively. The output and results of our methodology are multivariate in nature, allowing an in-depth analysis of the cytoarchitectonic organization and morphology of cells. Interestingly, the Purkinje neurons and the underlying granule cells revealed the same morphological pattern: female possessed larger, denser and more irregular neurons than males. In the Freemartin, Purkinje neurons showed an intermediate setting between males and females, while the granule cells were the largest, most regular and dense. This methodology could be a powerful instrument to carry out morphometric analysis providing robust bases for objective tissue screening, especially in the field of neurodegenerative pathologies.

Assessment of health-care professionals’ knowledge and attitudes on sexuality and aging: an integrative review

ABSTRACT This study aims to establish an understanding of (a) health-care professionals’ knowledge and attitudes; and (b) tools used to assess sexuality in older people living with/(out) dementia and those identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals. An integrative review of the literature, as registered on the PROSPERO international Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42019129589), was conducted. A comprehensive and systematic literature search was performed for the period between 2009 to 2019 across eight electronic databases: CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus, together with a manual search of reference lists. Screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts of eligible studies plus quality appraisal (using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool) were independently conducted by two reviewers with disagreements resolved via discussion with a third reviewer. Nineteen articles were reviewed with three themes identified from the synthesis: 1) varying knowledge and attitudes amongst health-care professionals; 2) needs for professional development opportunities and support from workplace and 3) lack of recent validated tools to assess knowledge and attitudes. Health-care professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward sexuality in older people living with/(out) dementia and those identified as LGBTI individuals are varying. Sexuality education and professional development training are needed to enhance their knowledge and attitudes and build skills in order to manage sexuality concerns. Current assessment tools are inadequate, highlighting the need for an appropriate assessment tool to be developed.

Insight into the Possible Formation Mechanism of the Intersex Phenotype of Lanzhou Fat-Tailed Sheep Using Whole-Genome Resequencing.

Simple SummaryIndividuals with hermaphroditism are a serious hazard to animal husbandry and production due to their abnormal fertility. The molecular mechanism of sheep intersex formation was unclear. This study was the first to locate the homologous sequence of the goat polled intersex syndrome (PIS) region in sheep and found that the intersex traits of Lanzhou fat-tailed sheep were not caused by the lack of this region. By detecting the selective sweep regions, vital genes associated with androgen biosynthesis and the follicle stimulating hormone response entry were found, including steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2 (SRD5A2), and pro-apoptotic WT1 regulator (PAWR). Additionally, the copy number variations of the four regions on chr9, chr1, chr4, and chr16 may affect the expression of the gonadal development genes, zinc finger protein, FOG family member 2 (ZFPM2), LIM homeobox 8 (LHX8), inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase subunit 2 (IMMP2L) and slit guidance ligand 3 (SLIT3), respectively, and further affect the formation of intersex traits.Intersex, also known as hermaphroditism, is a serious hazard to animal husbandry and production. The mechanism of ovine intersex formation is not clear. Therefore, genome-wide resequencing on the only two intersex and two normal Lanzhou fat-tailed (LFT) sheep, an excellent but endangered Chinese indigenous sheep breed, was performed. Herein, the deletion of homologous sequences of the goat polled intersex syndrome (PIS) region (8787 bp, 247747059–247755846) on chromosome 1 of the LFT sheep was not the cause of the ovine intersex trait. By detecting the selective sweep regions, we found that the genes related to androgen biosynthesis and follicle stimulating hormone response items, such as steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2 (SRD5A2), steroid 5 alpha-reductase 3 (SRD5A3), and pro-apoptotic WT1 regulator (PAWR), may be involved in the formation of intersex traits. Furthermore, the copy number variations of the four regions, chr9: 71660801–71662800, chr1: 50776001–50778000, chr4: 58119201–58121600, and chr16: 778801–780800, may affect the expression of the zinc finger protein, FOG family member 2 (ZFPM2), LIM homeobox 8 (LHX8), inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase subunit 2 (IMMP2L) and slit guidance ligand 3 (SLIT3) genes, respectively, which contribute to the appearance of intersex traits. These results may supply a theoretical basis for the timely detection and elimination of intersex individuals in sheep, which could accelerate the healthy development of animal husbandry.

Skin coloration as a possible non-invasive marker for skewed sex ratios and gonadal abnormalities in immature common toads (Bufo bufo)

Abstract Environmental pollution and climate change can bias the sex ratios of animal populations in which sexual development is sensitive to environmental contaminants and temperature. Investigating these effects in field studies and ecotoxicological experiments is important but difficult when males and females cannot be distinguished without sacrificing them or applying expensive, specialized sexing methods. In this study, we examined the utility of skin coloration as a non-invasive sex marker in juvenile common toads (Bufo bufo) that appear sexually monomorphic. We raised toadlets from eggs in the lab, and exposed them during larval development to one of six treatments: two concentrations of two endocrine disruptor chemicals each (a glyphosate-based herbicide and 17α-ethinylestradiol, a contraceptive) and two controls. Before the first hibernation, we took a photograph of each toadlet’s back, then sexed them by inspecting their gonads, and measured the hue, saturation and brightness of their dorsal skin coloration from the photographs. We found significant sexual dichromatism with males being yellower-greener (less red) and brighter than females; 34% of males and 85% of females could be categorized correctly based on objective colour measurements from photographs. The ratio of greenish and reddish individuals as categorized subjectively by human vision correlated strongly with the sex ratio of treatment groups. Treatment with 1 µg/L 17α-ethinylestradiol resulted in 100% females, with similar coloration as normal females. Intersex individuals occurred in treatment groups with 3 µg/L glyphosate and 1 ng/L 17α-ethinylestradiol; these animals were less saturated and darker reddish-brown compared to normal individuals. These results suggest that skin coloration can indicate phenotypic sex and gonadal abnormalities in common toads. Although skin colour measurement in itself is insufficient for identifying an individual's sex or the sex ratio of a single group, it can be useful for qualitative comparisons of sex ratios between groups when no other means of phenotypic sexing is possible. We propose that counting the number of greenish and reddish individuals as seen by the human eye is a cheap and fast non-invasive method for identifying natural populations or experimental groups that may have skewed sex ratios compared to other groups, and this approach is worth testing in other species to help conservation practices and non-destructive ecotoxicological experiments.

"The Worst Part Was Coming Back Home and Feeling Like Crying": Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Students in Portuguese Schools.

Portugal is one of the most egalitarian countries in Europe in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals’ legal rights. However, regarding education Portugal still lacks specific policies, plans and interventions to protect LGBTI students. To assess the perceptions of self-identified LGBTI youth regarding their school context, a total of 663 participants (aged from 15 to 20 years old) filled in an on-line questionnaire about their school climate. One hundred and forty-six of them answered an open-ended question about their personal experiences. A thematic analysis of these answers was conducted, and four main categories were identified: (i) victimization, (ii) coming out experiences, (iii) support networks, and (iv) demands. Most participants reported experiences of discrimination, and several sources of prejudice were identified. Furthermore, participants also recognized a lack of LGBTI information in school curriculum and made several demands. Besides inclusive laws, we suggest that the safety and the well-being of LGBTI youths in Portuguese schools depend upon others measures, such as teacher and school staff training, curricula inclusive of LGBTI diversity, and local strategies, such as Gay-Straight Alliances.

Status and Challenges of LGBTI in Nepal

LGBTI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex. Lesbians are women who experience sexual or emotional attraction to other women. Gays are men who feel sexually or emotionally drawn to other men. Bisexuals are those who are sexually or emotionally attracted to both men and women, or to two or more genders among the various gender identities. Transgender individuals have a gender identity or expression that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Intersex individuals possess sexual anatomy that does not fit typical definitions of male or female biology. Sexual orientation is a crucial aspect of a person’s identity and encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex identities. This study examines the status of LGBTI individuals in Nepal, utilizing secondary data gathered from literature such as books, journals, and newspapers. The findings indicate that Nepali society is deeply entrenched in patriarchal values. While heteronormativity has historically prevailed, the society is gradually becoming more sensitive to the needs of the LGBTI community. The struggle for equal rights and acceptance for LGBTI individuals in Nepali society is extensive and begins early in life, as heteronormative expectations are imposed from a young age. This research aims to provide a better understanding of the situation of LGBT individuals in the Nepali context.

Gradual, temperature-induced change of secondary sexual characteristics in Trichogramma pretiosum infected with parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia.

Intersex is an intermediate stage of sexual differentiation in insects. Determining intersex morphology and the cause of its production will aid in the understanding of the mechanism of sexual differentiation in insects. In this paper, Wolbachia-infected Trichogramma pretiosum (T. preW+) that shows thelytokous parthenogenesis were used as subjects. In order to determine the causes of the T. preW+ intersex and the influence of parental generation temperature on gradual changes in secondary masculinization in intersex offspring, we examined the occurrence of intersex offspring (F1 and F2 generation) after the parental generations were treated with high temperature (27, 29, 31, and 33 °C) and described the external morphology of the intersexes. The results showed that the T. preW+ parental generation temperature is positively correlated with the probability of intersex offspring. The probability of F1 intersex is significantly higher than that of F2 intersex in different high temperature. The degree of secondary masculinization in T. preW+ intersexes increases as parental generation temperature increases. In addition, our study first identified 11 intersex types in T. preW+ and found that the primary and secondary sexual characteristics showed a regular distribution. We also found that the D type and H type of intersex have the highest frequency of appearance. The external genitalia of most intersexes were female, and only three intersex types have male external genitalia. Conclusions were ultimately obtained: Wolbachia is a direct factor that causes the occurrence of intersexes, while high temperature is an indirect factor that determines the external morphology of intersexes. The effects of high temperature on T. preW+ intersexes is passed through the parental generation to offspring, and this maternal effect weakens as the number of generations increases. In T. preW+ intersex individuals, most exhibit female primary sexual characteristics, and secondary sexual characteristics exhibit signs of masculinization.

An exploration of happiness within the Irish LGBTI community

This paper explores factors which contribute to happiness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals as part of the largest study to date of mental health in the LGBTI community in the Republic of Ireland (LGBTIreland study). This mixed methods study informed by minority stress theory, contained an online survey (n = 2,264) which explored various aspects of mental health and distress, but also the extent and experience of happiness and concomitant factors. The survey included ratings of happiness and life-satisfaction and an open-ended question on LGBTI related happiness. Quantitative findings showed a mean happiness rating of 6.58 out of 10 (11-point scale), which is lower than the general population in Ireland. Those identifying as gay men or lesbian women rated their happiness significantly higher than bisexual, transgender, or intersex participants. There was also an effect for age: teenage LGBTI participants had significantly lower ratings than other age groups. Happiness ratings very highly correlated with life-satisfaction (.88). A multiple linear regression showed happiness was predicted most significantly by self-esteem and being in a relationship. Qualitative findings emphasized the importance of self-acceptance and peer support for happiness. Findings are discussed using the minority stress perspective and cognitive dissonance theory.

PASIFIKA FUTURES WHĀNAU ORA: F’INE – Nurturing the Future for Pasifika LGBTQI

F’INE Aotearoa, through Pasifika Futures Whānau Ora programme, is supporting Pacific Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) individuals and their families to transform their lives and achieve their aspirations. The LGBTQI community in New Zealand experience significant disadvantage across a range of areas affecting wellbeing, including higher rates of poor mental health, depression and anxiety 1,2,3. For Pacific LGBTQI, the disadvantages are compounded further. F’INE, an LGBTQI specific provider in New Zealand, is working to change this.

Queering Colombia's peace process: a case study of LGBTI inclusion

ABSTRACTIn August 2016, Colombia's government announced that they had reached an agreement with the country's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). This peace deal was historic in Colombia's more than half-century long armed conflict; however, Colombian voters rejected it. A revised version was ultimately passed through a congressional vote. Despite the intense domestic criticism of the peace talks, they have been praised internationally and revered as a model for the world, particularly with regard to their efforts surrounding victims of the armed conflict. This article focuses on one particular group of victims, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals. The experience of LGBTI people in armed conflicts has historically been one of exclusion from peace processes. This article explores how Colombia's peace process has approached the LGBTI experience through interviews with LGBTI activists and analyses of collaborative civil society efforts. The actions taken by LGBTI organisations reveal the critical role of truth and memory initiatives and capacity building. While much work has been done, Colombia is left with many unanswered questions about what a post-conflict society will look like for LGBTI victims of the armed conflict.

Redefining the Boundaries: Studies on the LGBTI-Themed Graffiti in the Streets of Nicosia

Since prehistoric eras, people have expressed their emotions and ideas on the walls. With the invention of writing and fast development of technology, murals also have evolved and gained new dimensions. Graffiti, which is a type of mural, has its place among street arts with its oldest historical background. It is scribbled, scratched or painted on the city walls; hence, they become a protest communication tool with implicit messages. This study discusses the graffiti in the streets of Nicosia regarding the protection of fundamental universal rights and freedoms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersexual (LGBTI) individuals and communities that conduct activities towards the raising awareness about such matters. The LGBTI-themed graffiti, which are analyzed in the current research, have been collected from the North Nicosia streets during the last five years. The semiotic analysis of all the LGBTI-themed graffiti indicates that these graffiti provide the marginalized communities and individuals with a tool to express their suppressed feelings, to protest the negative reaction toward them, and also to redefine their presence in the society and occupy the urban area. This study offers the first analysis and investigation into the LGBTI-themed graffiti in the North Nicosia.