Lesbian Adults Research Articles

A League of Their Own? A Longitudinal Study of Ego Involvement and Participation Behaviors in LGBT-Focused Community Sport

Although lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) adults may face stigmatization in sport settings that undermines this otherwise identity enhancing form of leisure, LGBT-focused sport groups provide a supportive setting for sport participation. We examine facets of ego involvement (e.g., identity affirmation, social bonding) as predictors of sport group behaviors (e.g., practice participation, volunteering) with 228 LGBT-focused sport group participants. Over time, the more identity affirmation needs were met, the more people took part in sport-related social activities. Further, the more participants’ identity expression needs were met, the more they attended practice. Enhanced social bonding from sport club participation predicted increased social event attendance. Finally, identity affirmation predicted greater social event attendance for men and those with higher levels of internalized homophobia. LGBT-focused sport participation helps meet important psychological needs, leading to enhanced sport organization-supportive behaviors. The contributions of this study to leisure and ego involvement research are discussed.

Minority Stress, Emotion Regulation, and Executive Function: An Experimental Investigation of Gay and Lesbian Adults.

Minority stress is associated with emotional, cognitive, and health consequences for sexual minority individuals. Mechanisms remain poorly understood. Theory and preliminary evidence suggests that stress associated with minority identity results in negative emotions and attempts at suppression, which may contribute to depletion of executive function. This study was an experimental investigation of gay and lesbian adults (N = 141). Participants engaged in a stressful interpersonal task with a confederate with anti-gay or pro-gay attitudes. We examined how condition affected executive function, along with potential mediators (state anger, anxiety, expressive suppression). Contrary to hypotheses, participants in the anti-gay condition showed better postmanipulation cognitive performance than the pro-gay condition. This effect was partially mediated by anger. Participants in the anti-gay condition reported greater attempts at suppression, but this variable did not emerge as a mediator. This study was the first to experimentally manipulate exposure to anti-gay attitudes and measure effects on executive function.

Overlooked Minorities: The Intersection of Cancer in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Intersex Adolescents and Young Adults.

Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult OncologyVol. 8, No. 5 PerspectiveOverlooked Minorities: The Intersection of Cancer in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Intersex Adolescents and Young AdultsMairghread Clarke, Jeremy Lewin, Smaro Lazarakis, and Kate ThompsonMairghread ClarkeAddress correspondence to: Mairghread Clarke, BSW, ONTrac at Peter Mac Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Victoria, Australia E-mail Address: Mairghread.Clarke@petermac.orgONTrac at Peter Mac Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Search for more papers by this author, Jeremy LewinONTrac at Peter Mac Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Department of Cancer Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Search for more papers by this author, Smaro LazarakisHealth Sciences Library, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Search for more papers by this author, and Kate ThompsonONTrac at Peter Mac Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Department of Social Work, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:10 Oct 2019https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2019.0021AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byReinforcing or Disrupting Gender Affirmation: The Impact of Cancer on Transgender Embodiment and Identity23 January 2023 | Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 104Effectiveness of immunological agents in non‐small cell lung cancer26 October 2022 | Cancer Reports, Vol. 6, No. 1The LOvE ECHO Training: Developing a Web-Based LGBTQ Cultural Competency Training Module for Oncology Allied Health Professionals Rebecca G. Block, Amani Sampson, Julia Gagliardi, Bianca Augusto, Waleska Santiago-Datil, Matthew B. Schabath, Susan T. Vadaparampil, and Gwendolyn P. Quinn5 December 2022 | Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Vol. 11, No. 6“It's Kind of Complicated”: A Qualitative Exploration of Perceived Social Support in Young Adult and Young Adult Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Queer Cancer Survivors Dana Ketcher, Maija Reblin, Kelly J. Mansfield, Rachael McCormick, Amber M. Skinner, Amy K. Otto, Karrin Tennant, Sarah E. Wawrzynski, Damon R. Reed, and Kristin G. Cloyes5 December 2022 | Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Vol. 11, No. 6LGBTQI cancer patients’ quality of life and distress: A comparison by gender, sexuality, age, cancer type and geographical remoteness20 September 2022 | Frontiers in Oncology, Vol. 12Gender- and Sexual Orientation– Based Inequities: Promoting Inclusion, Visibility, and Data Accuracy in OncologyAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book, Vol. 0, No. 42Knowing to Ask and Feeling Safe to Tell - Understanding the Influences of HCP-Patient Interactions in Cancer Care for LGBTQ+ Children and Young People24 June 2022 | Frontiers in Oncology, Vol. 12“No one size fits all” A Multi-Method Survey of Oncology Allied Health Professionals Experiences with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Queer Questioning Adolescent, and Young Adult Patients with Cancer and Reproductive and Sexual Health” Amani Sampson, Rebecca Block, Paige W. Lake, Julia Gagliardi, Bianca Augusto, Waleska Santiago-Datil, Megan Sutter, Matthew B. Schabath, Susan Vadaparampil, and Gwendolyn P. Quinn22 June 2022 | Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Vol. 0, No. 0“Queer Insights”: Considerations and Challenges for Assessing Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation in Oncofertility Research1 June 2022 | Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health, Vol. 3, No. 2Psychosocial Needs and Preferences for Care among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients (Ages 15–39): A Qualitative Study29 January 2022 | Cancers, Vol. 14, No. 3Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors3 January 2022LGBT Populations and Cancer in Australia and New Zealand22 August 2022Sex and Gender Influences on Cancer Immunotherapy Response21 July 2020 | Biomedicines, Vol. 8, No. 7Sex and Gender Considerations After Surviving Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: An Exercise Oncology Context Maxime Caru and Daniel Curnier8 June 2020 | Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Vol. 9, No. 3The Needs and Experiences of Post-Treatment Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors13 May 2020 | Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol. 9, No. 5Advances in pediatric psychooncologyCurrent Opinion in Pediatrics, Vol. 32, No. 1 Volume 8Issue 5Oct 2019 InformationCopyright 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Mairghread Clarke, Jeremy Lewin, Smaro Lazarakis, and Kate Thompson.Overlooked Minorities: The Intersection of Cancer in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Intersex Adolescents and Young Adults.Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.Oct 2019.525-528.http://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2019.0021Published in Volume: 8 Issue 5: October 10, 2019Online Ahead of Print:June 14, 2019PDF download

Association between Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among 2,162 Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in South Korea: Does Community Connectedness Modify the Association?

ABSTRACT This study investigated the association between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms among Korean lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals and explored the role of community connectedness in that association. We analyzed a nationwide cross-sectional survey of 2,162 LGB adults in Korea. Discrimination based on its types, including sexual orientation, over the past 12 months was classified into four categories: (1) ‘never experienced discrimination,’ experienced (2) ‘only sexual orientation discrimination,’ (3) ‘any of the other types of discrimination,’ and (4) ‘both sexual orientation discrimination and any of the other types of discrimination.’ Our findings suggest that there was a statistically significant association between ‘only sexual orientation discrimination’ and depressive symptoms among LGB individuals with a low-level of community connectedness, but not among those with a high-level. In the other two categories of discrimination, which included the other types of discrimination, the associations were statistically significant, regardless of the level of community connectedness.

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals’ Perceptions of American Religious Traditions

ABSTRACT The cumulative alienation sexual minorities experience from American mainline religious groups may leave them feeling disillusioned and even hostile toward the religious organizations that have historically rejected them. However, research to date has not explored sexual minorities’ perceptions of religious traditions in the United States. The current study examines the variations between lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults’ (LGB) perceptions of whether religious traditions are friendly/neutral or unfriendly toward the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) population. Using data from the Pew Research Center 2013 Survey of LGBT Adults, the author conducts separate binary logistic regression analyses examining whether four religious traditions—evangelical Protestantism, the Catholic Church, the Jewish religion, and mainline Protestantism—are generally perceived as friendly/neutral or unfriendly toward LGBT people. The findings from this study offer rare insight on sexual minorities’ perceptions of major religious traditions and illustrates that sexual minorities have a complex relationship with religion.

Catering to sex, sexual, and gender diversity: An exploratory study on the effects of LGBTI awareness training on aged care staff in Tasmania, Australia

The Australian National LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Strategy seeks to address the lack of recognition of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) adults living in aged care. Awareness training for aged care staff forms a crucial part of this strategy, but the impact of such educational programs are yet to be examined. In this article, we examine the effects of LGBTI awareness training on staff working in an Australian aged care facility. These staff perceived the awareness training as valuable, but the outcomes from it were limited. Therefore, we indicate changes that are necessary to support the translation of training into practice.

The impact of risk environments on LGBTQ2S adults experiencing homelessness in a midsized Canadian city

The impacts of social, structural, and physical environments on homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S) adults were examined. Qualitative interviews were conducted. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically. Participants discussed the ways in which social, structural, and physical environments negatively affected their experiences of homelessness, particularly those in emergency shelters. Discrimination, harassment, and group dynamics (social); exclusionary policies and lack of training (structural); and limited accommodations as well as gendered spaces (physical) created heightened vulnerability and risks for participants. The “risk environment framework” is utilized to help understand these experiences, moving the discussion away from a neoliberal discourse of risk behaviors that individualize experiences, revealing how environments create risk. The inclusion of LGBTQ2S adults in this study highlights similar experiences to youth. The findings also emphasize the need for services to consider the ways in which an emphasis on LGBTQ2S youths can render the experiences of adults invisible.

“She Still Doesn’t Want Me to Tell My Next-Door Neighbor:” The Familial Experiences of Modern Orthodox Jewish Gay Men

An increasing number of scholars have identified the need to understand the contextual experiences of sexual minorities in their families, one of which includes gay and lesbian adults within devout cultural-religious groups. This phenomenological study contributes to this noted gap in the literature by accessing the familial perspectives of Modern Orthodox Jewish gay men, a subgroup of American Orthodox Jews whose potentially distinct experiences in their families and socio-cultural community are currently absent from the literature. Qualitative data was collected via individual, semistructured interviews from a sample of out Modern Orthodox gay men (n = 7), and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Findings support pervasive and institutional homonegativity in the Modern Orthodox Jewish community; however, they also highlight the general acceptance Modern Orthodox gay men experienced from their parents in response to their gay identity. Postdisclosure, two broad themes emerged in our participants’ experience being out in their families, both of which reflect the socio-religious realities of the community in which they were raised: the importance of (a) concealing their gay identity and (b) maintaining a religious practice. These themes, and their implications for policy and practice, are discussed.

Serving All Who Served: Piloting an Online Tool to Support Cultural Competency with LGBT U.S. Military Veterans in Long-Term Care

ABSTRACTObjective: Given health disparities between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and non-LGBT older adults, ensuring that the care provided in long-term care (LTC) settings is both supportive and sensitive to their unique needs and challenges is essential. This has become a matter of increasing priority in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which in recent years has stated its mission to “serve all who served,” including LGBT Veterans. With this in mind, we piloted an online training tool designed to enhance the LGBT cultural competence of interdisciplinary staff working in geriatric extended care units.Method: Interdisciplinary LTC staff participated in an online training module that contained information on unique factors that affect the lives of older LGBT Veterans, and provided considerations and strategies to assist staff in working with them.Results: Following participation in the training, staff showed a significant increase in knowledge about LGBT Veterans, but not in skills or attitudes.Conclusions: Online-based LGBT cultural-competency training is useful in providing LTC staff with foundational knowledge that can help them work more competently with LGBT residents.Clinical Implications: LTC facilities can develop brief yet effective cultural competency trainings that increase the visibility of LGBT concerns in order to enhance clinical care.

Sources for the Formation of Sexual Values in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Straight Adults and the Impact on Sexual Satisfaction and Desire

Healthy sexual development is a crucial part of human development. Development of sexual values can come from a variety of sources including education, media, and relationships. The present study examined similarities and differences in the sources of sexual values across orientation groups and gender and their impact on sexual satisfaction and desire. In total, 1,094 individuals (31.7% men, 67.3% women, and 6.0% genderqueer; 59.2% straight, 21.1% bisexual, 12.3% gay, and 7.4% lesbian) participated in a web-based study examining sexual health and relational dynamics. The results showed that men were more likely to be influenced by media and peers whereas women were more likely to be influenced by romantic partners. Sources of sexual values were mostly similar across different orientation groups. However, gay men reported peers as being a more important source of sexual values than any other orientation group. Hierarchical regression analyses also showed that forming values around sex from romantic relationships predicted higher dyadic sexual desire and sexual satisfaction. Furthermore, education and media predicted higher levels of solitary sexual desire and religion predicted lower levels of solitary sexual desire. The applications to sexuality education efforts and avenues for further research are discussed.

Traversing gender, sexual orientation, and race-ethnicity: Sexual victimization in a population-based sample of older adults

ABSTRACTThis research examined the intersectionality of gender, sexual orientation, and race-ethnicity, and its impact on lifetime sexual victimization among a population-based sample of older adults. Data for this study came from the 2011–2014 waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The final sample to be used for analysis included 8.862 individuals ages 50 years and over to examine whether and to what extent lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults differ from heterosexual older adults in experiencing lifetime sexual victimization, and whether the effect of sexual orientation on experiencing lifetime sexual victimization differs across racial-ethnic groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lesbian women were 2.59 times more likely and bisexual women 2.15 times more likely both relative to heterosexual women to experience lifetime sexual victimization. When examining whether race-ethnicity imparts additional risk, the findings revealed that non-White heterosexual individuals were 29.6% less likely relative to White heterosexual individuals to experience lifetime sexual victimization, while non-White women, generally, were 2.29 times more likely relative to White men to experience lifetime sexual victimization. Our findings affirm the importance of the intersectionality of sexual orientation and gender when examining lifetime sexual victimization of older adults, adding to the emerging body of research that examines the complexities of older adult lives from multifaceted perspectives.

Abstract P001: LGB Health Disparities: Examining the Status of Ideal Cardiovascular Health From the 2011-2012 NHANES Survey

Objectives: Extensive data suggests that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults are more likely to experience adverse cardiovascular outcomes relative to heterosexuals. However, evidence regarding cardiovascular health (CVH) disparities and sexual orientation is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of CVH metrics in a US nationally representative population of heterosexual (HT), and LGB adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 2445 participants (representing 115 million) adults aged 18 or over years in the 2011-2012 NHANES survey. The CVH factors of smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), diet, blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol (TC) and glucose (GLU) were measured. Each CVH factor was then classified as ideal; intermediate; or poor. Ideal CVH was defined as presence of >=5 ideal CVH metrics. Results: 95.1% of the weighted sample self-identified as HT (95% CI: 93.5%, 96.6%) compared to 4.9% (95%: 3.3%, 6.5%) LGB. The figure illustrates the distribution of each of the 7 CVH categories according to sexual orientation. In age, gender, and race adjusted analysis, LGB individuals were 36% (AOR: 0.64; 95%: 0.29, 1.4; p > 0.05) less likely to have ideal CVH compared to HT. These proportions go higher after adjusting for age. Conclusions: The results suggest that LGB individuals face a higher risk of being in the category for poor cardiovascular health compared to heterosexuals. Evidence suggests that there are sexual orientation disparities among adults. If confirmed in other studies, results point towards disproportionately higher risk for cardiovascular disease among sexual-minority populations. Figure

Understanding the speech cues to bisexuals

The vast majority of research on speech patterns in the queer community has focused on gay and lesbian speakers. This study aims to expand our knowledge of speech in the queer community by focusing on the speech cues of adult bisexual speakers. For this study, adult lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight cisgender American English speakers recorded the “Fire passage,” the “Rainbow passage,” and a description of their hometown. Vocal characteristics, such as duration, pitch, voice quality, formants, and speech rate, were measured to observe the differences between speech patterns of adult bisexual speakers and other queer and straight identities. The results suggest that bisexual and lesbian female speakers have naturally lower average pitch while straight speakers go up in pitch. Bisexual speakers maintain their pitch range between natural and read speech, while lesbian speakers have a wider pitch range during natural speech and straight speakers during read speech. The speech rate of bisexual and straight ...

A qualitative study of tobacco interventions for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults: overarching themes and key learnings

BackgroundSmoking prevalence is very high among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ+) youth and young adults (YYA) compared to non-LGBTQ+ YYA. A knowledge gap exists on culturally appropriate and effective prevention and cessation efforts for members of this diverse community, as limited interventions have been developed with and for this population, and there are very few studies determining the impact of these interventions. This study identifies the most salient elements of LGBTQ+ cessation and prevention interventions from the perspective of LGBTQ+ YYA.MethodsThree descriptions of interventions tailored for LGBTQ+ YYA (group cessation counselling, social marketing, and a mobile phone app with social media incorporated), were shared with LGBTQ+ YYA via 24 focus groups with 204 participants in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. Open-ended questions focused on their feelings, likes and dislikes, and concerns about the culturally modified intervention descriptions. Framework analysis was used to identify overarching themes across all three intervention descriptions.ResultsThe data revealed eight overarching themes across all three intervention descriptions. Smoking cessation and prevention interventions should have the following key attributes: 1) be LGBTQ+ − specific; 2) be accessible in terms of location, time, availability, and cost; 3) be inclusive, relatable, and highlight diversity; 4) incorporate LGBTQ+ peer support and counselling services; 5) integrate other activities beyond smoking; 6) be positive, motivational, uplifting, and empowering; 7) provide concrete coping mechanisms; and 8) integrate rewards and incentives.ConclusionsLGBTQ+ YYA focus group participants expressed a desire for an intervention that can incorporate these key elements. The mobile phone app and social media campaign were noted as potential interventions that could include all the essential elements.

Well-Being Among Spanish Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Heterosexual Adults: Disclosure of Sexual Orientation to Family and Friends

ABSTRACTRelevance of disclosure of minority sexual orientation on subjective (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) was analyzed. Participants were 236 men and 238 women self-identified as lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) or heterosexual. No differences in SWB were found between heterosexuals and LGBs. Heterosexual women showed greater environmental mastery than bisexual men and greater purpose in life than lesbian and bisexual women. Outcomes showed greater well-being among LGBs who disclosed their minority sexual orientation to parents later in life. Disclosing minority sexual orientation to parents was related with greater PWB. Further research that takes a differential approach to improve well-being for LGBs is needed.

Extraversion as a moderator of resilience factors in lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults

ABSTRACTThe present study aims to replicate and expand findings from a prior study that examined whether extraversion moderates the beneficial effects of resilience factors of social support and emotional openness among sexual minorities. We recruited 389 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Participants completed a series of measures on extraversion, social support, emotional openness, and depression online. Among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults, depressive symptoms were negatively associated with extraversion, social support, and emotional openness; extraversion did not moderate the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms. When isolating the sample of lesbian and bisexual women, extraversion did not moderate the relationship between emotional openness and depressive symptoms. Conversely, when isolating the sample of gay and bisexual men, extraversion moderated the relationship between emotional openness and depressive symptoms, such that emotional openness was associated with fewer depressive symptoms at low levels of extraversion. Social support and emotional openness enhance the resilience against depression for sexual minorities. Gay and bisexual men with low levels of extraversion could particularly benefit from emotional processing. Clinical implications are discussed.

Health Inequities among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in North Carolina, 2011–2014

Inequalities in health have been identified for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations nationally. Policies in the U.S. South offer fewer protections for LGB people than in other regions, yet, limited data exist for this region. North Carolina (NC) BRFSS data from 2011 to 2014 were combined (LGB n = 604; heterosexual n = 33,170) and analyzed using SAS survey procedures to estimate health characteristics by sexual orientation within gender. Many examined indicators were not different by sexual orientation, however, other results were significant and consistent with findings from state population surveys in other regions of the country. Both genders showed inequities in mental health, having over twice the odds of five or more poor mental health days in the past month and of having ever been diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Sexual minority women had higher odds compared with heterosexual women for ever having smoked cigarettes, current smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke both in the workplace and at home, and both alcohol risk factors, binge and heavy drinking. Being part of the LGB population in NC is associated with worse health. The implementation of anti-LGB policies in the NC warrants ongoing monitoring of LGB health inequities in NC and in other southeastern states for potential effects on the health and well-being of sexual minorities.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF AGING AMONG GAY AND LESBIAN OLDER ADULTS: SOCIAL EXCLUSION OR INCLUSION?

Ageism and heterosexism as social exclusion processes can contribute to the social invisibility of gay and lesbian older adults. This contribution wishes to shed a light on the perceptions of aging and on the place of older gay and lesbian people in society, as perceived by gay and lesbian older adults. It is based on the results of semi-structured individual interviews conducted with 22 gay and lesbian older adults aged 60 and over. The participant’s discourses reveal, among others, two elements: a lack of social recognition and visibility of gay and lesbian older adults in society as well as the willingness to assert themselves and take their place. The discussion will propose a reflection of the intersection between sexual orientation, age and generation to examine the dual process of social exclusion, due to ageism and heterosexism, and of social inclusion.

GLOBAL FORCES IN THE FUTURE OF LGBT AGING: DISCRIMINATION, IDENTITY, AND HEALTH OVER TIME

Worldwide the population of older adults is growing in complexity and diversity, including by sexual orientation and gender identity. Based on an innovative life course equity framework, this study reveals new cutting-edge findings on the interplay between marginalization, identity, health behaviors, quality of life and health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults, and assesses key differences by sex and age group. Based on three most recent waves of longitudinal data (N = 2,450) from Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS), this study applied fixed effect models examining within-subject changes in experiences of discrimination, identity stigma and affirmation, and health behaviors over time on quality of life and cognitive and functional impairment. Within-subject increases in day-to-day discrimination, identity stigma, and poor nutrition across time points predicted lower levels of physical, psychological, social, and environmental QOL. Within-subject increases in day-to-day discrimination and poor nutrition and decreases in physical activity predicted higher levels of cognitive and functional impairment, while an increase in microaggresions and decrease in identity affirmation predicted higher levels of cognitive impairment. Gender and generational differences were found. Change in day-to-day discrimination had a greater impact on men; poor nutrition had a greater impact on the oldest old. As the population ages, it is imperative to identify groups at highest risk and those aging well to ascertain modifiable mechanisms so that global research, practices, and policies can be tailored to improve the health and well-being of our growing worldwide demographically diverse older adult population.

RELIGION AND DEPRESSION SEVERITY IN OLDER SEXUAL-MINORITY ADULTS

Older sexual minorities belonging to a religious group may experience poorer psychological wellbeing, as they have historically been discriminated against by religious communities. However, some research suggests that LGBTQ individuals can benefit from religious support. This study examined the relations of outness to religious community and religious activity with depression in 102 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults over the age of 55. As part of a larger study, participants completed the Religion and Spirituality Questionnaire and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Of those who reported being religious or spiritual (n=87), outness to religious community was significantly correlated with relying on religious teachings for problems, satisfaction with outness to religious community, relying on religious beliefs as a guide, and praying (ps<.05). When examining sexual minority subgroups, correlations indicated that outness to religious community was related to greater involvement in their religion in bisexuals and lesbians, but not in gay men. As for wellbeing and religion, depression severity was negatively correlated to outness to religious community and praying in Lesbians. In Gay men, depression was negatively correlated with belief in god and praying. In contrast, in bisexuals, satisfaction with outness, belief in god, and praying were positively correlated with depression indicating that religion may have a detrimental effect on depression. These findings suggest that some aspects of religion may be beneficial to the wellbeing of older sexual minorities, but the benefits may vary across sexual minority groups.