Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Issues Research Articles

Non-linear changes in public opinion on LGBT in Estonia and Ukraine

Over the past few decades, the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people has improved significantly and attitudes towards these vulnerable social groups have become more favorable, but discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity remain widespread. Based on the corpus of data obtained during 1991–2023 from series of representative international and national studies, changes in public opinion about LGBT people in two post-Soviet countries were analyzed. It is shown that despite the numerous differences between Estonian and Ukrainian societies, different legislative fields and other factors, the dynamics of attitudes towards LGBT issues in both countries have many common features (namely, the initial period of stable low public support for LGBT is replaced by its rapid growth, which, in in turn, passes into a period of stable high support), and the process of changes in public opinion over time can be described by a logistic equation. The nature of changes in public opinion described in the article is applied to most of the considered data, and the duration of the initial period of stable-low support (on average, 11 years for Estonia and about 20 years for Ukraine) is comparable to the period separating two generations. The applied mathematical model gives grounds for predicting that the maximum of public support for LGBT may be reached in Estonia at the end of the 2020s, and in Ukraine at the beginning of the 2030s. Unfortunately, social stigmatization of LGBT issues significantly limits the availability of data that can become basis of the analysis. The article discusses some possible factors of changes in public support for LGBT issues (the number and openness of LGBT people, instability in the respective societies / states, etc.), and outlines the heuristic value of the proposed model and directions for further development.

The prospects for the legalization of same sex marriages in vietnam

This article discusses the various factors in Vietnam that are influencing the possibility of introducing a law on same sex marriage and draws three main conclusions. Firstly, it argues that the greatest concern about the possible success of the campaigns on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in general, and the recognition of same sex marriages in particular, is indeed a political fear. It recommends keeping the campaigns on LGBT issues separate from the political sphere and to differentiate themselves from the traditional confrontational methods used by political dissidents. Secondly, the enactment of a law on LGBT rights which incorporates the principles and rules of anti-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and identity is proposed. This law will fill the gap left by the current lack of an anti-discrimination law in the specific field of LGBT rights in the first step of a typical process towards the legalization of same sex marriages. Thirdly, the paper highlights the leading role to be played by legislation in Vietnam, and which shall need to be acquired though legal transplanting, in granting marital rights to same sex couples and providing the basis for the courts to give them substantive rights.

Evaluation of Reading materials for students in schools

This article aims to compare the content of reading material for students in Indonesia and other countries, for example, reading material containing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. This objective is based on selecting reading material for learning in schools in Indonesia, which is undoubtedly different from that in other countries, for example, the United States. The choice of reading material is chosen by the teacher and is based on its suitability with students’ needs and characteristics. This article uses a comparative study with the literature method. Data are collected from documents in journals, proceedings, books, and articles on the internet related to the topics in this article. The data analysis technique was carried out using content analysis techniques. The collected data were then analysed and compared to determine what students in Indonesia and the United States read. The results show that in the United States, LGBT material has been incorporated into the school curriculum. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, LGBT material is quite challenging to include in the school curriculum because it is considered contrary to the prevailing norms in Indonesia regarding LGBT, even though it can support learning about tolerance.
 
 Keywords: Reading material content, comparative study, LGBT issues.

Evidence of interventions for improving healthcare access for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in South Africa: A scoping review.

BackgroundThe lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations have unique health risks including an increased risk of mental health problems, high usage of recreational drugs and alcohol, and high rates of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Healthcare workers’ heteronormative attitudes compromise the quality of care to the LGBT population.AimThe objective of this study was to provide an overview of documented evidence on South Africa interventions aimed at improving healthcare access for LGBT individuals using a systematic scoping review.SettingThis is a secondary literature review.MethodsAn electronic search was conducted using the following databases: EBSCOhost, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Google Scholar. and full article data were screened using inclusion and exclusion criteria by two researchers. Data extracted from the eligible studies were analysed using thematic analysis. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, version 2011.ResultsSeventeen articles of the initial 151 hits were selected for review and an additional five files were identified through bibliographical search. Most studies had small sample sizes and focused on sexual health, targeting gay men and men who have sex with men in urban areas. Lesbians and bisexual women were not prioritised.DiscussionIt emerged from the review that LGBT issues were not covered in the healthcare worker curriculum. Further it was noted that there is a paucity of data on the South African LGBT population, as sexual orientation does not form part of the routine data set. The findings of this review indicate gaps in the literature, practice guidelines and policies in LGBT healthcare in South Africa.

Provider and LGBT Individuals' Perspectives on LGBT Issues in Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review.

Discrimination toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population has raised concerns about the type of long-term services and supports (LTSS) that will be available to them as they age. To understand the unique needs of aging LGBT populations, we sought to synthesize and critique the evidence related to LTSS providers and LGBT individuals' perspectives of LGBT issues in LTSS in the United States. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, a systematic review of the literature was conducted. The Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool was used to appraise the quality of the included studies. Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria. Seven studies that examined the perspectives of LTSS providers identified two themes, including that they lack knowledge and training on LGBT health issues and generally report negative attitudes toward same-sex relations among older adults. In addition, 12 studies that examined the perspectives of LGBT individuals found that they (i) are concerned about LTSS planning, (ii) fear discrimination from providers in LTSS, and (iii) identify several strategies for improving care of LGBT older adults receiving LTSS. This systematic review highlights the importance for LTSS providers to receive training in LGBT health and be reflective of potential biases toward the LGBT population. LGBT individuals identified concerns related to LTSS planning and fear of discrimination from LTSS providers. LGBT individuals also identified a need for increased training of providers to improve the care of LGBT older adults in LTSS.

The Personal Experience of LGBT Patients with Cancer.

To capture the perspectives from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals diagnosed treated for cancer. Four LGBT individuals diagnosed and treated for cancer. Care for the LGBT patient is based on sensitivity and awareness to LGBT issues and concerns. Nurses caring for the LGBT cancer patient provide that care in a context of awareness and sensitivity. The nurse's approach to LGBT patient and family care is based on open communication, establishing trusting relationships and honoring the patient's preferences. Excellent oncology nursing care for LGBT patients is excellent oncology nursing care.

Using simulation to address care of the transgender patient in nursing curricula.

This descriptive study explored the use of simulation as a means to increase cognitive and reflective practice as well as determining if simulation can alter perceptions and attitudes related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. This manuscript describes how student nurses perceive their role when providing care to and, more specifically, the care of transgender patients. The research question asks: How does a transgender simulation impact the attitudes and beliefs of nursing students related to the LGBT community? One-hundred and fifty-nine students, with a subset of 120 students attending a school in central Florida and 50 students attending a Connecticut programme, participated in the completion of the instruments. The Gender Affirmative Practice (GAP) scale was used to evaluate their attitudes and practice concerning LGBT issues. Findings suggest that the majority of the students rarely or never discuss pertinent sexual orientation issues. Students are not comfortable creating a climate that allows for self-identification by gay/ lesbians, despite admitting to being open and accepting the LGBT community with their faculty. Limitations were based on multisite location and the use of the GAP. It is important for nursing students, and healthcare providers, to acknowledge and recognise the unique vulnerabilities of transgender persons who are seeking healthcare. The exposure to transgender individuals in a clinical setting may be limited; therefore, the use of simulation will offer the opportunity to examine their beliefs and reflect on their attitudes towards this population. Simulation incorporating mental health issues is a newer training technique in which psychosocial aspects of healthcare are addressed.

Introducing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) and Gender Identity Issues in a Medical Humanities Module

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) are ways of referring to someone's sexual orientation/preferences; gaining a better understanding as to how best serve the needs of the LGBT community are becoming increasingly important in medical education. While nations (especially developing ones) are making efforts to become more pluralistic societies that uphold and honor the rights of all their citizenry, members of the LGBT community continue to face hostility and violence. These factors cause many members of the LGBT community to be wary about identifying their sexual orientation. Curricular interventions to address LGBT issues are becoming increasingly common. The LGBT community faces a number of challenges and disparities in accessing healthcare. The authors facilitate a medical humanities (MH) module at the Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba.. Small group, activity-based learning strategies are widely used during the module. Literature, case scenarios, paintings and role-plays are used to explore different aspects of MH. In this manuscript role-plays serve as vehicles to introduce LGBT issues to medical students during the module. The process of debriefing the role-play including students' comments are briefly discussed. One scenario deals with a young girl forced to become a worker in the sex trade, another contends with a night club owner who is diagnosed as HIV positive, a third situation portrays a young woman with a same gender life partner suffering from terminal cancer, the fourth situation explores the difficulties a female student faces when she reveals a sexual attraction for a same sex classmate. The role-plays serve to introduce students to an initial understanding of some of the issues faced by members of the LGBT community and an opportunity to put themselves in the position of a LGBT individual.

Better Together in Action: Organizations Working to Integrate Racial Justice and LGBT Issues

Racial justice and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy are better together. However, these examples are not visible and often are underresourced. The three case studies in this report of South Asian Network, FIERCE, and Southerners on New Ground challenge the assumptions that few people of color identify as LGBT or people of color are more homophobic than whites.

Claves para atender a la diversidad afectivo sexual en el contexto educativo desde un enfoque global escolar = Keys to dealing with sexual-emotional diversity in the educational context from a whole school approach

ABSTRACT The article delves into various strategies that should be taken into account when addressing homophobia and transphobia, homophobic and transphobic bullying behaviors and improve assistance for sexual-emotional diversity at the school from a whole school approach, to help prevent any homophobic and transphobic discrimination and lead heteronormative cultures existing in school. These keys were taken from the analysis of the various researches that have been carried out in education in relation to young people’s attitude towards sexual-emotional diversity and harassment and discrimination and consecuently, the insecurity experienced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students in school contexts. Measures such a stablish and publish anti-discrimination and harassment policies specifying sexual emotional orientation and gender expresion; training of teachers and other school personnel to know how to act in situations of harassment and victimization related to sexual emotional orientation and gender expression; add LGBT issues in the curriculum and information about sexual emotional orientations and gender expression and, availability of sources of information and support for LGBT students. These criteria should be applied taking into account those intervention programs that address the interpersonal relationships improvement, discrimination and harassment behaviors prevention and to support the students social inclusion.

Older LGBT people's experiences and concerns with healthcare professionals and services in Ireland.

The specific healthcare needs and concerns for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons have not been explored to any degree within Ireland. The aim of this paper, which is part of a larger study, is to detail older LGBT persons' usage, experiences and concerns with accessing healthcare services, disclosing their LGBT identity to professionals, preferences for care and their suggestions for improvement in services, including nursing services. A mixed methods research design combining quantitative survey and qualitative interview approaches of equal significance was used. 144 respondents completed an 84-item questionnaire concerning their use of healthcare services, experiences and needs. The qualitative phase involved in-depth interviews where 36 participants' experiences and concerns around health services were explored more in-depth. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis employed the constant comparative process to generate the leading themes. Only one in three participants believed that healthcare professionals have sufficient knowledge of LGBT issues, and less than half (43%) felt respected as an LGBT person by healthcare professionals. Although 26% had chosen not to reveal their LGBT status for fear of a negative response, many positive encounters of coming out to healthcare professionals were relayed in the interviews. LGBT persons have specific concerns around residential care, particularly in relation to the perception that the Irish healthcare services emanate a heteronormative culture. Irish healthcare services need to reflect on how they currently engage with older LGBT persons at both an organisational and practitioner level. Consideration needs to be given to the specific concerns of ageing LGBT persons, particularly in relation to long-term residential care. Healthcare practitioners need to be knowledgeable of, and sensitive to, LGBT issues.

The Cat and the Cloud: ACT for LGBT Locus of Control, Responsibility, and Acceptance

Advocating acceptance, committed action, and value-guided behavior over experiential avoidance, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may aid lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) clients affected by hetero/homonormative social pressure. By conceptualizing LGBT paradigms of internal/external control/responsibility (IC-IR; EC-IR; IC-ER; EC-IR), ACT may be adapted to a myriad of multicultural worldviews. This article presents locus of acceptance as the attributed worth of internal/external cues perceived necessary by the client to achieve self-acceptance. Recognizing visibility and isolation as recurrent LGBT issues, locus of acceptances balances identity as individual (internal acceptance) with identity as community (external acceptance).

‘Keeping things straight’: the representation of sexualities in life orientation textbooks

Heterosexism and heteronormativity are pervasive in the South African society, but to what degree are they present in Life Orientation (LO) textbooks? This question, explored through a content analysis of widely used Grade 10 LO textbooks, was framed by queer theory. The paper quantitatively examines the coverage of sexualities, and qualitatively examines how sexualities are constructed and projected in the texts. The quantitative analysis reveals a low percentage of statements devoted to sexuality overall and the normalisation of heterosexuality mainly through the exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) sexualities but also through techniques of differentiation, hierarchisation and homogenisation. The qualitative analysis reveals inadequate information about sexualities and in its place a simplistic, moralistic ideological approach. Furthermore, discussions of the family, dating, safe sex and marriage assume heterosexuality as the norm. Nineteen years after the democratisation of South Africa and 17 years after the ratification of South Africa's constitution which explicitly forbids discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, LGBT sexualities are largely invisible in school LO curricula. Since this is a subject that is compulsory for all learners and its express aim is to prepare young South Africans for participation as citizens in a just and democratic society, the absence of LGBT issues and identities helps perpetuate prejudice and violence towards LGBT communities.

Institutionally homophobic? Political parties and the substantive representation of LGBT people: Westminster and regional UK elections 1945–2011

This article explores the substantive representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in party manifestos in general elections and regional elections in the United Kingdom, 1945–2011. The findings show that while there is some evidence of progress, there is also significant variation in the attention that parties afford to LGBT issues, and a general failure to fully apply international principles and mainstreaming theory in election programmes. It is argued that an ‘asymmetrical electoral bargain’ applies: parties increasingly court LGBT voters yet often do so in a reductive and limited manner. This suggests that elements of institutionally homophobic practice endure in contemporary electoral politics.

The LGBT Casebookedited by LevounisPetros, M.D., M.A.,DrescherJack, M.D., and BarberMary, M.D. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2012, 324 pp., $62.00 (paper).

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Communications and UpdatesFull AccessThe LGBT CasebookLawrence Hartmann, M.D.Lawrence HartmannSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 Nov 2012https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12060819AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail edited by LevounisPetros, M.D., M.A.,DrescherJack, M.D., and BarberMary, M.D. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2012, 324 pp., $62.00 (paper).Casebooks need not be dull. This timely and sensible book seems to me to be a model of what a casebook should be. It is clear without being simple. It is relatively brief. It embodies good listening to patients. It is scientifically up-to-date and well written and edited. It provides reasonably detailed and thoughtful examples across a solid group of major psychiatric diagnoses—as well as across a few psychiatric and social categories other than diagnoses—and examples of integrated, educated, and helpful biopsychosocial consideration and treatment of people.I recommend this book to all psychiatrists, young and old, and to our mental health colleagues and students, particularly, but not limited to, those who are actively or might potentially work with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) patients or clients. The scope and teaching power of this book are wider than its focus on LGBT issues, and it helps us all to consider how psychiatry and mental health care have changed in recent decades and will continue to change in the future.Many readers may also want to read further discussion of these issues in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry “Practice Parameter on Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Sexual Orientation, Gender-Nonconformity, and Gender Discordance in Children and Adolescents,” which is available online.Although organized predominantly around DSM-IV categories, this book will remain relevant with publication of DSM-5. Following a foreword and preface, there are preliminary chapters titled “What’s In Your Closet?, “Coming Out,” “From Outlaws to In-Laws,” “LGBT Parenting,” and “Sexual Identity in Patient-Therapist Relationships.” The book consists of specific short, chapter-long case studies on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance dependence, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Also addressed are parent-child relational problems, partner relational problems, bereavement, occupational problems, identity problems, religious/spiritual problems, acculturation problems, and phase-of-life problems. A brief glossary is included as well.Many of the book’s authors consider both medication and psychotherapy, and many of the psychotherapies demonstrated have realistic and eclectic components, including dynamic psychotherapy. Some attention is also given to the “neater” psychotherapies preferred by researchers, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, exposure and response therapy, and supervised community treatment. If there is a second edition, the editors could usefully add a chapter on alcohol misuse (since the chapter on substance abuse is specific to methamphetamines), a chapter on minor depressive disorder, and a chapter on the vicissitudes of Internet use.The contributing authors are knowledgeable of—and most are also attentive to—the contexts and meanings of various discomforts and disorders. Most of the authors are sensitive to diversity and try not to view issues in terms of extremes, which is tempting when defining boundaries (e.g., what is meant by “gay or straight”). However, assumptions of clear boundaries and categories do creep in from time to time, for example, when “coming out” is referred to as something that happens more or less once and for all, and solidly. Self-acceptance and synthesis are, in my view, healthy, but the accepted and synthesized self is complex. In one discussion, it is suggested that sexuality can be defined within four neat patient-therapist boxes (i.e., gay-gay, gay-straight, straight-gay, and straight-straight), rather than allowing for inevitable complex shades of gray or bisexual categories.There is also a startling first sentence. It is the first sentence in the whole book, in the Foreword (and thus perhaps not edited by the book’s editors): “People in the LGBT community are just like everyone else.” Like, yes; just like, no. If that were true, this book would not have been written. The challenge that this good book meets is to deal thoughtfully and respectfully with LGBT people, who are very much like non-LGBT people but also have important differences.Dr. Hartmann is a retired Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass.The author reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 169Issue 11 November 2012Pages 1216-1216 Metrics PDF download History Accepted 1 July 2012 Published online 1 November 2012 Published in print 1 November 2012

Fostering research collaborations in LGBT psychology: an introduction to the special issue

We introduce the special issue by providing an overview of the 2008 and 2010 International Summer Institutes in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) psychology at the University of Michigan. Using the literature on stigmatization of LGBT peoples, minority stress, and the demonstrated under-representation of LGBT issues (including heterosexism) in psychology, we argue that the Institutes served a necessary and timely – if not overdue – intervention to establish an ‘invisible college’ that allowed emerging scholars to connect with eminent senior scholars. This was the starting point for systematic and sustained collaborations among the scholars in attendance, and some of the fruits of those collaborations are included in this issue. Post-institute participant surveys from both sessions revealed that the Institutes not only facilitated the formation of an ‘invisible college’, but that participants also reported individual shifts in perspective associated with an increased commitment to social change: the development of new networks, critical perspectives on the inclusion of LGBT people/and issues, shifts in identity, and new possibilities for reaching (and changing) other people through research and teaching. We discuss these findings and their implications for the future directions of LGBT Psychology.

The Open Door Project Task Force: A Qualitative Study on LGBT Aging

This paper reports formative qualitative findings from the Open Door Project (ODP), a unique program created by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Aging Project. Data were collected from Open Door Task Force members (N = 34). This includes 4 focus groups that were held with a total of 22 participants; and key informant interviews that were conducted with 12 participants from 10 different agencies. Findings revealed that agencies took significant steps to make important and long-lasting structural changes, including changing their diversity and personnel policies, and intake forms to be LGBT inclusive; implementing ongoing staff training initiatives on LGBT issues; and actively involving leadership, including senior managers, executive directors, vendors, and Councils on Aging, in helping to create and sustain organizational change. The ODP is an effective model to increase cultural competence in working with aging LGBT communities.

Leaving Our Children Behind: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

ABSTRACT The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act) contains several provisions that affect the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and LGBT issues in America's public schools. School choice and voucher provisions could cause both students and resources to be shifted to private and religious schools that are not subject to inclusive state nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies. For the first time in three decades, the NCLB Act allows federal funds to be used for the creation of single-sex schools and classrooms, despite research on the mixed impact of sex-segregated schools on gender development and self-esteem. The NCLB Act's focus on standardized testing also leaves no room for LGBT issues in curricula. Internet filtering provisions prevent LGBT youth from accessing critical information, and some filtering software reflects ideological biases. Parental rights provisions, including “no promo homo” language, may interfere with research, anti-homophobia programs, or sex education. Finally, provisions that reinforce the right of the Boy Scouts and the U.S. military to meet in public schools despite their discriminatory policies are legally redundant and send a federally mandated message of intolerance.