Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender And Queer Research Articles

Media Representation of Male Protagonists in Thai Boy Love Commercials: A Visual Discourse Analysis

The media portrayal of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community may impact public understanding and attitudes towards this community, which has not been extensively studied. This article explores the media representation of gay men in commercials by presenting a visual discourse analysis of three Thai Boy Love commercials. Combining the visual representation framework of social actors and genre and functionality analysis, it examines (a) how the male protagonists are visually represented in relation to the audience from three symbolic dimensions and (b) how the salient patterns of presenting boy love commercials are integrated with the story’s narrative stages and genre functions. The findings suggest that the boys are primarily portrayed positively as inclusive, close, agentive and ordinary social members who feature soft masculinity. Nevertheless, such a generic and idealised representation romanticises gay relationships, diminishes the individuality of gay people and obscures the diversity within the gay community. The portrayal also prioritises the female gaze to cater to the core audience of heterosexual young women consumers. This article provides insights into the reciprocal relationship between public receptivity towards the LGBTQ community and their favourable visual representations in commercials.

Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention at Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Facilities, United States, 2021.

Objectives. To determine the percentage of US outpatient substance use treatment facilities that offer HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Methods. We used a retrospective cross-sectional design with data from the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey, which was administered to directors of US outpatient substance use treatment facilities in 2021. We evaluated the percentage of outpatient substance use treatment facilities offering PrEP and factors associated with the likelihood of offering PrEP. Results. We included 12 182 outpatient substance use treatment facilities. Of these, 637 (5.2%) offered PrEP. Offering HIV treatment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 45.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 36.0, 56.9) and offering programs for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning) people (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.0, 1.6) were associated with higher likelihoods of offering PrEP. Conclusions. PrEP is highly effective and recommended for patients at risk for HIV from injection drug use. Nearly 95% of US outpatient substance use treatment facilities did not offer PrEP-a missed opportunity for harm reduction through primary HIV prevention. Public Health Implications. Diversification of the array of available HIV PrEP options and the ongoing HIV and opioid use epidemics require outpatient substance use treatment facilities to expand PrEP availability. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(8):833-837. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307699).

LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace: examining the roles of climate, leadership, and psychological empowerment to determine satisfaction

Purpose Organizations are moving beyond the gender binary in the workplace and are implementing diversity management practices, making Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) inclusion increasingly important as they continue to remain a disadvantaged group. This paper aims to look into the factors that affect job and life satisfaction among LGBTQ employees in India. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 348 LGBTQ employees and analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results showed that psychological safety has a positive impact on psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Additionally, inclusive climate and inclusive leadership were found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationships. The study also revealed that psychological empowerment plays a mediating role between psychological safety and life satisfaction. Originality/value The study stands pioneers among the works that discuss workplace inclusion among LGBTQ employees in Indian context since LGBTQ acceptance in normal social system is still in nascent stage in Indian scenario. The findings can be used to improve LGBTQ inclusion and promote social development and well-being in organizations and society, as the inputs from the study can be taken up for inclusive leadership development and wellbeing of the employees.

Gay for pay: homocapitalism and LGBTQ employees in the transnational corporate landscape

Abstract In this forum piece, I utilize Rahul Rao’s concept of “homocapitalism” (2020) as an analytical lens through which to evaluate the corporate support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights. Affinity groups, including those designed to support LGBTQ employees, have become a regular feature of most Fortune 500 companies. These groups seek to represent the interests of particular employee audiences, while also helping the company to advance its profit-driven goals. Drawing on interviews with queer professionals working for multinational technology companies, I signpost the promises and limitations of LGBTQ activism when it becomes (re)located within the context of a corporation.

Correction: On the Structural Conditions Shaping Implementation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ)-Inclusive Practices within Intimate Partner Services in Australia

Correction: On the Structural Conditions Shaping Implementation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ)-Inclusive Practices within Intimate Partner Services in Australia

“They will at least do no harm”: LGBTQ social studies teacher education

PurposeThis study aims to explore the self-efficacy of social studies teacher education working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) preservice teachers, teaching LGBTQ content in their methods courses, and helping the preservice teachers they teach in those classes reduce their bias and prejudice against LGBTQ individuals.Design/methodology/approachThis study, framed by self-efficacy theory, employs a mixed methods approach, qualitative semistructured interviews (n = 6) and quantitative (Likert-scale) survey questions (n = 174).FindingsParticipants reported high self-efficacy in working with LGBTQ students but showed decreased efficacy in teaching about LGBTQ content and helping reduce preservice teacher LGBTQ bias. Participants suggested that time in the curriculum, lack of knowledge about LGBTQ topics/issues, and the lack of institutional support are some of the leading barriers to LGBTQ inclusion in the social studies teacher preparation curriculum.Originality/valueThis is the only work conducted at this scale to examine social studies teacher educators' self-efficacy in LGBTQ-inclusion in methods courses. It has implications for increasing this self-efficacy to help make P-16 social studies education LGBTQ-inclusive.

On the Structural Conditions Shaping Implementation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ)-Inclusive Practices Within Intimate Partner Services in Australia

Abstract Purpose IPV constitutes a serious health concern for LGBTQ populations within Australia, yet inclusive service provision remains sparsely and unevenly accessible to victim-survivors. While poor availability and accessibility of inclusive services is widely recognized as an issue facing LGBTQ victim-survivors, few researchers have examined the structural or systemic basis of this problem. The current piece seeks to explore the structural conditions obstructing inclusive service provision to LGBTQ victim-survivors, from the perspective of service providers. Method N = 19 interviews were conducted with N = 21 key personnel with affiliations to a variety of: (i) general population service organizations, (ii) community-led service organizations and (ii) advisory or convening groups. Interviews explored the structural conditions of the IPV service sector, focusing on barriers and enablers to implementing inclusive service provision for LGBTQ populations. Results Three broad factors that obstructed or curtailed inclusive service implementation were identified. These were namely: (i) resistance from both internal and external sources around inclusive practice, (ii) accommodating keeping demands in resource constrained contexts, and (ii) political will and LGBTQ visibility within official policy. Responses to these challenges on the organizational level were sometimes sufficient to meaningfully – though only partially – ameliorate these factors, but seldom addressed the structural conditions that necessitate such responses. Conclusion Inclusive service provision is a crucial element of victim-survivor recovery. The sporadic accessibility of such services within Australia can be attributed to several core features of sector and policy landscapes, which demand a significant degree of inter-organizational collaboration and collective advocacy to overcome.

Inclusion for LGBTQ talent: a practice theory approach

PurposeThere is an emerging interest in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) inclusion among researchers and practitioners. However, the interplay of macro-, meso- and micro-level factors that influence the behavior of various agencies, systems, structures and practices in different national, cultural and social contexts still needs to be researched. This paper aims to examine how organizations meaningfully engage with the marginalized and underrepresented workforce, especially the LGBTQ community, to promote diversity and inclusion through comprehensive policies and practices, thereby developing a sustainable inclusivity culture.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a practice theory lens and using a case study design, including multilevel interviews with 28 different stakeholders, this study examines how organizations institutionalize LGBTQ inclusion practices in an emerging market context with a historically low acceptance of the LGBTQ community.Findings Findings indicate that macro influences, such as regulatory, societal and market pressures and adopting international standards and norms, impact meso-level structures and practices. At the organizational level, leadership evangelism and workforce allyship serve as relational mechanisms for institutionalizing LGBTQ-inclusive practices. Furthermore, collaboration, partnerships and enabling systems and processes provide the structural frameworks within which organizations build an LGBTQ-inclusive culture. Lastly, at the micro level, cisgender allyship and the LGBTQ micro work environments provide the necessary psychological safety to build trust for authentic LGBTQ self-expressions. This study also indicates that organizations evolve their LGBTQ inclusion practices along a trajectory, with multiple external and internal forces that work simultaneously and recursively to shape HRM policies and practices for building an inclusive culture.Originality/valueThis study addresses the significant gaps in diversity and inclusivity research on LGBTQ employees and contributes to the literature in three significant ways. First, this study examines the diversity management mechanisms at the organizational level and explicates their interplay at the micro, meso and macro levels to create congruence, both internally and externally, for engaging with LGBTQ talent. Second, this study adopts a practice theory lens to examine the behavior of various actors, their agencies, the “flow” of underlying and emerging structures and processes, the continuous interplay between structure and action and how they enable inclusive culture for the LGBTQ community as a whole. Last, it addresses the call by diversity researchers for context-specific multilevel research design, including qualitative research, focusing on national, cultural and institutional contexts, where socio-organizational and historical factors and interactions among them shape diversity practices. Much of the literature on LGBTQ inclusion has, thus far, been within the Western context. By examining the emergence of inclusion practices in emerging markets like India, this study contributes to diversity and inclusion research.

Traditional family system, local government recognition and citizens' perceptions of homosexuality in Japan: an exploratory study

PurposeJapan has made some progress in recognizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights, such as passing laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in some cities. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of legal protection and social acceptance. Understanding citizens' attitudes toward homosexuality can help inform policies and interventions that promote LGBTQ rights and reduce discrimination. This study explores factors that influence citizens' attitudes toward homosexuality in Japan.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted through a web-based questionnaire with 1,806 participants, where they were asked about their views on same-sex partnership recognition, homosexual rights and traditional Japanese family systems. The collected data were statistically analyzed to determine the factors that affect individuals' opinions regarding homosexuality.FindingsThe study determined that in Japan, traditional views are inversely related to same-sex partnership registration. Conversely, local government support for LGBTQ+ rights is directly associated with societal acceptance. Additionally, closer contact with the LGBTQ+ community promotes acceptance.Social implicationsThe study provides insights into the factors that shape societal attitudes toward homosexuality in Japan and highlights the importance of policies promoting diversity and inclusivity. By identifying these determinants, this study could help policymakers and advocates create effective strategies for promoting acceptance and equality for the LGBTQ+ community in Japan.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that focuses on understanding the factors that influence the attitudes of Japanese citizens toward homosexuality.

Associations between water insecurity and mental health outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons in Bangkok, Thailand and Mumbai, India: Cross-sectional survey findings

Abstract Background Water insecurity disproportionally affects socially marginalized populations and may harm mental health. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) persons are at the nexus of social marginalization and mental health disparities; however, they are understudied in water insecurity research. Yet LGBTQ persons likely have distinct water needs. We explored associations between water insecurity and mental health outcomes among LGBTQ adults in Mumbai, India and Bangkok, Thailand. Methods This cross-sectional survey with a sample of LGBTQ adults in Mumbai and Bangkok assessed associations between water insecurity and mental health outcomes, including anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, loneliness, alcohol misuse, COVID-19 stress and resilience. We conducted multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses to examine associations between water insecurity and mental health outcomes. Results Water insecurity prevalence was 28.9% in Mumbai and 18.6% in Bangkok samples. In adjusted analyses, in both sites, water insecurity was associated with higher likelihood of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, COVID-19 stress, alcohol misuse and loneliness. In Mumbai, water insecurity was also associated with reduced resilience. Conclusion Water insecurity was common among LGBTQ participants in Bangkok and Mumbai and associated with poorer well-being. Findings signal the importance of assessing water security as a stressor harmful to LGBTQ mental health.

LGBTQ hotel selection criteria: a thematic analysis method

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) hotel selection criteria.Design/methodology/approachA thematic analysis was performed to explore 104 LGBTQ traveler comments based on TripAdvisor's top five LGBTQ hotels in Thailand.FindingsThe results indicated that tangible and intangible hotel attributes influence the LGBTQ community's hotel selection.Practical implicationsThe results emphasize the need for hoteliers to understand the diversity of the LGBTQ community's hotel selection criteria and adjust or adopt different marketing strategies to engage and attract LGBTQ travelers.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the tourism literature by showing the importance of recognizing the LGBTQ community's hotel selection criteria and providing recommendations to improve product quality and services of hotels.

"They have their own people": Emotional connections, community belonging, and Chinese gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) college students' needs for sexual health support.

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) college students in China have unique sexual health challenges, including a higher risk of HIV infection, stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) population, and limited access to LGBTQ-affirmative sexual health support. Nonetheless, previous research or policymaking has rarely addressed the students' needs for sexual health support from their perspectives. This study aims to explore GBMSM college students' perceptions and attitudes to current sexual health resources, the challenges they encounter, and their expectations to acquiring LGBTQ-affirmative sexual health information and services. The exploration was carried out through field visits and in-depth interviews with 26 GBMSM college students and eight relevant stakeholders in five cities in China. Qualitative thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts and fieldwork memos. Four themes emerged around the preference and needs of GBMSM students in dealing with their sexual health challenges: the association between tackling sexual health challenges and entering LGBTQ communities, the roles of emotional attachment in shaping the preference for HIV-related care and support, the desired modes of acquiring sexual health support, and the current unmet service needs. We discovered that the information-and-care-seeking behaviors of GBMSM college students are highly influenced by and connected to their participation in online and in-person LGBTQ communities. Due to the overall stigmatizing sociocultural environment of LGBTQ in China, GBMSM college students tend to rely on LGBTQ communities, seeking trust and a sense of belongingness for tackling their sexual health challenges. Conventional school-based sexual health educational programs, which often apply top-down, stigma-and-fear-based, and non-LGBTQ-inclusive teaching strategies, rarely help GBMSM college students to solve sexual health problems in real life. GBMSM college students are eager to have LGBTQ-affirmative "health managers" who can understand their emotional experiences and interpersonal contexts and assist them with sexual health issues. However, such support is generally perceived as limited by the students. Our study highlights these unmet needs of the GBMSM students and emphasizes the importance of developing future LGBTQ-affirmative sexual health programs among Chinese GBMSM college students and young GBMSM in general.

Research on Challenges and Solutions for LGBTQ Youth

This paper focuses on the challenges and solutions faced by LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender and Queer) youth. First, Trevor is used as an example to describe the experiences of minority youth, presenting the injustices suffered by Trevor as a TGNB, again extending from specific people to the LGBTQ community. The importance of minority self-identification is then presented, pointing out the important role of schools and the current situation where minorities are more vulnerable to bullying in schools and presenting solutions Asplund and Ordway propose the SCEARE (School Counselors: Educate, Affirm, Respond, and Empower) model to help LGBTQ youth on four levels: level one is education, level two is adults who provide support to the LGBTQ community, the third level is a response plan to prevent bullying in schools, and finally, the fourth level is student empowerment access to equal treatment. The goal is to improve the mental health of LGBTQ youth so that they can grow without prejudice.

Sexual and gender minority health-related content in geriatric fellowships.

Despite a growing number of older lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adults in the United States, education on care for this vulnerable population has historically been inadequate across all levels of training. This research assessed the extent of LGBTQ education in geriatric medicine fellowship curricula across the United States. We designed a survey to anonymously collect information from geriatric medicine fellowship programs on LGBTQ curricular content. Eligible participants included all 160 fellowship directors on record with the American Geriatrics Society. The survey addressed demographics of the fellowship program, current state of inclusion of LGBTQ content in didactic curricula and in clinical settings, and other available training opportunities. Out of those contacted, 80 (50%) completed the survey. Of the programs surveyed, 60 (75%) were housed in internal medicine, 19 (24%) were in family medicine, and one was in their own department. Forty-seven fellowships (59%) reported some formal didactic session (e.g., lecture or case based), with the majority of these programs (72%) featuring 1-2 h of formal instruction. Forty-five programs (56%) reported offering no formal clinical experiences. There was less than 50% coverage for all surveyed topics in the required curriculum (range 46% for discrimination to 9% for gender affirming care). Time and lack of expertise were cited as the main barriers to content inclusion. Curricular content regarding care for LGBTQ older adults is inadequate in geriatric medicine fellowships. Faculty development of current educators and providing standardized guidelines and curricula are steps toward addressing this deficit.

Community connection is associated with lower psychological distress for sexual minority women who view community connection positively

We examined factors associated with sexual minority women’s evaluations of belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Australia, and assessed whether a positive view of community participation impacted levels of psychological distress. 2424 cisgender sexual minority women participated in a national, online, cross-sectional survey of LGBTIQ adult Australians’ health and well-being. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to investigate sociodemographic factors associated with sexual minority women’s belonging to the LGBTQ community, feelings towards community connection, and associations between community connection and recent psychological distress. Most sexual minority women (58.9%) reported feeling that they are part of the LGBTQ community, and a majority of the participants felt positive about being connected to this community (68.5%). Participants who were bisexual, non-university educated, and who resided in an outer-suburban location were least likely to evaluate participation in the LGBTQ community positively. Feeling positive about community connection was associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Feeling a part of LGBTQ community was associated with lower psychological distress, but this link appears contingent upon positive feelings about community participation. Sexual minority women’s’ relationships to the LGBTQ community are often complex, and community connection and participation in and of itself is not a panacea for the negative outcomes associated with sexual minority stressors.

Text Analysis of Trends in Health Equity and Disparities From the Internal Revenue Service Tax Documentation Submitted by US Nonprofit Hospitals Between 2010 and 2019: Exploratory Study.

Many US hospitals are classified as nonprofits and receive tax-exempt status partially in exchange for providing benefits to the community. Proof of compliance is collected with the Schedule H form submitted as part of the annual Internal Revenue Service Form 990 (F990H), including a free-response text section that is known for being ambiguous and difficult to audit. This research is among the first to use natural language processing approaches to evaluate this text section with a focus on health equity and disparities. This study aims to determine the extent to which the free-response text in F990H reveals how nonprofit hospitals address health equity and disparities, including alignment with public priorities. We used free-response text submitted by hospital reporting entities in Part V and VI of the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 Schedule H between 2010 and 2019. We identified 29 main themes connected to health equity and disparities, and 152 related key phrases. We tallied occurrences of these phrases through term frequency analysis, calculated the Moran I statistic to assess geographic variation in 2018, analyzed Google Trends use for the same terms during the same period, and used semantic search with Sentence-BERT in Python to understand contextual use. We found increased use from 2010 to 2019 across all the 29 phrase themes related to health equity and disparities. More than 90% of hospital reporting entities used terms in 2018 and 2019 related to affordability (2018: 2117/2131, 99.34%; 2019: 1620/1627, 99.57%), government organizations (2018: 2053/2131, 96.33%; 2019: 1577/1627, 96.93%), mental health (2018: 1937/2131, 90.9%; 2019: 1517/1627, 93.24%), and data collection (2018: 1947/2131, 91.37%; 2019: 1502/1627, 92.32%). The themes with the largest relative increase were LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer; 1676%; 2010: 12/2328, 0.51%; 2019: 149/1627, 9.16%) and social determinants of health (958%; 2010: 68/2328, 2.92%; 2019: 503/1627, 30.92%). Terms related to homelessness varied geographically from 2010 to 2018, and terms related to equity, health IT, immigration, LGBTQ, oral health, rural, social determinants of health, and substance use showed statistically significant (P<.05) geographic variation in 2018. The largest percentage point increase was for terms related to substance use (2010: 403/2328, 17.31%; 2019: 1149/1627, 70.62%). However, use in themes such as LGBTQ, disability, oral health, and race and ethnicity ranked lower than public interest in these topics, and some increased mentions of themes were to explicitly say that no action was taken. Hospital reporting entities demonstrate an increasing awareness of health equity and disparities in community benefit tax documentation, but these do not necessarily correspond with general population interests or additional action. We propose further investigation of alignment with community health needs assessments and make suggestions for improvements to F990H reporting requirements.

Key Patterns of LGBTQ Experiences in STEM: From Institutional Barriers to Transnationality

For decades, scholars have researched social inequalities of race, gender and other minority groups experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Nonetheless, whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) professionals experience parallel disadvantaged circumstances remains to be further surveyed substantively. This paper draws on relevant literature concerning the normative STEM environment and different views (constructivism, liberalism, etc.), seeking to unpack the intersectionality between LGBTQ and STEM. Through conducting surveys targeted at international LGBTQ students regarding their academic, social, and mental experiences in STEM specifically, this paper argues that there exists a shared common dilemma for this group: sexual objectification and extra stress to increase their STEM competence. This paper comparatively analyzes the results and reveals the institutional and transnational barriers for those LGBTQ students of different cultural backgrounds in the context of globalization and international interactions and cooperation. This paper also contends that LGBTQ professionals in STEM become victims of sexual objectification mainly due to hypermasculinity and male-female dichotomy.

“Tis the season to…” segment the market

Research methodology This compact case study was developed from secondary sources readily available in the public domain. These included company websites, videos, social media and news articles. Case overview/synopsis Hallmark had a strong history of supporting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. During the 2019 holiday season, Hallmark Channel was suddenly caught in the middle of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) ad controversy that attracted media attention. Critics of the ad claimed it went too far and was “inappropriate” to air. LGBTQ advocacy groups quickly rebuked that argument. Ultimately, the media frenzy was short-lived and Hallmark Channel continued to dominate the holiday programming landscape. This case evaluates the marketing aspects of the dilemma including customer segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) strategy issues. Culture and industry analysis is also provided as a way for the reader to understand the complexity associated with marketing strategy. One underlying question is what role does STP play in understanding how to develop marketing strategies that build customer loyalty and help organizations compete in the marketplace? Complexity academic level This case should be used in marketing and management classes at the undergraduate level. Applicable concepts include segmentation, targeting, positioning, advertising, brand strategy and DEI issues. This case could also be taught in a DEI course or a segmentation special topics class that discusses the differences between customer groups.

LGBTQ Consumers’ Engagement and Attitudes Toward Online Brand Communities within the Cosmetics Industry

As the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) lifestyle has gained increased acceptance among mainstream consumer groups, companies are recognising the need to tailor their marketing strategies to align with this consumer segment. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of consumer innovativeness and personal identity on gay consumers’ online engagement and attitude toward cosmetic brands. By means of an empirical analysis, a quantitative method was used, and 494 online surveys were distributed among members of the LGBTQ community in South Africa to gain insight into their online buying behaviour for cosmetic brands. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27 and AMOS 27 software for the descriptive and inferential statistics, respectively. The key findings indicated that all five hypotheses were supported. In other words, consumer innovativeness has a significant influence on personal identity, brand attitude and online engagement, while personal identity significantly influences both online engagement and brand attitude. Consumer innovativeness and personal identity are therefore strong predictors of online brand engagement and attitude towards cosmetic brands among LGBTQ consumers. Implications from the research were presented while further research opportunities were explored.

Same Sexual Orientation as a Potential Risk Factor for Severe Mental Illness

Considered as a minority, the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community including homosexual males is more prone to mental distress. Studies on prevalence stated that sexual orientation minorities are susceptible to inept mental health outcomes, and the rate of anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and psychotic illness is twice higher in gay and bisexual men rather than in heterosexuals. Along with that, several investigations found similarity between structural features in the brain of schizophrenic patients and homosexual males. This study intends to analyze the male homosexuality as a potential risk factor for schizophrenia. According to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) findings, brain structures similarity is found between schizophrenic patients and homosexual men specifically on the thalamic grey matter volume and cortical thickness of the brain. Both schizophrenic patients and homosexual males exhibit reduced grey matter volume in the thalamus region, meanwhile schizophrenic patients have lower grey matter volume in the left putamen and homosexual males showed higher left putamen grey matter volume compared to heterosexual individuals. The cortex of schizophrenic patients is thinner in left orbitofrontal, right parahippocampal, and superior temporal area, resembling to thinner cortex in the right lateral orbitofrontal regions and regions in the visual cortex of homosexual males. Based on the reviewed journals, male homosexuality can be a potential risk factor for schizophrenia considering their correlation in neurodevelopmental deviations. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed regarding other factors and pathways causing such structural brain changes in both conditions. Keywords: grey matter, homosexual, neurodevelopmental, schizophrenia