LGB People Research Articles

‘Sir, if I let you blow me, will you not put a behaviour point on?’ The working-class, gay teacher and the limits of neoliberal inclusion

This study examines social-class and sexuality in the context of being a teacher in a secondary school in England. It is pertinent as some levels of LGBT inclusion, are currently expected in English schools, however this varies within and across schools. This study explores the case of a single, gay, man from a working-class background, in relation to the homophobia and harassment he routinely experiences as a teacher, as well as the (in)active response of his institution. Findings suggest that the school is (re)produced as hostile for the gay teacher, through a combination of discourses where gay is positioned as subordinate by the students, and where gay is sublimated by the school and staff. Moreover, despite the teacher’s resilience, these problems are enhanced by the current individualized model of neoliberal inclusion, which may not be inclusive of all LGB people.

Assessing attitudes toward LGB people in young adolescents.

Since people's attitude toward lesbians, gay men and bisexual people (LGB) affects young LGB people's mental health and subsequently their quality of life, it is important to establish people's attitudes toward LGB people. The current study examined attitudes toward lesbian, gay and bisexual people among Dutch students and the psychometrical characteristics of adapted instruments measuring attitudes toward sexual diversity. The students in the sample (N = 1.633) were recruited from secondary schools. The participants completed questionnaires with scales measuring attitudes toward LGB people. The results indicate that participants hold positive attitudes overall, but there are differences with regard to gender and educational level. In addition, the used instruments prove to be psychometrically sound for measuring LGB attitudes and this work contributes to the empirical debate about whether adolescents' attitudes toward lesbians, gay men and bisexual people underly domains of a general attitude toward LGB people. Our results indicate that students do not seem to distinguish among sexually diverse subgroups much, possibly a sign of increased awareness and knowledge of LGB groups. The use of one general measure of attitudes of sexually diverse people may be considered in future research.

Disclosure to Whom Matters: Association Between Disclosure of Sexual Orientation and Mental Health Among Chinese LGB People

Objective This study aimed to explore the association between disclosure of one’s sexual orientation in different social contexts and mental health outcomes among LGB individuals. Methods This study used a nationwide sample of 7867 LGB individuals in the mainland of China. Results Findings revealed that the disclosure process was associated with positive consequences in several specific contexts such as schools, workplaces, and close friendships, but not in the family context. Bisexual individuals were less likely to be influenced by the disclosure process. Conclusions Professionals who work with LGB individuals need to be aware of the context-specific factors when facilitating disclosure decisions.

Network Analysis of the Association between Minority Stress and Activism in LGB People from Poland.

(1) Background: This paper presents an analysis of the associations between minority stressors and activism in the population of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals in Poland. (2) Methods: The cross-sectional online-based research was conducted among 192 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people in two groups: activists (n = 51) and people not engaged in activism (n = 141). Four scales of the Sexual Minority Stress Scale were used: Internalized Homophobia, Expectation of Rejection, Concealment, and Sexual Minority Negative Events Scale. Activism was measured using the Activism Scale and a single item asking about belonging to an activist group. (3) Results: Activists, lesbians, and gays scored significantly higher in the Sexual Minority Negative Events than people not involved in activism and bisexual individuals. Attitude toward LGBT+ activism correlated weakly and positively with Sexual Minority Negative Events and Expectation of Rejection while negatively with Internalized Homophobia. The Network Analysis showed that positive attitudes toward LGBT+ activism, the expectation of rejection, and negative events in minority stress are the most influential variables in the network model, playing a crucial role in the interaction between particular dimensions of minority stress. (4) Conclusions: Prevention and intervention programs should focus on reducing minority stress, especially negative events and rejection, especially among lesbians, gays, and people engaged in LGBT+ activism. The cooperation of politicians, lawyers, social workers, and psychologists is required to decrease homophobia and the stigmatization of people representing sexual and gender minorities.

Sexual Orientation and Financial Well-Being in the United States

We study the relationship between financial well-being and sexual orientation in the United States using Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) data for 2019-2022. We document that people who are lesbian, gay, and bisexual (or LGB) have significantly more difficulty managing financially than similarly situated heterosexual individuals—and this pre-dated the COVID-19 pandemic. Differences are found across a broad array of current and future financial well-being outcomes, including retirement savings, rainy-day funds, credit card and schooling debts, and the use of alternative financial services such as payday loans. Differences in partnership, financial assistance from parents, financial knowledge, and risk preferences cannot explain these differences. Instead, we document that some social vulnerabilities such as exposure to discriminatory behavior and violence are differentially experienced by LGB people, which may play a role. Our results demonstrate that people who are lesbian, gay, and bisexual experience significantly more financial insecurity than previously understood.

Aging well in an aging society: physical health in older lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults.

Older sexual minority people meet a double stigma in our society related to their sexual identity and chronological age. The present study explores how experiences of discrimination and prejudice, coming out, and personal resiliency influence physical health of older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Respondents were recruited through online advertisements and an online-based survey. The sample included 82 Italian cisgender LGB adults over 65 years: young older adults (65-70 years; 78%) and old-old adults (over 71 years; 22%). Regarding sexual orientation, the sample was composed of sexual minority women (n = 30; 37%) and sexual minority men (n = 52; 63%). ANOVAs' findings showed that sexual minority women described lower levels of physical health compared to sexual minority men. At the same time, old-old adults reported higher experiences of discrimination and prejudice compared to young older adults. Moreover, findings from hierarchical multiple regression analysis described that coming out, higher levels of personal resiliency, and fewer experiences of discrimination were predictors of physical health, regardless of age and sexual minority categories. These findings seem to align with previous studies that underline the relevance of investigating aging well in sexual minority people. Knowledge and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues are necessary for recognizing the unique needs and resources of older LGB people for promoting a healthy aging process.

Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals Asset-based Welfare and Housing in Great Britain

The role of housing in providing a welfare asset has been widely explored. With the growth in home ownership between 1979 and 2008 and erosion of the welfare state, housing wealth has become part of the welfare mix in the UK. Here, we present analysis of housing outcomes, as measured in the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS), among people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual in Great Britain. This shows that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people have poorer housing outcomes than heterosexual counterparts: they are less likely to be homeowners; more likely to be private renters; and more likely to be social renters. With growing intergenerational inequalities in access to home ownership, we argue that, as openly LGB (and broader trans and queer) people being on average younger than the rest of the population, this could lead to LGB people, as a group, being excluded from asset-based welfare in the future as they age.

Language and LGBTQ Politics: The Effect of Changing Group Labels on Public Attitudes

The labels used to describe sexual and gender minorities in the U.S. have shifted over time and become increasingly inclusive. Movement organizations have changed from describing the “lesbian, gay, and bisexual” (“LGB”) community to adding transgender (“LGBT”) and then also queer (“LGBTQ”) identities. Do these different labels affect public views of the group and support for their rights? I embedded a question wording experiment in a statewide survey, asking respondents about either LGB, LGBT, or LGBTQ people. The labels had no discernible effect on (1) support for requiring businesses to serve the group; nor (2) views of the group’s political leanings. There is no evidence that ideology and partisanship moderated these null effects: liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, were unaffected by the changing designations. This suggests public attitudes are not contingent on how the LGBTQ community is labelled, a finding with implications both for movement organizations and survey researchers.

Distress as a Function of Social Exclusion and Assertiveness among Homosexual/Bisexual People.

Homosexual (lesbian or gay) and bisexual (i.e., LGB) people tend to suffer from social exclusion and thus distress. To prevent or relieve distress, the people's assertiveness about justice and rights is an advocated means, but its effectiveness is uncertain, considering possible conflict with social exclusion. To clarify the effectiveness, this study analyzed data collected from 189 Chinese LGB adults in Hong Kong, which is a special administrative region of China generally Westernized and liberal to sexual orientation. Controlling for prior distress reported, the analysis showed that distress was lower when assertiveness was higher or social exclusion experienced was lower. However, distress was higher when both assertiveness and social exclusion experienced were higher. The higher distress implies a conflict between assertiveness and social exclusion to raise distress. It also implies the need to avoid conflict when promoting assertiveness and eliminating social exclusion to prevent distress in LGB people.

Sexual identity, poverty, and utilization of government services

Previous literature has established that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are at least as likely to be poor as heterosexual people, standing in contrast to myths of “gay affluence.” These findings have used datasets limited by either sample size or using partnership status to infer sexual orientation. Using U.S. data from the Household Pulse Survey, which allows us to identify large samples of individuals who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, we find that bisexuals have lower incomes and are more likely to experience poverty, and bisexual individuals, gay men, and lesbian women are more likely to report financial hardship. Additionally, we find that LGB people utilize government assistance at higher rates than heterosexual people, even when allowing for selection into poverty status. We propose several explanations for these differentials, drawing on the program non-participation literature, and suggest that social network effects, lessened stigma, and increased reliance on public programs may explain these differences. Finally, we examine receipt of the enhanced child tax credit and find evidence that gay men and lesbian women with children were less likely to receive it than heterosexual men and women with children.

Investigating preservice teachers’ attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual students in Luxembourg

AbstractLesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students face victimization in multiple contexts, including the educational context. Here, teachers can serve as an important resource for LGB students. However, teachers who are prejudiced against students from sexual minorities might not be able to fulfill this role. Accordingly, it is important to find out more about teachers' attitudes and their correlates, as such information can provide starting points for sensitization interventions in teacher education programs, which have the potential to improve the situation of LGB students in the school setting. In the present preregistered questionnaire study, we investigated the attitudes of 138 preservice teachers from the University of Luxembourg toward LGB students and tried to identify predictors of teachers’ attitudes. Results suggested that Luxembourgish preservice teachers hold mostly positive attitudes toward LGB students. Using correlation and multiple regression analyses, we identified the frequency of participants’ contact with LGB people in family or friend networks, hypergendering tendencies, sexual orientation, and religiosity as reliable predictors of attitudes toward LGB students. Age, gender, and right-wing conservatism did not reliably predict preservice teachers’ attitudes in the regression models. Our findings thus offer support for intergroup contact theory and have implications for teacher education in Luxembourg.

Unheard Voices of LGB People in Türkiye on LGB-specific Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Analysis.

Drawing upon in-depth, semistructured interviews with 26 LGB participants, we explored how LGB individuals experience IPV uniquely in Türkiye. Conducting thematic analysis, we generated four themes: (a) invalidation of sexual identity, (b) controlling sexuality and sexual behaviors, (c) disclosure of sexual orientation, and (d) binegativity. The analysis emphasizes LGB-specific power dynamics influencing IPV. A discussion is provided regarding the extent to which these four themes are specific to IPV in LGB relationships. Additionally, recommendations are offered to mental health professionals on tailoring their approaches and promoting advocacy for the needs of LGB IPV survivors.

Sexual Stigma and Mental Health of LGB Older Adults: A Systematic Scoping Review

Abstract Introduction Studies that examine the mental health of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) older adults have increased significantly over the last two decades, evidencing sexual stigma as one of the main factors associated with poorer mental health in this population. However, scientific evidence linking mental health and sexual stigma in older adults has not been systematically reviewed. Methods We conducted a systematic scoping review investigating the relationships between sexual stigma and mental health in LGB older adults aged 60 and over. EBSCO Host, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo were used to search for peer reviewed studies following PRISMA guidelines and 17 studies were included. The research covered studies between 2000 and 2020 and data collection was carried out between 2020 and 2021. Results Sexual stigma showed a strong relationship with mental health in LGB older adults, being mainly associated with worse mental health outcomes, such as anxious and depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and substance abuse. Hypervigilance, invisibility, feeling socially rejected, concealment of sexual orientation, and internal conflicts were suggested among the main mediator/moderator factors between sexual stigma(s) and the older LGB mental health indicators. The findings suggest that sexual stigma affects older LGB people throughout their life course cumulatively, by decreasing their quality of life and access to health care. Yet, LGB older adults have developed resilience and adaptive strategies to manage sexual stigma. Conclusions and Policy Implications Sexual stigma has a significant relationship with worse levels of mental health in LGB older adults, affecting their well-being. It is important that future studies address oldest old LGB individuals (e.g., aged 80 or over), particularly evaluating how they manage sexual stigma. Further, there is an urgent need for research that evaluates the positive determinants of mental health in LGB older adults, such as well-being and successful aging, as well the role of the internet and social media in stigmatizing older LGB people.

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

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

Comfort with LGB people and attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Continental American Hispanic Nations

Negative attitudes toward Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) individuals leads to a perceived inability of LGB individuals to foster ‘appropriate’ family relationships, inciting negative attitudes specifically toward same-sex parenting. Intergroup and interpersonal relationships play a critical role in fostering attitudes toward others wherein type of contact, frequency, degree of closeness in the relationship, and the positivity/negativity of interactions are potential mediator of these relations, Moreover, the mechanism behind co-constructing positive relationships with sexual and gender minorities is comfort with contact with LGB individuals. The present study explored the effects of interpersonal contact and the mediator role of comfort with LGB people in explaining attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Spanish-speaking countries in North, Central, and South America. These countries are of particular interest given the dearth of research in the region on attitudes toward same-sex parenting as well as the varying degrees of acceptance of and protections for same-sex parented families. A non-probabilistic sample of 1955 heterosexual cisgender participants from 14 countries was asked to complete a series of sociodemographic questions, a questionnaire about their interpersonal contact/comfort experiences with LGB people, and the Attitudes Toward Gay and Lesbian Parenting Scale. Results showed that comfort was vital in fostering accepting attitudes toward Same-Sex Parenting across countries. Findings also suggested that comfort with LGB people has a particularly powerful influence in regions with less legal and cultural acceptance of LGB individuals. Policies are not enough to instill widespread change: we must encourage, facilitate, and supervise the formation of relationships with LGB people.

Structural Discrimination against and Structural Support for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People as a Predictor of Late HIV Diagnoses among Black Men who Have Sex with Men.

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have been consistently reported to have the highest estimated HIV incidence and prevalence among MSM. Despite broad theoretical understanding that discrimination is a major social and structural determinant that contributes to disparate HIV outcomes among Black MSM, relatively little extant research has empirically examined structural discrimination against sexual minorities as a predictor of HIV outcomes among this population. The present study therefore examines whether variation in policies that explicitly discriminate against lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people and variation in policies that explicitly protect LGB people differentially predict metropolitan statistical-area-level variation in late HIV diagnoses among Black MSM over time, from 2008 to 2014. HIV surveillance data on late HIV diagnoses among Black MSM in each of the 95 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States, from 2008 to 2014, were used along with data on time-varying state-level policies pertaining to the rights of LGB people. Results from multilevel models found a negative relationship between protective/supportive laws and late HIV diagnoses among Black MSM, and a positive relationship between discriminative laws and late HIV diagnoses among Black MSM. These findings illuminate the potential epidemiological importance of policies pertaining to LGB populations as structural determinants of HIV outcomes among Black MSM. They suggest a need for scrutiny and elimination of discriminatory policies, where such policies are currently in place, and for advocacy for policies that explicitly protect the rights of LGB people where they do not currently exist.

Romantic relationship obsessive-compulsive doubts, perfectionism, and DSM-5 personality traits in LGB people: a comparison with heterosexual individuals.

Relationship Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterized by the presence of relationship-centered or partner-focused obsessions and compulsions that determine a great sense of doubt toward the partner or the relationship. Personality characteristics, including perfectionism, are involved in the development of Relationship Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and could predispose the individual to excessive doubts and preoccupations regarding the "adequacy of the couple" or the physical appearance of one's partner. Evidence from epidemiological research shows that the LGB community can present a high risk and prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and recent research demonstrated the usefulness of the DSM-5 personality model in understanding the personality of sexual minorities. However, further research is necessary to deepen our knowledge of the relationship between these variables in the LGB community. The aim of the present study was to compare a group of heterosexual individuals to a group of LGB individuals regarding personality traits, perfectionism, and relationship obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A total of 200 participants, 98 in the heterosexual group and 102 in the LGB group, were enrolled in the study and completed a psychological battery comprised of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Personality Inventory for DSM-5, Relationship Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Partner-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Inventory, and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. The results show that LGB individuals tend to report greater feelings of doubt regarding the partner's love, more negative emotions (Negative Affect) and Antagonism, and greater perfectionism traits compared to heterosexual individuals. These findings underline the necessity to consider the implementation of personalized interventions in clinical practice and the importance of initiating early preventive programs in sexual minority communities.

And how do LGB adults rate their orgasms in a relational context?

Subjective orgasm experience (SOE) refers to the perception, assessment, and/or sensation of orgasm on a psychological level, with the particularity that the study of SOE in nonheterosexual populations is currently very scarce. The study sought to analyze differences in SOE dimensions, comparing the intensity of each adjective of the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) and creating a ranking of the adjectives that better represent it in LGB men and women. In a sample of 1475 adults organized into 4 groups according to the type of sexual relationships reported, comparisons were made using multivariate analysis of variance and chi-square tests. Differences were obtained in the intensity of all the SOE dimensions, and in 23 of the 25 ORS adjectives. Lesbians and bisexual women reported higher intensity in SOE compared with bisexual and gay men. Because the ORS has been established as a good tool for detecting orgasmic difficulties in nonheterosexual populations, this study could provide LGBT affirmative psychotherapy with evidence on how these individuals evaluate their orgasms in a relational context. This study extends prior limited knowledge about how LGB people evaluate their orgasmic experiences in the context of sexual relationships. Despite this, the study poses limitations such as nonprobability sampling or the inclusion of exclusively cisgender and young individuals, making it difficult to generalize the results. Although significant differences were found between LGB men and women, all groups agree on the adjectives they use to describe the subjective experience of orgasm in the context of sexual relationships; therefore, evidence is provided about how LGB people evaluate their orgasmic experiences in this context.

SOCIAL SUPPORT, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION: A STUDY OF THREE TIME POINTS IN THE CLSA

Abstract Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adults exhibit mental health disparities stemming from a lifetime accumulation of minority stress experiences. Psychological resources like social support may buffer against these poor mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine indicators of depression and social support by sexual orientation over time in a sample of Canadian adults ages 45-85. We used data collected at three time points in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA; baseline, 2011-2015; follow-up 1, 2015-2018; and follow-up 2, 2018-2021). Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CESD-10) and social support was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). For depression symptoms (n=38,244; 830 LGB), results indicated a significant effect of sexual orientation (F(2, 38242)=35.93, p<.001) such that LGB participants had more depression symptoms than heterosexual participants. There was also a significant effect of time on depression symptoms (F(2, 38242)=26.07, p<.001); mean depression scores decreased over time. For social support (n=35,795; 770 LGB), results indicated a significant effect of sexual orientation (F(2, 35794)=45.31, p<.001) such that LGB participants reported lower levels of social support than heterosexual participants. There was also a significant effect of time (F(2, 35794)=5.98, p=.003); the mean scores for social support increased over time. The potential role of social support in moderating depression symptoms will be discussed. This study adds to our understanding of potential protective factors influencing the mental health of older LGB people.

Chosen Family? Rethinking “Relationship Status” in LGB Cognitive Aging Research

AbstractBackgroundExisting studies have shown the importance of marital status and quality on later‐life cognitive health, including dementia risk and likelihood of timely dementia diagnosis. Yet, much evidence comes from different‐sex couples’ experiences, for whom marriage remains the norm and unmarried persons face social and material costs. In contrast, where same‐same marriage is legal in North America and Europe, marriage has not yet become the norm: same‐sex couples (SSCs) have lower marriage rates than different‐sex couples. SSCs also tend to structure their relationships differently across a range of domains, from household labor to sexual nonmonogamy. Throughout Europe and North America, older lesbian and gay people are also more likely to be single, to live alone, and to have no living children than straight or bisexual people; as a result, the former tend to rely less on partners or biological family to meet their social needs. Unlike straight men, for example, gay and bisexual men tend to rely less on their partners or daughters to forge and maintain social and community connections, instead relying on “chosen families”.MethodGiven their unique prominence for sexual minorities, this paper uses population‐based surveys from the US (HRS) and Europe (ELSA and SHARE) to investigate measures of non‐biologically familial social bonds, including whether measures of friendship, social connectedness, and community involvement function similarly to marital status.ResultIn the US, which has the highest marriage rates and a deeply entrenched “marriage culture”, LGB participants in the HRS (1998‐2018; n = 23,035) who indicate having never been married perform better cognitively at baseline than married LGB people (β = 1.5; p = 0.05), while never‐married straights perform worse (β = ‐0.9; p <0.01).ConclusionRelationship factors have a different association with cognitive health for LGB people than straight people, yet these remain unexplored in their effects on cognitive aging and queerer pathways to good cognitive health.