Queer Adults Research Articles

Queer Voices in the Digital Barricades: Exploring Social Media Use in Information Resistance

This paper interrogates how queer people use the Facebook group Queer Exchange to build community and meet information needs. Research indicates that queer people face social exclusion in mainstream society, which leads to health injustices. Social media can then become a space to build inclusion, necessitating the study of queer virtual space. The study consists of 12 semi-structured interviews with queer adults living in rural communities in Western Massachusetts. The themes identified include community-sourced information, community building by identity, and reproducing offline oppressions. The paper uses de Certeau’s theory of tactics and Chatman’s small world theory to frame the research. The study concludes that Queer Exchange plays an essential role in the digital information worlds of rural queer people.

Therapy and counselling experiences of queer adults in Germany

AbstractBackgroundMental health professionals play a crucial role in either alleviating or exacerbating stress among queer clients.AimsDrawing on minority stress theory, we conducted a study to examine the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or consensually non‐monogamous clients with current or recent psychotherapy or counselling experiences in Germany.MethodA convenience sample of 492 queer individuals participated in an online survey, providing insights into their most recent experiences with psychotherapy or counselling and evaluating the success of these processes. Among the participants, 92% identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or another non‐heterosexual identity, while 8% identified as heterosexual. Additionally, 54% reported being in consensually non‐monogamous relationships, and 23% identified as gender‐diverse.ResultsThe majority (92%) had prior experience with psychotherapy, with over half reporting their last session within the last month. The remaining 8% reported counselling experience. Most participants rated their recent psychotherapy or counselling process as successful. Exemplary practices were more common than inappropriate ones. While overt discrimination by mental health professionals was rare, subtle inappropriate behaviours were still prevalent. Affirmative and actively reassuring practices were strongly linked to subjective therapy success.ConclusionThe study's findings warrant cautious optimism regarding a non‐discriminative stance in German mental health professionals while highlighting the need for further research, training and guidelines for therapists and counsellors.

Addressing Equity and Justice in Age-Friendly Communities: Considerations for LGBTQ+ Older Adults of Color.

This research critically examined the concept of age-friendliness from the perspectives of older Black lesbian women living in New York City (NYC). The primary aim was to extend existing age-friendly frameworks to more inclusively meet the needs of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults of color, promoting greater equity and justice. Applying principles from critical participatory action research, we collected and analyzed data from 5 focus groups consisting of 5 older Black lesbian women. Participants shared their daily experiences living in NYC and proposed ideas to enhance the age-friendliness of the city to better accommodate their unique needs and experiences. Participants called for greater attention to the interaction between identities and structures in relation to age-friendly communities. Historic and contemporary experiences of violence and discrimination, as well as the ever-shifting political context were identified as a key factor shaping their aging experiences. The need for affirming spaces with positive representation of their layered identities was emphasized in the context of age-friendly interventions. While dominant age-friendly frameworks are universally accepted for improving the health and wellbeing of older adults, the specific challenges of aging with multiple intersecting marginalized identities necessitate a critical perspective. Gerontology needs to take seriously how privilege and oppression operate within society, shaping health and aging trajectories of vulnerable and underserved populations.

Typologies of alcohol and other drug-related risk among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer adults.

Prevalence and patterns of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among specific lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer (LGBTQ+) subpopulations are well established. However, patterns of substance-related risk have been less thoroughly explored. This study aimed to determine typologies AOD risk among LGBTQ+ adults in Australia. Latent class analyses were performed to determine distinct patterns of AOD risk (n = 6835), as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Drug Abuse Screening Tool. Demographic characteristics, experience of harassment, assault and/or threats, mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ connectedness were compared across emergent classes. AOD risk was characterised as 'no risk' (13.3% of sample), 'low risk' (15.1%), 'moderate risk' (alcohol + other drugs; 30.1%), or 'moderate alcohol only risk' (41.5%). The 'moderate risk' class was the most likely class to report recent sexual assault, verbal abuse, harassment and physical threats compared to other classes, while those in the 'moderate alcohol only risk' group were least likely to report these experiences of all classes. However, both the 'moderate risk' and 'moderate alcohol risk only' classes reported greater mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ connectedness compared to the 'no risk' and 'low risk' classes. Our findings indicate that level of AOD risk is not uniform among some LGBTQ+ adults, nor is the distribution of harms experienced by them. Tailored harm-reduction interventions may be fruitful in attenuating harms based on risk profile; most specifically, LGBTQ+ individuals engaging in moderately risky concurrent AOD use.

Parental Acceptance and LGBT Community Connectedness as Predictors of Outness Among Filipino Queer Young Adults

The study aims to investigate how parental acceptance and LGBT community connectedness predict the act of coming and being out, or outness, among Filipino queer adults. A sample of 74 Filipino people identifying as lesbian, gay, and bisexual, aged 23-40 years old, who are in a romantic relationship, and are in contact with both parents, were surveyed. Multilinear regression analysis was used to determine if parental acceptance and LGBT community connectedness predicted outness. We found that the regression model is significant (F[2.72] = 7.872, p < .001). Moreover, parental acceptance is a significant predictor of outness (β = 0.421; p <. 001) whereas LGBT community connectedness was found to not be (β = 0.053; p = 0.629). Therefore, it can be inferred that parental acceptance is more important on the outness of Filipino queer adults than LGBT community connectedness. Keywords: Parental acceptance, LGBT community, Outness, Filipino, Young adults

“The childhood I was meant to be in”: The Queer Time of Reading

ABSTRACT How can attention to queer adults’ childhood reading illuminate the complex temporalities of queer experience—and of reading itself? Developing existing critical work on non-linear time, reading and book use, this article proposes queerness as a mode and oral history as a method for provoking new thinking about reading-in-time and how the manipulation of the material book might facilitate time unfolding differently. Analyzing the Textual Preferences archive, in which ten LGBTQ+ adults reflect on their formative reading, the article shows how recalling and rereading key books from childhood enables readers to produce belatedly legible aspects of their “protoqueer” child-selves. Through encounters with texts by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ruby Ferguson, Louisa May Alcott, Enid Blyton, Kenneth Grahame, Susan Coolidge and Joanna Trollope, these readers use books to negotiate growing up, to disrupt and defend against the progress of chronological time, and to reshape their past experiences, both in life and in reading.

Do supportive work environments matter for minority aging? Work stress and subjective cognitive impairment among middle-age and older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults

Research has documented how people's experiences at work affect their cognitive health outcomes, but how these processes unfold for minority groups, particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations, is unclear. This study builds on the nascent literature by employing generalized structural equation models to test how experiencing major problems at work and working with LGBTQ+ supportive coworkers affect subjective cognitive impairment among middle-age and older LGBTQ+ adults. We also test for mediated and indirect effects of support and problems at work operating via vascular disease, sleep problems, and depression symptoms. Experiencing major problems at work is associated with a higher likelihood of reporting cognitive symptoms consistent with mild cognitive impairment, but this relationship is mediated by depression symptoms and sleep problems. Having LGBTQ+ supportive coworkers does not have direct effects on mild cognitive impairment, but does operate indirectly by decreasing problems at work and, in turn, decreases the likelihood of reporting cognitive symptoms consistent with mild cognitive impairment. Overall, we find that workplace stressors contribute to cognitive health directly and through mediated and indirect pathways and that supportive contexts reduce exposure to problems at work. We conclude with suggested possibilities to reorganize workplaces to improve long-term cognitive health outcomes for older adults, especially those who are LGBTQ+-identified.

Neurodivergence is also an LGBTQ+ topic: Making space for “neuroqueering” in the outdoors

Recently, the field of research exploring the links between neurodivergence and the LGBTQ+ community has grown. Many queer adults who were not diagnosed as children are just now receiving neurodivergent diagnoses. Nick Walker coined the term “neuroqueer” in 2015 to describe the intersection of being both neurodivergent and queer. “Neuroqueering” refers to the embodying and expressing of one’s neurodivergence in ways that also queer one’s performance of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and/or other aspects of one’s identity (Walker 2021). Considering the increase of queer representation in the outdoors, it is necessary to also address neuroqueering and its implications for the outdoor community. This conceptual article will address the connection between neurodivergence and the LGBTQ+ community, implications for the queer outdoors, and ways to include neuroqueer recreationalists and outdoor advocates in efforts to make the outdoors more equitable.

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo

Reviewed by: The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo Natalie Berglind Van Otterloo, Ash The Beautiful Something Else. Scholastic, 2023 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781338843224 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781338843248 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 4-7 Nature-loving Sparrow Malone is struggling under the weight of their mother's addiction, and the twelve-year-old is forced to take on adult responsibilities as best as they can while keeping Mom's secret. However, when Mom crashes her car while intoxicated, Sparrow has to stay with Mom's estranged sister Mags, a trans woman who inherited the estate Mom always says is full of shadows. Some part of that seems to be true, as Sparrow's shadow gains sentience and goads them into doing the things they were never allowed to do at home. At Windy Hall, Sparrow is free to wear the clothes they like, make the friends they were never allowed to have, and seek mentorship from queer adults who live nearby, including one who uses gender-neutral pronouns. Even so, Sparrow is always aware that the end of Mom's rehab stint will be the end of their freedom and support. This striking novel unflinchingly covers dark themes while threading hope through Sparrow's queer coming-of-age journey. Sparrow's relationship to their mother is handled with extreme sensitivity, realistically portraying the delicate balance that comes with compensating for a parent who can't completely provide—Sparrow loves their mom deeply and constantly tries to impress her even as Mom restricts their happiness and enforces heteronormativity. Much of the beauty of this novel sprouts from Sparrow's comfort in the natural world as they come to understand themself, their nonbinary identity, and their place through nature; additionally, metaphors for gender exploration (gender dysphoria as an itchy clothes tag) are extremely effective for this target audience. Kids using or considering a nonbinary label for themselves will benefit greatly from reading about Sparrow, and libraries and schools will want to fight to keep this beautiful book in their collections. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Stretched kinship: Queer female university students negotiating family and identity

For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer + people, family and peer support are often important in their identity development during early adulthood. Young queer adults who have moved out of the family to pursue university education often seek out a sense of community and a feeling of kinship with other LGBTQ+ individuals as they journey through their identity transition. Based on semi-structured interviews with eight self-identified queer female students in a public university in New Zealand, this study examines their experience of ‘stretched kinship’ – moving out from the family (‘leaving home’), building peer connections in shared student accommodations (‘making home’) and developing more independent identities (‘coming out’) in relation to their original and alternative families. This paper helps us make sense of young queer people’s experiences transitioning from the family to university towards independence and adulthood.

Association of Affirming Care with Chronic Disease and Preventive Care Outcomes among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Older Adults

Experiences of discrimination and bias in healthcare contribute to health disparities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations. To avoid discrimination, many go to great lengths to find healthcare providers who they trust and who are knowledgeable about their health needs. This study examines whether access to an affirming provider improves health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations across a range of preventive health and chronic disease management outcomes. This cross-sectional study uses Poisson regression models to examine original survey data (n=1,120) from Wave 1 of the Vanderbilt University Social Networks, Aging, and Policy Study, a panel study examining older (aged 50-76 years) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults' health and aging, collected between April 2020 and September 2021. Overall, access to an affirming provider is associated with greater uptake of preventive health screenings and improved management of mental health conditions. Participants with an affirming provider are more likely to have ever and recently received several types of preventive care than participants reporting a usual source of care that is not affirming, including past year provider visit, influenza vaccination, colorectal cancer screening, and HIV test. Access to an affirming provider is also associated with better management of mental health conditions. Inclusive care is essential for reducing health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations. Health systems can reduce disparities by expanding continuing education opportunities; adopting nondiscrimination policies for patients and employees; and ensuring that necessary care is covered by health insurance.

The Roles of Minority Stress and Thwarted Belongingness in Suicidal Ideation among Cisgender and Transgender/Nonbinary LGBTQ+ Individuals

Rates of suicidal ideation (SI), attempts, and death by suicide are consistently elevated among persons from sexual and gender minority groups relative to the general population. Experiences of minority stress and thwarted belongingness may contribute to elevated risk, and be most pernicious among persons with multiple marginalized identities. Aim The present study sought to examine the relation between gender identity (cisgender vs. transgender and nonbinary individuals [TNB]) and recent SI among a convenience sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, and queer adults. Methods Participants (N = 807) completed an online survey with measures of minority stress, SI, and thwarted belongingness. Results We tested a mediation model in which TNB identity was indirectly associated with SI via minority stress (β = 1.94, SE = 0.30, Bootstrap 95% CI = [1.39, 2.58]). We also investigated thwarted belongingness as a moderator between minority stress and SI, and found evidence of a two-way interaction (β = 0.01, SE = 0.001, p < .001). The conditional indirect effect of gender identity on SI through minority stress was higher for individuals with higher levels of thwarted belongingness (β = 0.07, SE = 0.02, Bootstrap 95% CI = [0.04, 0.11]). Conclusion Gender identity was indirectly associated with SI through minority stress and elevations in minority stress were associated with more frequent SI. The minority stress and SI association was strongest for participants reporting higher thwarted belongingness. Building and maintaining strong social support networks may be especially important for persons with intersecting gender and sexual minority identities who face minority stress. HIGHLIGHTS TNB gender identity was indirectly associated with SI via minority stress Thwarted belongingness moderated the relation between minority stress and SI The minority stress SI relation was strongest at higher thwarted belongingness

"The Light at the End of the Tunnel": Experiences of LGBTQ+ Adults in Portuguese Healthcare.

This work analyses experiences of LGBTQ+ people accessing healthcare in Portugal. A total of 32 semi-structured interviews were conducted with queer adults (18–59 years old). The thematic analysis and thematic networks brought to light how structural cis-heteronorms are compliant with the maintenance of invisibility regarding sexual and gender diversity. As a consequence, experiences of direct and indirect discrimination show us how crucial it is to have well prepared healthcare providers, capable of embracing diversity and creating safe spaces that allow us to shorten the path between Portugal’s progressive legal frame and the people lived experiences.

From ignorance to knowledge: Sexual consent and queer stories

The problem of sexual assault has received increasing public attention over the last few years, with an increasing focus on the concept of sexual consent to solve the problem. Education efforts focus on teaching people what consent is and how to explicitly communicate about sex, constructing consent as a knowledge problem. Using the stories of queer adults, this study calls for the development of an epistemology of sexual consent. I argue that the current research and scholarship fail to recognise existing knowledge about sexual consent, relegating sexual consent to an epistemology of ignorance. Queer participants in this study demonstrated sophisticated knowledge of sexual consent through their talk on the role of verbal consent cues and articulating how they “tune in” to their partners during sex. Within their talk, verbal consent was sometimes viewed as essential to consent, while at times was not necessary, and at other times was not enough to understand a partner's sexual consent. Importantly, they described deep knowledge about partners’ comfort, discomfort or hesitation through “tuning in”. Developing an epistemology of sexual consent requires recognising and valuing what participants tell us about what they know about their partners’ willingness to engage in sex.

Exploring Tobacco and E-Cigarette Use among Queer Adults during the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purpose of this narrative study is to describe the vaping and smoking characteristics of Queer people ages 18–34 before March of 2020 and to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted those behaviors since March of 2020. In total, 31 participants were screened. Thirteen participants were screened prior to the emergence of COVID-19, and 18 were screened when study protocols transitioned to a remote setting (pre and during). Of the 27 eligible participants, a total of 25 participants completed the study. Most participants (n = 13) self-identified as male, followed by five identified as female, four self-identified as gender non-binary, and three identified as transgender. The most common sexual orientation amongst participants was gay (n = 10), with bisexual being the second-most reported. Approximately 20 Queer participants reported using cigarettes, 14 participants self-reported using electronic devices, and 11 reported using hookah. Twenty participants reported smoking ten or less, and four self-reported using 11–20 cigarettes per day. Approximately, 92% of participants (n = 23) indicate that they are using an e-cigarette and regular cigarettes, and 57% of participants (n = 12) report using one pod or cartridge per day. The three themes that emerged in this study are: (1) Queer people during COVID-19 are experiencing heightened minority stress; (2) Queer people are unfamiliar with smoking cessation; and (3) vaping and smoking are attributed to stress and anxiety. Queer participants are likely to be dual users of cigarette and vaping products. This present study provides increasing evidence that Queer people are experiencing heightened stress and anxiety and using cigarette smoking and vaping to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing Rates of Sexual Assault Between Panel Quota and Social Media Samples: Findings Across Sexual Orientation Categories.

Sexual assault is prevalent and may be even more prevalent among sexual minorities. However, prevalence rates vary, in part, due to discrepancies in sampling methods. Given this, we assessed whether two popular non-probability sampling types (panel quota vs. social media recruitment) produced different sexual assault prevalence rates when holding all other methodological choices (definitions, measures, scoring) constant in a sample of lesbian, bisexual, queer, and heterosexual adults, excluding cisgender men. Two phases of data collection occurred-a panel quota sample (n = 1366), recruited from an online sample aggregator, and social media sample (n = 1102), recruited through lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) social media sites. Participants were asked about sexual assault and rape experiences in both childhood and adulthood using a modified form of the Sexual Experiences Scale-Short Form Victimization. Both phases used the same definitions of sexual assault, prevalence measures, and prevalence scoring. Overall, the sample recruited via LGBTQ social media yielded statistically higher sexual assault prevalence rates for all four types of victimization experiences measured: lifetime sexual assault (LSA), rape-specific LSA, childhood sexual assault (CSA), and adulthood sexual assault. However, when parsing out subgroups, this finding only held for heterosexual participants who had rates > 30% higher in the social media sample compared with the panel quota sample. These findings suggest that researchers studying sexual assault in lesbian, bisexual, or queer adults may be able to use social media sampling techniques, which require less resources, without concern that the sampling technique is inflating prevalence when compared to panels.

Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Adults’ Experiences With Discrimination and Impacts on Expectations for Long-Term Care: Results of a Survey in the Southern United States

The number of older adults in the United States is projected to increase in coming years, including the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+) older adults requiring long-term care (LTC) services. We conducted an online survey of older LGBTQ+ adults living in the Southern United States between January and March of 2018 to inquire about their anticipation of discrimination in and willingness to utilize LTC services. We found that 78.6% of respondents (N = 789) anticipated discrimination in LTC. Previous experiences with discrimination, higher educational attainment, and queer/questioning sexual orientation were associated with greater expectation of discrimination. Higher anticipation of discrimination was also associated with a greater preference for utilizing LTC services offered by LGBTQ+ providers or for LGBTQ+ older adults. These findings suggest that LTC staff and researchers may be uniquely positioned to craft outreach and policies to protect LGBTQ+ LTC residents.

“As a Sort of Blanket Term”: Qualitative Analysis of Queer Sexual Identity Marking

Recent research has considered how individuals mark and/or make their sexual identity known to others. Previous research has specifically considered sexuality marking of heterosexual and bisexual individuals. The current study addresses how queer-identified individuals linguistically mark their sexual identity. Participants were 98 self-identified queer adults living within the U.S. recruited online through SurveyMonkey. Preliminary analysis of demographic data revealed that individuals with both monosexual and plurisexual attractions self-identify as queer, with higher rates for the latter. We conducted a thematic analysis of participants’ responses to an open-ended question asking them to describe a setting or situation in which they would choose to use the term queer to self-identify their sexual identity. Four themes emerged related to queer identity marking: (1) Using Queer as an Encompassing Label, (2) Using Queer to Avoid Explanation, (3) Using Queer Based on Who is Present and (4) Avoiding Using Queer. Discussion focuses on the way queer sexual identity marking is both similar to and distinct from other forms of sexuality marking.

The Crossroads of Identities: Predictors of Harassment Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Adults

AbstractObjective: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) cisgender individuals are more likely to experience harassment based on their sexual orientation than their heterosexual cisgender counte...

Queer Polyfamily Performativity: Family Practices and Adaptive Strategies Among LGBTQ + Polyamorists

This research explores LGBTQ+ (queer) polyamorous family practices. This work is critical for family studies, as queer polyamorous families challenge heteronormativity, resist assimilationism, and broaden cultural understandings of family. This article presents findings from a larger qualitative study on queer polyamory that involved in-depth interviews with 55 queer adults of diverse identities and backgrounds who had experience with polyamory. Queer polyamorists engage in and value a variety of non-normative family practices, or queer polyfamily performativities, and formulate creative adaptive strategies to monocentric cultural constraints. Yet, their family narratives focus on cultural symbols that are central to conventional understandings of family such as households, children, and support. These findings suggest that queer polyamorous families challenge heteronormativity, but not necessarily by rejecting normative understandings of family. Rather, they expand conventional notions with their unique family performativities. These findings speak to current political struggles, contemporary family practices, and changing meanings of family.