Same-sex Couples Research Articles

"You only have one mother!": institutional violence in experiences of double motherhood in healthcare.

The objective was to understand experiences of double motherhood during antenatal, childbirth and postpartum healthcare, using a qualitative method involving individual online interviews and asynchronous, online focus groups of cisgender women, mostly in same-sex relationships. The results revealed how these women's experiences of parenting were marginalised, highlighting institutional violence in Brazilian healthcare services, which are presented here in two thematic dimensions: 1) Cisheteronormativity and its impact on experiences of double motherhood; and 2) Institutional violence in healthcare services: from curiosity to LGBTQIA+phobia. It was concluded that cisheteronormativity hinders healthcare for these experiences, especially by rendering the non-gestational mother invisible. This underscores the urgent need to train healthcare personnel, rethink and challenge cisgender and heterosexual norms and promote inclusive policies to ensure equitable care and combat institutional violence.

Postawy młodzieży szkolnej wobec homoseksualizmu i adopcji dzieci przez pary homoseksualne

In our considerations, we address two issues in the social narrative: homosexuality and adoption of children by homosexual couples. The basis for these diagnoses are the results of nationwide surveys and sociological research carried out in the two decades of the 21st century. Especially in the second decade of the 21st century, the views of school youth on bioethical issues were subject to progressive liberalization (secularization of morality). In nationwide research at the turn of 2022–2023, conducted among secondary school students, it was found that homosexual relationships were rated as permissible by 50.7% of the surveyed school youth, “it depends” – 12.0%, unacceptable – 24.4%, hard to say – 12.9%; adoption of children by homosexual couples (respectively) – 41.0%, 17.6%, 29.9%, 11.5%.

Diptych A. S. Byatt “Angels and Insects” as a sample of Postmodern Victorianа

Attention in this research is focused on the A. S. Byatt’s diptych “Angels and Insects”. The article analyses the specifics of the Victorian code functioning in the diptych, which forms the basis of the original Victoriana of a modern British novelist. “Angels and Insects” is chosen as a special and demonstrative example of the reception and interpretation of the Victorian era’s cultural, historical and artistic heritage by modern British writers, and “Angels and Insects” demonstrates a productive dialogue with Victorianism and, at the same time, conceptual shifts in its understanding and highlighting of the problems of Victorian life that were on the margins of Victorian narratives. Since the Victorian code defines the diptych’s architectonics, then the purpose of the article is a study of the Victorian code features and peculiarities of its representation in the diptych “Angels and Insects” by A. S. Byatt. In the article we used such methods as hystorical-literary and historical-cultural, as well as elements of gender analysis method. A. S. Byatt reproduces the Victorian era with the help of stylization and pastiche. The atmosphere of Victorianism is created through the depiction of a vivid panorama of the Victorian: key Victorian ideological and philosophical trends and antinomies, scientific and religious controversies, Victorian values, a special Victorian lifestyle, estates and interiors, traditions and customs, the distribution of male and female roles in society and the family, the circle of everyday interests and leisure. At the same time, Victorianism is reinterpreted as postmodern vision and with the help of a postmodern writing strategy. A. S. Byatt draws attention to what was hushed up and marginalized in Victorian times, raising the topics of incestuous and homosexual relationships, creating different types of Victorian women, including images of the new Victorian woman (Matty Crompton, Emily Tennison): intelligent, talented, and independent. A. S. Byatt updates the classic realistic Victorian novel’s tradition (dating events and specific names of action’s places, realistic details of the material world, portraits and landscapes), but does so in a language accessible to the modern reader. The identification of the Victorian code key components in the diptych constitutes the originality of the study. The analysis of the Victorian code in “Angels and Insects” makes possible to state that there is a “Victorian text” in its both novellas. All of the above gives reason to conclude that “Angels and Insects” can be considered an original artistic encyclopedia of Victorianism.

Beyond the Iron Throne: exploring the representation of homosexuality in the series Game of Thrones.

This research delves into the representation of homosexuality in the television series Game of Thrones, adapted from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga. The study focuses on the navigation and portrayal of homosexual identities and relationships within a historically patriarchal and heteronormative genre. A qualitative research approach, specifically thematic analysis, was utilized to scrutinize the portrayal of homosexuality across all eight seasons and 73 episodes of Game of Thrones. The analysis encompassed pivotal scenes, character development, and dialogues related to homosexual representation. Thematic analysis revealed several significant themes concerning the representation of homosexuality, including heteronormativity, the interplay of love and war, and the societal and personal impacts of sexual identity. The series portrays the challenges and resilience of homosexual characters, such as Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell, against a backdrop of political intrigue and personal ambition. However, the depiction at times veers into sensationalism, which may potentially desensitize viewers to the real-life struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals. The study findings suggest that while Game of Thrones aims to depict homosexual relationships with complexity and depth, it also risks perpetuating negative stereotypes and sensationalizing trauma for dramatic effect. This dual portrayal underscores the broader challenge within popular media to balance representation with responsible storytelling. The study emphasizes the necessity for more nuanced and empathetic portrayals of marginalized groups to promote greater understanding and inclusivity in media narratives.

Prepubescent Electronic Cigarette Exposure Affects Sexual Motivation and Puberty in Female But Not Male Long-Evans Rats.

A method for delivering vaporized nicotine to animals has been developed using e-cigarette devices. The present experiment was designed to measure the effects of e-cigarette nicotine on pubertal onset and development of reproductive behavior in female and male Long-Evans rats. Rats received daily 10-min sessions of electronic-cigarette vaporized nicotine (5% Virginia Tobacco JUUL Pods) or room air in a whole-body exposure chamber (postnatal day 28-31). Pubertal onset was monitored daily (ie, vaginal opening in females, preputial separation in males). Two weeks later, rats were tested for sexual motivation using the partner-preference paradigm, whereby subjects were given the opportunity to approach either a sexual partner or a same-sex social partner. Four weeks later, partner preference was assessed again, 10 min after rats were re-exposed to their same prepubertal treatment. We found that prepubescent electronic-cigarette vaporized nicotine disrupted puberty and sexual motivation in female but not male rats. In vaped females, vaginal opening was delayed and less time was spent with the male stimulus compared to room-air controls. In contrast, no effect of e-cigarette vapor was observed on pubertal onset or on any measures of sexual behavior in male rats. No effects were observed in either female or male rats on the second partner-preference test. Prepubescent vaporized nicotine affected the development of reproductive physiology and behavior in female rats but not in male rats, whereas an additional acute exposure to nicotine vapor had no effect in either female or male adult rats. Given the prevalence of increasingly younger users, more animal research is needed to explore the effects of e-cigarette smoking on multiple developmental systems including reproductive physiology and behavior. This model could be useful in exploring multiple behavioral and physiological endpoints in both sexes. Adjustments to the duration of exposure and control conditions will be necessary for future experiments to best model human use.

New Results on the Disparities between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples in the Home Mortgage Market

New Results on the Disparities between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples in the Home Mortgage Market

Same-sex sexual behaviour among mammals is widely observed, yet seldomly reported: Evidence from an online expert survey.

Same-sex sexual behaviour (SSSB) occurs in most animal clades, but published reports are largely concentrated in a few taxa. Thus, there remains a paucity of published reports for most mammalian species. We conducted a cross-sectional expert survey to better understand the underlying reasons for the lack of publications on this topic. Most respondents researched Primates (83.6%, N = 61), while the rest studied Carnivora (6.9%, N = 5), Rodentia (4.1%, N = 3), Artiodactyla (2.7%, N = 2), and Proboscidea (2.7%, N = 2). Most respondents (76.7%, N = 56) had observed SSSB in their study species, but only 48.2% (N = 27) collected data on SSSB, and few (18.5%, N = 5) had published papers on SSSB. Of the unique species identified as engaging in SSSB in the survey, 38.6% (N = 17) have no existing reports of SSSB to the knowledge of the authors. In both the survey questions and freeform responses, most respondents indicated that their lack of data collection or publication on SSSB was because the behaviours were rare, or because it was not a research priority of their lab. No respondents reported discomfort or sociopolitical concerns at their university or field site as a reason for why they did not collect data or publish on SSSB. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to assess whether taxa studied, education level, or identification within the LGBTQ+ community predicted observing, collecting data on, or publishing on SSSB, but none of these variables were significant predictors. These results provide preliminary evidence that SSSB occurs more frequently than what is available in the published record and suggest that this may be due to a publishing bias against anecdotal evidence.

Intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community: Implications for family court professionals

AbstractLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals likely experience more intimate partner violence (IPV) than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Though the research on IPV among LGBTQ+ individuals is lacking in quantity, available evidence suggests LGBTQ+ individuals have unique risk factors for IPV victimization and perpetration, express identity‐specific reasons for underreporting IPV, and experience types of IPV specific to their sexual orientation and/or gender identities. Bisexual and transgender individuals appear to be at significantly higher risk of IPV victimization compared to their peers. A search of the Family Court Review archives suggests that IPV affecting bisexual parents has never been directly addressed in the publication, nor has IPV affecting transgender or gender‐nonconforming parents, and the last article on the topic of IPV in gay and lesbian relationships (Bunker Rohrbaugh, 2006) was published more than 15 years ago when marriage and adoption rights were unavailable to most LGBTQ+ individuals. The current article provides an updated and comprehensive discussion of IPV within the broader LGBTQ+ community, reviews the limitations of the extant literature and the need for more research, and demonstrates that LGBTQ+ IPV is a complex issue with which all family court practitioners should be familiar.

Labor Market Outcomes of Same-Sex Couples in Countries with Legalized Same-Sex Marriage

Labor Market Outcomes of Same-Sex Couples in Countries with Legalized Same-Sex Marriage

Labor Market Outcomes of Same-Sex Couples in Countries with Legalized Same-Sex Marriage

Labor Market Outcomes of Same-Sex Couples in Countries with Legalized Same-Sex Marriage

Give Birth to “the Fruit of Love” in a Hetero-Patriarchy Society? : A Critical Discourse Analysis of Weibo Discussions on Assisted Reproduction among Chinese Lesbian Couples

Give Birth to “the Fruit of Love” in a Hetero-Patriarchy Society? : A Critical Discourse Analysis of Weibo Discussions on Assisted Reproduction among Chinese Lesbian Couples

Bridewells, Beterhuizen , and the Ozpizio : Making Men during the Age of Reason

Abstract: Three facilities for housing delinquent and at-risk youth—Bridewells in England, Beterhuizen in the Netherlands, and the Hospice of St. Michael in Italy—are analyzed as sites for producing and policing middle-class masculinity during the eighteenth century. Three cardinal sins of the Enlightenment "gentlemen" are illustrated: idleness, refusing marriage, and refusing homosocial comrades. The result was a policing of same-sex behavior and placement in the homoerotic underground.

Redefining Infidelity in Age of Technology for Homosexual Relationships

Redefining Infidelity in Age of Technology for Homosexual Relationships

A Case of Neurosyphilis Presenting with Isolated Abducens Nerve Palsy.

We herein report a case of neurosyphilis that presented with isolated bilateral abducens nerve palsy. A 39-year-old man was referred to our department with diplopia. He had a history of homosexual relationships and showed only bilateral abducens nerve palsy upon a neurological examination. Positive syphilis tests in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid and a contrasting effect on the abducens nerve on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the diagnosis of active neurosyphilis. When a patient manifests isolated abducens nerve palsy, neurosyphilis can be a differential diagnosis, although rare, and contrast-enhanced MRI may help diagnose the disease.

Prerequisites for the Legal Prohibition of Propaganda of Non-Traditional Sexual Relations

The object of the study is public relations regulating the issues of bringing to administrative responsibility for the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences, sex change. The subject of the study is legislative and other normative legal acts regulating public relations in the field of administrative responsibility for the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences, sex change. The purpose of the study is to identify the prerequisites of the ban imposed in the Russian Federation on the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences, sex change, forecasting the development of the norm in question in a positive way. The study used universal dialectical, logical, descriptive, sociological, formal-legal research methods, etc. The relevance of the topic under consideration lies in the fact that in modern conditions of society's development, the preservation and protection of spiritual and moral values is one of the priorities. In connection with the active activities of a number of countries on the decomposition of public morality, Russian society and the state as a whole need to strengthen the protection of morality and public health. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the analysis of scientific provisions in the direction of the study was carried out, as well as in the approach to the issue of administrative responsibility from the point of view of the need to improve legislation in the field of taking additional legal measures restricting the dissemination of information promoting homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviations. According to the results of the study, international and Russian legal acts concerning the issues of same-sex relations are analyzed, examples of popularization of such relations are considered and the results of a sociological survey are presented, confirming the tendency to increase the spread of facts of propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations. The scientific novelty also lies in the proposal to expand the scope of the concept of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" by including propaganda of denial of traditional family values, asexuality, and sex change.

Caught between growing up and family struggles: Adolescents’ gaze at love, hatred, and conflicts in “Dear Ex”

ABSTRACT This creative piece interweaves social work perspectives with the narrative of the 2018 Taiwanese comedy-drama film, “Dear Ex.” I delve into the complex interpersonal dynamics among the characters: a father struggling with his hidden sexuality and eventual passing, a wife grappling with acceptance of homosexuality while tending to assign blame to a third party, the man involved in a same-sex relationship with the father navigating the loss of his lover, and a child caught in the knotty interplay of these adult affairs. This analysis specifically explores themes such as mixed-orientation relationships, the emotional withdrawal of adolescents, the contrast between Asian “guilt trip” parenting and Western parenting, the unique dynamics of adolescent-counselor relationships, and the concept that “shared suffering breeds companionship” within modern families. The piece concludes by applying the notion of social tensegrity to shed light on the intricate structures within families. It provides meaningful enlightenment for social workers, counselors, and researchers working with adolescents in diverse family contexts.

Multiparity favors same-sex partner preference in male rats

Same-sex partner preference is present in many mammals, including rodents. Several possible causal factors have been proposed for the establishment of this preference. The Fraternal Birth Order effect refers to the observation that older brothers increase the probability of homosexuality in men, but no experiment has analyzed this possibility. In this study, partner preference (tested in a three compartments box) and female and male sexual behavior (studied in a cylindrical arena) were evaluated in young male rats (3 months) born to multiparous mothers that had 4-6 previous gestations and around 12 months of age. Control groups were young male rats born to primiparous young (4 months) or aged (12 months) mothers. In the partner preference test, the males born to multiparous dams spent less time interacting with the receptive female and more time interacting with the sexually active male, and a 39% exhibited same-sex partner preference. This high percentage seems related to multiparity of their mothers and not to maternal age, because the males born to primiparous aged females (12 months) showed a similar low proportion of same-sex partner preference than the males born to young (4 months) primiparous females (4%). In the sexual behavior tests, no male born of a multiparous dam and with same-sex preference ejaculated and 54% displayed proceptivity and lordosis. Present results suggest that the fraternal birth order effect may occur also in rats.

Hypnosuggestive Therapy and Sexual-Behavioral Training in the Correction of Homosexuality. A Case From Clinical Practice

Patient V., 16 years old, studies in the 10th grade of high school. He consulted me in order to correct his homosexual desire on the initiative of his parents who, unlike him, regarded his sexual orientation as pathology. Under their strong psychological pressure he agreed on conversion therapy, since it, in his opinion, would not deteriorate him but would be better for his parents. On the moment of his visit the heterosexual component of sexual desire was entirely absent. His platonic (romantic) libido to girls was awakened at the age of 8-9, and the erotic one at the age of 10. His erotic desire to males was awakened at the age of 12-13, and the sexual desire a year later. At the age of 13 he arrived at the conclusion that he was a gay. When the patient was 14 he liked his classmate of the same age, whom he did not confess in it. They had companionship and “friendship”. He interacted with that boy during 1-1.5 years. At the age of 15 he had his first homosexual contact with a 36-year-old male. The patient had more than 20 sexual contacts with men aged 17-36. Any manifestations of gender incongruence had never been observed. His andrological status have no pathology. The provided correction was as follows: 1. Cognitive influences targeted at formation of the patient’s beliefs about advantages of the heterosexual lifestyle. 2. Hypnosuggestive correction. Programming was targeted at suggestion of futility of the homosexual lifestyle, removal of the homosexual desire and saturation with the heterosexual one, formation of associations between homosexuality and unpleasant sensations and landscapes, negative social consequences of homosexual relations, mental disorders and somatic problems observed in homosexuals. Hypnotic suggestions were also carried out aimed at changing the aesthetic and sexual perception of female and male persons, increasing sexual attraction to girls and women. A normal course of heterosexual masturbation was programmed. Besides, we performed modelling of the normal course of sexual intercourses with persons of the female sex in the hypnotic state. 3. Sexual-behavioural training (sex therapy) using masturbation of the heterosexual character with involvement of porn resources from Internet. Naturally, any use of homosexual plots during masturbation was strictly prohibited. 4. Also the patient was charged with a task to form an ideal of female beauty by focusing his attention on persons of the female sex both in the real life and in Internet. Twenty-one sessions of hypnosuggestive corrections were conducted. In the process of the provided therapy the homosexual component of libido was decreasing, while the heterosexual one was increasing. After the 18th session of hypnosis the heterosexual desire was expressed by 100% and the homosexual one by 0%. Then 3 more sessions of hypnosis were conducted in order to secure the achieved results. An inquiry of the patient 4 months later after the performed correction demonstrated their stability.

LGBT+ mainstreaming on strictly come dancing: Queering the norms of ballroom dancing

This paper proposes that LGBT+ mainstreaming on reality television programme Strictly Come Dancing creates space for audience demand for radical, authentic representations of same-sex desire and intimacy, both of which challenges normative representations of ballroom dancing. Integrating concepts of normativity and authenticity explored in existing scholarship, I argue against the encountering through a defensive stance, of reality TV’s normalization of queer narratives to promote authentic, inclusive representation. Focusing on dance-themed British reality TV programme for family entertainment, I draw on a queer reading of 285 newspaper articles on Strictly Come Dancing’s same-sex dance partnerships and 35 interviews with LGBT+ equality dancers in the United Kingdom, to conclude that active engagement with mechanisms of normalization can open up spaces for a reclamation of queer representation in its authenticity. The article makes a contribution to media and cultural studies and queer television scholarship through a troubling of anti-normativity, proposing a working with normativity to achieve queer inclusivity.

The Role of Administrative Courts in Ensuring the Protection of the Rights of Children of Same-Sex Couples (in the Context of European Law)

The role of courts in the protection of individual and the so-called judicial lawmaking are theoretical issues of a major importance for legal practice (law application), as they concern the answer to the question of what a judge when the statutory provisions, in the opinion of the court, are outdated or insufficient in relation to the factual situation being resolved, due to ongoing alterations in social relations. The aim of the study is to point out the role of administrative courts in protecting the rights of children of same-sex couples. Contemporary phenomena operating on a European scale, such as open borders and migrations, pluralism of lifestyles, or the development in infotech and biotech (also medical technologies), are reflected in legal relationships regulated by various branches of law, including the norms regulating cases falling within the scope of cognition of administrative courts. They are also, inter alia, a source of problems in the title area related to the interpretation of such norms. Case-law can play an important role in both dynamically interpreting the law within social realities, unifying practice and rising the awareness of rights protection. The title subject is presented in the light of European law – primarily in the light of standards and principles of law, the sources of which are: traditions of European states and national law, inter- and supranational regulations and case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It is worth noting that, as far as EU law is concerned, there has been no harmonisation or unification at the community (or Convention) level in this area due to lack of delegation the relevant competences to the European Union by the Member States. According to the principle of conferral, the Union can only act within the scope of its competence and has only as much competence as the Member States have conferred on it. Thus, all matters not explicitly indicated as EU competences remain under the autonomous regulation of the Member States. However, these title matters fall – indirectly – within the scope of the norms provided for by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights – ECHR). The paper shows that administrative courts – which as a rule are to pass conservative and formalistic judgements – are able to refer to the value of flexibility in the law application, when it is necessary to grant protection to the rights of children of same-sex couples.