This thesis is a qualitative case study that explores bisexual migrants’ experiences of belonging in Sweden. The study employs semi-structured interviews to gain an understanding of the importance of bisexual migrants’ different identities in facilitating belonging both in the context of a new country and within the wider LGBT community. Supported by theoretical concepts such as outside belonging, passing and monosexism, this thesis servers to highlight the complexities of belonging at the intersection of being bisexual and a migrant. The results of this study find that sexual identity is something more fixed than migrant identity which evokes feelings of outside belonging. The perceived LGBT-friendliness of Sweden however, proves significant in allowing participants to live out their bisexuality compared to their respective home countries, but navigating belonging within the LGBT community being bisexual can remain challenging, even in Sweden.

This study explores the identity development and psychological adjustment of bisexual individuals (n = 138) as compared to homosexual (n = 45) and heterosexual participants (n = 558). Undergraduate students recruited from psychology classes at a large metropolitan university in Florida (67% female, 65% Caucasian) took an online survey for course extra credit. Bisexual and homosexual participants scored higher in identity exploration than the heterosexual participants. Bisexual participants scored significantly higher in psychological symptom severity than heterosexual participants. The three groups were not significantly different in identity commitment nor in identity distress. Female bisexual participants scored more similar to the homosexual participants in identity exploration, while the male bisexual participants were more similar to the heterosexual participants. Among males, bisexual and homosexual participants reported greater psychological symptom severity than heterosexual participants. There were no differences between groups for female participants in regard to symptom severity. This study highlights the need for more research into the psychological correlates of bisexuality as a distinct group from homosexuality, as well as the need to focus on gender as a significant moderator of these relationships.

A invisibilidade das lésbicas e das mulheres bissexuais, bem como a escassez de conhecimento científico a seu respeito ainda se faz presente no Brasil. Nas políticas de saúde brasileira elas são incluídas na Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher de 2003 e na Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transgêneros de 2010. No entanto, é imprescindível conhecer suas concepções e práticas de saúde, no sentido de possibilitar interpelar as políticas elaboradas e identificar desvantagens sociais relacionadas aos processos de discriminação a que são submetidas. Este trabalho, de vertente qualitativa, teve por objetivo analisar como as lésbicas e mulheres bissexuais vivenciam a sexualidade e experienciam o cuidado à saúde em geral e à saúde sexual, em particular, a partir da abordagem da interseccionalidade. Participaram da pesquisa 17 mulheres com 18 anos ou mais que se auto referiram lésbicas ou bissexuais. A produção dos dados empíricos se deu por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas seguindo roteiro temático previamente elaborado. Os cuidados éticos incluíram explicação detalhada acerca dos objetivos da pesquisa, de modo a garantir a participação voluntária e a assinatura do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. O estudo foi aprovado pelo comitê de ética da USP. Todas as entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas. Para análise dos dados utilizamos a abordagem da interseccionalidade, compreendendo como os marcadores sociais da diferença dialogam com o cuidado à saúde. A idade das participantes variou de 19 a 68 anos; seis eram negras, nove brancas e duas pardas; doze eram lésbicas e cinco bissexuais. Raça/cor e orientação sexual foram auto referidos. A diversidade na composição das participantes foi uma escolha metodológica para abarcar diferentes marcas identitárias quanto à raça, classe social, geração e orientação sexual. A intersecção entre sexualidade e geração opera vulnerabilizando mulheres jovens, pois estão expostas a intenso sofrimento psíquico em função da dependência financeira de familiares. Questões raciais surgiram no discurso de mulheres negras como marca identitária e de opressão em situações para além de contexto de saúde. O sentido e a visibilidade em torno da orientação sexual dependem, entre outras coisas, de experiências racistas. Finalmente, o intercruzamento entre sexualidade e classe social foi apreendida a partir da noção de territorialidade. A periferia de São Paulo parece interferir na maneira como as mulheres se apropriam e performatizam gênero. Percebemos relação entre regiões centrais e maior flexibilidade na expressão de gênero e de orientação sexual. No tocante aos temas relativos à saúde e à saúde sexual, os resultados apontam para a invisibilidade bissexual no contexto clínico. As dificuldades de lésbicas e bissexuais na consulta ginecológica vão desde receios quanto à exposição da orientação sexual até a não validação de sua sexualidade, quando sua vivência sexual com mulher é classificada como não sexo pelo profissional que a atende. A consulta em ginecologia opera com preponderância dos aspectos reprodutivos em detrimentos dos sexuais e é marcada por pressupostos heteronormativos. A intersecção entre orientação sexual e gênero pode produzir invisibilidade às bissexuais, que são lidas socialmente enquanto heterossexuais ou homossexuais / The invisibility of lesbians and bisexual women, as well as the scarcity of scientific knowledge about them, is still present in Brazil. In Brazilian health policies, they are included in the National Policy for Integral Attention to Women\'s Health of 2003 and in the National Policy of Integral Health Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Transgender of 2010. However, it is imperative to know their conceptions and health practices, in order to make it possible to question the policies elaborated and to identify social disadvantages related to the discrimination processes to which they are submitted. This qualitative study aimed to analyze how lesbians and bisexual women experience sexuality and experience general health care and sexual health, in particular, from the intersectionality approach. The study was attended by 17 women aged 18 years or over who reported on lesbians or bisexuals. The production of the empirical data was done through semi-structured interviews following the thematic route previously elaborated. Ethical care included a detailed explanation of the research objectives, in order to guarantee voluntary participation and the signing of the Informed Consent Term. The study was approved by the ethics committee of USP. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. To analyze the data we use the intersectionality approach, understanding how the social markers of difference dialogue with health care. The participants\' ages ranged from 19 to 68 years; six were black, nine were white, and two were brown; twelve were lesbian and five bisexual. Race / color and sexual orientation were self-reported. The diversity in the composition of the participants was a methodological choice to embrace different identity marks regarding race, social class, generation and sexual orientation. The intersection between sexuality and generation operates by vulnerabilizing young women, as they are exposed to intense psychological suffering due to the financial dependence of their families. Racial questions have emerged in the discourse of black women as an identity mark and oppression in situations beyond a health context. The sense and visibility of sexual orientation depend, among other things, on racist experiences. Finally, the interbreeding between sexuality and social class was apprehended from the notion of territoriality. The periphery of São Paulo seems to interfere with the way women appropriate and performatize gender. We perceive the relationship between central regions and greater flexibility in the expression of gender and sexual orientation. Regarding health and sexual health issues, the results point to bisexual invisibility in the clinical context. The difficulties of lesbians and bisexuals in the gynecological consultation range from fears about the exposure of sexual orientation to the non-validation of their sexuality, when their sexual experience with women is classified as non-sex by the professional who attends her. The consultation in gynecology operates with preponderance of the reproductive aspects in detriments of the sexual and is marked by heteronormative assumptions. The intersection between sexual orientation and gender can produce invisibility to bisexuals, who are read socially as heterosexual or homosexual

A invisibilidade das lésbicas e das mulheres bissexuais, bem como a escassez de conhecimento científico a seu respeito ainda se faz presente no Brasil. Nas políticas de saúde brasileira elas são incluídas na Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher de 2003 e na Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transgêneros de 2010. No entanto, é imprescindível conhecer suas concepções e práticas de saúde, no sentido de possibilitar interpelar as políticas elaboradas e identificar desvantagens sociais relacionadas aos processos de discriminação a que são submetidas. Este trabalho, de vertente qualitativa, teve por objetivo analisar como as lésbicas e mulheres bissexuais vivenciam a sexualidade e experienciam o cuidado à saúde em geral e à saúde sexual, em particular, a partir da abordagem da interseccionalidade. Participaram da pesquisa 17 mulheres com 18 anos ou mais que se auto referiram lésbicas ou bissexuais. A produção dos dados empíricos se deu por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas seguindo roteiro temático previamente elaborado. Os cuidados éticos incluíram explicação detalhada acerca dos objetivos da pesquisa, de modo a garantir a participação voluntária e a assinatura do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. O estudo foi aprovado pelo comitê de ética da USP. Todas as entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas. Para análise dos dados utilizamos a abordagem da interseccionalidade, compreendendo como os marcadores sociais da diferença dialogam com o cuidado à saúde. A idade das participantes variou de 19 a 68 anos; seis eram negras, nove brancas e duas pardas; doze eram lésbicas e cinco bissexuais. Raça/cor e orientação sexual foram auto referidos. A diversidade na composição das participantes foi uma escolha metodológica para abarcar diferentes marcas identitárias quanto à raça, classe social, geração e orientação sexual. A intersecção entre sexualidade e geração opera vulnerabilizando mulheres jovens, pois estão expostas a intenso sofrimento psíquico em função da dependência financeira de familiares. Questões raciais surgiram no discurso de mulheres negras como marca identitária e de opressão em situações para além de contexto de saúde. O sentido e a visibilidade em torno da orientação sexual dependem, entre outras coisas, de experiências racistas. Finalmente, o intercruzamento entre sexualidade e classe social foi apreendida a partir da noção de territorialidade. A periferia de São Paulo parece interferir na maneira como as mulheres se apropriam e performatizam gênero. Percebemos relação entre regiões centrais e maior flexibilidade na expressão de gênero e de orientação sexual. No tocante aos temas relativos à saúde e à saúde sexual, os resultados apontam para a invisibilidade bissexual no contexto clínico. As dificuldades de lésbicas e bissexuais na consulta ginecológica vão desde receios quanto à exposição da orientação sexual até a não validação de sua sexualidade, quando sua vivência sexual com mulher é classificada como não sexo pelo profissional que a atende. A consulta em ginecologia opera com preponderância dos aspectos reprodutivos em detrimentos dos sexuais e é marcada por pressupostos heteronormativos. A intersecção entre orientação sexual e gênero pode produzir invisibilidade às bissexuais, que são lidas socialmente enquanto heterossexuais ou homossexuais / The invisibility of lesbians and bisexual women, as well as the scarcity of scientific knowledge about them, is still present in Brazil. In Brazilian health policies, they are included in the National Policy for Integral Attention to Women\'s Health of 2003 and in the National Policy of Integral Health Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Transgender of 2010. However, it is imperative to know their conceptions and health practices, in order to make it possible to question the policies elaborated and to identify social disadvantages related to the discrimination processes to which they are submitted. This qualitative study aimed to analyze how lesbians and bisexual women experience sexuality and experience general health care and sexual health, in particular, from the intersectionality approach. The study was attended by 17 women aged 18 years or over who reported on lesbians or bisexuals. The production of the empirical data was done through semi-structured interviews following the thematic route previously elaborated. Ethical care included a detailed explanation of the research objectives, in order to guarantee voluntary participation and the signing of the Informed Consent Term. The study was approved by the ethics committee of USP. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. To analyze the data we use the intersectionality approach, understanding how the social markers of difference dialogue with health care. The participants\' ages ranged from 19 to 68 years; six were black, nine were white, and two were brown; twelve were lesbian and five bisexual. Race / color and sexual orientation were self-reported. The diversity in the composition of the participants was a methodological choice to embrace different identity marks regarding race, social class, generation and sexual orientation. The intersection between sexuality and generation operates by vulnerabilizing young women, as they are exposed to intense psychological suffering due to the financial dependence of their families. Racial questions have emerged in the discourse of black women as an identity mark and oppression in situations beyond a health context. The sense and visibility of sexual orientation depend, among other things, on racist experiences. Finally, the interbreeding between sexuality and social class was apprehended from the notion of territoriality. The periphery of São Paulo seems to interfere with the way women appropriate and performatize gender. We perceive the relationship between central regions and greater flexibility in the expression of gender and sexual orientation. Regarding health and sexual health issues, the results point to bisexual invisibility in the clinical context. The difficulties of lesbians and bisexuals in the gynecological consultation range from fears about the exposure of sexual orientation to the non-validation of their sexuality, when their sexual experience with women is classified as non-sex by the professional who attends her. The consultation in gynecology operates with preponderance of the reproductive aspects in detriments of the sexual and is marked by heteronormative assumptions. The intersection between sexual orientation and gender can produce invisibility to bisexuals, who are read socially as heterosexual or homosexual

Bakgrund: Lesbiska och bisexuella kvinnor har sämre fysisk och psykisk hälsa än heterosexuella kvinnor. De är en osynliggjord grupp inom vården. Inom kvinnosjukvården (gynekologi och obstetrik) finns en tradition av heterosexualitet i och med dess fokus på reproduktion. Tidigare studier har visat att lesbiska och bisexuella undviker gynekologisk vård på grund av dåligt bemötande. Obstetriken kommer framöver att få ta emot alltfler samkönade par. Det blir därför viktigt att förstå hur kvinnosjukvården upplevs av lesbiska och bisexuella kvinnor. Syftet är att belysa lesbiska och bisexuella kvinnors upplevelser av kvinnosjukvården. Metod: Litteraturöversikt av 13 forskningsstudier. Textanalys med beskrivande sammanställning av inkluderade studiers resultat. Teoretiska referensramar är vårdrelation och heteronormativitet. Resultat: Det finns heteronormativitet och homofobi inom kvinnosjukvården på både individuell och strukturell nivå. Brister i bemötandet handlade om att bli exkluderad, samt att mötas av fientlighet, omedvetenhet eller okunskap. Detta fick negativa konsekvenser för studiernas deltagare, och ledde till olika strategier för att hantera och förebygga negativa vårdsituationer. Positiva upplevelser av vården relaterades till medvetenhet och kunskap kring sexuell läggning i form av öppenhet och kommunikation, samt när vårdpersonal signalerade acceptans och positiva attityder. Små förändringar i bemötandet kunde göra stor skillnad i mötet. Diskussion: Förutsättningarna för en god vårdrelation försvåras av heteronormativitet, och vårdpersonal behöver bli medvetna om på vilka särskilda sätt som lesbiska och bisexuella kvinnor behöver bekräftelse i form av acceptans och inkluderande. Enskild vårdpersonal kan göra stor skillnad i upplevelsen av bemötandet, och på så sätt också vara del av en större förändring kring minskad heteronormativitet inom kvinnosjukvården. / Background. Lesbian and bisexual women have worse physical and mental health than heterosexual women. They are an invisible group in health care. Within women's health care, (gynecology and obstetrics) there is a tradition of heterosexuality due to the focus on reproduction. Previous studies have shown that lesbians and bisexuals avoid gynecological care due to the way they are received. Obstetrics will now be receiving more and more same-sex couples. That makes it important to understand how lesbian and bisexual women experience women’s health care. The aim is to highlight lesbian and bisexual women's experiences of women's health care. Method. Literature review of 13 research studies. Text analysis with descriptive summary of included studies' results. The theoretical frameworks are the nurse-patient relationship and heteronormativity. Results. Heteronormativity and homophobia exist within women's health care. Deficiencies in the the ways lesbians and bisexual women were received involved being excluded and encountering hostility, unawareness or ignorance. This led to the need for various strategies to manage and prevent adverse health situations. Positive experiences of care related to awareness and knowledge of sexual orientation in terms of openness and communication, as well as health professionals signaling acceptance and positive attitudes. Marginal changes in health professionals’ response could make a big difference for the lesbian and bisexual women. Discussions. The prospects of a good caring relationship is complicated by heteronormativity. Health professionals need to be aware of the specific ways in which lesbian and bisexual women may need confirmation. Individual health professionals can make a big difference to the way lesbian and bisexual women experience health care, and thereby also contribute to a wider improvement related to reduced heteronormativity in women’s healthcare.

The aim of this study is to examine the media coverage of gender-neutral marriage from an intersectional perspective – with particular regard to gender, sexual orientation and religion. By focusing on the spokespeople who appears in the articles we have made an attempt to answer questions regarding who was heard in the debate on gender-neutral marriage and how the homosexual couples are portrayed in relation to the above criteria. The collected material consists of 89 articles, published in 2009, in Swedish newspapers which have been analysed by using quantitative content analysis. Ten articles have also been selected for a critical discourse analysis based on Norman Fairclough’s approach. The study is based on a social constructionist perspective and the assumption that language is of crucial importance when it comes to the creation and maintenance of social categorisation. Theories of gender/queer and intersectionality have furthermore been used to enable us to look at the topic from a multidimensional point of view. The quantitative analysis of the texts shows a great predominance of male spokespersons. Moreover, it appears that religions other than Christianity are largely underrepresented. The same pattern applies to people with homosexual orientation, whom are rarely heard on the issue of gender-neutral marriage. Furthermore, the results show that bisexuals and trans-gendered are almost completely excluded from the debate. The qualitative part of the study points in the same direction. A membership in The Church of Sweden is presented as a natural norm in the case of homosexuality and gender-neutral marriage, and homosexuals with another religion are made invisible or represented as divergent. The texts reveal a tolerance and openness towards homosexuality, but also strong assimilation ideals. The results show that same-sex relationships are portrayed as something the society is expected to accept, but only on condition that they are formed in accordance with the heterosexual norms concerning marriage and relationships, and also follow norms regarding gender and religion.

In this dissertation I investigate how individuals group others into sexual orientation (SO) categories based on a target's known sexual behaviors and romantic interests. I hypothesize that individuals known to have any non-heterosexual sexual or romantic interests are more likely to be perceived as "gay" (and not "straight") even when there is clear evidence of heterosexual interests and behaviors as well. This phenomenon has been termed "heterosexual exclusivity" in this work. In the process, I examine relevant writings and research on SO, including works related to SO in history, the conceptualization and measurement of SO, determinants of and influences on SO, the essentialism and social constructionism debate with regard to SO, innate bisexuality, and bisexual erasure. Additionally, I give specific focus to how and why men are affected by, as well as perpetuate heterosexual exclusivity. In doing so, I examine writings and research on the role and construction of masculinity as well as homophobia and the overlap of the two. I hypothesize that adherence to traditional masculinity and increased homophobia are predictive of increased heterosexual exclusivity in men. I also hypothesize that men are more likely to be the primary agents and targets of heterosexual [exclusivity]. The results supported most of these hypotheses. / text

Šis darbas yra skirtas banguotųjų papūgėlių veisimosi sistemos, kintant lyčių santykiui grupėje, tyrimams. Tyrimų rezultatai rodo, kad vyraujanti veisimosi sistema banguotųjų papūgėlių grupėje su vienodu lyčių santykiu, grupėje esant patinų trūkumui ir grupėje, kurioje trūksta patelių, yra monogamija. Poligamijos atveju, poliginiški patinai vieną savo patelių – dominantę - maitina geriau negu kitą, nedominuojančią patelę. Kopuliacijos su ne savo poros nariu yra retos. Patelės kopuliuoja su tais patinais, kurie geriausiai jas maitina. Ištirta, kad dominuojančios patelės veisiasi geriau negu nedominuojančios. Agonistinė šios rūšies paukščių elgsena jų veisimosi sistemos tiesiogiai neįtakoja. Monogamija yra vyraujantis banguotųjų papūgėlių veisimosi būdas, kadangi patinų tėviška globa yra labai svarbus veiksnys, įtakojantis patelių veisimosi sėkmę. / The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of sex ratio on the reproductive system of the budgerigars. The main reproductive system in all the groups was monogamy, i.e. in the group of birds with the equal sex ratio, in the group with female-biased sex ratio and in the group with male-biased sex ratio. The polygynous males fed their primary females more often in comparison with secondary females. Extra-pair copulations were rare. The females copulated with those males which fed them the best in the group of polygamous birds. The reproductive success of primary females was higher in comparison to secondary females. The agonistic behaviour was not an immediate factor of the main reproductive system in budgerigars. Monogamy seems to be the optimum mating situation for female of this species, because the paternal investment of the male turns out to be very important to female’s breeding success.

This thesis examines the middle ground between dual strands of sexuality/gender and race/ethnicity, which I refer to metaphorically as a fluid space of possibility between the rainbows of the pride flag, which celebrates sexual diversity, and the image of the rainbow nation, which celebrates multiculturalism. I discuss ways in which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and rights have been discursively treated in the West as well as Africa, most particularly South Africa. I note that a substantial number of novels which appeared after 1994 and have a South African setting or were authored by South Africans, employ the trope of bisexuality. This new preoccupation with bisexuality is parallel to attitudes towards change, the future, and progressive politics, including gender politics. Representations of bisexuality in each of the texts I examine vary; however, together they form a crucial cartography of a liberalization of the imagination in post-apartheid South Africa: a space of anxiety and hope, a space particularly revealing the ongoing evolution of a national identity, and newly part of a global community. Reading bisexuality accurately contributes to the disruption of binaries and illumination of the interstitial associated with the post-apartheid moment in general, and contemporary South African literature and literary criticism in particular. This method of reading, which I call "biopia," allows for a fresh understanding of sexuality, gender, race, citizenship and authority. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of South Florida, 2007. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 82 pages. Includes bibliographical references.