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The older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population is often underrepresented in the current body of research and the needs of this population are not well understood. Most research with this population has focused on wealthy, gay men, creating a deficit in regard to our understanding of the lesbian and bisexual individuals in the population. The present study was designed to add to the body of research on same-sex attracted older adults, by assessing well-being and acceptance of sexual orientation within the population. This study filled gaps in our current understanding of this population and provided new data for the Gay Identity Questionnaire (GIQ) as well as normative data for this population on several measures of well-being. Additionally, it created an image of how older same-sex attracted adults view themselves and the needs that they perceive within their population. Same-sex attracted adults, age 50 and older, were recruited through an anonymous online survey (N = 327; Age M: 59 years old, SD = 6.96). Sexual identity development was assessed with the GIQ (Brady & Busse, 1994; Halpin & Allen, 2004), and psychological well-being was assessed via the Depression-Happiness Scale (Joseph & Lewis, 1993), Satisfaction with Life Scale (Pavot & Diener, 1993), UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, 1996), Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1989), Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. Regression analysis showed that age was overall a significant predictor of all of the outcome measures, with higher age predicting better well-being scores. The GIQ was not a significant predictor in the final model. The implications of these results in regard to the usefulness of the GIQ as a research and clinical assessment tool are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research with this population. A descriptive analysis of results and participants comments is also provided, with an emphasis on different areas of need within the older LGB population.

This dissertation includes three articles that explore the relationship between gay identity and the college environment. The college environment has been shown to affect students’ attitudes, beliefs, and personal development in various ways, including aspects of individuals’ identity and attitudes towards social and political issues in society. D’Augelli’s (1994) lesbian-gay-bisexual (LGB) identity development framework provides both a priori knowledge of issues associated with gay identity and a lens through which findings are analyzed in each of the articles included in this dissertation. The first article examines the relationship between first-year college students’ personal characteristics and their attitudes towards same-sex relationships. Given the importance of peers as “valued others” to gay individuals, as well as the role that students play in establishing campus climate, the first article has implications for how the college environment is experienced by gay individuals. The second article explores the identity development of Black gay male college students. This article attempts to test the applicability of D’Augelli’s framework for racial minorities and for contemporary college students who also identify as gay. The third article included in this dissertation focuses on the representations of gay male college students in the online community called Facebook. Since representations are expressions of identity, this article has significance for understanding how gay male college students internalize information about their gay identity and selectively represent that identity to others. Considered together, these articles hold significance for researchers who study LGB individuals in higher education and administrators who work with LGB individuals on college campuses. Additionally, a revised theoretical framework that accounts for the findings discussed within these three articles is presented in the final chapter.

This practicum project explores the intersection of sexual identity and contemporary workplace by means of a proposed gay coworking office in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a result of increased closures of gay bars and other gay-identified places for developing community, there is a void in the gay community. Drawing from Edward Soja’s theory of thirdspace, this practicum proposes the creation of a new gay community by reimagining workspaces through the lens of gay identity and safe space. The intention of this proposal is to challenge traditional ways of thinking about the office as a predominantly heterosexual domain and to create safe work spaces that celebrate difference. The space focuses on supporting the social and collaborative aspects of coworking while interrogating space that is both work and home, between work and home and neither work or home with the objective of creating a new gay typology. / February 2017

Navigating the process of coming out led to feelings of isolation, depression, and a loss of self-worth that were compounded by a period filled with negative social media and mainstream messaging. This thesis explores how an understanding of the systems and processes of nature as well as physical exposure to nature offered a place of healing and an avenue for understanding my identity as a Gay man: from identity confusion all the way through to identity synthesis. Using Scholarly Personal Narrative Methodology, I will interweave poetry and counter narrative storytelling to illustrate the significance of nature during my identity development. Sexual orientation is scrutinized and vilified through social media platforms, advertisements, and daily life under the basis of cultural ideology and social construction. This disregards the larger contextual importance of other species that exhibit similar behaviors. I maintain that a connection with nature can provide individuals with a broader and more balanced perspective of sexual orientation--whilst navigating through the coming out process leading to a confluent sense of identity with reduced internalized conflict.

[pt] Apesar de nas últimas duas décadas termos presenciado o surgimento de uma vasta gama de estudos relacionados à homossexualidade, pouco foi produzido sobre o tema do preconceito sexual internalizado e sua relação com a formação da identidade do sujeito. Através de conceitos oriundos da Psicologia Social, esta tese visa proceder a uma investigação exploratória deste tipo específico de preconceito e sua correlação com sintomas clínicos tais como depressão e suicídio, transtornos alimentares, abuso de álcool e drogas, comportamentos sexuais de risco, violência doméstica, e a busca por terapias de conversão da homossexualidade. Com este intuito, realizamos entrevistas em profundidade com homossexuais masculinos de classe média e moradores da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, avaliadas através da metodologia de análise do discurso. Dentre os resultados obtidos citamos as semelhanças encontradas entre os achados citados pelas bibliografias norte-americanas e européias sobre preconceito sexual internalizado e os dados colhidos entre nossos entrevistados brasileiros, principalmente no que diz respeito a depressão, dificuldades na conjugalidade homossexual (e.g. violência doméstica), experiências com preconceito e discriminação, e obstáculos similares no processo de aquisição de uma identidade gay positiva. / [en] Despite the fact that in the last two decades we have witnessed the emergence of a series of studies on homosexuality, little research has been produced on the subject of internalized prejudice and its relationship to gay identity. Using Social Psychological concepts, this thesis is an exploratory investigation of this specific type of prejudice and its correlation with clinical symptoms such as depression and suicide, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, high risk sexual behavior, domestic violence, and the search for conversion therapies. With this objective, we made in-depth interviews with male homosexuals that live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the material obtained being later examined using a discourse analysis methodology. Among our results we mention that North-American, European and Brazilian male homosexuals seem to experience internalized prejudice in a similar way, particularly with respect to depression, difficulties in gay male couples (domestic violence), experiences with prejudice and discrimination, and comparable obstacles in the process of acquiring a positive gay identity.

Thesis advisor: James R. Mahalik / Most stage models of gay identity development posit that gay men follow a distinct hierarchical blueprint wherein internal identity processes (e.g. dismantling internalized homonegativity) co-occur with increasing disclosure of their sexual orientation to others (i.e. greater outness). However, some scholars contend that linear stage models lack flexibility and do not account for the diversity of gay men's experience (Fassinger & Miller, 1996). Specifically, gay men's internal and public identity processes may advance by way of distinct, unparallel pathways and for that reason should be evaluated in conjunction and independently of one another. Extending Meyer's (1995; 2003) minority stress model, this study examined the role of childhood gender behavior, adult masculinity, social support and socioeconomic status in explaining gay men's identity status and degree of outness. Five hundred eighteen gay men recruited from online sources (e.g. listservs, Usenet groups) completed measures assessing stigma, anti-gay attack, recalled childhood gender behavior, masculinity, social support, and socioeconomic status. Hierarchical and logistic regression analyses supported several hypotheses reflected in the findings that stigma, anti-gay attack, masculinity, and social support were significantly associated with gay men's identity status and outness. In addition, socioeconomic status moderated the relationship between masculinity and outness, as well as between minority stress (anti-gay attack) and identity status. Altogether, each of the factors examined in this study appear to play a unique role in explaining gay men's identity development and outness, underscoring the complexity of the social context that may intensify or alleviate the stress of these processes. The theoretical implications, future research, limitations, and recommendations for counselors are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

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This study aims to understand homophobia amongst gays, considering the reproduction of heteronormative discourse in groups of men who self-identify as gay. Initially, a systematic review of the literature on gay identity in studies on homophobia was held. Then an empirical study has been proposed. It used a form provided virtually answered by 254 men from all over Brazil , who noted the psychosocial characteristics ; representation of gay identities; intragroup relationships; belonging and recognition of gay identity and the internalization of homophobia. Data were analyzed by SPSS Software (IBM SPSS). The main findings showed the importance of the opening of sexuality in the reproduction of prejudice amongst gay men, especially as non - normative gender identities, age, socioeconomic status, beauty standard. / Esse estudo objetivou compreender a homofobia entre gays, considerando a reprodução do discurso heteronormativo nos grupos de homens que se autoidentificam como gays. Inicialmente, foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre a identidade gay nos estudos sobre homofobia. Em seguida, um estudo empírico foi proposto. Utilizou-se de um formulário disponibilizado virtualmente, respondidos por 254 homens autoidentificados homossexuais, brasileiros com média de 27,17 anos de idade com desvio padrão de 7,94, que observou as características psicossociais; representação acerca das identidades gays; relacionamento intragrupal; pertencimento e reconhecimento da identidade gay e a internalização da homofobia. Os dados foram analisados pelo Software SPSS. Os principais achados revelaram a relevância da abertura da sexualidade na reprodução do preconceito entre gays, especialmente quanto às identidades não-normativas de gênero, idade, classe socioeconômica, padrão de beleza. Concluiu-se que existe uma padronização da experiência de ser gay que possibilita a reprodução do preconceito homofóbico nas relações sociais entre gays, principalmente no que se refere às representações acerca das identidades gays e aos relacionamentos estabelecidos entre gays.

Submitted by paulo junior (paulo.jr@fgv.br) on 2010-02-22T21:43:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Severino Joauqim.pdf: 3688563 bytes, checksum: dddf45b53cec4d37f85787bd91f65c74 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by paulo junior(paulo.jr@fgv.br) on 2010-02-22T21:43:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Severino Joauqim.pdf: 3688563 bytes, checksum: dddf45b53cec4d37f85787bd91f65c74 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2010-02-23T18:37:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Severino Joauqim.pdf: 3688563 bytes, checksum: dddf45b53cec4d37f85787bd91f65c74 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-11 / The study of the behavior of socially marginalized groups such as gays, Afro-descendents, slum dwellers and others is not easy but is extremely relevant to the consumer behavior field. Most studies about these groups focus basically on the dimension of a discriminated and excluded minority, neutralizing other dimensions such as that of 'consumers'. In doing so, this doctoral thesis seeks to investigate how the possessions-related discourse is used by gay males to deal with the stigma of homosexual identity at individual, family, group and social levels. It has been evaluated that homosexual identity and its related stigma Homosexuality, as well as the social constructions imposed by a medical discourse from the 19th century, have created the categorization of homosexuality. Participant observations with a gay male group and 20 semi-structured interviews have been performed from 2005 to 2008. Our results suggested that: (i) the culturally gay-built world seem to be divided between 'gay and heterosexual' worlds. Such division does not happen only in the gay imaginary but it can also be represented by products and possessions; (ii) some gay-consumption places have altered their meaning from profane to sacred meaning throughout consumption in the subject life’s; (iii) the body has been seen as a culture construction of and value in the gay world as well as it has been used as a sign of distinction and hierarchy. / O estudo de grupos socialmente marginalizados como gays, negros, usuários de drogas, entre outros, não é fácil, porém de extrema relevância para a área de comportamento do consumidor, pois a determinados grupos sociais é negado praticamente o status de membros de uma sociedade moderna e de consumo (BARBOSA, 2006). Dessa forma, esta tese de doutorado teve como objetivo investigar como o discurso associado a posses é utilizado por gays masculinos para enfrentarem o estigma da identidade homossexual nos níveis individual, familiar, grupal e social. A análise abrange tanto a identidade homossexual como o estigma relacionado a ela, considerando ambos como construções sociais impostas por um discurso médico produzido no século XIX, que, por sua vez, criou a categorização da homossexualidade. Como método de pesquisa adotou-se a observação de participantes no grupo gay da cidade do Rio de Janeiro e também foram realizadas 20 entrevistas semiestruturadas com gays masculinos entre os anos de 2005 e 2008. Os resultados sugerem que: (i) para os gays, o mundo culturalmente constituído parece estar dividido entre o 'mundo gay' e o 'mundo heterossexual'. A divisão entre estes dois mundos não se dá somente no imaginário dos gays, mas também pode ser representado por produtos e posses; (ii) alguns ambientes de consumo gay passam de um significado de profano para sagrado no decorrer da vida dos gays; (iii) o corpo é visto como uma construção cultural e representa valor no mundo gay, assim como também é usado como signo de distinção e hierarquia.