Intimate partner violence (IPV) in sexual and gender minority relationships is an underexplored and misunderstood phenomenon. Much of what has been investigated has explored IPV from a heterosexual lens, without taking into account the complexities of these relationship dynamics. Further, outcomes of IPV traditionally focus on negative sequelae, such as depression or anxiety. In this study, we examined the propensity to forgive partner abuse as a means of adaptively coping with the trauma. Further, we looked at resilience as a possible factor in the process of forgiveness. We hypothesized that psychological resilience significantly moderates the forgiveness process in sexual and gender minorities who have experienced IPV. Our sample of 77 gender- and sexual-minority participants completed measures of psychological and physical IPV, resilience, and forgiveness. A regression analysis found our model accounted for 36% of the variance in forgiveness of self (adj. R2=.36, F (4, 72) = 10.34, p < .01) and 20% of forgiveness of others (adj. R2=.20, F (4, 72) = 5.01, p < .01). However, there was no significant moderating effect, nor was IPV a significant contributor to forgiveness. Results suggest trauma does not influence one’s likelihood to forgive, though some personal trait, such as resilience, is more likely to contribute to the forgiveness process. Implications are discussed.

In this thesis I argue that First Amendment free speech and exercise claims do not grant religious business owners the ability to bypass statutes that prohibit discrimination on sexual orientation and gender identity grounds in areas of public accommodations. My arguments focus on the constitutional claims made in the case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Furthermore, I determine that Congress can rely on both the Commerce Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment to pass legislation that prohibits discrimination on sexual orientation and gender identity grounds in areas of public accommodations. I argue that despite the Court’s holding in the Civil Rights Cases, Congress can regulate discrimination by private actors, not just state sponsored discrimination, through the Fourteenth Amendment. I analyze the potential avenues religious business owners can use to undermine both state and federal antidiscrimination statutes and have their discriminatory practices legally sanctioned. I conclude by arguing that religious exemptions do not belong in antidiscrimination statutes.

Bakgrund: I arbetet som barnmorska är det viktigt att bemöta alla på samma sätt utifrån deras individuella behov, oavsett deras sexuella läggning och familjekonstellation. Med tanke på den heteronormativitet som genomsyrar samhället kan man tänka sig att det även visar sig inom mödra- och förlossningsvård. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa hur gravida och födande homosexuella kvinnor upplever barnmorskornas bemötande under graviditeten och efter barnafödandet. Metod: En kvalitativ metod och en kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats användes, Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med tolv homosexuella kvinnor som varit eller var gravida. Resultat: I resultatet framkommer det vad homosexuella kvinnor ser som ett gott respektive ett dåligt bemötande. Resultatet behandlar även barnmorskans bemötande gentemot medföräldern. Konklusion: De homosexuella kvinnorna i studien uppgav att ett gott bemötande från barnmorskor kunde vara att de bemöttes med respekt och att barnmorskorna fokuserade på graviditeten istället för på den samkönade relationen. Barnmorskors bemötande uppfattas som bättre om könsneutrala uttryck används. Medförälderns delaktighet i graviditet, förlossning och eftervård är något barnmorskor ska beakta och uppmuntra. / Background: In the work as a midwife it’s important to respond to everyone the same way based on their individual needs, regardless their sexual orientation and family constellation. Given the heteronormativity that permeates society, one can imagine that it also proves to maternity and obstetric care. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore how pregnant and birthing lesbian women experience midwifes response during pregnancy and after childbirth. Method: A qualitative approach and content analysis with inductive approach was used, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve lesbian women who had been or where pregnant. Results: The result shows what lesbian women see as a good or a bad response. The result also addresses the midwife’s attitude towards the co-parent. Conclusion: The lesbian women in the study said that a good response could be that they where responded to with respect and that midwifes are focused on the pregnancy, instead of the same-sex relationship. Midwifes response is perceived as better if gender-neutral terms are used. The co-parents involvement in pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care is something midwifes should consider and encourage.

Sexual and gender minorities are subjected to discrimination and stigmatization which increase vulnerability to psychological co-morbidities (Mays & Cochran, 2001). The mechanisms through which discrimination contributes to distress in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) communities can be partially elucidated through the minority stress model. The minority stress model argues that minorities are subjected to negative societal attitudes and discrimination that results in excessive psychosocial stress related to their minority position, which is distinct from daily stress. Meyer’s minority stress model is supported by social stress theoriesand data linking discrimination to stress in lgb samples. Researchers suggest that self-esteem buffers the negative effects of adverse experiences but tests of the moderating effect of self-esteem on the discrimination-distress relationship in ethnic and gender minorities yielded mixed results. Szymanski found that self-esteem moderates the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress in a male sexual minority sample, but this has never been tested in a gender-balanced sexual minority sample. We hypothesized that higher levels of self-esteem are associated with lower overall perceived stress in lgbt adults, and that self-esteem acts differentially in lgbt populations to moderate perceived discrimination. We found that discrimination, self-esteem and the interaction effect between discrimination and self-esteem accounted for 53 percent of the total variance in perceived stress scores, ∆R2 = .38; adj. R2 = .53, F(12, 133) = 14.47, p < .001.When we tested whether self-esteem moderated the relationship between discrimination and stress, discrimination was positively related to stress, β = .13, t(144) = 2.14, p < .05, and self-esteem was negatively related to stress, β = -.63, t(144) = -10.26, p < .001. The interaction between self-esteem and discrimination positively correlated with stress, β = .14, t(144) = 2.29, p < .05. Our findings suggest that self-esteem may alleviate the impact of discrimination on perceived stress, which has important implications for interventions designed to reduce stress in lgbt communities.

Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Dance / Soo-Hye Han / Many LGBT members are caught between two seemingly conflicting identities: their religious identity and their sexual identity as a homosexual. This study specifically examines how Christian LGBT individuals attempt to reconcile their identities. In order to uncover the lived experience of LGBT members, qualitative interviews were conducted with eleven members of the LGBT community. Using a thematic analysis, results indicate that 1) some LGBT individuals compartmentalize their sexual and religious identities through cost/benefit analysis and self-silencing and 2) others reconcile their two identities through broadening their concept of religion, emphasizing the relational connections with God, and distinguishing between Biblical literalists and God. Further, discussion of Spiral of Silence, Muted Group Theory, and Null Persona as the theoretical lenses are used to draw implications of these findings. This study seeks to open up dialogue concerning sexuality and religion in order to garner a more welcoming environment for LGBT Christians.

Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies / Sarah E. Riforgiate / Leadership is a phenomenon studied in all cultures (Murdock, 1967), yet representation in the diversity of influential leaders is often limited (Moon, 1996). In order to understand the full breadth of leadership scholarship, it is essential that research focuses on how leadership is both enacted and communicated in underrepresented groups. A group that is currently facing marginalization from dominant culture is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. With no national anti-discrimination law in place to protect the individuals belonging to this community (American Civil Liberties Union, 2016) it is vital to understand how leaders within this marginalized group are motivating others to fight to enact change. While influential organizations like The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) are fighting for social justice on a national level, it is important to understand how local organizations are engaging in communicative leadership to motivate others to enact change in their own community. This study seeks to understand how leadership is communicated within a local LGBT rights organization (given the pseudonym the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Campaign, or LGBTC) and to identify the ways LGBT leaders motivate others to enact social change. Using ethnographic methodology, the researcher observed four monthly board meetings held by this group (lasting approximately an hour and a half each) and conducted a focus-group interview where the participants confirmed observations and answered follow-up questions from the ethnographic observations. A qualitative thematic analysis revealed two common themes: the first theme, cohesive communication, was exemplified through organizational procedures that allowed for collective discussion and expression of individuality by emphasizing and depending on group members’ personal expertise. The second theme, proactive communication, emerged through group members’ communication to evoke tenacious defense strategies to counter the opposition and engage in outreach with external organizations. These leadership communication behaviors resulted in two critical implications on the theoretical and practical levels. In regards to the theoretical implications, LGBT leaders, who have been typically characterized as predominantly transformational, were found to enact leadership outside of that typology, actually engaging in relational styles through shared leadership, communicating in a way that relies on interaction and emotional expression. On a practical level, other marginalized groups could benefit from inclusivity, or the mode of collective leadership this particular LGBT Rights Group engaged in. By including multiple voices and having a variety of minority representation, the LGBTC was able to successfully motivate community change. Other marginalized groups experiencing social injustice may be able to motivate others to enact change by adopting this mode of collective communication through shared leadership.

Jamaica is a beautiful island in the Caribbean well known all over the world for its Reggae music and its message of One love. But it is neither the songs about love nor the striking beauty of the island that awoken our interest. It was the widespread homophobia that can be found both in the Reggae lyrics, as they often promotes violence against homosexuals, the law against buggary and in almost every other corner of the society. We wanted to know if this homophobia also could be found in the press. Therefore the aim of this study is to find how LGBT-persons are being described in the Jamaican press. Do the press reflect or oppose the homophobia in the society? Our theoretical framework is about socialization, identity and the building of a nation, of which in all media is a part. It is also about how alienation is created by the media. Our material contains of all articles from the four main newspapers in Jamaica, The Daily Observer, The Gleaner, The Chat and The Star, that in someway touches LGBT-persons during a two week period, between November 10 and November 23, 2008. We use all of these 27 articles to make a quantitative analysis and four of them are handpicked for a qualitative analysis. As a complement to the articles we use qualitative interviews with the editor in chief of The Daily Observer Vernon Davidson, and the Senior lecturer of Media and Communication at University of West Indies, Canute James. We find that the homophobia in the society is in some ways reflected by the Jamaican press. LGBT-persons, especially homosexual men, are described as different, abnormal and as standing outside the Jamaican society. This strengthens the alienation. The great reggae and dancehall stars are often more defended than criticized for their homophobic lyrics in the press. What we also find is that there is an ongoing debate about the homophobic hatred as being a part of an old society that it is time for Jamaica to grow out of. In other words the proud Jamaican nation of which the homophobia is a part should change according to some, whilst others do not want their nation to adapt itself to other countries views.

This bachelor thesis in sociology is based on participatory observation and interviews in Mauritius done by two Swedish students who are studying Social change and social sustainability at the University of Halmstad. The aim of this study was to understand the social conditions that affect the organization Young Queer Alliance and their work to monitor and secure human rights regarding discrimination against sexual orientation in Mauritius today. The aim was also to see if Young Queer Alliance has opportunities for change towards a more socially sustainable society regarding this discrimination. The material has been interpreted and analysed by us through Foucault’s theory of power (2008), Jönhill’s dichotomy inclusion/exclusion (2012) and social mobilization (Sundh &amp; Turunen, 2000). In some sections, we have done parallels between Mauritius and Sweden. The result of the empirical collection is complex and multidimensional and showed that; homophobia, religions, traditions, heterosexual norms and government influence the social circumstances for the organization. Paradoxically, a new thinking generation is emerging influenced by globalization and its processes. The “not-knowing-mentality” causes discrimination and can be prevailed with education. The thesis concludes that; the mentality is based on traditional norms and is influenced by history. Our generation cannot change history, but the future is ours to write.

Orientadora: Larissa Maués Pelucio Silva / Banca: Heloisa Pait / Banca: Jorge Alberto Silva Machado / Resumo: Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo central a compreensão do modo pelo qual as pessoas trans têm se apropriado de espaços online de interação a fim de fomentar debates políticos, e tecer redes de solidariedade e sociabilidade, e de que forma essas interlocuções repercutem na formação de uma consciência política em torno dos direitos dessas pessoas. Para tal, parto da investigação da proliferação desses espaços, tomando como ponto de partida um grupo da plataforma Facebook, (mas não permanecendo apenas nele), visto não somente o quantitativo de membros no grupo, mas, principalmente, as temáticas frequentemente discutidas e a participação ativa de um elevado número de participantes nas discussões. Utilizo-me da etnografia multissituada como aporte teóricometodológico, especialmente no que diz respeito ao entrecruzamento entre as interações on e offline, tendo em vista que o acesso a novas possibilidades tecnológicas e a novos espaços de discussão, associada a transformações sociais e políticas tendem a modificar a forma com que as pessoas trans experienciam os sentidos atribuídos ao ser e se tornar pessoa trans, e a buscar alternativas de enfrentamento em relação aos mecanismos que garantem a delimitação de espaços, dinâmicas e direitos. Desse modo, ao buscar analisar os discursos que são acionados a partir das discussões nesses espaços e a forma com que eles marcam espaços offline de interação, utilizo-me do referencial teórico Queer, e dos estudos feministas, além do estudo sóci... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This research aimed to understand the way in which trans people have appropriated online spaces of interaction in order to foment political debates, and to create networks of solidarity and sociability, and in what way these interlocutions have repercussions in the formation of a political awareness of the rights of these people. To do so, I proceed from the investigation of the proliferation of these spaces, taking as a starting point a group of the Facebook platform, (but not remaining only in it), seen not only the number of members in the group, but mainly the topics often discussed and the active participation of a large number of participants in the discussions. I use multi-situational ethnography as a theoretical and methodological contribution, especially in relation to the interlinking between on and offline interactions, given that access to new technological possibilities and new spaces of discussion, associated with social and political transformations tend to to change the way in which trans people experience the meanings attributed to being and become a trans person, and to seek alternatives to coping with the mechanisms that guarantee the delimitation of spaces, dynamics and rights. Thus, in seeking to analyze the discourses that are triggered from the discussions in these spaces and the way in which they mark offline spaces of interaction, I use Queer's theoretical framework and feminist studies, as well as the anthropological socio-digital study on digital me... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientador: Ana Cristina Nassif Soares / Banca: Marcia Cristina Argenti Perez / Banca: Eliana Bolorino Canteiro Martins / Resumo: Neste trabalho analisamos sob a ótica do método materialista histórico-dialético, a concepção e a construção do conhecimento de alunas do ensino médio de uma escola estadual do interior do Estado de São Paulo, com relação à temática da diversidade sexual e de gênero, bem como à formação das docentes no tratamento desta temática, considerando suas formações acadêmicas, seus valores morais e pessoais e sua compreensão de mundo. Para isso, apresentamos às adolescentes diversos assuntos que perpassam suas vidas cotidianas como família, preconceito e educação sexual e que, consequentemente, estão presentes durante o seu convívio no ambiente escolar. A técnica que utilizamos para obtenção de dados junto às adolescentes foi o grupo focal, sendo realizados três encontros onde apresentamos ao grupo os temas em formato de tópicos para discussão e propiciamos reflexões a partir de suas próprias concepções. Já para as docentes, entrevistas individuais e questões acerca da intimidade para com a temática da diversidade sexual e de gênero, sobre a formação profissional continuada para o tratamento da temática e sobre suas opiniões pessoais e profissionais sobre o debate da temática no ambiente escolar, foram realizadas. Diante de inúmeras ameaças e mobilizações político-partidárias para censurar o conteúdo abordado por docentes na educação básica no Brasil, com base em pressupostos religiosos, bem como a inserção recente do ensino religioso voltado para uma única e exclusiva religião, é imp... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In this work, we analyze, from the point of view of the historical-dialectical materialist method, the conception and construction of the knowledge of secondary school students of a state school in the interior of the State of São Paulo, in relation to the theme of sexual and gender diversity, as well as to the qualification of the teachers in the treatment of this subject, considering their academic formations, their moral and personal values and their understanding of the world. In order to do this, we present to the adolescents various subjects that pervade their daily lives such as family, prejudice and sexual education and which, consequently, are present during their conviviality in the school environment. The technique used to obtain data from the adolescents was the focus group, and three meetings were held where we presented topics to the group in a topic format for discussion and provided reflections based on their own conceptions. As for the teachers, individual interviews and questions about intimacy with the theme of sexual and gender diversity, about the professional qualification for the treatment of the theme and about their personal and professional opinions on the debate on the theme in the school environment, were carried out. Faced with numerous threats and political-partisan mobilizations to censor the content addressed by teachers in basic education in Brazil, based on religious assumptions, as well as the recent insertion of religious education focused ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre