The experiences and needs of transgendered individuals immediately following a natural or human-caused disaster are largely ignored in practice and absent from previous academic literature. Using Schneider and Ingram's conceptualization of the social construction of target populations as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and perspectives of transgendered people who sought shelter in the aftermath of a natural disaster in 2018. Data were collected through interviews with 12 displaced, transgendered individuals to explore their experiences while staying at shelters in 2018. Interview data were transcribed, inductively coded, and then a thematic analysis procedure was applied. According to the key findings, participants perceived internal threats at shelters, which may have prohibited or restricted others in the same population from seeking shelter assistance. Additionally, participants perceived that a lack of understanding of the transgender community may have resulted in dissatisfactory services being provided. Most participants in this study perceived that the biases associated with negative stereotypes were persistent and pervasive, which may have resulted in disparate treatment from cisgender community members. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to government officials and shelter staff regarding techniques to ensure that shelter services are provided in fair and equitable ways, including the need for additional training related to the unique needs of transgendered populations. Implementing these recommendations may improve shelter conditions for the transgender community and reduce the risks associated with going to evacuation shelters to secure housing during times of disaster.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a preventable infection responsible for anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers, as well as genital warts. Two safe and effective vaccines are recommended for adolescents and young adults to protect against HPV infection. Both are severely underutilized. Sexual and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by HPV infection and its sequelae. The goals of this study were to (1) assess baseline differences in HPV-related awareness, knowledge, and attitudes between men and women, and (2) evaluate the differential efficacy of a brief, educational HPV intervention among ethnically and sexually diverse college students. Students attending undergraduate courses from 2015 to 2017 participated in a brief, tailored, classroom intervention designed to improve HPV-related awareness, knowledge, and attitudes. These outcomes were assessed immediately before and following an evidence-based educational presentation about HPV risks, outcomes, treatments, and prevention. At baseline, 84% of participants (N=386) had heard of HPV; 28% of men and 55% of women reported receiving ≥1 dose of HPV vaccine. Vaccinated women were seven times more likely to report favorable attitudes than unvaccinated women (RR=7.1, CI[3.3-15.5]). Hispanic participants had more positive attitudes toward HPV vaccination (62% vs. 44%; P=0.009) and were more willing to become vaccinated (66% vs. 46%; p=0.02) than non-Hispanic participants at baseline. Gay and bisexual men (92%) were more likely than heterosexual men (68%) to have heard of HPV, to receive any doses of HPV vaccine (37% vs 19%), to view HPV vaccination positively (58% vs 39%), and more willing to be vaccinated (86% vs 39%; P

Teachers bring parts of themselves, among them, gender, age, and race into the classroom. In addition to the routine stress of teaching, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have the added stress of managing the expression of their sexual orientation in the classroom. This study explores the ways in which my own identity as a lesbian influenced my beliefs about teaching, my “pre-active” curricular-instructional decision-making, and my “interactive” curricular-instructional decision-making (Jackson, 1966). A self-study methodology is used to explore these relationships. Data sources include journaling, lesson plan artifacts, student work samples, photographs of my classroom, an observation and critical conversation from a critical friend. An autobiographical sketch and statement of beliefs about teaching and learning also informs the study. Janna Jackson’s (2007) stages of coming out, along with Elliot Eisner’s (1985) explicit, implicit, and null curriculum provide the analytical frame. The results show that as I went through Janna Jackson’s (2007) phases of coming out, my beliefs about teaching and learning through the tools, resources, and classroom environment change to reflect that stage. For instance, once I was out in my classroom, there was more LGBT décor in my class. The findings also indicate my lesbian identity affects the explicit and null more than the implicit curricular-instructional decision-making during the “pre-active” stage of teaching. My lesbian identity affected the implicit and null curriculum more than the explicit curricular-instructional decision-making during the “interactive” stage of teaching. Overall, these findings suggest my lesbian identity and teacher identity are deeply entangled.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students have unique experiences on campus such as discrimination, exclusivity, and homo/transphobia. Stated simply, this research project intends to address these issues by 1) identify students' perceptions of gender identity and sexual orientation diversity on campus, 2) identify the experiences of LGBT students during their time at the institution, and 3) acknowledge suggestions from the student body for ways the University being studied is, or may continue to be, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. Through the application of the campus climate framework and modification of existing climate surveys, a student-centered campus climate survey was distributed to various classes and student organizations. After a distribution period of seven weeks, the analysis of the data brought about many findings. This study determined that, while students acknowledge that the University attempts to be inclusive, LGBT students continue to experience harassment and discrimination. Individual and systematic interventions as well as suggestions for resource expansion were also provided by students as a means to cultivate a more welcoming environment. With a concluding recommendation that research should continue to be conducted thoroughly and regularly, the University should consider this study the tip of an iceberg when attempting to understand students' perceptions of campus climate. More systematic and intersectional research needs be conducted on campus to determine the how varying student populations interpret everyday life on their college campus.

<p>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?</p><p><p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p></p></p>

This thesis examines gay student organizing to understand the role of college students in the burgeoning lesbian and gay movement of the 1970s. Although students are widely recognized as participants in gay activism in this period, few studies have attempted to explore their particular role. The Gay Academic Union (GAU) at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL, is presented as a case study, using archival and oral history research. Lesbian and gay students participated in the construction of a new political strategy based on visibility and community, which positioned “coming out” as its central metaphor. During the early to mid-1970s, students were especially well positioned to play a role in the gay movement, which relied on small, local organizations to spread gay politics throughout the nation. However, in the wake of the Anita Bryant-led effort to repeal Miami-Dade’s gay rights ordinance in 1977, the growth of national gay organizations and a national media discourse on homosexuality began to eclipse the type of organizing at which college students had excelled. By extending the narrative of gay organizing in the 1970s outside of urban centers, the story of the GAU at Florida Atlantic demonstrates that college students played a crucial part in disseminating the new forms of gay identity and culture associated with the gay movement.

Recent changes in the politics of gay rights have led to a gay rights demand for liberal governments: i) decriminalization of sodomy and ii) full governmental recognition of civil, same-sex marriages. Challengers to liberalism argue that a neutral liberalism cannot satisfy the gay rights demand. I argue that the liberal political framework put forth by Ronald Dworkin can adequately fulfill the gay rights demand. Dworkinian liberalism, which is neutral with respect to the ethical life, need not be neutral with respect to moral and non-ethical values. I argue for the more modest claim that Dworkinian liberalism has the conceptual tools and principles for satisfying the gay rights demand. In arguing for my claim, I discuss the internal criticisms of Carlos Ball and Michael Sandel and the external criticism of John Finnis. I argue that these concerns are surmountable. Dworkinian liberalism is capable of offering a robust defense of same-sex relations.

The purpose of this study was to highlight LGBT asylum-seekers experiences of expressing their sexual identity or gender identity in the country of origin and in the asylum process in Sweden. By interviewing people who got permanent residence in Sweden because of gender or sexual orientation in Utlänningslagen (2005:716) we have been able to explore their own experiences from expressing themselves. This study analyse these experiences from a social psychological perspective, from this analysis we aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of how the experiences from the country of origin affects on the experiences in the asylum process. This study shows that LGBT asylum-seekers often is facing negative reactions from the environment in the country of origin, these reactions can limit their possibilities to express their sexual identity or gender identity in the asylum process in Sweden. The negative reactions they experience in the country of origin have contributed to that many LGBT people internalize feelings of fear to express themselves, feelings that often stays when they come to Sweden to seek asylum. We hope that this study will contribute to a better treatment and reception from social workers and other professionals who meet these people in their work, by increased knowledge of the conditions under which LGBT people are coming to seek asylum in Sweden.

The purpose of this study is to explore how different discourses about risk linked to HIV prevention is likely to affect the decisions on the distribution of state funding for preventive activities aimed at 'men who have sex with men' (MSM). This by making qualitative interviews with principals that have an impact on this decision. Using a discourse analytic approach, based on both theoretical and methodological foundations, I investigate the discursive constructions of risk of HIV linked to certain groups and behaviors. MSM is found in the material placed into two different formations of groups, on one hand by the behavior on the other hand on the basis of identity. The identity position is organized discursively from a “victim” position while MSM provides an "operator" position. MSM is thus incompatible with the victim's position needed to be taken into account in the allocation of HIV prevention funds. On this basis I argue that the impact of heteronormativity, combined with an unwillingness to stigmatize, threatens to make HIV prevention ineffective when it is distributed on a different premise than epidemiological trends.

This thesis analyzes the coming out action of individuals through perception of political identity. Instead of considering coming out as an individual experience, it is discussed as a political action that effects the others around the individual. This political action is examined from the Queer Theory&rsquo / s perspective of subverting the gender norms. The coming out experience of lesbians, gays and bisexuals not only has an impact of their personal environment, but also effects their relation to the LGBT movement. The importance of coming out in LGBT movement is explained through the interviews with lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Where they place themselves politically in their socialization process is analyzed. LGBT movement&rsquo / s historical background is introduced and compared with the movement in Turkey. The issues originate from Turkish society&rsquo / s social structure is indicated through interviews.