Rural populations are traditionally understudied, especially as it is concerned with the experiences of sexual minority women and the experiences of internalized stigma (negative attitudes towards the self) are often related to poor health outcomes within the LGBTQ+ community (Meyer, 2003). This relationship has been found to be mediated by rumination, suppression, and social isolation, which has been generalized to cognitive, coping, and social mediators (Hatzenbuehler, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Dovidio 2009). The current study examines the indirect effect of internalized stigma on self-rated health and quality of life through cognitive mediators (self-esteem, self-compassion, and feelings of guilt and shame) in sexual minority women located in northeast Tennessee (N=134). Participants completed the following scales: Perceived Self Stigma Scale (Mickelson, 2001), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), Self-Compassion Scale- Short Form (Raes, Pommier, Neff, & Van Gucht, 2011), Personal Feelings Questionnaire (Harder & Zalma, 1990), WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization, 1998), and the SF-36v2 (Health Survey, 1996). Results suggested that only self-esteem mediated the relationship between internalized stigma and both self-rated health and quality of life. Analyses were conducted via the data software SPSS. Internalized stigma was found to predict self-esteem (b = -0.153, p =.023). In turn, self-esteem was then predictive of self-rated health (b = .399, p =.043) and quality of life (b = 0.438, p = .007). A mediational analysis was conducted using a PROCESS (Hayes, 2014) macro to test the hypothesis that self-esteem acts as a mediator between internalized stigma and quality of life and self-rated health. There was an indirect effect of internalized stigma on quality of life (effect = -.067, 95% CI (-.157, -.016)) and self-rated health (effect = -.061, 95% CI (-.151, -.013)) through self-esteem. All other regression and mediational analyses with self-compassion, shame, and guilt were nonsignificant. With these findings, clinical therapy may be improved for sexual minority women by focusing on internalized stigma as an underlying cause of lower self-esteem and poor health. If the focus of therapy becomes internalized stigma, based on our findings, reduction of internalized stigma could increase self-esteem and in turn increase self-rated health and quality of life in sexual minority women.

Thesis advisor: Lauri Johnson / Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are a marginalized student population in school settings. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine whether and how district and school leaders’ knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and practices regarding LGBTQ students affected school policies for advocacy, anti-discrimination, and proactive care for this marginalized population. It was part of a larger group case study of how leaders support marginalized students in a Massachusetts urban school district. Data was gathered and analyzed from eight semi-structured interviews, document reviews, and observation of a student organization meeting. Results showed that leaders created and sustained safe environments in schools for LGBTQ youth, made efforts to urge the normalization of LGBTQ advocacy and discourse, and afforded opportunities for LGBTQ student-led activism. The study also found that district and school leaders need to further their systemic efforts toward establishing and implementing inclusive LGBTQ curriculum and instruction. Implications of this study reveal that district and school leadership practices must be explicitly designed, implemented, and sustained in order to effectively support LGBTQ youth. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Scholars studying college student sexual culture in the United States largely frame men as being detached from emotions, unconcerned with relationships, and in pursuit of sexual conquests. Through an examination of college sexual culture, an environment often associated with meaningless sexual encounters, this paper tests those stereotypes in both gay and straight men. By analyzing sexual behaviors, social opportunity structures, and romantic attitudes of gay and straight males in college, this paper finds evidence that both supports and contradicts existing literature on masculine stereotypes for both groups of men.

<p>Identity tensions in religious organizations has become a popular research area in organizational communication within recent decades. This study endeavors to investigate lesbian identity tension within the evangelical, college-based organization Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) with the guiding research question: How do lesbian former members of Cru and former Cru staff discursively navigate identity tensions regarding homosexuality within the organization? Through surveys of six lesbian former members of Cru and eight former Cru staff, this essay demonstrates a nuanced perspective of identity tension between homosexuality and Christianity in the United States and highlights common themes from all participants: anxiety, frustration, fear, shame, and regret. Utilizing structuration theory and feminism as overarching theoretical frameworks to shape the discussion on sexuality, race, identity, and concertive control, the unique narratives of the participants’ surveys and interviews provide new insights on the struggles of LGBTQ individuals within the de facto anti-gay organization, Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru). Interspersed throughout the work are autoethnographic vignettes from the author that serve as complementary narratives to demonstrate emotion as epistemology. This study provides a brand-new application of popular organizational communication theories to an underrepresented population (lesbians) in an understudied organization (Cru) to contribute to the ongoing research on identity tension in religious organizations.</p>

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Many local and national teaching associations and teacher preparation programs have called for the integration of LGBTQ+ Young Adult literature in the secondary English language arts classroom. However, in practice, classroom teachers continue to rely on classic, canonical works which often represent a white, cisgender male, heterosexual point of view. In choosing these canonical texts, the identities and experiences of the spectrum of LGBTQ+ students are excluded. The effects of this exclusion are harmful to both LGBTQ+ students and their peers. The purpose of this thesis is twofold: 1) explore how LGBTQ+ YA literature is currently being used in secondary English Language Arts classrooms and 2) provide a list of exemplary LGBTQ+ texts that teachers can integrate into their curriculum. In exploring these topics, I discuss various teacher hesitations in using LGBTQ+ texts in their classroom as well as successful ways teachers are currently integrating these texts into their curriculum. At the conclusion, I provide recommendations for novel selections and classroom appropriacy.

Using in-depth interviews with six participants, this qualitative project examines LGBTQ+ experiences in Conservative Christian communities in British Columbia and Alberta through the lens of queer theory. The research questions guiding this project are: 1) How influential is the role of Christianity in the formation of non-normative genders and sexualities? 2) How do LGBTQ+ individuals understand their LGBTQ+ identity when situated within a traditionally heteronormative religious community? 3) Does there continue to be a code of silence surrounding LGBTQ+ identities within Conservative Christian communities? 4) How do LGBTQ+ individuals deal with the perceived incompatibility between their faith and their sexuality and/or gender? Findings indicate that participants view the silence surrounding LGBTQ+ issues and the subsequent lack of formal support for LGBTQ+ individuals as complicit in perpetuating rhetoric that LGBTQ+ identities are abnormal, sinful, and shameful. The majority of participants did not experience extended internalized conflict between their sexual/gender and religious identities, though they did struggle with trying to integrate their LGBTQ+ identities into their Conservative Christian communities. All participants shifted to a more personalized faith and view Christianity as a resource instead of a requirement, and the majority of participants frame both their gender/sexual identity and religious identity as fluid and liminal, subject to change depending on the context. Recommendations for Conservative Christian communities to better address sexual and gender diversity include exposure, celebration of LGBTQ+ identities, adherence to unconditional love as a core tenet of Christianity, and transparency regarding community stances on LGBTQ+ individuals and issues. / Graduate

As LGBTQ issues come to the forefront of discussion, the acceptance of queer television is becoming more common. However, research has shown that seemingly progressive shows often reinforce dominant ideologies, despite the presence of queer characters or themes. This analysis seeks to understand whether the children's animated series, Steven Universe, is as progressive as reviews would make it seem. Two open-ended research questions are used to explore the constructions of gender and romance in the series. Through the use of queer analysis, this study reveals that the series is indeed queer. The series narrative subverts gender through the deconstruction of societal binaries. Likewise, love is treated inclusively, and is not limited to heterosexual romances. Steven Universe, though not perfect, is an amicable example of how children's cartoons can educate upcoming generations in what it means to defy expectations and go beyond labels.

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) are at a higher risk for suicide compared to the general population, but little is known about why this is. Many LGBTQ individuals face some form of discrimination or victimization in their lifetime, and some evidence suggests these experiences may contribute to this group’s higher suicide risk. Unfortunately, research has only examined the impact of direct discrimination/victimization on suicidality and has neglected to examine how ambient discrimination/victimization relates to suicidality. Additionally, although some links exist between discrimination, victimization, and suicide, the mechanisms by which these are related are unknown. This study aims to address these gaps in the literature by exploring the effect of ambient discrimination/victimization on suicidal ideation and examining psychological pain as a mediator and social connectedness as a moderator between various forms of discrimination and victimization and suicidal ideation. Regression, mediation, and moderation analyses were conducted in order to examine these relationships in a sample of 200 LGBTQ-identified individuals. Results of this study may provide insight into why the LGBTQ community is at an increased risk for suicide.