Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a well-recognized public health issue with significant consequences for victims, families, communities, and society at large. Although IPV was once thought to be an almost exclusively male-to-female problem, in recent years it has become more widely understood that IPV also occurs in the context of women’s LGBTQ+ relationships. LGBTQ+ individuals experience ongoing stress because they live in a heterosexist society, termed minority stress, which has been associated with many negative sequelae including attachment insecurity and IPV. Thus, it is pertinent to examine how one’s context, specifically minority stress caused by oppression, may uniquely influence IPV in women LGBTQ+ couples. A sample of 64 LGBTQ+ identified women currently in same-gender relationships filled out self-report questionnaires on minority stress, attachment style, and IPV. Contrary to expectations, it was determined that two types of minority stress, internalized homophobia and experiences of discrimination and heterosexism, were not associated with physical or psychological IPV. However, internalized homophobia was significantly associated with attachment avoidance, but not attachment anxiety. Both attachment anxiety and avoidance were significantly associated with psychological, but not physical, IPV. Mediation analysis revealed an inconsistent significant mediation for the effect of internalized homophobia on psychological IPV; this occurs when the mediator acts as a suppressor variable or a variable that masks any direct effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. In the current study, the overall indirect effect of internalized homophobia on psychological IPV through attachment avoidance and anxiety was significant. The direct effect of internalized homophobia on psychological IPV was significant but the association was negative, such that once attachment (the suppressor variable) was included in the model, lower internalized homophobia was associated with greater psychological IPV. Overall, internalized homophobia uniquely contributed to attachment insecurity, particularly attachment avoidance, which is a significant risk factor for IPV in women’s same-gender relationships The global COVID-19 pandemic onset occurred before data collection commenced, thus questions were added to measure related changes in psychological symptoms, relationship stress, and IPV related to the pandemic. Psychological symptoms including sadness, loneliness, anxiety, and grief increased in the current sample since the pandemic onset. Similarly, self-reported relationship stress due to work, childcare, and health increased since pandemic onset. An increase in relationship stress was significantly positively correlated with an increase in psychological IPV since the pandemic onset. Thus, there was already an impact on participant’s mental health and stress even within the first six months of the pandemic, although most participants did not report an increase in IPV at that time. Overall, the current study highlights the importance of attachment avoidance as a risk factor for IPV in women’s same gender relationships. Additionally, the startlingly high prevalence rates of IPV and discrimination among LGBTQ+ women speaks to the urgent need to continue fighting against oppression and heterosexism to reduce minority stress and to develop IPV resources that better serve the LGBTQ+ population. / Graduate

Våld i nära relationer är ett globalt samhälls- och folkhälsoproblem. Sverige är folkrättsligt förpliktat att ha en lagstiftning som överensstämmer med ratificerade konventioner som har till uppgift att bekämpa detta globala problem. Konventionerna och såväl svensk som internationell forskning om våld i nära relationer handlar främst om mäns våld mot kvinnor. Det finns visserligen studier som uppmärksammar hbtq-personers utsatthet för partnervåld. Emellertid finns inga särskilt utformade insatser mot våld i nära relationer för hbtq-personer inom ramen för socialt arbete. Syftet med detta arbete är att analysera och problematisera hur våld i nära relationer i allmänhet och våldsutsatthet i hbtq-relationer i synnerhet konstrueras i offentliga dokument över tid. Genom ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv och med utgångspunkt i queerteori ämnar arbetet utröna om och hur hbtq-personer konstrueras som målgrupp för samhällets stöd. Studien omfattar även hur kön, genus och sexualitet konstrueras och förstås i det empiriska materialet. Empirin består av fyra av statens offentliga utredningar som sträcker sig från år 1994 till 2021. Med Norman Faircloughs (2010) kritiska diskursanalys som analysmetod har 13 diskurser om våld i nära relationer identifierats. Av dessa har en diskurs visat sig vara intakt över tid: "diskursen om den utsatta kvinnan". Undersökningen visar att utredningarnas diskurser främst konstruerar kvinnor i heterosexuella relationer som våldsutsatta. Män konstrueras som våldsutövare då våldsamt beteende associeras med maskulinitetsnormer. Kön konstrueras i enlighet med det binära genussystemet som antar att man antingen är man eller kvinna. Genus förstås som en spegling av det biologiska könet. Sexualitet konstrueras som en binär uppdelning i antingen heterosexualitet eller homosexualitet. Från och med utredningen från 2014 förstås våldet inom hbtq-parkonstellationer som våld i "samkönade relationer". Homosexuella personer konstrueras sålunda som en målgrupp för socialtjänstens arbete men däremot inte bisexuella, queer- eller transpersoner.

A well rounded representation of identities in media has proven essential for the development of peoples identities in general but certainly in the case of young LGBTQ-adults since the media often act as their first source of information and identification. The popular culture found in media today is said to strive for universal appeal and plays an important role for the identities in subordinate groups, as the LGBTQ-community. Earlier studies of the representation of LGBTQ-people in the media has discovered not only a lack of representation but also a miseducated one, revolving around one dimensional stereotypes leading to discrimination, heterosexism, homo- and transphobia. The proven results could be deemed as alarming in general but especially with the undertaking of The Sustainable Development Goal of Reduced Inequalities in mind.With the recognition of the troublesome results of previous investigations of the representation of LGBTQ-identities aswell as the comprehended importance of well rounded LGBTQ-representation, this study aims to conduct a study of the prevailing representation of LGBTQ-characters in one of the most expanded platforms for streaming services online, Netflix. With the assistance of a qualitative content analysis and the perspectives of queer theory and representation theory this study examines four LGBTQ-characters in four seperate series for teenagers on Netflix.The results presented in the completed study show that tendencies according to the earlier critics still remain, but also register potential cases of more modern and well formed LGBTQ-representations. This implies that in a considerable number of instances a representation of the different LGBTQ-identities is defined by restricted stereotypes which leaves them with a restricted character development focused on their LGBTQ-identity. There are also signs of underrepresentation as well as the making invisible of LGBTQ-subgroups and overall upkeep of the heteronorm. In few cases characters can be registered to break free from the former established representations and evolve beyond them, offering a broader complexity and over all more well rounded representation of LGBTQ-identities.

A trans man struggles to stay euphoric on his first day on testosterone in a world where his anxieties and emotional baggage talk back to him. He realizes becoming a self-made man comes with self-made problems. PW for Vimeo Link: DianaSeason2022!

"In this study we sought to compare eating disorder attitudes and behaviors, and proneness to an eating disorder ("ED proneness"), between gay men, lesbian women, and transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) adults. A further aim was to identify and compare risk and protective factors, and examine a mediational model based on the interpersonal theory of eating disorders (IPT-ED), whereby the association between interpersonal factors and ED proneness would be mediated by psychological constructs pertaining to the self and negative affect. Data was obtained from a larger national study of health risk and protective factors among sexual minority and gender diverse populations. The sample included 97 gay men, 82 lesbian women, and 138 TGNC adults. Participants completed the National College Health Assessment, Eating Disorders Screen for Primary Care, Patient Health Questionnaire Depression scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 scale, Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, Negative Social Exchange subscale of the Multidimensional Health Profile, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, and Perceived Stigma Scale. There was a significant difference between groups in ED proneness, with lesbian women (66.7%) having a significantly higher percentage than gay men (47.6%). There was also a significant difference between groups in weight-based self-worth, with the lowest percentage in gay men (63%) and the highest percentage in lesbian women (82%), as well as dissatisfaction with eating patterns, with the highest percentage in TGNC adults (69.8%) and the lowest percentage in gay men (47.7%). There was a low percentage of inappropriate compensatory behaviors, with no significant difference between groups. Logistic regression analyses showed that the predictor variables of ED proneness were depression, perceived stigma, and self-compassion in gay men; depression in lesbian women; and self-compassion in the TGNC adults. Mediation analyses showed that thwarted belongingness (i.e., an unmet to belong) and perceived stigma had an indirect association with ED proneness that was mediated by self-compassion and depression (for perceived stigma alone) in gay men, depression in lesbian women, and self-compassion in TGNC adults. The interpersonal theory of eating disorders therefore extends to sexual minority and gender diverse populations; however, the results suggest a broadening of theoretical models and intervention programs to include the role of stigma and self-compassion."

This thesis demonstrates a queer perspective stemming from a qualitative analysis of data gathered in interviews with LGBTQ+ people to analyze a transforming ethos of gayborhoods and queer desires. In particular, the research focuses on the interactive relationship between self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) participants; the cyberspace(s) of LGBTQ+ mobile-dating applications (apps); and tangible urban places. The topic of gayborhood demise and whether such places are worth saving has been debated by scholars and journalists for the last decade. The demise of gayborhoods is often thought to be a symptom of neoliberal urban processes such as gentrification within the context of the post-gay era and broader societal acceptance of homosexuality. This means the question of "if the gayborhood is worth saving" is inherently imbedded in an assumption that homosexuality is not viewed or treated as different or lesser than heterosexuality. In this imagined post-gay era, gayborhoods are declining because the dangers posed to the LGBTQ+ population are purported to no longer exist, so there is no longer a need for designated queer and/or safe places. This research destabilizes the assumptions embedded within the conception of the post-gay era by asking whether the gayborhood meets the needs and desires of contemporary queers. Alternatively, are LGBTQ+ mobile-dating apps part of gayborhood decline, and if so how? Therefore, the question of "if the gayborhood is worth saving" is not about assumed queer acceptance in greater society; rather, the question should be grounded in if the gayborhood fulfills the needs and desires of contemporary queers.

Research within the field of migration studies has become increasingly interested in asylum seekers and refugees over that last decade. However, there is a large gap in migration literature regarding LGBTQ migrants and LGBTQ asylum seekers and refugees in general. By adopting a queer perspective through the voices of LGBTQ refugees, this paper confronts the heteronormativity of migration studies. Two LGBTQ refugees in Sweden were interviewed in-depth about the relationship between their sexual orientation or gender identity and the concepts of identity construction and social inclusion/exclusion. Their insights reveal the strategies used in navigating the intersections of their identity and the challenges faced with regard to seeking inclusion in various aspects of society. The analysis reveals the potential for deeper mechanisms at work within these constructs. Furthermore, this study includes statements from the participants regarding how to address the needs of LGBTQ individuals within the asylum process so that others may face fewer challenges in the future. Although this study only examines the experiences of two LGBTQ refugees, it does provide insight that can be useful for future work involving this population.

Bakgrund: Litteraturgenomgången visar att samhället genomsyras av heteronormativitet. Kunskapsbrister finns i utbildningarna inom sjukvården och i den kliniska verksamheten om möten med HBTQ- personer. En kunskapslucka kan identifieras om hur möten skapas mellan sjuksköterskor och HBTQ- personer på en akutmottagning. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att beskriva hur legitimerade sjuksköterskor på en akutmottagning möter HBTQ- personer. Metod: Deskriptiv empirisk studie med kvalitativ ansats, interaktiva samtalsintervjuer med sex legitimerade sjuksköterskor genomfördes och analyserades med modifierad innehållsanalys, editing analysis style. Resultat: Ur analysen utkristalliserades fyra kategorier: spirande genuserfarenhet, en krävande men öppen arbetsmiljö, tvetydig relation och god och värdig vård. Slutsats: Analysfynden från interaktiva samtalsintervjuer med sex legitimerade sjuksköterskor på en akutmottagning förklarades med begrepp ur queerteorin. Trots att den spirande genuserfarenheten hämmas av den förhärskande heteronormativiteten och kunskapsbristen om kön, genus och sexualitet bidrar till tvetydigheten hos sjuksköterskorna på akutmottagningen, skapas det, även under rådande förutsättningar, möten inom vilka HBTQ- personer ges en god och värdig vård. / Background: The literature review shows that society is permeated by heteronormativity. Knowledge gaps in education programs in health care and in clinical practice concerning encounters with LGBTQ people. A knowledge gap can be identified on how encounters are created between nurses and LGBTQ people in an emergency department. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe how registered nurses in a hospital emergency department encounter LGBTQ- people. Method: Descriptive empirical study with qualitative approach, interactive conversation interviews with six registered nurses was conducted and analyzed with modified content analysis, editing analysis style. Results: From the analysis emerged four categories: emerging gender experience, a demanding but open work environment, the ambivalent pair and good and dignified care. Conclusion: The findings from interactive conversation interviews with six registered nurses in an emergency department were explained with concepts of queer theory. Despite the emerging gender experience is hampered by the dominant heteronormativity and lack of knowledge concerning sex, gender and sexuality contributes to the ambiguity of the nurses in the emergency department, even under present conditions, encounters are created with LGBTQ people, in which they are given a good and dignified care.

abstract: This doctoral dissertation proposes an analysis of a selection of photographic series by a diverse group of Latin American photographers such as Argentinian Gustavo Di Mario, Brazilians Claudio Edinger and Alair Gomes, and Mexican Dorian Ulises López Macías. The analyzed material focuses on a revision of characteristics of masculinity and imperative heteronormativity in the discourses on their respective national identities. The projects put-fourth by these four artists represent a political proposal that unveals the homoaffective possibilities of their photographic referents. Susan Sontag postulates in her On Photography (1979) that “the powers of photography have in effect de-Platonized our understanding of reality, making it less and less plausible to reflect upon our experience according to the distinction between images and things, between copies and originals” (179). These artists understand the power of the image and, through its meticulous composition, they propose to not only photograph, but to also narrate the reality of dissident identities and their belonging to a collective national identity. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Spanish 2019

This thesis investigates the way lgbtq-adults are represented within contemporary early children's literature and asks: is their love and their relationships visible? Are lgbtq-adults represented in the way other adults are, or differently? Through a discourse analysis of twelve contemporary Swedish children's picture books and reviews of them on online blogs, this thesis is able to conclude that, as a result of lgbtq-peoples political reality, lgbtq-adults are represented only within a family dicsourse and thereby secluded from the rest of society. The homonormative discourse that rules the way in which lgbtq-adults are represented in picture books has consequences for how pre-school teachers in Sweden perform part of their job; namely the task to transfer democratic values of human rights and equality into children's lives. Since lgbtq-picture books make up a great part of the material which pre-school teachers use when working with lgbtq-equality, the content of these books, as well as pre-school teachers opinions of it informed by the homonormative discourse, shape the way pre-school teachers work.