Bakgrund: En god och jämlik hälsa för hela befolkningen är ett centralt mål för hälso-och sjukvården. Men forskning indikerar att HBTQ-personer upplever en sämre hälsa än övriga befolkningsgrupper och förekomsten av psykisk ohälsa är betydligt högre bland homo-och bisexuella jämfört med heterosexuella. Dessutom har forskning visat att HBTQ-personer utsätts för stigmatisering och diskriminering i samhället i stort men även inom vården. Den sociala stigmatiseringen och diskrimineringen gentemot HBTQ-personer anses ha en inverkan på den fysiska och psykiska hälsan. Syfte: Att beskriva hur HBTQ-personers upplever bemötandet inom vården. Metod: En litteraturöversikt med kvalitativ ansats utformades. Studien baserades på elva kvalitativa original artiklar som analyserades med en tematisk analysmetod. Resultat: Två teman identifierades: vårdpersonalens kompetens och vårdpersonalens attityd med tillhörande underteman:kommunikation, kunskap, diskriminering och stigmatisering och acceptans. Slutsats: En ökad kunskap och medvetenhet kring HBTQ behövs hos sjuksköterskor och övrig vårdpersonal för att kunna bemöta och tillgodose en jämlik vård till HBTQ-personer. Genom att utbilda framtida och nuvarande sjuksköterskor inom ämnet ökar möjligheten för en mer inkluderande och jämlik hälso-och sjukvård. / Background: Good and equal health for the entire population is a key goal of health care. However, research indicates that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people experience poorer health than other population groups and the incidence of mental illness is significantly higher among homosexuals and bisexuals compared to heterosexuals. In addition, research has shown that LGBTQ-people are exposed to stigma and discrimination in society at large but also in healthcare. The social stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ people is considered to have an impact on the physical and mental health. It is important that the nurse has the right competence regarding LGBTQ-people in order to be able to meet and satisfy equal care. Aim: To describe how LGBTQ-people experience health care encounter. Method: A literature review with a qualitative method was designed. The study was based on eleven qualitative original articles that were analyzed using a thematic analysis method. Result: Two themes emerged: the health care staff’s competence and the health care staff’s attitude with associated subthemes: communication, knowledge, discrimination and stigmatization and acceptance. Conclusion: An increased knowledge and awareness of the LGBTQ community’s needs is necessary among nurses and other healthcare professionals, to be able to provide equal care. Opportunities for an inclusive and equal health care increases when future and current nurses are educated in the subject

Previous literature on LGBTQ+ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and other sexual minorities) reports that this community experiences greater health problems than heterosexuals. LGBTQ+ people experience higher rates of chronic conditions, STIs, addiction, poor mental health, and cancer, which highlights the importance of capturing data regarding health. A growing concern is that social surveys fail to find meaningful ways to gather gender and sexuality data to understand possible health disparities for LGBTQ+ people. This study uses data from the General Social Survey to examine the physical and mental health outcomes of LGB people compared to straight people in a nationally representative sample of Americans. An analysis of potential disparities in the self-reported health of straight and LGB respondents finds that respondents who identified as bisexual reported significantly lower levels of self-rated health and more problems with mental health compared to respondents who identified as gay, lesbian, or heterosexual.

This dissertation offers an outlined proposal and a model for practicing queer oral history—a nuancing of oral history praxis. Queer oral history is rooted in performance studies’ call to consider everyday texts alongside Dwight Conquergood’s (1985) articulations of ethical and dialogic performance of the other. I propose that queer oral history exists as an alternative praxis to traditional oral history; in order for this distinction to emerge, a practitioner must accept two charges. The first is a commitment to destabilizing oral history through the inclusion of other diverse methodological practices. Further, the researcher must welcome the ethical imperative to reflexively question subjectivity through their own role in constructing an oral history. Queer oral history demands of its practitioners a different set of goals that grow from traditional oral history, but also carefully complicate the practice of oral history as a methodology in order to address the in-between role of the subject-researcher. This placement within the gaps—the in-between—renders queer oral history theoretically queer, opening up possibilities beyond simply an oral history about queer themes. Because of its focus on commitments as a way to lead practice, queer oral history could prove useful for other person-based qualitative research methods. In order to propose queer oral history, this document traces one specific performance—Bless Our Hearts: An Oral History of the Queer South—from intellectual inception through scripting, staging, performance, and reperformance. Offering theoretical precepts, a completed script, and deep discussions of choices in scripting and embodiment, this dissertation offers a model that shows one queer oral history—about the intersections of queer and Southern identities—as it moves from interview process to complete performance project.

African American college students may face many challenges at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), including hostile campus climates, experiences of racism and discrimination, peer conflict, and academic challenges. Similar negative experiences/perceptions have been reported by LGBTQ+ identified college students, yet few students of color have been included in this area of research. Much of what is known about LGBTQ+ African American college students has been developed from the experiences of bisexual and gay, cisgender African American men. The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge about the experiences and challenges faced by non-heterosexual and non-cisgender African American students attending a PWI. Ten LGBTQ+ identified African American college students were interviewed about perceptions of their campus climate, social lives, and academic progress. Through a grounded theory analysis, agency was identified as the core theme underlying students' sense of thriving in their academic progress, peer relationships, and perceptions of campus climate. These findings may be useful in improving the on-campus experiences for LGBTQ+ identified African American college students, and all students, attending PWIs.

Through the lens of hegemonic masculinity in the contemporary game development industry, this paper will present the current state of the LGBTQ+ representation in major Japanese fighting games that were released from 2010 to 2021. By performing a quantitative data analysis of the characters from the games, where each character is coded for their gender and sexuality, the frequency of representation can be determined over the period of time and across games which can indicate the state of LGBTQ+ representation in these games.  Not much research has been conducted in the field of gender studies and representation when specifically focusing on fighting games. It is also a genre that has the reputation of not having good representation and inclusion in the games, but also within the community. It is a genre where the characters are front and center and play a primary part in the appeal of the game, so having good representation should be a requirement. Many players will want to be able to identify and connect with the characters they play but for many this is not a possibility due to the lack of diversity. The results show that there may be a slight increase in the representation over time, but the numbers are still surprisingly low. This shows us the importance of needing to bring more attention to this topic as it is a critical issue that is present within this game genre but also within the gaming industry as a whole.

Japan is known for being one of the most urbanized countries in the world, with bustling urbancities, with high rates of education and economic development, as stated in reports showcased by international organizations such as the OECD. Despite these indicators for high development, Japan has been reported to be lacking in the legal rights and treatment of sexual and gender minorities, this may be suprising for some as urban environments are often thought of as safe spaces for these groups of people. In this study the attitudes of Japanese people towards LGBT people are explored through the use of a survey, which inquires Japanese people about their social circles, and how these circles and the respondents themselves think that LGBT people are viewed and treated and if there are any specific differences in Japan's urban and rural areas. The findings of this study seem to agree with previous studies and reports published by organizations and individual scholars, the consensus suggests, that while Japanese people seem to be aware of some of the inequalities LGBT people face such as discrimination and in marriage and legal protection, the overall attitude towards LGBT issues is one of apathy.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka socialarbetares transkompetens och deras trygghet i att arbeta med transpersoner, samt hur dessa varierar med yrkesroller och arbetsplatsens rutiner och riktlinjer. Studien genomfördes med en kvantitativ enkätundersökning och vände sig till yrkesverksamma socialarbetare som möter klienter/patienter i sitt arbete. Enkäten skickades ut till socialarbetare anställda inom kommun och region i ett län i Mellansverige och besvarades av 89 socialarbetare. Empirin analyserades med hjälp av korstabeller, sambandstest och tvåvägs ANOVA, samt tolkades med ett kritiskt perspektiv, queerteori samt begreppen kompetens och bemötande. Resultatet visade att socialarbetare upplever att de har en ganska hög kunskap samt ganska hög trygghet i arbete med transpersoner, och att en hög upplevd kunskap ökade deras upplevelse av hög trygghet. Kuratorer upplevde en högre kunskap och trygghet jämfört med socialsekreterare. En transinkluderande arbetsplats med tydliga rutiner och riktlinjer hade positiv inverkan på både upplevd kunskap och trygghet, men hög kunskap var den främsta och betydande faktorn för att uppnå en hög trygghet. Socialarbetare anser att arbetsplatser främst kan utveckla sitt arbete med att möta transpersoner genom utbildning, samt att respekt, lyhördhet och öppenhet är de mest betydelsefulla egenskaperna att ha som yrkesverksam i mötet med transpersoner. Sammantaget tolkas resultatet som att socialarbetarna har en måttlig transkompetens. Vidare forskning behövs för att undersöka ytterligare hur HBTQI-certifiering samt implementering av konkreta insatser för att vara mer transinkluderande inom organisationer, främst inom socialtjänsten, kan ha en positiv inverkan på vård och stöd för transpersoner. / The purpose of this study was to examine social workers transgender competence and perceived comfort in working with transgender people, and to investigate if perceived knowledge and comfort was connected to work title and different organizational factors. A quantitative study was conducted towards social workers who meet clients/patients in their work. An online-survey was constructed and sent to social workers employed within a county in mid-Sweden, with a total of 89 respondents. The data was analyzed with crosstabs, correlation tests and a two-way ANOVA, and interpreted using a critical perspective, queertheory and the theoretical concepts of competence and service experience. The results discovered that social workers experience a quite high level of perceived knowledge and comfort in working with transgender clients/patients. The perceived level of comfort increased when the level of perceived knowledge increased. Counselors perceived a higher level of knowledge and comfort than social workers in the social services. A transgender-inclusive workplace with clear routines had a positive impact on perceived knowledge and comfort, but high level of knowledge was the most significant factor in achieving high level of comfort. Social workers found that workplaces could develop their work with transgender people through education, and that respect, responsiveness and openness were the most valuable qualities for a professional working with transgender people. The conclusion was that social workers had a moderate level of transgender competence. It’s necessary to explore, primarily in social services, how LGBTQI-certification and implementation of supportive efforts might help organizations to be more trans-inclusive.

The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic has surpassed forty years with many medical advancements in prevention and treatment. Often believed to be at negligible or low risk by society at large, sexual minority women have remained understudied regarding their risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), leaving their sexual health inadequately understood and supported in healthcare and social services. The sexual health of young South Asian sexual minority women, who are multiply minoritized due to their intersecting identities, has been entirely overlooked. This qualitative study aimed to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of young South Asian sexual minority women as it pertains to their HIV/STI risk. Barriers and facilitators to accessing community-based sexual health supports and services were also investigated. A community-engaged approach was taken to develop this study in partnership with the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention to investigate the HIV/STI risk context and sexual health needs of this group residing in the Greater Toronto Area. A maximum variation sampling strategy was used to recruit six young South Asian sexual minority women and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to collect narrative data. Narrative analysis of the data found socio-cultural and structural influences which guide the HIV/STI risk context for this group. The participants illuminated an inadequate understanding of sexual health when engaging in sex with women, an overall low HIV/STI risk perception, barriers to adequate sexual healthcare and health promotion resources, and multiple minority stressors which impacted their access to safe sex. These findings have major implications for school-based sexual health education, medical training for healthcare practitioners, and sexual health support and services provided by community-based sexual health organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. / Thesis / Master of Public Health (MPH)

Bakgrund: I Sverige ses de senaste åren en ökning bland ungdomars sexuella risktagande, detta samtidigt som sex- och samlevnadsundervisningen visat sig brista i kvalité och utformning. Att sex- och samlevnadsundervisning håller hög standard är av stor betydelse för ungdomars utveckling, hälsa och välbefinnande samt bidrar till att förbättra den sexuella hälsan i Sverige. Syfte: Undersöka elevers uppfattning av den sex- och samlevnadsundervisning som ges i grundskolan. Metod: En mixad metod tillämpades. Data insamlades via anonyma enkäter, totalt 59 svar inkom. Resultat: Elevernas inställning till sex- och samlevnadsundervisningen var övervägande neutral. De ansåg att de genom undervisningen erhållit ett ökat risk- och konsekvenstänk samt en ökad förståelse, trygghet och självsäkerhet till sexuella relationer. Eleverna önskade dock mer kunskap om hbtq samt en mer elevcentrerad undervisning med möjlighet till diskussion och reflektion. Slutsats: Sex- och samlevnadsundervisningen bör utgå från ett elevcentrerat perspektiv där olika professioner arbetar över kompetensgränserna för att tillsammans stärka elevernas sexuella hälsa. / Background: In recent years an increase in young people’s sexual risk-taking has been seen in Sweden, at the same time the sex education in primary school has proven to be deficient in quality and design. The fact that the sex education maintains high standard is of grate impotance for young people’s developement, helt and well-beeing and also contributes to improving sexual health in Sweden. Purpose: To investigate students’ experience of sex education in primary school. Method: A mixed method was applied. Data were collected by an anonymous survey, a total of 59 surveys were included. Results: The students attitude to sex education was predominalty neutral. They considered that through the education they had gained an increased sense of risk- and consequence thinking, as well as an increased understanding, safety and self confidence in sexual relationship. However, the students wanted more knowledge about LGBTQ, and a more student-centered teaching with the opportunity for discussion and reflection. Conclusion: The compulsory schools sex education should be based on a student-centerd perspective where different professions work across to strenghten students’ sexual health.

As a fairly new form of media that is currently increasing its number of LGBTQ characters, digital games and their queer representation is an interesting research are, in equal parts in order to see what potential stereotypes and tropes may be in play aswell as to compare it to what has been done before in other forms of storytelling. The question at hand for this thesis is regarding Queer representation in the commercial game The Last of Us Part II, released in 2020. The game was analyzed through the use of a textual analysis. The main, queer, characters were analyzed through their dialogue, their backstory, their progression as well as the way they were presented and received by the rest of the game-world inhabitants. In order to fully understand the characters, the research includes media representation in film and tv that may have contributed to the way their storylines as well as characterization was created, ranging from the horror-genre itself to LGBTQ representation in both film, tv and games. The research provided interpretations of the main characters and the ways theirq ueerness can be interpreted. The characters and their narrative was deemed to contain both positive and negative portrayals, while similarities to real-life experiences of LGBTQ individuals could be seen as mirrored in this post-apocalyptic game-worldfilled with zombies.