This investigation examined the impact of an eight-week group counseling intervention on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adolescents’ (aged 18-20) levels of hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality. An experimental, randomized-controlledtrial research design was employed to identify differences between the intervention group and waitlist control group participants’ hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality scores. In addition, the relationship between the LGBTQ+ participants’ outcome variables (hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality) scores was examined. Furthermore, the impact of group therapeutic factors experienced by the LGBTQ+ participants in intervention group for the variables of hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality was examined. Key findings included a significant interaction between time and group placement, indicating that the intervention group participants experienced significant improvements on measures of hopefulness, coping behaviors, and suicidality when compared to participants in the waitlist control group. In addition, hope was demonstrated to be a strong and significant predictor of suicidality. Furthermore, it was found that group therapeutic factors had a positive effect on intervention group participants’ Adaptive Coping scores, but did not have an effect on Hopefulness, Maladaptive Coping, or Suicidality as hypothesized. Lastly, there was no significant differences between the demographic variables perceptions of parental/guardian support, perceptions of peer support, gender identity, or ethnicity on their hopefulness, coping behaviors, or suicidality. There was, however, a significant difference between bisexual’s and lesbian’s post-test scores on Suicidality, with bisexuals scoring significantly lower. No other significant differences were observed between sexual orientation and the other key constructs.

Individuals with a minority sexual identity, such as lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGB) face increased risk for stigmatization surrounding their sexual identities and subsequent psychological distress. Sexual minorities of color (SMOC) face the same difficulties faced by White sexual minorities, often compounded with stigma and discrimination linked to their racial/ethnic identities. However, because SMOC remain underrepresented in research on LGB issues, empirically-driven knowledge about these groups is lacking, even among outcomes where noted disparities exist, such as depression. Emerging adulthood may be a particularly important period for understanding effects of intersectional identities and discrimination among SMOC, who often navigate identity-related milestones and experiences independently for the first time within this developmental period. This study examined the relationships between discrimination based upon racial/ethnic and sexual intersecting identities and depression symptoms among emerging adults, as well as ways that group identity factors (ethnic identity, sexual identity, conflicts in identity allegiances) moderated this relationship. Findings indicated that experience of intersectional discrimination was strongly, positively related to depression symptoms. Ethnic identity negatively related to depression independently, but not in the regression model accounting for other variables. Identity factors were not found to statistically significantly moderate the relationship between discrimination and depression symptoms. Discussion centers on potential mechanisms involved in the relationship between intersectional discrimination and depression, and future avenues to expand work with SMOC.

This article contains the findings of a content analysis on transgender-related scholarship in four counseling and counseling psychology journals from 2007 to 2020. A total of 94 publications were coded for analysis, and results from this analysis indicate an increase in the literature pertaining to transgender people and issues, though limitations still exist. Trends in the research are discussed, as well as gaps in the understanding of transgender communities in the counseling literature.

LGBTQ individuals have many risk factors and have difficulty navigating going through school because of all the social issues. This study is an autoethnography that looks into the perceived protective factors of a gay male educator. I was challenged to change my dissertation to share my story of being a teacher and dealing with many different risk factors. My committee introduced me to autoethnography and shortly after, I was speaking with a student when the topic of the “It Gets Better” campaign came up. The student said to me, “Prove it.” My dissertation has been a living document with many changes. However, this is my truth of having to navigate being an educator in a small town and being gay. While risk factors are always present for LGBTQ individuals, the focus here is on the positive. The underlying explorations involve going back into the closet for my job, reflections, support systems, and how/why my life is perceived to be better.

This thesis draws on queer theory, media representation, intersectionality and news values to conduct a combined queerfeminist visual and critical discourse analysis examining how representation of same-sex attraction and queer relationships in British teen television—and the media’s reaction to them—has changed between 1994 and 2019.  The queerfeminist visual analysis compares two scenes featuring same-sex attraction between male teenagers in two TV shows: Byker Grove (1989-2006), which featured a chaste but angrily rejected kiss in 1994 and Sex Education (2019-2023), which featured an unseen but implicitly enjoyed blow job in 2019. The Byker Grove scene was the first gay kiss on British children’s television. Sex Education has been praised for its diverse LGBTQ+ cast and storylines. Two series are thus valuable bookends for this quarter-century-spanning but limited comparative study. Supported by a brief content analysis of national and local press coverage of Byker Grove from 1994 and online coverage of Sex Education on the selected newspapers’ websites, the queerfeminist critical discourse analysis compares four news items reporting on each TV show in contrasting British newspapers: populist “red top” The Sun and liberal “quality” paper The Guardian.  The combined study finds that 1) there are visual similarities in the framing of each scene but significant differences in narratives and messaging, especially when decoded by different audiences, and 2) the social discourse has shifted significantly from one of outright opposition to invisibilisation on the political right and from silence to praise on the left.  The thesis fills a gap in queer television studies scholarship that has mostly overlooked British teen/children’s television in favour of American TV shows and makes recommendations for further research, particularly in the fields of audience studies and social sexual script theory with a focus on LGBTQ+ teen and adult viewers.

Given the tendency of Populist Radical Right (PRR) parties to form anti-LGBTQ+ claims, this thesis aims to understand how a PRR party operating in a context characterized by progressive values relates to LGBTQ+ topics in their political messages on social media. A single case study of the Sweden Democrats (SD) – an example of a PRR party operating in such a context – was conducted. Idea analysis, which included the concepts of homonationalism and heteroactivism, was performed on 44 posts published during the year following the 2022 election on the social media platform X by politicians representing the SD in the national parliament. The results show that the SD pursued a homonationalist discourse in that they advocated LGBTQ+ rights to oppose Islam in general and Muslim integration in Sweden in particular. However, when the SD solely focused on the Swedish domestic context, LGBTQ+ rights were not promoted, but rather heteronormativity was favored above non-normative relationships, gender identities, and gender expressions. Thus, the results suggest that the SD took part in heteroactivism. Moreover, while the SD avoided outspoken homophobic statements, transphobic ideas were evident. Hence, the SD adapted to the Swedish context by performing a balancing act where they weighed the expression of heteronormative ideals against the potential loss of acceptance from a public supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Altogether, these results contribute to research on PRR parties operating in contexts characterized by progressive values as well as research on the SD concerning LGBTQ+ topics.

Supervisors and counselor educators who identify as LGBTQ+ may face uncertainty in whether or not to disclose sexual or gender identity in professional settings. This presentation will provide a review of current literature and initiate discussion regarding the experiences of LGBTQ+ counselor educators and supervisors, as well as factors that impact decision-making processes to disclose or not disclose marginalized identities within a position of relative power and privilege as supervisors or educators.

No description available.

SAMMANFATTNING Bakgrund Synen på hbtq+-individer (homo-, bi-, trans, queer +) och rättigheterna runt omkring har inte alltid varit vad det är idag. Det ansågs vara kriminellt att ha en samkönad partner fram till 1944 och att vara homosexuell ansågs vara en sinnessjukdom fram till 1979. Stigmatisering och diskriminerning av hbtq+-individer har länge varit ett problem i samhället och bidragit till ohälsa. Detta leder till att hbtq+-individer avstår från att söka nödvändig vård.  Syfte Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att beskriva hbtq+ -individers upplevelser av bemötandet i vården.  Metod  Detta är en litteraturöversikt baserad på 12 originalartiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Artiklarna söktes efter i Cinahl, Psykinfo och PubMed och kvalitetsgranskades med hjälp av en mall för kvalitativa studier från SBU som sedan analyserades tematiskt. Den teoretiska referensramen som använts är Ida Jane Orlandos interaktionsteori.  Resultat Fem kategorier och 11 subkategorier identifierades som beskrev hbtq+-individers upplevelser av vården från: Avslöjande, Vårdpersonalens kommunikation, Upplevelsen av kunskap hos vårdpersonal, Diskriminering och Vårdmiljö.  Slutsats Mötet mellan vårdpersonal och hbtq+-individer var präglat av antagande, heteronormativitet och okunskap kring ämnet. Däremot fanns det vårdpersonal och kliniker som hade ett inkluderande språk och hbtq+-individerna upplevde vårdmiljön som en fristad tack vare detta.  Nyckelord Hbtq+, omvårdnad, patientupplevelser, sjukvård, upplevelser / ABSTRACT Introduction The view of lgbtq+ individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer +) and their rights has not always been what it is today. Having a same-sex partner was considered as a crime until 1944 and being homosexual was considered a mental illness until 1979. Stigma and discrimination against lgbtq+ individuals has over a long time been a problem in the society and contributed to ill health. This leads to lgbtq+ individuals refraining from pursuing necessary care.  Aim The purpose of this literature study was to describe lgbtq+ individuals’ experiences of treatment in health care services.  Method This is a literature review based on 12 original articles with a qualitative approach. The articles were searched for in Cinahl, Psykinfo and PubMed and was quality reviewed using a template for qualitative studies from SBU, which then was analyzed thematically. The theoretical framework that was used was Ida Jane Orlando's interaction theory.  Results Five categories and 11 sub-categories were identified that described the lgbtq+ individuals’ experiences of healthcare from: Disclosure, Healthcare staffs communication, Perceived knowledge of healthcare staff, Discrimination and Healthcare environment.  Conclusion The encounter between healthcare professionals and lgbtq+ individuals was characterized by assumptions, heteronormativity and the lack of knowledge. However, there were health care professionals and clinics that had an inclusive language and then the lgbtq+ individuals experienced the healthcare environment as a sanctuary thanks to this.  Keywords Experiences, healthcare, lgbtq+, nursing, patient experience

This study explores the experiences of six LGBTQ+ individuals living in Appalachia who have felt conflict between their LGBTQ+ and Christian identities. Using data from six one-on-one intensive interviews, the study examines the various kinds of conflict participants experienced, the strategies they used to manage those conflicts, and the role that Christianity played in their lives. The author found that participant conflicts were grounded in struggles to find acceptance from others while living authentically, to reconcile ideological disputes with the church, and to accept themselves as LGBTQ+ and/or Christian. Included among their various management strategies were finding accepting people and communities, avoiding conversations, and finding compatibility between their LGBTQ+ and Christian identities. Finally, the author found that Christianity served a unique role as a source of both validation and invalidation for participants.