Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 62 p. Includes bibliographical references.

The majority of research investigations into the meaning and implications of the lesbian label within the sport context have primarily focused on coaches, athletes, and physical education teachers. Generally overlooked, however, has been the area of college and university health and kinesiology academia (i.e., sport-related curricula). The purpose of this study was to extend this line of inquiry to this setting within the context of sport. By doing so, investigating the lesbian label, as well as seeking to identify its presence, impact, and potential consequences as they relate to health and kinesiology department members, may contribute to the understanding of why a lesbian stigma persists within the multifaceted context of sport. Further, an additional purpose of this inquiry was to identify whether the use of identity management strategies, and their potential negative consequences, were used in relation to the lesbian label. The lesbian label was investigated through the voices of health and kinesiology department academicians. Through their words it was communicated that not only was the lesbian label and an associated stigma present within their respective departments, but the meaning of lesbianism within sport-related curricula was somewhat reminiscent of the meaning in other sport contexts. Thus, to some extent, the lesbian stigma can be extrapolated from sport to sport-related curricula. While complex, the meaning of lesbianism was intertwined with gender norms, religious beliefs, politics, personal beliefs, interpersonal relationships, societal assumptions, perceptions of powerlessness, and a necessity for self-protection. This was predominantly the case related to a female faculty members’ possession of certain physical characteristics, her physical presentation and attire, relationship status, and proximity to departmental physical activity courses that are regarded as more masculine (e.g., weight training, racquetball, basketball, etc.), in particular. Finally, whether merely acknowledged as being present or advocating for change with regard to perceptions of inequality and injustice, cognitive and emotional resources were allocated to this issue in a variety of ways. Implications of this exploration and its findings are presented and further inquiry encouraged.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Psychology, Committee on Human Development, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Sexual orientation, especially between males, has historically been met with harsh criminal sanctions. Only in this century has the issue been one of fundamental freedom and private choices. This study analyses the legal history of the concept of choice in sexual orientation in the European Commission of Human Rights (the Commission) and the European Court of Human Right (the Court), and documents the evolution of sexual orientation rights from the 1950s until today specifically focusing on why the human rights protection has changed. Until 1975 the Commission did not consider absolute criminalisation contrary to the right to respect for privacy or as discrimination, but this approach started to change in 1975. A stricter test of what is considered necessary in a democratic society led to the Dudgeon judgement in 1980 where absolute criminalisation of homosexuality was found to be contrary to the right to respect for privacy in the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention). This judgement has largely been responsible for decriminalisation throughout the Council of Europe member-States. This decriminalisation was limited to private, adult acts that were consensual and this was the norm until 1997. In that year, unequal ages of consent also was found to be contrary to the Convention. The study showed that this evolution was facilitated mainly by a European consensus, based on the legislation of the member-States and expert knowledge. The European consensus doctrine has proven to be a very complex concept, and this study argues that a regional approach to the consensus enquiry is a better solution than the present doctrine, and solves some of the problems it has proven to cause.

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-39).

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-37).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-66).

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to develop a scale to measure sexual orientation and to examine its psychometric properties. Previous scales were critically examined and compared and the need for a scale which simultaneously measures same and opposite sex responsiveness independently, and accounts for dynamic changes over time, while testing a number of overt and covert dimensions of sexual orientations, was established. A 48-item scale was designed to tap self-reported intensity and frequency of Emotional Attachment, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Attraction and Sexual Contact towards males and females in the Past, Present and Future. An initial study was conducted with 13 undergraduate university students of both genders, representing a variety of sexual orientations and nationalities, and qualitative feedback was obtained and utilized to make appropriate adjustments and refinements to the scale. The scale was then administered to 133 Rhodes University undergraduate psychology students to obtain quantitative data with regard to its internal structure. The scale was found to have a good internal consistency reliability Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.8106. Existing sub-scales had lower alpha coefficients. Factor analysis, a form of construct validation, was performed and four factors emerged. These had very good internal consistency reliability alpha coefficients: Sexual Responsiveness to Females (0.9894), Sexual Responsiveness to Males (0.9741), Emotional Attachment to Females (0.8403) and Emotional Attachment to Males (0.8372). These factors were further statistically analysed to ascertain how they relate to one another and to the demographics of gender, age, relational status and sexual orientation identity. Future research will need to assess other forms of reliability and validity and focus on larger and more varied samples.

Victimization and family rejection of sexual orientation are two particularly salient stressors facing lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young people. While initial research has established a link between these sexuality-related stressors and LGB youth mental health outcomes, the factors that underlie this relationship remain unclear. The current study examined the role of negative LGB identity in mediating the relationship between sexuality related stress (i.e., victimization, family rejection) and youth outcomes (i.e., internalizing problems, public outness, substance use, and cigarette smoking). Participants included 81 LGB young people (ages 14 to 25) recruited through college groups, youth organizations, study advertisements, and friend referrals. Path analyses revealed that victimization and family rejection experiences were related to youth internalizing problems via negative LGB identity. Similar results were found for a model predicting public outness. However, stressors and health risk behaviors were not related through negative LGB identity, although some direct relationships between stressors, substance use, and smoking emerged. Limitations and implications of the present study are discussed.