Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Dance / Soo-Hye Han / Many LGBT members are caught between two seemingly conflicting identities: their religious identity and their sexual identity as a homosexual. This study specifically examines how Christian LGBT individuals attempt to reconcile their identities. In order to uncover the lived experience of LGBT members, qualitative interviews were conducted with eleven members of the LGBT community. Using a thematic analysis, results indicate that 1) some LGBT individuals compartmentalize their sexual and religious identities through cost/benefit analysis and self-silencing and 2) others reconcile their two identities through broadening their concept of religion, emphasizing the relational connections with God, and distinguishing between Biblical literalists and God. Further, discussion of Spiral of Silence, Muted Group Theory, and Null Persona as the theoretical lenses are used to draw implications of these findings. This study seeks to open up dialogue concerning sexuality and religion in order to garner a more welcoming environment for LGBT Christians.

Master of Arts / Department of Communications Studies / Timothy R. Steffensmeier / The military operates through a system of gender and sexuality hierarchies that privilege masculinity and heterosexuality as the ideal category of service member. This symbolic national institution is also conceptually tied to notions of citizenship. For marginalized groups, gaining the ability to freely enlist in the military represents a benchmark toward achieving full and equal status as political subjects. Such has been the case for the mainstream lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights movement. For much of the past century, military discourses have aided in rhetorically constructing homosexual identities as pathological, deviant, and unfit to serve in the armed forces. A recent shift in this rhetoric from Department of Defense (DoD) officials, which contributed to a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, calls into question how changing discourses about gay and lesbian service members rhetorically construct queer citizenship. To answer this question, theories of gender and sexuality performance, corporeal rhetoric, and critical security discourse inform an analysis of the Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a DoD document assessing potential risks to the military upon repeal. The analysis reveals that despite assertions made in the document that open service by gay men and lesbians poses minimal threat, this claim is ultimately grounded in the presumption that institutional hegemony adequately constrains performative possibilities for LGB identity articulation.

Even though living openly is associated with better health, gay teachers are in an ambiguous position legally and socially when it comes to finding safe and successful ways to living openly while at work in K-8 schools. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to describe approaches gay teachers have found and employed to living openly in K-8 schools. From the interview data collected from eleven gay teachers, an identity development model was produced, which the researcher entitled The Gay Teacher's Workplace Visibility Process Model. No existing identity development models focus solely on the approaches gay teachers take to living openly in the K-8 school. The Gay Teacher's Workplace Visibility Process Model consists of four stages: becoming visible to administrators and other teachers, becoming visible to students, becoming visible to students' parent, and identity maintenance. It is hoped that this study will ultimately prompt more gay teachers to live openly as the model is intended to serve as a guide for future or current gay K-8 teachers who wish to live openly at work. This study also has implications for administrators and teachers, the first people gay teachers come out to. Administrators and other teachers can support gay teachers in becoming fully visible at work safely and successfully through their actions and words, which could potentially lead to more accepting school environments for everyone through the fostering of a culture of inclusivity.

Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att studera hur bisexuella personer förhåller sig till sin identitet i en binär värld. Fem personer (en med icke-binär könsidentitet, en man, två kvinnor och en queer kvinna) har intervjuats, och intervjuerna har analyserats utifrån tolkande fenomenologisk analys, även kallad IPA. I resultatet framkommer mycket som bekräftar tidigare forskning gällande identitetsutveckling där de genomgår faser av förvirring, behov av stolthet/komma ut, kulturell gemenskap och syntes. Deltagarna upplever också att det ställs vissa särskilda krav på bisexuella personer och har upplevelser av olika former av stigmatisering som riktas mot bisexualitet, såsom hypersexualitet, sexualisering och monosexism. / The aim of this thesis was to study how bisexually-identified people relate to their identity in a binary world. Five persons (one non-binary identified, one male-identified, two female-identified and one queer female-identified) have been interviewed, and the interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, also known as IPA. The results confirm much of earlier research concerning sexual identity development where the participants went through phases of confusion, need of pride/coming out, need of cultural immersion and synthesis. The participants also experienced that there was particular demands on bisexual-identified people and how they experienced attraction, and they had several experiences of different forms of stigmatisation aimed at bisexuality, such as prejudices about hypersexuality, sexualisation and monosexism.

Que sont une identité féminine et une identité sexuelle ? Cette question a fait couler de l’encre dans le but d’établir une définition précise à la lumière de diverses approches : sociologie, psychanalyse, épistémologie etc. L’engouement pour la notion d’identité ne cesse de s’accroitre pour la transformer en un phénomène de mode. Cependant, l’identité, de par sa nature mouvante, ne cesse de changer de contours et les critères qui la fondent se modifient. La notion de l’identité se forge selon des contextes sociaux et politiques propres à chaque société et surtout selon l’usage qu’en fait l’individu. C’est donc dans cette effervescence de la question identitaire que nous avons voulu analyser un corpus de récit de soi hétéroclite et hétérogène, au tournant du XX et XXIe siècle. Le but premier de cette étude est de mettre la lumière, de prime abord, sur la diversité de l’écriture au féminin, mais aussi de mettre l’accent sur l’identité en tant que long processus de construction. Les diverses approches mobilisées dans cette étude mettent l’accent sur des contextes sociaux multiples et fédérateurs dans les œuvres analysées. L’approche pluridisciplinaire permet tout autant le décloisonnement de la littérature, en accentuant le passage d’une littérature holiste à une littérature accessible à tout le monde, démocratique. / What is a feminine identity and what is a sexual identity? This question was widely discussed in order to settle on a precise definition in the light of different approaches such as sociology, psychoanalysis and epistemology. This fad towards the identity concept keeps growing to be a fashion trend. Nevertheless, besides its moving nature, constantly changes its outlines and criteria. The notion of identity is formed according to social and political contexts proper to each society but more importantly to their use by the individual. Thus, along with this identity ferment, we wanted to analyze a set of self-narratives both motley and heterogeneous at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The first objective behind this study is to highlight the diversity of women’s writings but also highlight the recursive identity building process through the different approaches used to focus on multiple and federating social contexts in the studies pieces. The multidisciplinary method allowed a permeability to the literature by shifting it further from a holistic to an open and democratic one.

Orientador: Fernando Silva Teixeira Filho / Banca: Maria de Fátima Araújo / Banca: Maria Lívia Tourinho Moretto / Resumo: O presente trabalho buscou realizar um estudo psicanalítico sobre as transexualidades a partir da clínica com transexuais femininas, no âmbito hospitalar, e sua demanda de alteração corporal, dirigida ao corpo médico, com o discurso de "adequarem" o seu sexo anatômico à sua "alma feminina". Pretendeu-se com esta pesquisa oferecer uma reflexão para o tema da transexualidade partindo da ótica de quem a vive, ou seja, sobre o discurso de "adequar o sexo" na singularidade de quem o expressa, mantendo-se a articulação entre o individual e o social. Utilizou-se o método de pesquisa em psicanálise, optando-se pela narrativa na apresentação dos casos clínicos pautados no acompanhamento específico de sete transexuais femininas adultas (que não mais estavam em atendimento), possibilitando vislumbrar um panorama representativo da dinâmica subjetiva de cada uma. A questão principal que norteia este trabalho se refere a: como se organiza a subjetividade de uma pessoa que, em nome de sua identidade sexual, demanda uma transformação definitiva no corpo, com o propósito de aproximar sua anatomia ao sexo biológico oposto? A leitura psicanalítica do material clínico obtido privilegiou os aspectos que permearam a busca pela cirurgia de 'mudança de sexo' e os processos de subjetivação que atuaram na construção desse pedido de alteração corporal. Foi possível constatar que tais construções subjetivas sofrem os efeitos dos modos como os processos de identificação e sexuação foram vivenciados. As saídas ou soluções encontradas, em sua dinâmica pulsional, revelam que, enquanto um fenômeno do nosso tempo, além da fascinação pela imagem, a busca pela tecnologia (que se supõe ser capaz de dominar o Real) esteve pautada em um duplo eixo: um horizontal... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The current paper results from clinical experience with female transsexuals patients who look forward to undergoing sex-change surgery in order to adjust their physical body to fit their feminine soul. This research intends to address the issue of transexualities through the eyes of he who lives it, i.e., through their sex adjustment speech in the singularity of he who expresses it, keeping a reflection on the articulation between individual and social factors. The approach method used on seven adult female transsexuals (no longer being treated) was research in psychoanalysis and narrative in clinical vignettes in order to offer a representative panorama of the psychic dynamics of each one. The main issue of this paper is how to organize the subjectivity of a person who, in the name of their sexual identity, demands a definitive body adjustment so as to bring their body closer to the one of the opposite gender. The psychoanalytical reading of clinical data collected privileged the reasons for the sexchange seek and the subjectivity processes that acted in favor of the body adjustment plead. It was possible to conclude that these subjective constructions depend on how the processes of identification and sexuation were lived. The exist, i.e., the solutions found, in its pulsional dynamics, reveal that, while a phenomenon of our time, beyond image fascination, the seek for technology (which assumes being able to dominate the Real) in some cases traveled on double tracks: horizontally in relation to his fellow, so that the desire for another man wouldn't be homossexual but a result of his heterossexuality, getting rid of homophobia and stigma) ; vertically, in relation to the Other of science, created in his imaginary that it is the shape of his genital that defines his sexual identity and not the... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Introduction: This thesis investigates the experiences of young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and who are questioning their sexuality (LGBTQ) on the Internet. Specifically, the project explores how LGBTQ young people use the Internet, how they communicate online, the impact that the Internet has on their life and how they stay safe online. Despite the Internet being an ever-growing aspect of people’s lives and the potential opportunities that it presents for marginalised groups such as LGBTQ young people, there have been a relatively small number of qualitative studies in the area. Methodology: As there has been limited research regarding LGBTQ young people’s use of the Internet, a systematic review of qualitative studies exploring the experiences and views of cyberbullying by children and adolescents in the general population was conducted using Framework Synthesis. Subsequently, an empirical study was completed which involved conducting a secondary analysis, using Framework Analysis methodology, of data collected from focus groups with LGBTQ young people regarding their Internet use. In total, five focus groups were held with forty-one LGBTQ young people recruited across four European countries. Results: A total of eighteen studies were included in the qualitative synthesis exploring children and adolescents’ cyberbullying experiences. Although there was some variation in the quality of the studies, there was clear support for four main themes: Online vs. Traditional Bullying Environment, Risk Factors, Victim’s Experience and Preventative Measures. These themes highlighted both the potential causative factors of cyberbullying as well as how the victim experiences different aspects of the incident such as their initial understanding of the event to the long-term impact of cyberbullying. A number of preventative measures were also suggested, including the need for adults to increase their understanding of technology and cyberbullying in order to enable them to be a viable source of help. Within the empirical study, four main themes emerged from the data: Digital World as Part of Daily Life, In Control of Their Online World, Seeking Connection and Navigating Risk. The latter three main themes also consisted of a number of subthemes. The results indicate that participants have embraced the Internet into their everyday lives and that the LGBTQ population reaps specific benefits as the Internet allows them to overcome or compensate for barriers faced within their offline lives. Participants also reported the need to navigate many risks online, however interestingly they appeared confident in doing so and discussed the variety of ways in which they achieve this. Discussion: The results of the qualitative synthesis provided tentative support for two different theoretical models of cyberbullying, indicating that both an individual process model and an ecological system model are mutually useful ways of understanding this phenomenon. Clinical implications spanned both individual and systemic measures that could be taken to reduce the likelihood of cyberbullying occurring. However, it is also clear that further research, in particular qualitative research, is required to continue to develop our understanding of this topic as a whole. The findings from the empirical project suggest that LGBTQ young people must balance the opportunities provided by the Internet whilst also managing the risks that it poses. The importance of retaining the empowerment for young people on the Internet was clear, especially for young LGBTQ people who may use the Internet as an alternative way of meeting their needs and engaging in developmental tasks such as sexual identity development. However, there is also a need to ensure that these young people are safe online and therefore interventions such as parental education and the development of age appropriate resources are required to promote both empowerment and safety for this population.

No description available.

This study was designed to test the clinical effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group intervention for individuals reporting distress related to conflict between sexual and religious identity. There were 24 participants in the study, 12 of whom took part in the therapy group, 12 of whom were in a comparison group and did not participate in the intervention. Outcome measures included the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-2 (AAQ-2), Components of Attitudes Towards Homosexuality (CAH), Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHO-QOL), Dimensions of Latter-Day Saint Religiosity (DLDSR), and the Three-Factor Scale of Authoritarianism (3-FSA). Participants from both the intervention and the comparison groups completed an initial battery of these self-report measures and an additional follow-up battery, given after the intervention group had completed the six-session intervention and after a similar 6-week period had passed for the comparison group. Repeated-measure ANOVA of the collected data indicates that, relative to the comparison group, the intervention group showed statistically significant (p < .05) changes in symptom distress (partial &brkbar;Ç2 = .36), attitudes towards homosexuality (partial &brkbar;Ç2 = .461), and quality of life (partial &brkbar;Ç2 = .85). While preliminary, results of this study indicate that an ACT therapy group is an effective clinical intervention for individuals experiencing distress as a result of conflict between sexual and religious identity.

<p>Under ungdomsåren sker stora förändringar, både fysiskt och psykiskt. Utforskandet av sexualiteten blir mer aktuell och den sexuella identiteten och den sexuella läggningen kan genomgå förändringar. Viktiga aspekter för att identifiera sig med den sexuella läggningen anses av vissa forskare vara självkänsla, nära socialt stöd och ifrågasättande. Syftet med denna studie är att finna svar på hur mönster av dessa faktorer kan påverka den sexuella identiteten bland gymnasieungdomar. Studien genomfördes med en kvantitativ ansats. En klusteranalys genomfördes för att söka svar på vilka mönster som ökar sannolikheten för att ungdomarna skall identifiera sig med sin egna sexuella läggning. Studien fann att den faktor i mönstret som följer identifiering med den egna sexuella läggningen är självkänsla.</p>