This study explores the identity development and psychological adjustment of bisexual individuals (n = 138) as compared to homosexual (n = 45) and heterosexual participants (n = 558). Undergraduate students recruited from psychology classes at a large metropolitan university in Florida (67% female, 65% Caucasian) took an online survey for course extra credit. Bisexual and homosexual participants scored higher in identity exploration than the heterosexual participants. Bisexual participants scored significantly higher in psychological symptom severity than heterosexual participants. The three groups were not significantly different in identity commitment nor in identity distress. Female bisexual participants scored more similar to the homosexual participants in identity exploration, while the male bisexual participants were more similar to the heterosexual participants. Among males, bisexual and homosexual participants reported greater psychological symptom severity than heterosexual participants. There were no differences between groups for female participants in regard to symptom severity. This study highlights the need for more research into the psychological correlates of bisexuality as a distinct group from homosexuality, as well as the need to focus on gender as a significant moderator of these relationships.

<p><strong>AIM </strong>People with marginalized sexual orientations experience mental health and substance use problems at a higher rate compared to heterosexuals. Experiences of discrimination have been identified as a significant factor in explaining such disparities, and a growing body of literature has developed seeking to explore the contexts in which discrimination occurs. However, one context that is understudied is the online environment. Based on Meyer’s (2003) Minority Stress Model (MSM), it is postulated that specific proximal group-specific processes mediate the relationship between discrimination and health outcomes, with other social factors providing protective effects. However, research is sparse empirically investigating different mechanisms, consequences, and potential modifying factors for sexual minority young adults experiencing online heterosexist discrimination (OHD). Thus, the current study aims to explore experiences of OHD among young adults. <strong>METHODS </strong>Using the MSM as a guiding framework, the study examined proximal factors of internalized heterosexism, online concealment, and rejection sensitivity as mechanisms underlying the effect of OHD on health outcomes and online social support as a moderating factor. 383 young adults (18-35) with marginalized sexual orientations were recruited from an introductory psychology subject pool, two online crowdsourcing platforms (Prolific, MTurk), and the community. They completed measures of OHD, online social support, online concealment, rejection sensitivity, internalized heterosexism, psychological distress, and substance use. <strong>RESULTS </strong>Path analyses in Mplus revealed that two proximal stressors (rejection sensitivity, sexual orientation concealment) were positively related to psychological distress as a result of OHD. Sexual orientation concealment was associated with increased risk for cannabis use due to OHD. Online social support from LGBTQ+ peers did not buffer these relationships. <strong>CONCLUSION </strong>The MSM is a viable guiding framework in exploring OHD. Rejection sensitivity and online sexual orientation concealment are important constructs to consider for future research and may be ideal treatment targets for individuals experiencing psychological distress or engaging in cannabis use due to OHD.</p>

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The purpose of this essay is to examine the relationship between visual communication and female homosexuality within the field of magazine design. As the creative part of the project I have chosen to make a redesign of Lotus magazine, the very first Swedish magazine with lesbian and bisexual girls as the target audience. The questions of which the project is based on are: Which stereotypes, differences and similarities can be found in visual communication addressed to a heterosexual versus a homosexual target audience? What kind of design attracts non-heterosexual girls and how can I create a design for Lotus magazine that is appealing to lesbian and bisexual girls and yet still makes it possible to compete with traditional girls’ magazines?In order to examine my research questions I have done literature studies within the field of gender and sexual identity in relation to visual communication. Additionally, I have analysed the design of competing magazines on the market and conducted a survey among representatives of the target audience of Lotus magazine.

This research examines the sense-making activities of women who engage in intimate relationships with women following a significant period of heterosexual marriage. Using data gathered through interviews with 36 women, the study explores how subjects use common cultural ideas about sexuality to frame the stories they tell to explain their sexual histories. The idea that sexuality is something one is born with, rather than a choice is on the rise in the United States. This essentialist view in conjunction with cultural ideas about the timing at which sexuality is supposed to emerge implies that people should be "aware" of their sexuality at adolescence. For many of the women in the study that "normal" timing was not the case. In addition to the essentialist supposition is the notion the sexuality is binary. One is either heterosexual or one is the particular type of person known as the homosexual, a construct created in the 19th century that continues to be an important part of modern understandings of sexuality. Women who have spent significant time as heterosexuals and go on to have intimate relationships with women must contend with these cultural understandings as they try to make sense to themselves of a sexual story that seems to lie outside the bounds of that hegemonic narrative. Using modified grounded theory to analyze the collected interviews, four story types emerged. These four story types evinced different levels and types of commitment to the views of sexuality that exist in both the mainstream culture and the gay and lesbian community. They include "Always Knew" and "Retrospective" stories, which demonstrated a close commitment to the dominant narrative. The other two types - "Shifter" stories and "Left Fielder" stories - were more loosely connected to the ideas of essential and binary sexuality. As these stories emerged additional insights were provided in the form of the women's discussions of the impact of the social world in terms of lesbian invisibility, lesbian imagery, homophobia, and group or individual support for telling certain types of stories and/or taking on a lesbian identity. This study builds on, and adds to, scholarship in a number of areas. These include: narrative and identity; the social construction of sexuality; the changing nature of biography as people strive to make the past make sense of the present; and the influence of hegemonic cultural ideas in important areas of social and personal life. Additionally the study provides some insight into how heterosexuality is both a "goes without saying" sexuality route as well as a sometimes problematic achievement. / Sociology

The present study addresses three objectives: 1) to explore the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) persons who are coming in the United States as students and coming out about their sexual orientation, 2) to explore the cultural narratives that emerge in their disclosure process, and 3) to generate ways to support LGBQ international students. Research on the disclosure process for LGBQ persons have been comprised largely of white, middle-class individuals and families. This narrative inquiry broadens our understanding of how LGBQ persons from different cultures define and experience the coming-out process, particularly in the context of moving to a different country. Twelve LGBQ international students shared their coming in, coming out stories through interviews, journals, a timeline, online forum, and picture. Narrative analysis of their stories consisted of three methods: thematic, structural, and dialogic. These findings provide directions for future research, clinical practitioners, educators, and student affairs personnel working with international students. / Ph. D. / Imagine moving to a different culture. You arrive in a foreign land, where you are grouped into a racial category that represents many countries and cultures. You struggle to stay in contact with family and friends from your native country while trying to build connections and find support in your new home. On top of that, your sexual identity is non-heterosexual, and the social climate and level of acceptance toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) people in your new home is vastly different from your country-of-origin. This is a sliver of the experiences that LGBQ persons may face when moving to a different country. The present project explores the stories of LGBQ international students in the United States, in hopes of generating ways to support them. Twelve LGBQ international students shared their coming in, coming out stories. This broadens our understanding of how cultures shapes the coming-out process, particularly in the context of moving to a different country. These findings provide directions for future research, clinical practitioners, educators, and student affairs personnel working with international students.

Counselors and other mental health professionals lack training on healthy sexuality and sexual identity development (SID). To begin to construct a comprehensive model of SID that can be used in counseling and counselor education, I conducted an exploratory study utilizing a grounded theory approach to collect and analyze SID stories from a purposive sample of eight adults from the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area: four male and four female; seven White Caucasian-American and one Asian American; and self-identified as two gay, one lesbian, three heterosexual, and two sexually fluid. Participants elucidated a process model of the sexual-self that incorporated biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual factors. Emergent themes included discovering, distinguishing, placing boundaries around, differentiating, and integrating the sexual-self. This preliminary model advanced a more holistic understanding of SID that counselors and other mental health professionals, educators, and researchers may find useful within their respective disciplines.

It has only been in recent years that eating disorder researchers have begun focusing on sexual orientation as a variable that may affect prevalence rates. Heeding the call for studies that extend beyond identification of fixed eating disorder risk factors (e.g., gender), this study was designed to explore factors that contribute to the development of disordered eating among lesbians. In this study, a hypothesized Lesbian Model of Disordered Eating was tested using structural equation modeling. Lesbian Sexual Identity and Social Supports were hypothesized to positively influence Psychological Health. In addition, Internalization of U.S. Societal Norms of beauty and attractiveness was hypothesized to negatively affect Psychological Health. Psychological Health, in turn, was hypothesized to negatively influence Body Image Concerns. Body Image Concerns was then hypothesized to positively affect Disordered Eating. The fit of the model was evaluated and one of the hypothesized pathways, Internalization of Norms was moved to directly predict Body Image Concerns. After adjusting the model, the model accounted for 54% of the variance in disordered eating. Most notably, the results highlight the potential affects of adopting a positive lesbian identity on disordered eating and underscore the importance of including sexual identity as a demographic variable in studies of body image and disordered eating. Implications for counseling and directions for future research are discussed.

A presente dissertação é um estudo sobre o movimento GLBT (Gays, Lésbicas, Bissexuais e Transgêneros) e as relações desenvolvidas por esse movimento com um mercado segmentado destinado a homossexuais, ou mercado GLS (Gays, Lésbicas e Simpatizantes). O trabalho procura compreender essas relações a partir da pesquisa de campo realizada com foco na Associação da Parada do Orgulho GLBT de São Paulo (APOGLBT). Além disso, há um esforço no sentido de entender as dinâmicas do mercado GLS e do movimento GLBT a partir de meados da década de 1990, especialmente em São Paulo. O enfoque da dissertação recai sobre processos de aproximação e diferenciação entre movimento e mercado, envolvendo também situações de conflito e colaboração entre ambos os atores sociais. Tal abordagem foi elaborada a partir da discussão teórica sobre processos de construção de identidades coletivas presentes na constituição de sujeitos políticos, bem como da perspectiva da antropologia a respeito de processos de consumo. / This thesis is a study of the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) movement and its relations with a segmented market that is focused on homosexuals or GLS (Gay, Lesbian and Supporter). This work departing from the conducted field research on the Associação da Parada do Orgulho GLBT de São Paulo (APOGLBT - São Paulo\'s Association for the GLBT Pride Parade) seeks to understand these relations. Besides this, an effort has been made to understand the dynamics of the GLS market and the GLBT movement, specially in São Paulo, since the mid 1990s. The focus of this thesis is grounded on an analysis of processes of rapprochement and differentiation between the movement and the market, involving situations of conflict and collaboration between both social actors. This approach has been elaborated from a theoretical discussion about processes of collective identity formation, present in the constitution of political subjects, as well as from an anthropological perspective on consumption processes.