Master of Arts / Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Nadezda Shapkina / Using a historical comparative analysis, this thesis explores the convergence and divergence of the gay and lesbian rights movement and the transgender rights movement. Historically, these movements have been closely related to each other. In the 1960s, the gay and lesbian rights movement and the transgender rights movement had very similar beginnings. However, the organizations that advocated for gay and lesbian rights marginalized the rights of transgender people, even though both movements were working against similar forms of oppression. While the gay and lesbian rights movement began to include transgender rights into organizations in the 1990s there were still indications that the needs of transgender people are not always met in the LGBT movement. The current steps in the LGBT movement have suggested an attempt to be more inclusive of the transgender rights movement, however there are still signs that the needs of more marginalized members of the LGBT movement are not being met. The thesis suggests an importance of coalition building in social movements to be more able to address intersecting forms of discrimination. It also explores how with diverging interests there is conflict in coalition building.

This thesis considers how the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered communities of Plymouth have performed and signified their own culture and identities during the period 1950 to 2012. Its source materials were largely generated by conducting oral history interviews with members of Plymouth’s LGB and T communities. This resulted in the creation of an archive which included thirty-seven interviews conducted with twenty-four individuals. These interviews, in conjunction with other uncovered archival memorabilia, now form a specific LGBT collection with Plymouth and West Devon Record Office. This PhD thesis interrogates this newly created community archive accession, using theories of performance as a tool, to consider how differing narratives and histories have been constructed, reproduced, contested and maintained. Pride, as a political concept in LGBT culture, is linked to the belief that individuals should maintain and display a sense of dignity in relation to their sexual orientation or gender role as a response to the stigmatisation traditionally associated with being LGB or T. This study tests the relevance of the concept of pride for the lived experience of LGBT communities in Plymouth, concluding that it needs to be understood within personal narratives rather than as primarily manifested in outward-facing forms of performance (such as a parade or a public event). Particularly significant in this regard is the “coming out narrative”. The thesis identifies spaces which, for various reasons, came to be accepted as safe places to accommodate sexual and gender differences in Plymouth in the 1950s and 60s. These strongly reflect Plymouth's location as a port, in combination with the fact that it has played host to each of the armed forces. It considers the impact of international public displays of gay pride from the Stonewall riots in the US through to performances as protest employed by groups such as Outrage! and legislation as Section 28 of the Local Government Act in the UK. The thesis concludes by considering the author’s role in, and wider impact of, the “Pride in Our Past” exhibition, which took place at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (April-June 2012) as part of this research project.

Contemporary music analysts have generally downplayed the relevance of composer intent, a dismissal which ignores the potential for an enhanced expressive context afforded by composers' own assessments and also contributes to the silencing of already othered voices, such as in the case of queer and trans composers. Allowing the trans composer a voice in the reading of their work affirms the integral part of the trans experience that is self-determination. Over time, this project to tell trans stories evolved into a series of vignette-like analyses of trans composers’ works in which I use a methodology that incorporates the voices of living composers while building on and modifying the work of music theorists and queer theorists, and moving queer musicology towards a new trans musicology that includes non-binary genders. This thesis demonstrates my theoretical framework using interviews of six transgender composers to supplement my analyses of their works. By analyzing the work with the added context of the composer’s statements about their own music, my analyses paint more nuanced and complete pictures of the work that reinvest music analysis with the trans voice behind the composition.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Democratic South Africa was based on a constitution that is meant to have democratic values that promote human dignity and non-discrimination. Such democratic values were put in place to ensure that the human rights violations that took place in apartheid South Africa would not take place again and that everyone, especially those previously oppressed are treated with respect and dignity. Despite the guaranteed human rights that are supposed to apply to everyone, lesbians and other members of the LGBT community still face discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Nell and Shaprito (2011, p12) point out that “in stark contrast with constitutional guarantees of freedom and human rights for all, research indicates that homophobic victimization is an endemic part of the South African landscape”.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community continues to experience worse health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts. Inequities in health care include low health insurance rates, high rates of stress due to systemic discrimination and stigma, and a lack of cultural competency in the health care system. Gender and sexual minority (GSM) people are at higher risk of mental health disorders, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), substance use and abuse, cancer, suicide, and other disorders/diseases. A lack of cultural competency in health care systems perpetuates these health disparities and inequities in care that burden the LGBT community. This project?s purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of an online educational intervention on enhancing health professionals? cultural competence of GSM health. This study used a one-group pre-, post-, and follow-up survey intervention, quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on improving health professionals? knowledge, clinical preparedness, and attitudinal awareness of GSM health. The study?s setting was at a primary care center with clinics spread across three rural counties in North Dakota with a combined population of less than 14,000. This study used convenience sampling, and the recruitment of participants included a project presentation at the health care organization where the project would take place and an email invitation. Thirty-six participants completed the pre-survey, 11 of those 36 participants completed the educational intervention and post-survey, and six of those 11 participants completed the follow-up survey four weeks after completing the educational intervention. The instrument used for the presurvey, post-survey, and follow-up survey was the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Development of Clinical Skills Scale (LGBT-DOCSS). A paired sample t-test was used to compare pre, post, and four-week follow-up LGBT-DOCSS mean scores. The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in LGBT-DOCSS mean score on the post-survey (p = 0.0011) and four-week follow-up (p = 0.01) compared to the pre-survey. Additionally, the majority of participants reported that this educational intervention was valuable to their practice. This project revealed that an online educational intervention effectively enhanced health professionals? cultural competence of GSM health.

Lesbian athletes face criticism and discrimination from coaches, fans, and society. Researchers have suggested that female sport is stigmatized due to perceived masculinity and homosexuality, causing athletes to focus on heterosexual and feminine behaviors. The dichotomy of athleticism and femininity in sports has been extensively studied in the heterosexual population. However, the impact of the overt discrimination and pressure to conform to societal standards of femininity and heterosexuality has not been studied in lesbians. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study utilizing survey design was to examine the relationship among sport participation, gender schema, athletic identity, and internalized homophobia. A network-based snowball sampling method was used to survey 226 lesbians, 18 years of age and older. Surveys issued via Internet included the Bem Sex Role Inventory, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, and the Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, t tests, and Pearson Correlation. No significant difference in sports participation was found in lesbians with different gender schemas. There was a significant difference in the athletic identity of participants who were more or less active in sports, but there was no significant difference in internalized homophobia for participants who were more or less active in sports. There was no relationship between athletic identity and internalized homophobia. This study contributes to the existing literature on women and sport. It promotes social change by further investigating the influence of gender schema, athletic identity, and internalized homophobia related to behaviors and attitudes in sports.

This study was conducted to determine the associations between homophobia and heterosexism, psychodynamics of the subconscious mind, and life satisfaction among gay men during emerging adulthood. Although researchers have reported on the psychological distress associated with antigay oppression, limited research is available on the psychodynamics of young gay men in the United States, a place known for prevalent homophobia and heterosexism. Kohut's theory of self psychology and self object needs served as the theoretical foundation for the study. Selfobject needs, perceived homophobic and heterosexist discrimination, and life satisfaction were explored in a national sample of 118 gay men aged 18-25 years. Data were collected using the Selfobject Needs Inventory, Gay and Lesbian Oppressive Situation Inventory, and Satisfaction with Life Scale in a secure internet-based survey. Analysis of the data revealed significant and positive bivariate correlations between antigay oppression and elevated selfobject needs. Elevated selfobject needs were also related to psychodynamic protective reactions and maladjustment. The study results also revealed a significant negative correlation between antigay oppression and life satisfaction. The social change implications of this study relate to treatment planning and developing social programs that aim to decrease antigay oppression by informing mental health clinicians and the wider public about the inter-relationships between homophobia, heterosexism, selfobject needs of young gay men, and their life satisfaction.

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the methodology of past and present research with female homosexuals and then to summarize the current state of knowledge in psychology and psychiatry. The data presented in this review have been derived predominantly from material abstracted in the Medicus Index (1900-1976) and Psychology Abstracts (1927-1976). This reviewer has established specific criteria by which all studies throughout this literature review will be examined. These are: sample size, sampling of experimental control groups, variable controlled (age, education, etc), how sexual orientation was determined, and tests and questionnaires employed, their reliability, validity, administration, and interpretation. It has been shown that both the clinical and nonclinical research populations are extremely biased. Historically and currently, the clinical researchers have utilized small and unspecified populations. This type of research is usually in the form of case studies and has been psychoanalytically oriented. Currently, clinical researchers have attempted to overcome the methodological problems by using control groups, standardized tests, statistical analysis of data, etc. However, adequate clinical studies have been few and their findings highly tentative. The most serious problem with the clinical research is sampling. Nonclinical research on the other hand, has used samples comprised of young, white, educated and middle class subjects. Researchers have attempted to find objective criteria that would discriminate between heterosexual and homosexual women, using projective techniques and self-report inventories, but their results are inconclusive. Data have shown, however, that there are significant differences between “butch” and “fem” lesbians and male homosexuals. Future research will need to determine the sex role "preference of both the homo sexual and heterosexual groups, otherwise differences between the two groups may be the result of a larger proportion of “butch” lesbians being compared to "fem" heterosexuals. The etiology of female homosexuality has been an enduring topic in psychology and psychiatry. To date, researchers have not found any genetic or hormonal characteristics associated with the phenomenon of homosexuality in women. Research focusing on the psychodynamic aspects of homosexuality have found that lesbians have poorer relationships with both parents, experience more interparent friction and less family security, feel less feminine, and are less accepting of the feminine role then heterosexual women. Although these are statistically significant differences between heterosexual and homosexual women it is unknown how, or even whether they affect the development of homosexuality. Female homosexuality has been considered by many mental health professionals as a disease, neurosis, or degenerative condition. The data have failed to show that female homosexuals are less well-adjusted then their heterosexual controls. The treatment of female homosexuality has almost been completely neglected. The majority of the literature has reported on the techniques and theories used on male homosexuals. The few studies that have used female homosexuals are methodologically inadequate. They did not use control groups, standardized instruments to measure the degree of change of sexual orientation, or, adequate follow-up studies. Extensive research needs to be completed to determine if the techniques and theories derived from the treatment of male homosexuals are applicable to lesbians. Considerable more research in the areas of etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of female homosexuality needs to be completed before any tentative statements can be made.

Most schools are not safe environments for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students or for individuals who are questioning their sexual orientation. Harassment and victimization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) students is pervasive. The harassment and victimization result in these students having higher rates of absenteeism and lower academic achievements than their peers. To date, most research has focused on primarily high school lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. Very few studies have included students questioning their sexual orientation. This quantitative descriptive study utilized an anonymous survey to gather information about middle school LGBQ students’ experiences with harassment. The study included 208 middle school students. The results were compiled into three groups (lesbian/gay/bisexual, questioning, and straight) and compared. Findings indicated that LGBQ students experience significantly more harassment than straight students and questioning students are more likely to experience victimization that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight students. The findings support the need for middle school administrators and staff members to take steps to create more inclusive school climates for LGBQ students.

A growing number of gay and lesbian children attend Catholic schools throughout the United States; and an untold number of gay and lesbian children in Catholic schools are experiencing harassment, violence, and prejudice because of their sexual orientation or gender non-conformity. Whether due to their size, strong sense of community, or making special considerations for vulnerable students, Catholic schools seem to be the best equipped to address these issues, but all of the research points to such schools enacting policies of silence and suppression. This study specifically explores why Catholic teachings on sexuality and social justice have may have been unable to compel Catholic schools to do more to understand and support gay and lesbian children. In addition to looking at traditional Catholic teaching, this project also engages non-traditional approaches to scholarship and theology, with an eye towards creating a new theoretical framework that can serve as the basis of a new pedagogical space within Catholic schools in which gay and lesbian children can affirm both their sexual identity and their Catholic identity.