This study uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to investigate the meaning of “coming out” for LGBQ individuals. Analysis of open-ended interviews with 30 LGBQ persons revealed three main themes. First, coming out does not have a universal meaning among LGBQ persons; rather, it varies on the basis of an individual’s experiences, social environment, and personal beliefs and values. Coming out is a transformative process, and an important element in identity formation and maintenance. Second, despite being attracted only to members of the same sex, ten interviewees engaged in a queer apologetic, a kind of identity compromise whereby individuals disclose a bisexual identity that they believe satisfies their personal attractions for only members of the same sex and society’s expectation that they be attracted to members of the opposite sex. Third, both gender conformity (e.g., female=feminine) and gender non-conformity (e.g., female=masculine) present unique challenges to coming out. Because they are assumed to be straight, gender conformists must make a more concerted effort to come out. Gender non-conformists may experience greater ease coming out broadly because they are “assumed gay,” but they also experience greater opposition from family and friends who resist gender non-conformity. This study provides important insight into the meaning of coming out as well the influences of heteronormativity and gender presentation on coming out. Implication and recommendations for future research are included.

Gender is a socially derived construct that is taught and understood at young ages. However, not every individual has the same social skills to understand these seen and unseen social cues about gender. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory was given to adult individuals with autism in the United States to better understand their masculine, feminine, and androgenous perceptions. These data were then compared to the original Bem Sex-Role Inventory general population study to see if there were any differences. The data show that males with autism had lower masculine scores and higher feminine scores than males in the general population. Females with autism had no differences compared to females in the general population. The age of gender identification was also collected and showed no major differences to gender identity formation; however, some suggestion can be made that older individuals may perceive their age of gender identity differently than younger individuals. The implications of this allow future research to focus on how masculinity and femininity traits are socially taught among young children.

For many years, research has been done regarding the psychological link between gender, sex, and policy attitudes. Including, common investigations focusing on how female disposition may be a simple predictor of attitudes on "women's issues." However, the 2016 American presidential election—the first election with a female candidate as a leading party candidate, who was defeated by a male candidate accused of making discriminatory remarks about women—showed just how complex and evolving this relationship is. This was demonstrated yet again when the U.S. Supreme Court added a new female justice, then overturned the reproductive health protections of Roe vs. Wade in 2022. Clearly, the relationship between gender and policy attitudes continues to evolve, and so our research understanding of this phenomenon must evolve too. Therefore, this study seeks to answer the following questions: does being a woman, man, or non-identifier impact political behavior? If so, does this occur more or less when self-identified as a feminist, versus not? What other factors matter in this actively evolving phenomenon? How does this track in reference to what is already known about women, feminism, and policy? Ultimately, this research will seek to unpack if it is true that gender identity and self-identification as a feminist impacts opinions on the Roe v. Wade decision.

No description available.

This study claims that an LGBTQ+ themed memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, and possibly similar texts can be used by teachers in the L2 English classroom in an approach of raising gender identity awareness. The memoir is examined for its potential of raising gender identity awareness in the L2 English classroom through a method of close reading the memoir. Along with the close reading, the memoir is evaluated against previous research and steering documents for the English subject in Swedish upper secondary school. The memoir’s teaching potential is demonstrated by a sample lesson for the English subject in Swedish upper secondary school.

No description available.

This research explored how transgender people and their partners experience the process of disclosing their gender identity, experiences of mental health, and how couple and family therapists can be helpful to relationships involving transgender people. The purpose of this study was to better understand transgender relationships to prepare couple and family therapists to work with this population. Participants were seven self-identified transgender people and three of their partners. In-depth interviews were used to explore experiences of transgender people's relationships. Nine themes were identified: decision to disclose, the road to acceptance, perceptions of sexual orientation, change, delineating between purposes for seeking mental health services, belief that therapists are not well-informed about transgender issues, value of well-informed therapists, couple and family therapists should be well-informed, and loved ones understanding of gender identity. This study provides insight into transgender people's relational issues relevant to couple and family therapy. Phenomenological, narrative and feminist lenses provide frameworks to view these findings. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed. / Ph. D.

There has been increasing concern that the cultural imposition of masculine gender role norms contributes to physical and mental health disorders among men. The construct of masculine gender role stress (MGRS) is a gender based perspective of stress which posits that masculine gender role cognitive schemata are employed by men to appraise potential threat in the environment and guide their coping responses. Heavy reliance on these schemata is believed to increase stress and restrict coping behavior. The current study examined the relationship of MGRS to the appraisal and psychophysiological and behavioral responses of males in situations demanding emotional expression. Sixty male college students scoring in the upper and lower third of the MGRS scale distribution responded to role play scenarios designed to elicit angry and tender emotional responses. Subjects rated how stressful they found the tasks to be. Ratings of the level of nonverbal and verbal expressiveness in subjects' responses were also obtained. Cardiovascular reactivity was measured during subjects' verbal and nonverbal responses. / Ph. D.

Yes

The novel Jinetes de la tormenta, written by Spanish author, Javier Castañeda de la Torre, presents gender as an obstacle to individuals in the ongoing process of self-discovery (as it relates to personal identity) and as the underlying source of human discontent in the technological age. Jinetes represents gender as a hindrance to the developing self through masculine and feminine binaries in European colonial languages and through the performative behavioral expectations tethered to the gendered body the theoretical works of Jacques Lacan and Hélène Cixous. The theoretical works of Jacques Lacan and Hélène Cixous establish the argument surrounding linguistic gender barriers in the novel. Lacan suggests that language produces ontological discontent by alienating individuals from themselves from the outside in as a result of the strict parameters of the dominant, masculine “symbolic order,” (a primary vehicle in the development of the self), whereas Cixous frames the dominant masculine as a place marker for linguistic neutrality that fails to fully capture the essence of human identity as a whole. The theoretical work of Judith Butler establishes the argument surrounding embodied gender barriers in the novel, and posits that the physical expression of biological sex condemns individuals to a limited perception of the self and a strained ability to explore one’s identity. This article suggests that an intentional embrace of technology, specifically communication via artificial intelligence, provides a neutral platform that encourages personal introspection as well as global community, and transcends the constraints of gender by allowing individuals to develop a more genuine sense of self beyond the physical body and the limitations of one’s own linguistic tradition.