<p>The general aim of the project was to describe the situation of lesbians and gay men in a nursing environment by studying the attitudes of nursing staff and students, and the experiences of gay nursing staff in their work environment and of gay patients and partners in their encounters with nursing. The study for papers I and II had a descriptive, comparative design. Nurses, assistant nurses, and nursing students completed the Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale (ATHS), the Causes of Homosexuality Questionnaire (CHQ), and the Affect Adjective Checklist (AAC), along with the Nursing Behaviour Questionnaire (NBQ). In general, the participating nursing staff and students expressed positive attitudes, though some subjects reported very negative attitudes toward gay people. The participants also expressed a full spectrum of emotions from delight to anger. The studies for papers III and IV had a descriptive, explorative design. Here, the data collection was performed by semi-structured interviews. The informants were gay nursing staff, gay patients and partners of patients. The gay personnel reported fear and concern about heterosexuals' reactions when these informants 'come out', and were constantly assesing the risk being open about their sexual orientation among their workmates. Nearly all patients and partners described several situations where heteronormative assumptions were communicated by the nursing staff. Almost all informants offered recommendations for nursing staff to facilitate communication. According to the presented findings, probably only a small minority in Swedish nursing have negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. However, the informants told of heteronormative language and behaviour in nursing contexts that were percieved as insensitive, insulting and humaliating. Nursing staff need to learn how to communicate in a more natural way and to be aware of the norms they communicate through the language and behaviour they use.</p>

Homosexuality is an important and controversial topic in political, philosophical, ethical and religious spheres. We are exposed to the debate of homosexuality in the media on a regular basis and issues related to homosexuality have been taken up by the Supreme Court, politicians and religious institutions. Needless to say, the debate surrounding homosexuality has captured the attention of almost everyone in society to some degree. It is my goal in this thesis to give a candid overview and analysis of the arguments surrounding homosexual sexual conduct. First, I will present an argument by John Corvino, who posits that homosexual conduct can realize the same concrete goods of love, happiness, and pleasure, among others, that heterosexual conduct can realize. Namely, if homosexual conduct can produce these goods, then there is no reason on the face of things to treat homosexual conduct as morally inferior to heterosexual conduct. I will then consider an objection by Michael Levin who asserts that even if this is true, there is a prudential reason to discourage homosexual conduct because it leads to unhappiness. This fact counts prudentially against homosexual conduct and undermines Corvino’s argument. I will then examine an argument by Alan Goldman, who presents a definition of sex which he believes best matches our common intuitions and judgments in regards to what sexual activity is and isn’t. Goldman argues against definitions of sexual activity which posit that the purpose of sexual activity is to fulfill some external goal or purpose to sex itself, such as reproduction or love. Rather, Goldman outlines that sex is essentially a physical desire for contact with another’s body. If Goldman’s definition is correct, then his definition entails that homosexual conduct is not immoral. Afterwards, I will give my own thoughts as to what moral conclusions we should draw about homosexual conduct based on the above arguments.

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which the Swedish lifestyle magazine VeckoRevyn construct the sex and love relations of bi- and homosexuals. We analyzed 22 unique texts in magazines, from 2009 to 2014, in order to get a result as current as possible. To represent the magazine overall we have selected texts from various parts of the magazine. With a critical discourse analysis and through relevant and significant theories and perspectives such as social constructionism and heteronormativity, we found that VeckoRevyn represent sex and love relations of bi- and homosexuals through four discourses. The outcome of our study shows that VeckoRevyn only represent a limited part of bi- and homosexuals sex and love relations. In the analysed texts bi- and homosexuals are forced to “come out of the closet” repeatedly and their sexual relations are rarely represented. When the sexual relations are represented, it’s frequently through fantasies or in extreme ways with an attempt to entertain. VeckoRevyn tells the readers that it’s stupid to label oneself as bi- or homosexual, nevertheless VeckoRevyn often uses labels as a big part of their construction of bi- and homosexuals identities. Bi- and homosexuals never really come out of the closet, they are forced to always be standing in the doorway.

In this research I address the phenomenon of female fans’ fascination with online boys’ love fiction in China, and the discussion centers on the questions of why these women are interested in the boys’ love theme, why they prefer boys’ love to traditional heterosexual romance, and how they define and identify with male–male relationships in the boys’ love fiction. Through focusing research on a popular Chinese online-fiction website for women (www.jjwxc.net), I use historical review, online observations, and content analysis of online boys’ love fiction to collect data on my research questions. Understanding female fans’ expectation of and attitudes towards love and romance and analyzing the content of boys’ love fiction allow for a comprehension of the interactions of gender, sexuality, identity, and culture in shaping these women’s practice and choice of boys’ love genre in China. / text

Like many other people I have thought about the biblical understanding of homosexuality. Because of my previous study on sexual purity before marriage and the exegetical work done on key biblical passages for that study, I thought I understood where the real issues lay regarding the subject of homosexuality. This study is an attempt to contribute to the current discussion in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa on the topic of homosexuality. In bringing this study to its final format I have received the indispensable help of others. First and foremost I wish to express my gratitude to my promoter, Professor Fika J van Rensburg. I am indebted to him beyond what mere words could convey in terms of gratitude. Our academic relationship spans five years and has developed into a warm friendship. It has been to my matchless benefit to be associated with him. I have profited much from his biblical knowledge, scholarly experience and overall passion and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I also want to thank Reverend Erlo Stegen of Mission Kwasizabantu for his support and spiritual guidance. It is very special to be associated with a person who preaches the Word of God unambiguously and who has given and dedicated his life to Christ and Christ alone. Through his dedication Mission Kwasizabantu had become a home to the spiritual homeless and a refuge for the spiritual weary. The Mission has also been my home since 1994. I would like to express appreciation to Dr Andre van Niekerk and the North-West University for the financial support to complete this study. It is my prayer that the critical reader of this thesis will acknowledge that the money was well invested. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to my friend, Reverend Frits van der Menve, for proofreading the manuscript. A special word of thanks to the personnel of the Ferdinand Postma and Jan Lion Cachet Libraries for their help and assistance. All my requests were always met with a smile and helpful attitude. All work done for me was executed in a spirit of kindness and benevolence. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Andra and my son Chris, whose lives are inextricably bound with my own and who shared in the sacrifices associated with this study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (New Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Titeln på denna studie är Internalisering av kategoriella par i form utav homosexuella asylsökande. Studiens syfte är att undersöka om och hur föreställningar utifrån ett heteronormativt synsätt, hos handläggaren på Migrationsverket, påverkar asylprövningen av homosexuella. Studien berör hur diskursen i samhället formar föreställningar av den homosexuelle mannen och hur dessa föreställningar blir gällande inom myndighetsutövningen vid Migrationsverket. Studien utgår från teorier av Michel Foucault, samt är kompletterad och avgränsad med hjälp av andra teorier, bland annat Queerteorin. Studien bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer av sju handläggare vid Migrationsverket, verksamma vid två olika kontor i Stockholm. Undersökningen visar att föreställningar om homosexuella förekommer inom Migrationsverket och att detta kan påverka utfallet av asylprövningen. Migrationsverket arbetar själva med dessa frågor genom utbildning av sin personal, vilket tyder på en insikt kring problematiken. Denna studie är en del av min kandidatexamen på Södertörns Högskola inom Socialt arbete med storstadsprofil. / The title of this study is The internalization of categorical pairs in the form of gay asylum seekers. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether and how the preconceived view of homosexuals from a hetero normative perspective, by desk officers at the Swedish Migration Board, affects the asylum trial of homosexuals. The study addresses how the discourse in society forms perceptions of the gay man, and how these perceptions become effective within the exercising of authority at the Swedish Migration Board. This study relies on several theories of Michel Foucault and it is supplemented and delimited by other theories, including Queer Theory. The study is based on interviews with seven desk officers at the Swedish Migration Board, active at two different offices in Stockholm. The investigation shows that perceptions of homosexuals occur at the Migration Board and that this may affect the outcome of the asylum trial. The Swedish Migration Board is working with these matters through education of their personnel, suggesting an awareness of the problem. This study is a part of my bachelor´s degree at Södertörn University in Social Work with urban profile.

Like many other people I have thought about the biblical understanding of homosexuality. Because of my previous study on sexual purity before marriage and the exegetical work done on key biblical passages for that study, I thought I understood where the real issues lay regarding the subject of homosexuality. This study is an attempt to contribute to the current discussion in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa on the topic of homosexuality. In bringing this study to its final format I have received the indispensable help of others. First and foremost I wish to express my gratitude to my promoter, Professor Fika J van Rensburg. I am indebted to him beyond what mere words could convey in terms of gratitude. Our academic relationship spans five years and has developed into a warm friendship. It has been to my matchless benefit to be associated with him. I have profited much from his biblical knowledge, scholarly experience and overall passion and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I also want to thank Reverend Erlo Stegen of Mission Kwasizabantu for his support and spiritual guidance. It is very special to be associated with a person who preaches the Word of God unambiguously and who has given and dedicated his life to Christ and Christ alone. Through his dedication Mission Kwasizabantu had become a home to the spiritual homeless and a refuge for the spiritual weary. The Mission has also been my home since 1994. I would like to express appreciation to Dr Andre van Niekerk and the North-West University for the financial support to complete this study. It is my prayer that the critical reader of this thesis will acknowledge that the money was well invested. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to my friend, Reverend Frits van der Menve, for proofreading the manuscript. A special word of thanks to the personnel of the Ferdinand Postma and Jan Lion Cachet Libraries for their help and assistance. All my requests were always met with a smile and helpful attitude. All work done for me was executed in a spirit of kindness and benevolence. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Andra and my son Chris, whose lives are inextricably bound with my own and who shared in the sacrifices associated with this study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (New Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Background: Research suggests sexual minority women have higher rates of substance use and mental health problems than straight women. Specifically, past studies have shown alcohol consumption and dependence rates are higher among sexual minority women, in addition to use of some drugs. Similarly, research shows mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicide rates are elevated among sexual minority women. These differences in mental health and substance use characteristics by sexual orientation may be explained by the negative health effects of social marginalization and the common use of drinking establishments for sexual minorities. Objective: The objective of this thesis is to compare substance use and mental health characteristics between lesbian/bisexual women and straight women, including: a) demographic variables; b) alcohol and drug consumption and dependence; c) the social context of substance use (i.e., use with others, motivations to use and locations of use); and, d) mental health characteristics. Methods: Data were obtained from a sample of residential treatment clients in treatment for primarily alcohol and/or cocaine problems. Respondents were asked to fill out self-administered questionnaires, which included details on demographics, substance use, mental health and the social context of use, as well as information on sexual orientation and gender identity. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine differences by sexual orientation. Results: Some sexual orientation differences were found regarding alcohol consumption and dependence during bivariate analysis. In logistic regression results, methamphetamine use was significantly (p<.01) elevated among bisexual women and tranquilizers use was elevated among lesbian and bisexual women when compared to straight women. Bivariate analysis revealed lesbian and bisexual women reported higher levels on motivations to use, but this difference was not significant in multivariate regression results. After regression adjustments, lesbian and bisexual women had higher levels of anxiety and higher rates of suicide attempts. Lastly, lesbian and bisexual women reported substance use with sex workers and sex clients more often than straight women, but no other differences in location and motivations to use were seen in the regression results. Conclusion: Among this sample of residential treatment clients, some mental health and substance use characteristic differences were found. These finding can assist in determining the best treatment practices for sexual minority women. / Graduate / 0347

The general aim of the project was to describe the situation of lesbians and gay men in a nursing environment by studying the attitudes of nursing staff and students, and the experiences of gay nursing staff in their work environment and of gay patients and partners in their encounters with nursing. The study for papers I and II had a descriptive, comparative design. Nurses, assistant nurses, and nursing students completed the Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale (ATHS), the Causes of Homosexuality Questionnaire (CHQ), and the Affect Adjective Checklist (AAC), along with the Nursing Behaviour Questionnaire (NBQ). In general, the participating nursing staff and students expressed positive attitudes, though some subjects reported very negative attitudes toward gay people. The participants also expressed a full spectrum of emotions from delight to anger. The studies for papers III and IV had a descriptive, explorative design. Here, the data collection was performed by semi-structured interviews. The informants were gay nursing staff, gay patients and partners of patients. The gay personnel reported fear and concern about heterosexuals' reactions when these informants 'come out', and were constantly assesing the risk being open about their sexual orientation among their workmates. Nearly all patients and partners described several situations where heteronormative assumptions were communicated by the nursing staff. Almost all informants offered recommendations for nursing staff to facilitate communication. According to the presented findings, probably only a small minority in Swedish nursing have negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. However, the informants told of heteronormative language and behaviour in nursing contexts that were percieved as insensitive, insulting and humaliating. Nursing staff need to learn how to communicate in a more natural way and to be aware of the norms they communicate through the language and behaviour they use.

The aim of this essay is to investigate whether fanfiction allows for liberation by disrupting traditional gender roles and if it can transcend the binary categorization of sex. This will be done by looking at the transformation of a heteronormative relationship into a homosexual one.