This study focuses on a group of homosexual men. The group has been defined as 'Queer' based on the value and pride which they place on their difference to the general norms and values of the wider society. Four of these men were interviewed on their moral structure and the way in which they structure their relationships. The study focused on: the nature of the norms this group has developed; the process by which this has occurred; and the psychological effects of this process. It was found that the research participants have developed new norms and behavioural scripts significantly different to those existing generally in society. These new behavioural scripts relate to the socially mandated scripts in various ways with some mandated scripts being rejected, some being adapted and amended and others being inverted. These differences seem to originate from individuals being rejected and stigmatised. The changes these queer men have made were moves to bring a greater sense of congruence between their experience, their morality and their behavioural scripts. The initial period of divergence between the socially mandated behavioural scripts and their sexual behaviour was marked by psychological distress while the move to greater congruence between behaviour and behavioural scripts was characterised by increased psychological empowerment and sense of self-worth. The study also showed that during these processes other differences developed between the way these individuals act in their world and the general norm of society. These differences included a greater self-awareness; an increased ability to operate at a meta-level; a conscious effort to create the life that one wants; differences in gender behaviour which incorporated behavioural aspects of both genders and new forms of establishing and maintaining relationships. Homosexuality is an historic opportunity to open up new relational and affective potentialities, not in virtue of qualities intrinsic to the homosexual, but because of the position of the homosexual 'offcenter', somehow, together with the diagonal lines which the homosexual can draw through the social fabric, makes it possible to bring to light these potentialities - a famous homosexual Queer (M. Foucault) / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This preface is designed to provide insight for the reader into the reasoning behind choosing these specific pieces of work to make up the doctorate portfolio and why I consider them to be important pieces, contributing to my identity and competence as a counselling psychologist. This doctorate portfolio is comprised of a selection of completed work for the Practitioner Doctorate in Counselling Psychology for The University of Wolverhampton. It contains three dossiers: Academic, therapeutic and research. In a seperate document is a confidential attachment, which is separate to this portfolio as it contains confidential information. The Academic Dossier contains essays that were submitted for the modules 'Life-span Approach' and 'Working with Couples'. Received academic feedback for these essays are provided within the confidential attachment. The Therapeutic Dossier contains two essays that were written at the last stages of the three year doctorate course, reflecting upon my perceived professional development in the 'Professional Issues' essay and an exploration of therapeutic experience on supervised placements in 'Supervised Practice', over the last three academic years. A conscious decision was also made to not edit these essays for entering into the doctorate portfolio, as they can then ideally represent a growth in writing style and academic ability, which has occurred over the course of this doctoral training. Finally the Research Dossier is composed of several chapters, including a literature review, empirical study and critical appraisal.

LGBT people, in Uganda, have since the colonial time been in a vulnerable situation. When the President signed the “Anti-Homosexuality Act” into law 2014 all forms of same-sex relationships became criminalized. The time after the law passed have been characterized by an increased homophobia and further violence against LGBT people. These are seen as deviants since they do not live according to the social norms, that the right thing to be is heterosexual. They are considered “non-African” and by some an “infectious agent” that will destroy the traditional African family, which is one of society’s most important functions. Except from the fact that LGBT people are persecuted and mistreated they are also denied access to health care and information. The purpose of this study is to explain LGBT persons’ situation and rights in Uganda, mainly based on the “Anti-Homosexuality Act”. This law is reviewed against the ratified conventions, charters and similar laws. This is then related to the theory of heteronormativity, which seems to dominate the Ugandan society. The used methods are case study and conceptual analysis, that provided a deeper and surveying understanding of what this study intended to process.

This qualitative study expands the existing literature on fatherhood, single parents, and gay and lesbian adoption to include the unique experiences of single, gay men who became adoptive parents after "coming out", or establishing a gay identity. To illustrate these unique and common experiences, individual ethnographic interviews were conducted with 16 fathers residing throughout the United States, as well as internationally. Specifically, this study explored the participants' experiences through their reflections of the adoption process, and through their experiences after the family was established. The participants had experiences to those found in previous studies on gay and lesbian adoption and gay fathers, as well as possessed unique strengths, including tenacity and resiliency. Of particular importance are the strategies that each participant employed to deal with heterosexist and sexist stigmas, and continue to employ to maintain and protect their families. The participants were highly invested in their parental roles, and indisputably dedicated to the care of their children. Shifts in the participants' support networks to include greater involvement with heterosexual parents were also common. Finally, these fathers tended not to utilize existing support services, such as support groups for a variety of reasons. The results of this study are a useful addition to the social work knowledge base. On a micro level, the results may be useful for direct practitioners who are often responsible for making decisions regarding the fitness of gay men as fathers. The results may also be of interest to practitioners who work with the children of gay fathers, and are interested in gaining insight into the unique experiences of children raised in this particular family configuration. The results of the inquiry may also be useful to adoption professionals, who are responsible for conducting home studies, as well as for making placement decisions. On a macro level, the results may be useful to administrators who are working to develop programs whose goal is to support the continued development of gay fathers, or by policy makers who are interested in this specific group of gay fathers and their children.

Objective: Male-to-male sexual contact is the most common mode of transmission for HIV among Latino men. Psychosocial factors such as machismo, homophobic discrimination, and internalized homophobia have been hypothesized to greatly impact sexual behaviors among Latinos. However, studies investigating the relationship between these psychosocial factors and risky sexual behaviors are limited. This study examined the impact of machismo on risky sexual behaviors among Latino Male who have Sex with Men (MSM).Methods: This study utilized data collected from 254 Latino MSM in 1999 from selected cities within Virginia. The analysis focused on respondent demographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, acculturation, and sexual risky behaviors. Composite measures for acculturation, machismo, internalized homophobia, and sexual discrimination were created by combining sets of relevant questions. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used and odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.Results: The study found a statistically significant relationship between machismo and HIV/STD sexual risk behaviors. Latino MSM with high machismo values were over four times more likely to engage in HIV/STD sexual risk behaviors compared to those with low machismo values (OR=5.53,95%CI =1.85-16.47). In contrast, HIV/STD sexual risk behaviors were not significantly associated with acculturation, discrimination, or homophobia.Conclusions: Machismo is a significant risk factor for HIV and STD sexual risk behaviors in Latino MSM. Culturally competent messaging and appropriate skill building opportunities addressing machismo values should be incorporated into HIV and STD prevention programs that target Latino MSM.

To better understand the responses of siblings to the disclosure of a sister's lesbian identity, eight pairs of siblings, each consisting of one lesbian participant and one of her siblings, were interviewed. Both lesbian and sibling participants were asked to discuss family relationships before disclosure (coming out), the actual disclosure, sibling reactions, parental reactions, and family relationships since disclosure. Notable results include "closeness" in sibling relationships and high levels of "trust" as strong predictors of supportive sibling responses. Siblings were also found to take on the role of confidant and counselor for their parents as they negotiated their daughters' newly-disclosed sexual orientation.

This research aimed to explore the narratives of romantic jealousy in the context of infidelity for heterosexual and homosexual men from Johannesburg South Africa. This study takes on a qualitative approach using a narrative analysis in combination with a structural and thematic content analysis. The narratives of the heterosexual and homosexual men revealed the role which jealousy plays in every relationship, and how it can affect the emotions and behaviours of both partners. This study found that the narratives of these men were in contradiction to what evolutionary theories as well as past research on the topic have suggested. Evolutionary perspectives propose that heterosexual men are more inclided to sexual infidelity, this was however found to be in contradiction to the beliefs and ideas held by the participants of this study. Heterosexual participants of this study reported that for them emotional infidelity would be more jealousy provoking, as it would be a sure indication that the relationship would end. Past research findings on the other hand have suggested that homosexual males are more inclined to emotional infidelity, as they do not face the risk of cuckholdry. However the same can not be said for the narratives of the homosexual participants of this study. The narrative of all except for one homosexual participant indicated that homosexual men felt that they would be greatly affected by sexual infidelity rather than emotional infidelity. There explanations revolved around the open ended nature and ease of access to sex which is prevalent in the gay community. It is also important to note that simmilarly to the heterosexual group, most of the participnats who experienced sexual jealousy also experienced sexual infidelity. Indicating a link between the type of infidelity you experience to the type of jealousy you feel. This research identified that heterosexual participants felt that in their live stories they found emotional jealousy to be the worst apsect of infidelity while homosexual men felt that sexual jealousy was the worst aspect of infidelity.

A união entre pessoas do mesmo sexo, um dos arranjos familiares característicos de nosso tempo, segue gerando controvérsias em vários países, participando da agenda de movimentos por direitos sexuais, interpelando autoridades religiosas e políticas, membros do judiciário e profissionais da área de saúde. Nesse ínterim, famílias homoparentais se constituem, criam e adotam filhos. A Psicologia e suas ramificações tiveram papéis destacados historicamente na configuração das condições de enunciação a respeito dessa temática. A reflexão crítica sobre a experiência dessas famílias a partir de sua perspectiva, sem reproduzir o discurso normativo, é rara. O objeto deste estudo foi o discurso sobre a família proferido por 10 homens membros de família homoparentais residentes em Ribeirão Preto e arredores, com média de idade de 35 anos. As 10 entrevistas em profundidade foram analisadas a partir do referencial da análise de discurso e da obra de Michel Foucault, discutidas à luz da literatura do campo construcionista que pensa a sexualidade como fenômeno social. Discutiu-se que os entrevistados referem-se de formas distintas às suas famílias de origem e às suas famílias atuais, homoparentais. Às famílias atuais foram associados sentimentos amorosos intensos, o companheirismo e a rapidez na decisão de morar juntos. Os enunciados sobre as famílias de origem foram marcados por menções à rejeição, à violência, à morte, perdas e sofrimento. Vários dos homens entrevistados mostraram-se temerosos ante a possibilidade de serem rejeitados por parentes próximos, colegas de trabalho, membros do judiciário e psicólogos em função de sua orientação sexual ou de seu pertencimento a uma família homoparental. Ao discorrerem sobre essa temática, os entrevistados construíram cenas enunciativas marcadas por uma acentuada assimetria de poderes. Diante da exposição pública de sua orientação sexual e de sua família homoparental, restaria aguardar, pedir ou torcer pelo reconhecimento e pela aceitação social. Defenderam reiteradamente a normalidade de si mesmos, de suas famílias e filhos. Todos externaram o desejo de tornarem-se pais e destacaram os sentimentos amorosos como o critério mais importante para a escolha de uma criança para adoção. Todo discurso é uma produção cujas ondições de possibilidade dependem do contexto de sua enunciação. A construção discursiva dos membros dessas famílias acerca do que seria a família homoparental está ocorrendo sob condições desfavoráveis, pois se elas ganharam visibilidade social nos últimos anos, também foram alvo de ataques e tiveram sua legitimidade e cidadania contestadas por instituições centrais para a vida cotidiana, tais como a Igreja, o poder legislativo e judiciário. Devem ser considerados, portanto, os riscos de utilizarmos termos como homoparentalidade ou gay families no âmbito dos estudos e práticas em Psicologia. Psicólogos (dentre outros profissionais de saúde) participaram da construção da imagem do homossexual como uma outra espécie, associada à doença, ao pecado e ao crime e deveriam ter cautela para não defini-las como mais uma espécie deficitária de família. / Among other family arrangements of our times, same sex-couples in several countries are controversial, a theme that is part of the sexual rights movement agenda challenges religious, juridical and political authorities, and health care professionals. In the meantime, new gay families are created, take care and adopt children. Psychology had a leading role in the history of the discourse conditions on this issue. A reflexive and critical literature about these families experience in their own perspective is rare. The aim of this study was the discourse about family constructed by 10 men that are members of gay families residing in the neighbourhood of Ribeirão Preto, a medium size city in São Paulo State interior. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with men, average age of 35 years old. They were analyzed within the discourse analysis framework, based on Michel Foucaults work and the social constructionism literature that assumes sexuality as a social phenomenon. It was discussed how the interviewees distinguished their families of origin from their current family. Their current families were associated to intense loving feelings, partnership and the impulsiveness in their decision to share a home. The discourses related to their family of origin were marked by mentions of rejection, violence, death losses and suffering. Several of the interviewed men were concerned and frightened by the possibility of being rejected by close relatives, co-workers, members of the judicial power and psychologists due to their sexual orientation or due to their belonging to gay families. When they mentioned this theme, they constructed narrative scenes marked by a relevant power asymmetry. If their sexual orientation and their belonging to a gay family was exposed, they would have to wait, asking or hoping for social recognition and acceptance. The interviewed also repeatedly claimed the normality of their family, children and their own. All of them have expressed the desire of being a parent. When indicating the best criteria for selecting a child for adoption, they would choose their loving feelings. Discourse production is conditioned by and depends of the context of its enunciation. The discursive construction by members of such families conceptualizing homoparental families is occurring under un-favorable conditions, since, despite gay families have obtained social visibility during last years, they have also been subjected to critics and have had their legitimacy and citizenship contested by important institutions of daily life, such as churches and legal and politic sphere. Finally, we ask for caution of using terms like homoparentship or gay families within psychology studies and practices, considering that psychologists (amongst other health professionals) participated in the construction of the homosexual as another human species, associated to diseases, sins and crimes. We should take care in not to define homoparental families as another non-normal and problematic family.

Thesis advisor: Penelope Ismay / In this thesis, I examine the history of the U.S. military’s stance on homosexual and bisexual service personnel and the political and cultural influences that changed this stance. Even though the military held a largely anti-homosexual attitude for much of its history, it was only during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s that the military declared itself as antigay. At the same time, the American public attempted to address the epidemic in terms of both public health and civil rights. The public chose to protect the gay community’s civil rights, so the military had to follow suit. President Bill Clinton created “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as a compromise between the alleged military needs and pubic demands. Paradoxically, this policy actually increased discharges of homosexual personnel, cost the military financially, and bred fear and isolation within homosexual service members. And it was the exposure of these injustices that led to its repeal. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: History.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:48:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ellwes Colle de Campos.pdf: 2515199 bytes, checksum: 5e2f4146ffc35bb675890e89a2ac615c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-08-31 / The gay pride parade like a rite. Following this logic, it s necessary to expose the constituent elements of this rite, as well as the present symbology, where it is possible to verify a ethos and the vision of the world that they delineate the cultural traces of the movements homosexuals in Brasilia. Of this form, the present speech in the related event requires social recognition, for to recoup the respect, the freedom of being, the citizenship and the dignity in relation to the too much parameters of the society, that is, the too much social segments that compose the established social system, where, in a functional or system vision, it does not have exclusion: all it must be considered, therefore, one perceives of implicit form the indignation and the idea of the church is the main legislator of the marginality of this category. / É possível compreender a Parada do Orgulho Gay como sendo um ritual. Seguindo esta lógica, há que se expor os elementos constitutivos desse rito , bem como a simbologia presente no mesmo, onde então se verifica um ethos e uma visão de mundo que delineiam os traços culturais dos movimentos homossexuais em Brasília. Desta forma, o discurso presente no referido evento requer reconhecimento social, ou seja, recuperar o respeito, a liberdade de ser, a cidadania e a dignidade em relação aos demais parâmetros da sociedade, isto é, os demais segmentos sociais que compõem o sistema social estabelecido, onde, numa visão funcionalista e/ou sistêmica, não há exclusão: o todo deve ser considerado, portanto, percebe-se de forma implícita a indignação e a idéia de que a Igreja é a principal legitimadora da marginalização desta categoria.