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Purpose: Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) show a heightened risk of disordered eating compared to heterosexual and cisgender people, a disparity which may be caused by exposure to minority-specific stressors, such as discrimination and violence. This systematic review aims to summarize available evidence on the role of minority stress in disordered eating and SGM-specific aspects. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, scientific search engines (EBSCO, PUBMED, Web of Science) were screened up to 31st of January 2024, including English-language original research papers containing analyses of the relationship between minority stress and disordered eating. 2416 records were gathered for screening. After application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, thematic analysis was conducted regarding 4 research questions: effects of minority stress on disordered eating, mediating factors, specificities of SGMs and differences between identity categories. Results: 30 studies were included. Several aspects of minority stress are reliably associated with different forms of disordered eating. The relationship between minority stressors and disordered eating is mediated by aspects such as shame, body shame, or negative affect. SGMs show several specificities, such as the presence of a role of LGBTQIA + communities and additional gender-related pressures. Bisexual people and gender minorities appear to feature comparatively higher risks, and gender-related factors shape paths leading to disordered eating risk. Conclusion: Minority stress is an important predictor of disordered eating, making SGM people's health particularly at risk. Institutional and organizational anti-discrimination policies are needed, as well as further research. Clinical interventions may benefit from exploring and incorporating how minority stressors impact SGM people. Evidence level I—Systematic review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ways in which health professionals (HPs) interact with individuals from sexual minorities can impact their perception of the health service and influence engagement. This systematic literature review aimed to identify and synthesize the qualitative literature exploring interactions between HPs and lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) patients in healthcare settings. A search strategy was developed and applied to CINAHL and Medline, inclusion criteria were then applied to results by two screeners with good agreement. Thematic analysis was carried out on papers meeting the inclusion criteria in three stages, beginning with coding the text line-by-line, developing descriptive themes and finally, analytical themes. Electronic searches identified 348 papers with 20 of these meeting the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis found five themes; HPs' lack of knowledge regarding LGB specific issues, identification of sexual orientation, discomfort in interactions, LGB patients' experience of heteronormative attitudes and perceived judgment or other negative attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The victimization of gay and bisexual men has gained significant academic and social attention, with that focus extending to the role of digital victimization. Grindr has dominated the market for online dating apps targeting gay, bisexual, trans and queer people. Drawing on qualitative data collected from men who use Grindr, this paper addresses a gap in criminological literature by exploring the way that men that have sex with men negotiate perceptions of safety when engaging in real-world meetings that have been facilitated by Grindr. It is argued throughout this paper that risk-reduction strategies adopted by interviewees only reduce the perception of risk, rather than the actual risk of experiencing violent victimization. As such, it is claimed exploring digital integration offers a more nuanced reading of the intertwined and fraught relations of risk and safety within digital and physical spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Counter Narrative Project (CNP) was founded to shift narratives and shatter stereotypes about Black gay, bisexual, and queer men to advance social justice. This paper describes three programs CNP implemented that were organized around collective memory as a strategy to respond to collective trauma experienced by this community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: Bisexual people experience significantly poorer mental health and higher rates of self‐harm and suicidality than their gay, lesbian or heterosexual counterparts.Although little is understood about why these disparities exist, bisexual people have been found to have unique life experiences that separate them from other sexual minority groups.Despite these health disparities and unique experiences, in research and in clinical settings, bisexual people are often incorporated under the LGBTQI+ umbrella and their needs are not seen as being different to those of other sub‐groups. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: This paper brings together the findings of the small but growing body of literature reporting on the psychosocial support needs of bisexual people.The findings reported on herein provide novel insights, collated and synthesized that will prove valuable to policy makers, service providers and researchers. What are the implications for practice?: This paper clearly illustrates that bisexual people experience significant barriers to accessing the support services they need and that current competent service provision for this population is severely limited.The findings presented in this paper shed light on the unique psychosocial needs of bisexual people and highlight the need for practice change to reduce barriers to service access and ensure inclusive and culturally competent care for this community. Introduction: Despite consistent evidence of poor mental health among what is a relatively large population group, research examining bisexual mental health remains sparse. Aim: To identify the psychosocial needs of people who are bisexual and establish factors that may support or inhibit access to appropriate psychosocial interventions and supports. Method: A qualitative evidence syntheses of the empirical evidence. Results: A total of 15 papers were included in the review. The PRISMA process was used. Following data analysis, four main themes emerged that were (a) experiences of being bisexual, (b) mental health experiences and concerns, (c) service access and responses and (iv) communities and supports. Discussion: Bisexual people have unique and specific psychosocial support needs that relate to, but are also different from, the needs of the broader LGBTIQ+ community. This study provides valuable insights into how future policy, practice, education and training and research can better address the needs of this highly vulnerable group. Implications for Practice: This study highlights the psychosocial complexities associated with bisexuality and provides evidence for the need for improvement in current support services to ensure inclusivity and culturally competent care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the use of coproduction to create a film "Do You See Me?", to amplify the voices of a "hard to reach" group: older lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) victim-survivors of domestic abuse (DA). Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative methods were used as part of the co-production, which included two practitioner focus groups and 14 narrative interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning persons or the community (LGBTQ+) victim-survivors. Findings: Despite differences in gender, sexualities, roles and "lived experiences" across stakeholders, there was a shared aim to ensure victim-survivors had a sense of ownership in this endeavour. Consequently, a positive reciprocity existed that helped to foster effective communication, allow for capacity building and subsequent knowledge exchange. The collaboration produced a nuanced meta-narrative making visible the "lived experiences" of LGB victim-survivors' perceptions of perpetrator behaviours. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is original in two ways, firstly, providing insights into the "lived experiences" of an invisible group; older LGBTQ+ victim-survivors, and secondly, in involving them in the co-production of a film. The paper aims to reveal how interdependencies that developed between stakeholders helped to disrupt understandings, develop new ways of knowing and build levels of trust. Group interactions helped to dismantle hierarchies, so those with experiential knowledge: the survivors, had greater control throughout the research process. The paper is significant in providing a critical reflection on the ethical, methodological and resource challenges involved in co-production. It also makes recommendations for researchers and funders about the value of using co-production as a method to engage with hard-to-reach groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws attention to the tensions generated within LGBTQ+ movements in Portugal. Although recent legal developments have put Portugal on the map as a European country welcoming LGBTQ+ people, on a local scale, movements have been less ready to expand their notions of inclusion within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Drawing on two studies carried out through twenty qualitative interviews between 2017 and 2020, the authors focus on the tensions that emerge in the narratives of two groups of people: bisexual activists and chronically ill people who also identify as LGBTQ+. Both studies explore to what extent practices of exclusion are at play in Pride politics in Portugal and what forms of (in)visibility are privileged over others. The analysis uses the concepts of middle ground (Hemmings 2002) and boundary work (Egner 2017) to show how Pride politics are often oriented towards a normative definition of able-bodied, white gay and lesbian people. They also tend to exclude from public space some intersectional subjectivities, through active opposition or indirect discrimination. The paper offers a relevant perspective to reflect on the tensions generated by public action within LGBTQ+ communities, compromises between care and belonging, and the future advancements that will need to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper considers the nature of creativity in Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse, in which she said she had finally 'laid the ghosts' of her parents, after many years of being obsessed with them, her mother in particular. Woolf was very familiar with the psychoanalytic concepts of her day, owing to the social milieu and publishing context of the 'Bloomsbury' intellectual circle. She acknowledged that all her writings were in some sense autobiographical. Despite periods of severe depression, she preferred not to have an analysis but to pursue her own self-analysis through her writings. This paper pursues in detail the evolution of the image of 'internal parents', known in modern psychoanalysis as the 'combined internal object' (Klein, Meltzer) and taken to be the key source of an individual's creativity. The aim is to distinguish the realistic portrayal of external parents from the creative story that is told and indeed discovered by the writer, focussing on its experiential and experimental evolution within the structure of the novel itself. Woolf spoke of the 'androgynous' nature of creative work, and this, it is suggested, refers not simply to the aesthetic interweaving of complementary qualities represented in the story, but to the sense of a governing aegis of parental bisexual objects who work towards and achieve a constructive relationship in the inner world, capable of repairing defects that exist in the external world. Woolf preferred not to interpret her own works symbolically but suggested that readers may do so. The family journey to the Lighthouse is often seen in terms of a spiritual journey, as well as an artistic one, and can also be interpreted in psychoanalytic terms of an internal reconstruction or reparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that the erotology within Hubert Fichte’s novels, as it has been formulated by Gert Mattenklott, can be complemented by a bi-orgasmology. On the basis of selected passages, it shows how Fichte’s bisexual protagonist, the writer and ethnographer Jäcki, stylizes the orgasmic moment as a state of distinguished epistemic quality with regard to the world and the other, being characterized by, first, a partial suspension of the I and, second, a specific epistemic double rhythm, oscillating between consciousness and unconsciousness, reflexivity and irreflexivity. As an ideal, the female orgasm scintillates on the epistemological firmament, as it is described by Jäcki’s lifelong partner Irma in Hotel Garni; an orgasmic form of perception which Jäcki approximates in the course of an orgy in Eine Glückliche Liebe, precisely because he simultaneously adopts penetration roles that are conventionally encoded as male and female within the heteronormative matrix. The forms of perception in this decidedly bisexual scene eventually become the blueprint for how Jäcki wants to conduct his research in the field of the syncretistic religions of the Americas: reflexive-irreflexive, both a registrar and a participant, balancing between the own and the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysing survey data from 1,304 LGBTQ + young people in Australia collected in 2016, this paper considers key distinctions between the experiences of bisexual and pansexual participants, and lesbian and gay participants in relation to social media use and aspects of connection, harassment and mental health. Presenting quantitative data, illustrated by qualitative extracts, we found broad similarities in motivations for using social media and how participants connected to peers and communities. There were some statistically significant differences, however, in respondents' motivations for using social media and who they connected with on these platforms. Importantly, bisexual and pansexual participants reported more negative experiences of harassment and exclusion across all major social media platforms when compared to their lesbian and gay peers. Bisexual and pansexual respondents also reported poorer mental health experiences. These findings speak to the different impacts of discrimination and oppression that young people experience in everyday life. There is a need for focused attention on bisexual and pansexual young people in academic, policy and youth-work domains. Young people will benefit from more substantial school-based education on LGBTQ + identities - beyond the experiences of gay and lesbian people - to 'usualise' varieties of difference in gender and sexual identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper both revisits and productively draws on Judith Butler's theory of sexuality offered in Gender Trouble, to consider how this foundational queer theory text inadvertently works to contain and bracket plurisexualities such as bisexuality. I consider how Butler at once rejects the idea of originary bisexuality provoked by psychoanalytic discourse on polymorphous perversity yet subsumes bisexual oppression into that of homosexuality. I interrogate Butler's monosexual presumptions to extend their notion of the heterosexual matrix to account for an operational hetero/homo binary that both excludes plurisexuality as its Other and obscures this exclusion. Following this theoretical line, I consider how the asymmetric hetero/homo binary has been coded along the lines of comedy/tragedy in culture, and in contrast how bisexuality and other plurisexualities are often rendered impossible. I suggest that plurisexualities, representing a refusal to refuse the originary prohibition, "haunt" both straight and queer contexts alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Substance use, that is of cigarettes, alcohol and chemical inhalants, is a major contributor to health‐compromising behaviors and the related consequences among adolescents around the world. The purpose of this paper is to examine trends in this phenomenon in South Korea among sexually active adolescents who reported sexual minority behaviors as compared to their heterosexual (HS) peers. Design and Methods: This study used data from the annual web‐based survey called Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 5‐year intervals: 2006, 2011, and 2016. From 2017, the questions regarding the gender of sex partners were excluded from the survey, thus no data is available for sexual minorities after 2016. Selected data (Unweighted n = 10,029) was used to assess whether substance use increased, decreased, or remained unchanged among adolescents who reported same‐sex (SS) behaviors and bisexual (BS) behaviors compared to their peers reporting HS behaviors. Demographic variables included age and assigned gender. Substances referred to are cigarettes, alcohol, and chemical inhalants. Logistic regression models were sex‐stratified according to assigned gender. Trend analyses were carried out to examine disparities in substance use among sexually active adolescents across the three survey years. Results: Across the three survey years, cigarette use, alcohol use, and problematic drinking declined among all sexually active youths, but there were some differences among the subgroups. In 2016, SS girls were more likely to use cigarettes than HS girls. The prevalence of alcohol use and problematic drinking among BS girls was relatively higher than among girls who exhibited either HS or SS behaviors. Inhalant use was very high among both boys and girls with SS and BS behaviors. Practice Implications: The findings of the study reveal disparities in substance use between sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents in South Korea. This creates an alarm for collecting data separately for sexually diverse youth in future Korean national surveys with a goal of reducing substance use among all adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until 1985 Essex was mostly preoccupied with helping his friend Joe Beam put together what would be the pathbreaking Black gay anthology I In The Life i , and in enjoying a live-in love affair with a naval career officer who broke it off after several years, leaving Essex sadly missing what he called "the domestic repetition of beauty that is found in caring for and being cared for by a lover." In 1980, Miller arranged for Essex and the Black lesbian poet/filmmaker Michelle Parkerson-she and Essex immediately bonded and became lifelong friends-to share a bill together at a poetry reading series at Howard University.[5] From that point on, Essex's contacts and publications proliferated. For additional material I'm indebted to Frances Goldin, Essex's literary agent (and at the time, my own), who located Essex's early poems for me in her back files, as well as the manuscript of his long-lost novel, "Standing in the Gap." 20 For this and the following three paragraphs: Michelle Parkerson to me, April 8, 2013; Hemphill to Assotto Saint, June 10, 1993, Assotto Saint (Yves Lubin) Papers, Schomburg Library; Goldin to Hemphill, Sept. 1, 1992, Jan. 13, 1993; Goldin to Peter Borland (NAL), Nov. 4, 1992; Hemphill to Goldin, Dec. 21, 1992, Feb. 16, July 28, Sept. 1993-all courtesy Goldin. [Extracted from the article]

Geo-social networking applications (GSNAs) like Tinder and Grindr are popular tools for connecting with people for romance, sex, and other purposes, particularly among sexual minorities. This paper draws on narrative interviews with 13 bisexual persons (5 cisgender men, 6 cisgender women, 2 trans/nonbinary persons) to explore their GSNA use, including motives and gratifications, relational dynamics, and implications for individual identities and cultural understandings of bisexuality. Participants presented complex and ambivalent accounts of their GSNA use, revealing a variety of relational aspirations and experiences. Whatever users' goals, cultural meanings associated with bisexuality shaped online interactions in ways that impeded their fulfillment, with binegativity routinely preventing relationship formation in the first instance or precipitating relationship dissolution. Despite these challenges, bisexual persons regularly have successful digitally-mediated encounters which can reshape private and collective understandings of bisexuality. GSNAs expose users to new experiences and discourses that help them make sense of their erotic predilections, including partner sex/gender sexuality. They may also play a role in the broader sea change in attitudes toward bisexuality by facilitating the formation of mixed orientation relationships wherein stereotypes are gradually replaced by direct personal experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization risk of bisexual individuals compared with their straight and gay peers, highlighting the ways in which risky lifestyle factors and feelings of marginalization operate to increase risk. We theorize that both behavioral and stigma-related risk factors identified in previous work may be systematically different in the bisexual population compared to their straight peers, thus increasing IPV risk. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Wave 4, N = 14,415), we examine the extent to which risky behaviors and feelings of marginalization mediate the impact of bisexual identity on IPV risk. Findings suggest bisexual individuals are significantly more at risk for IPV (OR = 1.60) than their straight and gay peers. Their increased risk is explained by risky behaviors (e.g., drug use and number of partners), and feeling unloved. Adjusting for these mediators, the effect of being bisexual on IPV is reduced substantially (OR = 1.27) but remains significant. Understanding the unique stigmatization experiences and vulnerability of this population is critical for designing effective victimization prevention strategies. It is important to consider risk reduction strategies that may be uniquely important for bisexual adults and mitigating the burdens of stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a queer critique of the European Court of Human Rights' use of 'European consensus' as a method of interpretation in cases concerning sexuality rights. It argues that by routinely invoking the notion of 'consensus' in such cases, the Court (re)produces discourses and induces performances of sexuality and Europeanness that emphasise sameness and agreement, while simultaneously suppressing expressions of difference and dissent. As a result, this paper contends that the Court's use of European consensus has ultimately functioned to uphold and sustain the heteronormative order that underpins both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and European society more generally. This is so, despite the role that European consensus has played in the Court's recognition of 'new' rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people under the ECHR. Drawing on insights from queer theory, as well as the work of Rancière and Foucault, this discussion is carried out through a close reading of Strasbourg cases relating to sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identity formation for asexual people can be complicated by limited societal awareness of asexualities. Consequently, people who eventually identify on the asexuality spectrum often adopt other sexual identities in their early lives. In this paper, we extend sexual identity development theory by analyzing the identity trajectories of asexual-spectrum people who once identified as bisexual or pansexual. Quantitative data suggests that about half of asexual-spectrum respondents once identified as bisexual or pansexual and a third closely associate with bisexual or pansexual terminology. Qualitative data supports these findings, revealing that bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality are not always seen as mutually exclusive categories by asexual individuals. We argue that the intelligibility of bi-/pansexuality positions them as identity pathways for many asexual-spectrum individuals who experience equal (albeit little to no) attraction toward people of any gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review of factors that correlate with attitudes toward bisexuals, and a meta-analysis to estimate the effect size of these relationships. A search strategy was designed to identify studies that had a measure of attitudes toward bisexuals and assessed the relationship between these attitudes and at least one attitude-relevant correlate. The strategy was then applied to PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, Proquest Psychology Collection, EBSCO Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and SociINDEX databases, and calls for unpublished data were circulated through relevant professional bodies. Effect size data were extracted from the articles, and meta-analyses were conducted on each of the applicable correlates. The meta-analyses revealed that age, contact (quality and quantity), income, political orientation, religion, sexual orientation, education, ethnicity, gender, and population density were related to negative attitudes toward bisexual individuals (Fisher's Zs = 0.108, −0.418, −0.209, 0.221, 0.231, 0.346, & 0.831, and Hedges' g's = 0.365, 0.344, 0.278, & 0.193, respectively). In addition, a sub-group moderation analysis revealed these effect sizes for participant gender differed as a function of target gender (i.e., bisexual men vs. bisexual women). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to explore how gay men use drugs in their sex lives, colloquially called "chemsex". This paper reports on a sub‐theme within the research about support, care and peer support. Longitudinal interviews were conducted with 20 gay and bi men between April 2017 and July 2019. Participants were recruited via geolocated dating apps (n = 17) and snowball sampling (n = 3). The main findings of this research are that medicalised forms of support for gay and bi men engaging in chemsex are often tardy in their responses to need, and whilst helpful for cessation of drug use, fail to address the holistic needs of the participants. A wide variety of peer support was practiced amongst the sample which often echoed previous forms of peer support practiced in the LGBT+ community. It was offered by both people who engaged in chemsex and those who did not and was highly beneficial to people who experienced problems with chemsex. However, peer support was also limited by factors such as shame and the instability of those offering support. In conclusion, we suggest that medicalised forms of chemsex support could benefit from more rigorous and rapid forms of assessment for problematic chemsex, and also provide infrastructure and training to peer support initiatives. We also suggest that medical services could learn from patients and their peers about what support needs remain unaddressed by professional services, and engage in collaborative approaches to practice development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young bisexual people report disparities related to mental health and sexual violence compared to their heterosexual and gay/lesbian peers. However, the majority of research in these areas does not employ an intersectional design, despite evidence that health outcomes vary by race and gender within bi + populations. The goal of this paper is to provide an intersectionally-informed exploration of the prevalence of sexual violence among a diverse sample of 112 bi + people age 18–26, as well as descriptive data on stigma, mental health, and social support. Most (82%) of participants reported at least once experience of sexual violence since the age of 16. Sexual violence was positively associated with sexual stigma, anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Nonbinary participants reported greater prevalence of violence, exposure to stigma, and worse mental health outcomes relative to cisgender participants. Nonbinary BIPOC participants reported higher levels of anxiety and depression than cisgender BIPOC participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a model for understanding normative trauma in the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people. The model argues that the experiences of LGB people include a number of normative experiences of interpersonal trauma and loss. The paper explores several paradigms for interpersonal traumatization that might apply to the lives of LGB people. This paper then explores how the experience of normative interpersonal trauma and loss might impact the LGB survivor of Criterion A trauma. Issues of countertransference for both LGB and heterosexual therapists are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to improve understanding of why mixed orientation couples may seek treatment, as well as to support sex and relationship therapists in providing affirmative and respectful services. Mixed orientation relationships, relationships in which partners have different sexual orientation identities, can include a variety of combinations. This paper focuses on mixed orientation relationships in which one partner identifies as bisexual and the other partner does not. A bisexual identity and a mixed orientation relationship are not inherent problems; however, they can create interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts that may lead to treatment. Therefore, sex and relationship therapists should be aware of special considerations that could improve treatment with bisexuals in mixed orientation relationships with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual partners. It is important for sex and relationship therapists to take additional care in assessing the meaning of sexual orientation to the bisexual partner, what it means to their non-bisexual partner, and what having a mixed orientation relationship means to the couple seeking treatment. The delicate issue of commitment is respectfully explored, and societal myths related to bisexuality are addressed. Affirmative therapy is proposed as an effective theoretical approach, along with the Ex-PLISSIT Model to guide treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While there is strong evidence that the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) shapes PrEP use among heterosexual women, evidence for similar relationships among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) is scant. In this paper we analyze baseline data from a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an HIV prevention intervention for GBMSM recruited from three cities (Atlanta, Detroit and New York City) to examine how the recent experience of IPV shapes their rankings of PrEP delivery options. Men were asked to rank from 1 to 8 PrEP taken by daily pill, event-based pill, injection, anal suppository (before sex), suppository (after sex), gel (penile or rectal) (before sex), and gel (after sex) and condoms. The analysis sample is 694 HIV-negative, sexually active GBMSM. Analysis considers an ordinal outcome measuring participant's ranked preferences for their future use of eight HIV prevention options. Men who experienced physical IPV preferred PrEP in pill form, while men who experienced partners monitoring their behaviors (monitoring IPV) preferred PrEP by injection. Men who experienced emotional IPV ranked PrEP by pill lower than other methods. Sexual and controlling IPV were not significantly associated with PrEP modality ranking. As more modes of PrEP delivery become available, providers should be encouraged to screen GBMSM seeking PrEP for IPV, and to provide men with the necessary information to facilitate an informed choice when deciding on a PrEP modality that will work for them and their relationship context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper identifies future directions for information practices theoretical discourses addressing marginality, community, and embodiment. We extend arguments from critical research identifying how existing discourses fail to capture the nuanced, lived experiences of people and communities confronting marginalization, predominantly via their reinforcement of deficit narratives. We then connect a series of qualitative projects examining the information practices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual communities in the American South with relevant Library and Information Science (LIS) research to examine how marginality, community, and embodiment shape these practices. Specifically, we introduce a conceptual model that describes marginality by framing information practices as tactical and agentic responses to and refutations of social and structural barriers and risks. While some of the information practices of participants and communities appear to be uninformed or unsafe, they represent the products of community sharing and vetting. Embodied navigations further inform participant practices as they navigate information worlds produced and informed by their intersectional identities. These arguments coincide with key categories established within our model that describe information practices: defensive and protective, and community and self. Based on these insights, we offer directions for future research and theory to reorient existing discourses in ways that inspire middle‐range theory building that fully captures people's lived experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisexual individuals often face binegativity in relationships with intimate partners and the health disparities associated with discrimination. The present study sought to explore the little known aspect of identity-based partner acceptance of bisexual individuals. Through the eyes of the bisexual person identified by a snow-ball sampling method of bisexual persons living in the United States, 197 participants completed an open-ended question on positive experiences with partners, with 96 of them emphasizing acceptance and understanding. Findings suggest there are multiple ways bisexual individuals encounter acceptance from their partner—some more neutral expressions and some more overt. Neutral messages were twice as likely to occur compared to overt forms of acceptance. Participants reported themes of: (1) didn't try to change me, (2) ambivalence, (3) proud/rooting, (4) asked me about my experiences, and (5) feeling loved. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for reducing stigma and increasing acceptance by partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social research with people living with HIV (PLHIV) rarely distinguishes between gay men and bisexual men. However, bisexual men may have unique experiences of HIV-related stigma and distinct support needs. In this paper, findings are presented from a cross-sectional survey of Australian PLHIV, which included the Berger (HIV) stigma scale. A total of 872 PLHIV completed the survey, of which 48 (6.0%) were bisexual men. Bisexual men reported higher levels of internalised HIV-related stigma, greater negative self-image and poorer emotional wellbeing than gay men. Bisexual men also reported less social support, less connection with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities, and less connection with other PLHIV. Analysis of data from an open-text question revealed feelings of social isolation and fear of rejection was associated with participant's HIV diagnosis. Study findings suggest that existing social supports for PLHIV may not adequately address the unique support needs of bisexual men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Due to the increasing recognition of same-sex marriage in different jurisdictions and growing numbers of parents raising children in the context of a same-sex relationship, it is becoming ever more important for family therapists to attain clinical competence in working with families headed by same-sex parents. This paper takes as its premise that good intentions and general acceptance of diversity are not sufficient in working with this population of families. Rather, clinical competence rests on experience working with lesbian and gay clients and knowledge of the impact of heterosexism on parenting in the context of same-sex relationships. Equally critical to competent family therapy practice is a theoretical framework that pulls together complementary concepts from different bodies of theory to analyze family structures and functions in the social context of heterosexism. To this end, this paper reviews family systems theory, structural social work, ecological systems theory and queer theory with an eye to culling complementary constructs relevant to working with same-sex parents. Specific aspects of family functioning such as maintenance of boundaries around and within families and role differentiation between parents are then explored using this theoretical framework. Finally, implications for the clinician working with families led by same-sex parents are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this paper was to conduct an overview of the existing literature on sexual problems and relational factors in self-identified bisexual individuals. Given the limited research including self-identified bisexuals, this paper provides an overview of the sexuality literature on same-gender and mixed-gender relationships to highlight areas where additional research with self-identified bisexual individuals is needed. Identified gaps in the literature include prevalence information on sexual problems, and information on sexual scripts, sexual communication, and partner responses across diverse sexual orientations. Considerations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The Italian sociological scientific community has shown a limited interest in issues related to bisexuality. The purpose of this paper is to fill the knowledge gap on the subject, showing data of an empirical research conducted online on the Italian bisexual community. Design/methodology/approach: The article is based on a mixed methods online survey on Italian bisexual people, which included 218 interviews. The questionnaire was made up of closed and open-ended questions, to investigate their behaviours, habits and lifestyles. Findings: Social pressure and lack of understanding by others sometimes make difficult for bisexual people to show themselves openly for what they are, especially in some contexts, such as the word of work. From a sociological point of view, one can argue that one of the tools when bisexual people face the stigma related to bisexuality is to control, often in an obsessive way, the information they provide about themselves, carefully evaluating the contexts in which they can free themselves and the time when they must expose themselves in line with the expectations of the heteronormative society. Research limitations/implications: The non-probabilistic sample limits the external validity of the findings. There are also critical elements that characterise social research when transposed online: first, the profiles of the respondents not always are verifiable; second, the digital divide excludes some groups that cannot access the web or involves an over-representation of those who are more familiar with technologies. Originality/value: The work presented is the first Italian sociological study aimed at deepening the "invisible B" phenomenon of the LGBT acronym in a systematic way. Nowadays bisexuality remains under-researched in social sciences and overall in sociology. Putting "bisexuality" at the centre of the sociological attention appears important to provide serious and scientifically valid data and information useful both to develop the knowledge on this identity category and to contain forms of discrimination and prejudice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To highlight different ways that healthcare professionals can promote health and reduce health inequalities of lesbian and bisexual women using a health promotion framework that focusses on the wider healthcare context. Background Lesbian and bisexual women experience numerous health disparities that place them at high risk of poor health outcomes. The Frieden health impact pyramid ( American Journal for Public Health, 100, 2010 and 590) identifies five tiers of public health interventions. This pyramid could be used to promote health in lesbian and bisexual women in healthcare settings. Design A discursive paper. Methods Literature was searched from 2008-2015 using PubMed, ScienceDirect and published grey literature. Individual key words were used to locate articles that focused on lesbian and bisexual women's health inequalities and to identify the interventions to address these. Results Examples are presented across the tiers of the health impact pyramid in the context of healthcare settings that healthcare practitioners could action to promote health in lesbian and bisexual women. Conclusions The use of the Frieden triangle offers an alternative way to promote health by conceptualising health promotion interventions that promote lesbian and bisexual women without just focusing on behaviour change. The importance of changing areas of practice in healthcare organisations to be more supportive of lesbian and bisexual women and their healthcare needs is highlighted. Relevance to clinical practice This study highlights the ways that healthcare professionals can promote health of lesbian and bisexual women within their healthcare practice to help reduce health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bisexual people have been found to be at increased risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) when compared to heterosexual and gay or lesbian people. The purpose of this review was to update the estimated risk of NSSI for bisexual people and to examine variables that have been associated with NSSI in this population.Methods: The protocol for this paper was pre-registered (CRD42019145299). An electronic search of PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, PubMed, Ovid Online and Web of Science was undertaken from earliest available date to October 2019. Twenty-four eligible papers were identified. Meta-analyses, including moderator analysis, were conducted to ascertain NSSI risk and a narrative synthesis was undertaken of predictors and correlates. All studies were assessed for risk of bias.Results: Bisexual people had up to six times the odds of engaging in NSSI compared to other sexualities. Mental health variables of anxiety and depression symptoms were found to be most commonly associated with NSSI for this population. The majority of studies had moderate risk of bias. This review demonstrates that bisexual people have an elevated risk of engaging in NSSI. Increased incidence of anxiety and depression and exposure to negative life events may explain this increased risk.Limitations: Studies were found to be consistently cross-sectional in design and limited to western cultures. A limitation of this review was that only English language papers were included.Conclusions: Results are clinically relevant as they suggest early identification and prevention of NSSI can be achieved. Future research should examine bisexual people independently of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caucasian rock lizards of the genus Darevskia are unique taxa, including both bisexual and parthenogenetic species. The parthenogenetic species have originated as a result of natural hybridisation between females and males of different bisexual species. The species involved in interspecific hybridisation are called parental. However, sympatric zones (SZ) of unisexual and bisexual rock lizards of the Caucasus are still poorly studied, although they are very important for understanding the role of hybrid individuals of different origin in reticulate evolution. This paper presents the location of the SZs of parthenogenetic and their parental bisexual rock lizards of the genus Darevskia in Armenia and adjacent territories of Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh. We summarised the locations of the SZs identified from 1957 to the present, based on our field survey data gathered in 2018-2019 and records from publications and museum collections. This dataset includes 39 SZs of three types: SZ of parental bisexual species, SZ of parental species with unisexual species and SZ of the parthenogenetic species. For each zone, species composition, geographical and altitudinal distribution are presented. New records expand our knowledge of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of SZs in these species and provide additional data for understanding the mechanisms of reticulate evolution and hybridogeneous speciation in the past, present and future. New information: The new records, including geographical and altitudinal distributions of three types of SZs, are presented, which expand the previously-known list to 39 locations of contact zones for parthenogenetic and its bisexual parental species of rock lizards of the genus Darevskia in Armenia and the adjacent territories of Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial accompanies a series of papers dealing with this watershed period for HIV and sexually transmissible infections (STI) infections in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM). We are delighted to share with you the views of some international opinion leaders on what the future may hold and what challenges lie ahead. In this issue of the Journal, authors describe current HIV and STI incidence among GBM and predict the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the understudied and stigmatized sexual category of 'bisexuality' as it emerges in the discourse of bisexuals at a California university. Building on the concepts of performance and 'doing' identity presented by Butler (2006 [1990]), Goffman (1990 [1959]), and West and Zimmerman (1987), an outline is offered for how bisexuals, who are made invisible by the hetero/homo binary, may build an intelligible social performance of their identity and sexuality. Utilizing methods from within sociocultural linguistics (i.e., 'the broad interdisciplinary field concerned with the intersection of language, culture, and society' [Bucholtz & Hall 2005: 586]), this paper uses ethnographic observations and video-recorded social interaction in order to analyze how bisexuality is performed in social contexts, with a focus on its performance in discourse. The paper closes with a critique of the ways that normativity operates alongside efforts at social resistance and an exploration of the relationship between different layers of sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As social inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic have been recognised, emerging research showed that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people may be additionally affected during the pandemic. This paper adds to the understanding of the experiences of LGB people during the pandemic with a focus on Hong Kong, where issues of space significantly influence LGB people's lives in this city with high population density. As part of a larger community study of LGB lives in Hong Kong, COVID-19-related impact on 434 Chinese-speaking LGB people was explored. Data collection was conducted from 20 May to 30 June 2020. Inductive thematic analysis of the open-text response survey data found that the LGB participants described both negative and positive impacts brought by COVID-19. Such impacts could be dimensionalised into those related to personal space and privacy, romantic and sexual space, and community space. It was also found that the experiences of COVID-19 among LGB people in Hong Kong were intersectional, along the lines of living arrangement and relationship status. Such findings make unique contributions to the emerging literature. First, there needs to be a more nuanced understanding of sexual minority individuals' experiences during COVID-19 across cultural contexts. Second, COVID-19 was described as having brought positive impact in addition to its widely known negative impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people were invisible users of social care; this paper provides an overview of the social and political context which led to this neglect. With the introduction of legislation in 2007 which prohibited discrimination in service provision and increasingly liberal social attitudes, this previously hidden population is more likely to disclose their sexual orientation to providers and to expect equal treatment in their receipt of services. Furthermore, the new policy agenda for adult social care — the personalisation of services — means that users and carers will have more choice about personally tailored services and control in how they are delivered. Care Matters: Time for Change 2007 has emphasised the importance of education in securing looked after children's life opportunities and has identified a key role for social care workers in children's achievement. Yet LGB children continue to face homophobic bullying in schools with the potential risk to their educational attainment and self esteem. These agendas require that service providers know about the issues and concerns of LGB service users and have an understanding about their experiences of care services. This paper identifies a number of good practice initiatives in LGB social care and outlines recommendations for providing appropriate care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More attention has recently been paid to the unique experiences and health needs of LGBTQ + people. To date, there has been a limited focus on the distinct psychosocial needs of bisexuals. A larger mixed-methods study explored the wider needs of a LGBTQ + cohort. The aim of this paper is to report the specific experiences of bisexuals and highlight their distinct psychosocial issues and concerns. The online survey instrument contained Likert-scale and qualitative questions and was completed by a total sample of LGBT people (n = 125), of which 19 participants self-identified as bisexual. The qualitative responses of the bisexuals were extracted and analyzed separately to identify emergent themes that were: accessing responsive services, culturally competent services, supports and interventions, and knowledge, skills and confidence. The study findings inform and enhance the understanding of the issues that impact upon the health and well-being of bisexuals, thereby contributing to promoting the wider social inclusion and human rights agenda by guiding mental health service developments, policy initiatives, education provision and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that psychological researchers generally, and psychologists concerned with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues specifically, could benefit by including 'queer theory' insights into their research. It begins with an elaboration of this theory, with special attention given to Judith Butler's arguments in her book, Gender Trouble. These insights are used in a close reading of Evelyn Hooker's famous research from the 1950s on gay male adjustment, and more contemporary writing on homosexual adjustment done by James M. Cantor. It will be shown that while traditional psychological research methods aspire for the objectivity of science, this aspiration is often complicit in a regulatory regime which does less to liberate homosexual desire, than to account for it, limit it, and often convert it to something 'normal'. The implications for research are discussed in the final section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines two significant moments in sexual minority citizenship in England and Wales in relation to one of the Marshallian sets of rights, namely, civil or legal rights, focusing specifically on the Sex Offences legislation and policing practices. The first moment that will be examined here is the process whereby homosexual acts were decriminalized in the 1950s and 1960s: here special attention will be paid to the recommendations made by the Wolfenden Committee. The second moment is one we are currently experiencing, which is associated with the inclusive policing of sexual minority communities (especially lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities) under the provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and in the review of Sex Offences, especially in the consultation paper (Home Office 2000) and White Paper (Home Office 2002) associated with this review. Privacy and toleration dominate the first moment, at the same time it shall be demonstrated that privacy is also central to the British Sexual Citizenship literatures that have emerged in sociology in the post Wolfenden context. However, as the title suggests, the second moment under examination points to the emergence of a rather more extensive sexual minority citizenship beyond the boundaries of ‘homosexual privacy’ (which British Sexual Citizenship Studies is not currently engaging with) and perhaps even beyond the boundaries of toleration through ever more ‘inclusive’ policing strategies and through the review of sex offences in which many discriminatory laws are being ‘de-homosexualized’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Replication is a vital part of the research process and has recently received considerable attention. Analyses using publicly available data should, if adequately described, be reproducible without assistance from the original investigators. Using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a recent study reported a statistically significant difference in cardiovascular disease risk comparing subgroups of sexual minority men. We attempted to reproduce these findings and assessed whether the results were robust to alternative analytic strategies and assumptions. Methods We used the exclusion criteria and coding strategy described in the original paper to construct our analytical data set. Sampling weights were constructed in accordance with NHANES analytical guidelines. We estimated crude and covariate-adjusted associations between sexual orientation and vascular age using the regression models specified in the original report. We also conducted a series of sensitivity analyses to improve on the original findings. Results Our replication attempt was partially successful: we replicated the general trends reported in the original analysis, but not identical effect estimates. Importantly, we identified a potential misapplication of the Framingham Risk Score; correcting for this increased the probability that the reported null hypothesis test was a type I error. Conclusions This paper supports the recent calls for greater transparency and improved reporting in research. Even with a publicly available and well-documented data source, we were unable to exactly replicate another study's original findings. Our sensitivity analyses revealed key issues in the original analysis and demonstrate the scientific importance of research replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined how three psychosocial barriers—anticipated HIV stigma, HIV infectiousness-reduction beliefs, and optimism about available HIV treatments—related to HIV testing history and acceptance of an at-home HIV test among men who have sex with men. We also examined the mediating role of a variable that affects medical screening for other health conditions but has not yet been investigated in HIV contexts: the tendency to avoid psychologically threatening information. Volunteers completed a paper and pencil survey and were offered a free at-home HIV test during the 2015 Atlanta Pride Festival in Atlanta, GA. Anticipated HIV stigma, infectiousness beliefs, and treatment optimism were inconsistently related to HIV testing history and acceptance of an at-home HIV test, but all had direct effects on the desire to avoid HIV information. In a mediation model, each of these psychosocial barriers had indirect effects on both HIV testing outcomes via information avoidance. These findings suggest that information avoidance is an important proximal HIV testing barrier, thus providing a novel target for interventions and information campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homelessness among the young lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* (LGBT+) population is becoming an increasing societal concern, with alarmist reporting of high rates of homelessness compared to heterosexual people. This paper presents qualitative evidence from research with 20 LGBT + people who had experienced homelessness in Scotland. Significantly, it moves discussion of LGBT + homelessness out of a concern with public health and social work, to understand it in terms of homelessness research and housing theory. The analysis also brings in queer theory to our discussions of homelessness and housing. As a result, rather than understanding our participants as passive victims of a homophobic or transphobic society, we focus on their agency in developing a queer identity alongside their experiences of insecure accommodation. In their experiences of homelessness people were carrying out 'edgework' at the margins of heteronormative society. Routes out of homelessness were thus associated with people becoming more comfortable within their identities. We conclude by arguing that experiences of homelessness interacted in complex ways with sexual and gender identity, and that tailored mainstream housing provision is required for LGBT + homeless people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the willingness to use and pay for HIV Self-testing (HIVST) among Australian gay and bisexual men (GBM). Bivariate and univariate multinominal logistic regression of data from an online survey was performed. Thirty-one (13%) had never HIV tested and 41.9% (88) were testing sub-optimally by Australian guidelines. Half (58.4%, 136) had never heard of HIVST, however, 56.2% (131) reported willingness to use HIVST, with sub-optimal (OR=2.13; p < 0.01) and never-testers (OR=2.01; p < 0.10) significantly more likely to do so than optimal-testers. Most were confident (51.7%, 119) or somewhat confident (29.1%, 67) accessing support following a reactive result, however, never-testers were significantly less confident compared to previous testers (OR=3.47; p< 0.05). Less than a quarter (23.6%, 57) were willing to pay for a kit with AUD$15 (R2 = 0.9882) the estimated preferred price. This research confirms that HIVST is an important and accepted adjunct to established HIV testing modalities, particularly among sub-optimal and never-testers and that online (61.6%, 143) or clinic-based (61.6%, 143) dissemination are preferred. Research examining how best to disseminate HIVST in a range of safe and effective models needs to continue to ensure HIVST is part of a comprehensive strategy that facilitates usage and linkages to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although bisexual individuals make up the largest subpopulation within the broader lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community, they experience inflated rates of discrimination and heighted negative physical and mental health outcomes. The first section of the paper outlines the available literature on bisexuality by examining the biological, psychological, and social processes that influence the experiences of bisexual individuals. The second section of the manuscript describes considerations for working with bisexual individuals in couple and family therapy. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and how the gaps identified in the literature can be further addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Young gay and bisexual men continue to experience increases in HIV incidence in the US highlighting a need for competent health services, while the prominence of the internet in their social and sexual lives calls for novel preventive modalities. Toward this goal, we adapted an efficacious in-office HIV risk reduction intervention for online delivery. This paper describes the development of the online intervention and highlights the results of interviews and focus groups with the original intervention participants regarding effective adaptation and online delivery recommendations. The final intervention incorporates strategies for overcoming barriers to online intervention with this population and capitalizes on the unique strengths of online intervention delivery. The systematic process described in this paper can be used as a template for other researchers to develop online risk reduction programs and fills an important gap in the field's ability to maximally reach a critical risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of limitations in collecting sexuality data, there are very few studies that quantitatively explore the life courses of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) individuals. Likewise it is rare that normative patterns of life course trajectories are assessed in terms of their applicability to LGB individuals. We review the current literature on LGB life course trajectories and discuss potential reasons for gaps in the literature. We explore approaches for defining LGB status. We use data from a cohort of people aged 50 and over (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing) to explore the tempo and occurrences of transitions to adulthood and to older age, and establish some of the differences based on sexual orientation. We examine the connecting health behaviours and life course turning points that may explain some of the differences described above. We show that while the first quartile of transitions to adulthood are experienced fairly uniformly by sexual orientation, differences open up thereafter. LGB people's life course trajectories are marked by different patterns of care, with LGB people less likely to provide care in the form of parenthood, but potentially more likely to provide care earlier to close friends or relatives. Analyses of connecting events suggest that LGB life course trajectories may be marred by higher levels of volatility, including higher risk financial hardship. Caveats to these results are outlined in full in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is not known as a country to be in for a bisexual person. Homosexual acts even within wedlock are a punishable offence in India. Legal battles over provisions in the Indian Penal Code which criminalizes any sexual act “against the order of nature” are rife. Even though Kerala has been hailed as a paradox inside India (mainly due to its human development parameters), the social, cultural and legal environment in the state is hostile to individuals who question hetero-normativity. Non-judgemental and unbiased scientific therapy or counselling are seldom available to sexual minorities. This paper is an attempt to map the experiences of a female who is openly bisexual, and is living in Kerala. An ethnographic interview was conducted where the experiences of the participant are explored, from the relationship dynamics as seen by her, to sexual experiences and difficulties in relationships. A reference is also made to the personal and social support systems that are in place for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community in Kerala and their role in initiating discourses regarding the topic. A few pointers for future studies in the topic, especially within the context of Kerala are also put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]