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Ugandan urban same-sex desiring individuals frequently encounter and navigate competing understandings of sexuality and sexual identity. Western essentialist understanding of sexual identity introduced by international development partners and transnational LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi- and Transsexual) activism, as well as media, offer an alternative to Ugandan non-essentialist and fluid subject positions. This article seeks to understand how young individuals with same-sex -desires in Kampala navigate tensions between Western and local understandings concerning sexuality. We have interviewed 24 young individuals with same-sex desires (unaffiliated and individuals working in LGBT+ organizations) and asked how they approach their sexuality and experiences living with same-sex desires in contemporary Kampala. The results reveal how interview participants engaged in a complex navigation between local community expectations, their own same-sex desires, and embeddedness in a global LGBT+ culture. Although the participants engaged in what Westerners would label as a "double life," the article problematizes the prescriptive norms of authenticity and "coming out." The conclusion is that the fluid vs essentialist dichotomy is too simplistic to be helpful when trying to understand the lives and aspirations of young people with same-sex desires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early modern Italy, stereotypes about Muslim men's supposed inclination towards the vice of 'sodomy' gave rise to fears that Christian masculinity was being tainted. Eighteenth-century court records from the Republic of Genoa and the Papal States contain numerous instances of cross-confessional male relations that faced persecution by state authorities. In each of these cases, Christian men were prosecuted for taking a sexually 'passive' role in relation to sexually 'active' Muslims, while the reverse scenario was never pursued. This article argues that the sexual focus of judicial authorities obscured the enduring bonds of affection and mutual obligation that developed between men across religious lines. The existence of these relationships unveils an intimate sphere of connections across faith in the early modern Mediterranean while highlighting an intersectional site of Christian social anxiety, where fears of religious contamination overlapped with concerns about same-sex intimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the growth of liberationist LGBTQ and feminist community-based, collectively run newspapers, journals, and small presses in the United States during the 1970s, looking at three distinct, interrelated points of cultural and political tension that these publications and presses faced. The first was the need for publications to define a specific community of readers at a time when stable definitions of community were fluid and often highly contested. The second tension concerned these groups' grappling with the interplay between the radical politics of these publications and their collectives and the more assimilationist, often conservative, groups and journals that came before them, and to which they were, in some ways, indebted—a tension that led to a desire to uncover a history of same-sex and feminist activities as an affirmation of their identity, leading to a plethora of sloppy historical conjecture and misinformation that created a "feel good" sense of the past that was often at odds with the groups' usually more rigorous sense of historical analysis. The third tension was how these groups could maintain their liberationist political identities as discussion of same-sex themes were becoming more prevalent—even marketable—in mainstream media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, same-sex intimate partner violence (IPV) was ignored, and victims often experienced high rates of harassment and intimidation from police, leading to low reporting of same-sex IPV incidents, victims' unwillingness to cooperate with the police, and common arrests in such incidents. Although the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) legalized and legitimized same-sex marriages and relationships in the U.S., mandating the inclusion of same-sex partners in protective order laws and yielding collateral benefits for victims of same-sex IPV, it is unclear if the decision has had a positive effect on same-sex IPV clearance rates. This study uses National Incident-Based Reporting System data to compare IPV clearance (arrest, dual arrest, victim noncooperation, and prosecution declined) pre (2013/2014) and post (2016/2017) Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). Regression results show no substantial changes in same-sex IPV clearance after Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). Compared to opposite-sex IPV, same-sex IPV was less likely to be cleared by arrest but much more likely to be cleared by dual arrest, victim noncooperation, and prosecution declined. Same-sex IPV involving Black couples and married partners were also less likely to be cleared by arrest but more likely to be cleared by dual arrest than Black/White same-sex IPV and incidents involving unmarried partners, respectively. Moreover, same-sex IPV victims experience unfavorable criminal justice outcomes in states with mandatory arrest policies but fare better in states that supported same-sex relationships prior to Obergefell. The implications of these findings for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose The present study aimed to examine associations between different types of relationship functioning and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in the everyday lives of sexual minority women in same-sex relationships—an at-risk population that has not been assessed in this context. Methods Participants included 321 young sexual minority women (M age = 27.56, SD = 3.67) in same-sex relationships who completed surveys assessing their daily relationship functioning and DEB use each day for a 14-day daily diary period. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to examine daily-, person-, and couple-level associations among women's daily relationship functioning (general relationship functioning, positive and negative relational behaviors they and, separately, their partners engaged in) and DEBs (overeating, loss of control eating, emotional eating, and dietary restriction). Results Results generally indicated that more positive and less negative daily relationship functioning across all assessed constructs was associated with less same-day emotional eating. In contrast, associations between all daily relationship functioning constructs and loss of control eating were not significant, nor were any relationship functioning-DEB associations at the couple level. More circumscribed patterns of association were identified for associations between the relationship functioning constructs, and overeating and dietary restriction. Conclusions Collectively, these findings provide insight into how aspects of daily relationship functioning map onto sexual minority women's daily engagement in DEBs that are linked to poor health long-term, and directions for future research and clinical practice that may warrant consideration moving forward to help advance the evidence-base and care for this historically overlooked and underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South African studies on rape culture have examined this issue in relation to heterosexuality. They demonstrate how toxic masculinity exercises sexual power by victimizing women and girls. However, little is known about manifestations of rape culture in contexts where both victims and perpetrators are same-sex attracted young people within intimate relationships. Thus, this article extends the scope of the scholarly discussions on rape culture by exploring how rape culture manifests itself in the social and intimate lives of sexually diverse South African youth. It will also reflect on some of the ways that could be explored to address rape culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, recognition of same-sex relationships and non-normative families has increased alongside greater access to reproductive technologies. Despite this progress, surrogacy, a potential path to parenthood for gay couples, remains banned in many countries. Research indicates that gay couples, facing legal restrictions, often seek reproductive services abroad, navigating complex legal, political and sociocultural contexts in both their home and destination countries. However, existing research lacks cross-country comparisons that explore how different contexts shape gay couples' reproductive practices. This study enhances our theoretical understanding of the intricate interplay between social structure and social interactions. It explores how normative family conceptions, ingrained in legal frameworks, societal norms and cultural values at the macro level, profoundly influence the (normalising) practices of couples at the micro level. Empirically, this study compares Germany and Israel, where gay couples face starkly different challenges. Germany universally prohibits surrogacy, while Israel permits it, although not for gay men during my interviews. Drawing on interviews with couples from both countries who engaged surrogates abroad, this study analyses their struggles for legal recognition and social visibility as 'gay father families'. In both countries, couples navigate legal, political and sociocultural contexts differently, encapsulated in a process termed 'becoming a gay father family', involving concealing surrogacy and appropriating heteronormative family narratives. The data indicate that the couples' social interactions reflect and reinforce a discernible normative shift from heteronormativity to repronormativity in the context of assisted reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Bourdieu's field theory and extending the sexual field framework, we conceptualise intimacy as fields, that is, configurations of social relations underlying the doing of romantic and sexual relationships. Drawing on a comparative analysis of the intimate relationships of middle- and working-class gay men in Hong Kong, we show that intimacy fields were organised by class-based habitus and inequalities in capital. These factors resulted in class-based homophilous relationship ideals, constructed intimacy fields separated by class boundaries, and shaped the different relationship formation strategies, and differential capabilities in maintaining long-term relationships of working- and middle-class gay men. Participants in cross-class relationships faced challenges related to habitus and capital mismatches, developing strategies to reimagine what was normative and desirable. Added together, the present study shows how social class and intimacy are mutually constituted. On the one hand, class inequalities shape the ideals, formation and maintenance of intimate relationships, and on the other, the doing of intimacy often reproduces class hierarchies and polices class boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: South African women have been exposed to epidemic proportions of intimate partner violence (IPV) amongst heterosexual relationships but not much is known about same-sex partnerships. Sexual minorities are excluded from research but are subject to intimate partner violence as much as heteronormative persons. The purpose of this study is to determine the association between age-disparity and IPV outcomes among females with same-sex partners in South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study of the nationally representative South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey (SABSSM 2017) is used. A weighted sample of 63,567 female respondents identified as having a same-sex partner are analysed. IPV is measured as ever been physically and/ or sexually abused. Any experience of IPV is included in the dependent variable of this study. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to estimate the relationship between demographic, socioeconomic, age-disparity and IPV. Results: Almost 16% of females in same-sex relationships experienced IPV and about 22% from younger partners. In female same-sex partnerships, partner age-disparity (OR: 1.30, CI: 1.18 - 1.51), type of place of residence (OR: 2.27, CI: 1.79 - 3.79), highest level of education (OR: 1.07, CI: 0.97 - 1.17), marital status (OR: 1.60, CI: 1.37 - 1.88), and race (OR: 1.47, CI: 1.41 - 1.54) are associated with an increased likelihood of violence. Conclusion: IPV programs that are specifically targeted for non-heteronormative orientations are needed. These programs should promote health equity and safety for non-confirmative sexual identities in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine social learning theory (SLT) and teen dating violence (TDV) perpetration. This study aims to determine which predictors have the largest effect sizes, whether they vary for males and females, and whether they differ based on research design and sample characteristics. Methods: This study uses hierarchal meta-analytic methods to examine both within- and between-dataset differences in relationships between a variety of SLT predictors and TDV outcomes. Both bivariate and multivariate effect sizes are computed for a sample of n = 1,157 effect sizes nested in n = 116 studies that used n = 88 unique datasets. Results: Findings indicate that a variety of SLT predictors can explain TDV perpetration. Predictors with the largest effect sizes include anticipated benefits of TDV (Bivariate: r =.254; multivariate: r =.308) and peer TDV perpetration (Bivariate: r =.279; multivariate: r =.205). While most predictors show similar effect sizes for males and females, peer TDV perpetration appears to be a stronger influence for males. Several significant moderators are found. Conclusions: SLT should continue to provide a theoretical framework for TDV research and practice. Future research should examine same-sex teen relationships and sexual minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of same-sex relationships is complex in Zimbabwe because of the prevailing hostile legal provisions, and cultural and religious beliefs. While it is a criminal offence to practise same-sex relationships in Zimbabwe, the Constitution of Zimbabwe does not tolerate any discrimination against people. The debate on same-sex relationships has been on spotlight in Zimbabwe since 1995 when the late former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, disparaged same-sex relationships as not only unnatural and un-African, but also unchristian. The practice of same-sex relationships has since remained politicised in Zimbabwe and elsewhere within the African region and those practising it have often been discriminated against by society. This article used a qualitative methodology to explore the religious experiences of Christians in same-sex relationships in Harare, using insights from the notion of ubuntu. Field data were gathered through social media from purposively selected respondents who were living in same-sex relationships. Findings revealed that these people felt discriminated against and unsafe in their own churches. Based on these findings, it is argued that despite their respective views on same-sex relationships, the African church should respect the dignity of the people involved in these relationships, and should also create safe spaces for them. Contribution: The article promotes sensitivity to the needs of minority groups in the society and encourages the provision of appropriate guidance on how to deal with the phenomenon of same-sex relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes author Eudora Welty's letters to novelist Elizabeth Bowen in the book "The Bride of the Innisfallen" and the heteronormativity and intimacy of their relationship through their love of written discourse. Topics discussed include possibilities of Welty's queer relationship with Bowen, identity formation of adolescent girls and eroticism in Bowen's novels such as in "Friends and Relations," and Welty's portrayals of gender expression and sexual identity in her stories.

The queer (in)visibility regime in Azerbaijan has been historically structured through centralizing powers and the coloniality of knowledge(s) in their Russian/Soviet and contemporary Western manifestations. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis, this study shows how local queer activism arises through the appropriation of Western LGBTQ+ discourse and the use of the internet, with its novel spaces and digitally mediated discursive practices. In addition to its humanizing and normalizing effects, these organizations generate a new space for the realization of homosexual desire against the old Soviet subjectivity while preserving their didactic enlightener position towards Western/European pedagogy. Finally, this study argues that homosexuality has become a means of boundary-making practices both inside and outside the country, positioning on the borderline between symbolic Europe and national characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has shed light on how men in same-sex and different-sex relationships experience Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and how it may contribute to their Gender Role Conflict (GRC), through which men face a dissonance with their gender roles. However, knowledge on these topics is still lacking. We aim to better understand men's experiences of violence in their same-sex or different-sex relationships by identifying their dynamics and the specific barriers and facilitators to seeking help. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 adult men (Heterosexual, n = 6; Gay, n = 5; Bisexual, n = 2; Not disclosed, n = 1) who self-identified as having been targets of IPV. The interview protocol considered the literature on IPV and the feedback from stakeholders in victim support services. The results were analyzed following the principles of Content Analysis. Our findings suggest that men are negatively impacted by their abusive relationships, with physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence having been perpetrated by their same-sex or different-sex partners. Some men reported being further stigmatized in their help-seeking experiences. Gay and bisexual men indicated specific processes that played a significant role in their experiences. Some men revealed discomfort with the identity of "victim", which may be linked to possible GRC processes. In sum, IPV impacts men in different-sex and same-sex relationships, and our findings provide new insights about how violence and help-seeking are experienced in the Portuguese cultural setting. Future efforts should focus on assessing possible GRC processes in this population and provide adequate information and tailored services to the specific needs of these men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is an interpretative phenomenological analysis of same-sex couples' decision-making process and experience when starting a family. Four same-sex couples with children participated in virtual semi-structured interviews. There is limited sociological research offering in-depth analysis of the relationship between sexual minority identities and the motivations, desires, and experiences of parenthood. This research reveals an array of complexities in the timing of parenthood. Participants also discuss the importance of financial and relationship stability before starting a family and the challenges and uncertainties throughout their unique adoption and IVF journeys. Moreover, participants reported the ongoing impact of the institutions of, and assumptions underpinning, heteronormativity on their experiences as a family, as well as the coping mechanisms they employed to counteract the consequences of heteronormativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging studies focus on minority stressors emanating from society's stigmatization of particular relationship forms (i.e., couple-level minority stressors). The present study examines how same-sex couples experience one such couple-level minority stressor: limitations to participation in families of origin. Qualitative data are drawn from a sub-sample of same-sex couples (N = 18) who participated in a large-scale study of minority stress among 120 same-sex couples distributed equally across two study sites (Atlanta and San Francisco) in 2012 and 2013. Instances of limitations to participation in families of origin ranged in severity, falling into three distinct areas: 1) partial acceptance, where some family members were accepting and others were not, 2) mixed messages where some family members said they were accepting but behaved as though they were not and, 3) rejection, where some family members were blatantly unwelcoming or hostile. These types of exclusion were also evidenced in dyadic minority stress processes of stress proliferation (e.g., stress discrepancies and stress contagion) causing additional stress for both partners. These narratives portray struggles associated with experiences of couple-level minority stress faced by people in same-sex relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs narrative analysis to examine three testimonies provided by individuals who were contemporaries of lesbians in Soviet Latvia. The author's research is based on two oral history interviews and the diary entries of a homosexual man, dating between the 1950s and 1980s. The research was carried out in four stages: (1) story analysis; (2) identification of main topics and characters; (3) identification of main terms and tone; and (4) extraction of three key narratives. The findings demonstrate, firstly, the lack of terminology to describe homosexual/non-heterosexual relationships between women when referencing the Soviet time. This indicates that contemporary terms used by the LGBTQI+ community may not be valid for analysing the experiences of non-heterosexual people in Soviet Latvia. Secondly, the testimonies described in this article view same-sex women's relationships through heteronormative lens as deviating from the norm. Thirdly, the article highlights how rigid expectations of "manly" and "womanly" behaviour and traits are used to judge compliance with or deviation from societal norms. The understanding of non-heterosexual relationships between women, as evidenced by the sources, cannot be standardised. While the testimonies reference non-heterosexual relationships between women, they also mention same-sex relationships, which may have formed due to socioeconomic conditions and different intimate bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests whether or not psychological type preferences predicted the extent of liberal versus conservative attitudes towards a range of controversial moral issues among 3,515 clergy and laity from the Church of England who took part in the 2013 Church Times survey. Summated rating scales were produced from Likert items related to four different issues: same-sex relationships, the ordination of women, divorce and remarriage, and cohabitation. After allowing for general theological stance, psychological type preferences for sensing over intuition and thinking over feeling were significantly associated with more conservative attitudes. For theological liberals, sensing types had slightly more conservative moral attitudes, on average, than did intuitive types, but there was no difference among theological conservatives. For theological conservatives, thinking types had slightly more conservative moral attitudes, on average, than did feeling types, but there was no difference among theological liberals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article scrutinises the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal concerning same-sex marriage and the legal acknowledgment of same-sex relationships, specifically focusing on the recent decisions in Fedotova & Ors v Russia and Sham Tsz Kit (岑子杰) v Secretary for Justice. The authors critically analyse the courts' interpretation of marriage, privacy, and equality. They conclude that whilst both courts took a step forward by recognising same-sex partnerships, they also took two steps back by foreclosing any future attempts to litigate for universal marriage rights via the application of the equality principle. The authors draw on a variety of judgments from courts in Nepal, Taiwan, the United States, Latin America, and Europe to support their arguments. The article concludes by posing the question of how universal human rights can be maintained in the face of these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that same-sex couples have a more egalitarian approach to the division of labor (DOL) than different-sex couples. Based on multi-stage interviews with ten same-sex couples in Aotearoa NZ and Australia, we analyze how couples negotiate, perform, and perceive the fairness of their division of reproductive household labor. We found that same-sex couples had diverse patterns of dividing labor, and most were not equally sharing housework. Yet, most couples felt their DOL was fair. We argue that three key factors enabled participants to construct their DOL fairly, even when unequal: flexibility in allocating labor, communication, and revaluing unpaid labor as equal to paid labor, as an act of love, which can be culturally significant. Most participants explained their labor division as pragmatic, based on availability and preference, rather than gender, supporting theories of relative resources and time availability in shaping fairness perceptions. However, all participants were aware of how gender shaped their relationships, and some consciously sought to undo gender and heteronormativity through their labor practices. This study contributes to academic theorizing of how LGBTQ + families "do gender" and "do heteronormativity" through unpaid labor and affirms the importance of intersectional analysis for understanding labor practices and perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a collection of papers and presentations from a symposium on gender identity issues in Eastern Europe, specifically focusing on the Czech Republic and Serbia. The papers discuss various topics such as political debates, experiences of the trans and gender non-conforming community, the impact of language on gender discourse, and representation in popular culture. The document emphasizes the need for international and intersectional perspectives in the study of gender. Another research study conducted in India found that LGBT individuals face higher levels of discrimination and psychological distress compared to heterosexual individuals, but social support and acceptance are protective factors for their well-being. A study on transgender individuals from various countries revealed that higher levels of structural stigma and identity concealment are associated with lower life satisfaction. The experiences of self-silencing among female software engineers were explored in another study, highlighting the need to address gender inequality in the workplace. A study in the Philippines aims to destigmatize same-sex relationships by challenging societal prejudices and promoting acceptance and understanding. Lastly, a study on same-sex relationships found that intimate partner violence is not prevalent and highlighted the positive aspects and efforts made by couples to maintain loving and supportive environments. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines how Chinese lesbians and gay men make sense of the prospect of growing old and plan for later life in Hong Kong, where same-sex relationships are yet to be legally recognized. Drawing on in-depth narrative interviews, the results show that lesbians and gay men in midlife reported a range of previous, current, and anticipated challenges associated with the stigma attached to homosexuality. These, in turn, shaped their ways of perceiving and planning for later life. Three forms of reflexivity in response to minority stress and the prospect of aging were identified: coping with fears of aging alone, striving for self-mastery, and planning ahead with feelings of wariness. Participants' concerns and plans around aging demonstrated differing degrees of reflexivity, through which they attempted to navigate family norms and structural constraints and find ways to accumulate resources for later life. Meanwhile, their heightened sense of uncertainty and insecurity showed that their perceptions and experiences of aging were influenced by minority stress and material, familial, and socio-political circumstances. This article builds a constructive dialogue between sexuality and aging studies by unraveling both the aging insecurity and capacities for reflexive planning among an oft-neglected group of sexual minority people in midlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined associations between dating and number of friends for rural adolescents with same‐sex and other‐sex dating partners using longitudinal sociometric data (N = 2826; 55% female, 87% White, mean age = 14 at baseline). In multilevel models assessing within‐person change, boys gained female friends when they were in same‐sex romantic relationships, compared to when they were single. In contrast, girls in same‐sex relationships lost female friends and gained male friends. Adolescents in other‐sex romantic relationships gained same‐sex friends compared to when they were single. Results advance understanding of adolescent social and sexual development, suggesting that sexual minority adolescents find allies when dating but may struggle to maintain same‐sex friendships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Amorous histories" represent an unofficial historical tradition that once served as a legitimate mechanism for narrating same-sex desire in Chinese culture. This tradition not only celebrated love (qing) but also explored obsession (pi) within the Chinese context. This article reexamines the erotic arts, including notes and erotic fictions, that constituted the narrative mechanism of amorous histories to rethink the intricate stance of both praise and critique towards male love during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The analysis reveals how these texts repeatedly employed a narrative tactic of combining enticement and moral suasion to represent male love. While legitimizing male love, these representations were simultaneously regulated by the moral norms of official histories. However, during the late Qing and early Republican era, the tradition of amorous histories began to wane and eventually gave way to the emergence of pathological narratives under the guise of "sexual histories" in modern China. Within the discourse of sexual histories, the tradition of praising qing and pi was substituted by Western-influenced "the science of sexuality," which pathologized same-sex desire. This article traces the changes in the meaning of "pi," which underwent a phase of non-pathologized development in Ming and Qing dynasties, before being pathologized by May 4th literati. Finally, this article analyses the impact of the replacement of amorous histories with pathologized sexual histories on the debates over homosexuality between Hu Qiuyuan and Yang Youtian in modern China. It shows how changes in historical narratives influenced early twentieth century perceptions of same-sex desire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years there has been increasing academic attention to forms and practices of disconnection to social networking sites. However, there has been limited attention to non-use/departures, particularly with dating apps. In this article I draw on 27 interviews with previous and current users of dating apps to explore their practices of leaving/deleting their dating apps. For the majority of participants, leaving a dating app was due to 'success' in finding a relationship. For others, it was the 'failure' to find a relationship. I suggest that this highlights not only the centrality of finding/not finding a relationship to dating app use and departure, but also a particular construction of relationships: romantic, sexually exclusive/monogamous and life-long. This was the case for the majority of participants who identified as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer and indicates the reproduction and valuing of a particular relationship form and practice for diverse users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by social justice and sexual health concerns, scholars of same‐sex sexualities in Africa have mainly examined related conflicts and inequities, generating an unbalanced emphasis on homophobia. Following Stella Nyanzi's plea for a broader exploration of queer sexuality in Africa, we move beyond the strictly sexual sphere to study the kinship arrangements of same‐sex couples in Kenya. These couples rely on the different possibilities afforded by kinship – in both its inclusive and exclusive capacities – to create accommodation and acceptance. Capturing the complexities and paradoxes of social life, the ethnographic study of kinship practices in everyday life shows how homophobia and accommodation can co‐exist. Furthermore, the embeddedness of same‐sex relationships in kinship structures and the subscription of same‐sex couples to the same norms held by cross‐sex couples clearly indicates the difficulty of construing these forms of relatedness as essentially different from other kinship formations. Thus 'queering queer Africa' requires not only taking a broader perspective and looking beyond what is usually classified as 'queer' but also un‐queering what at first appears as queer and thus 'queerying' the barriers and the range of possibilities that characterize the lives and subjectivities of people with same‐sex desires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists editors of the periodical along with information on copyright and copying, abstracting and indexing services and table of contents for the periodical.

In 2008 and 2018, the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) asked respondents from 44 countries if they self-identify as 'I don't follow a religion, but consider myself to be a spiritual person interested in the sacred or the supernatural' (Spiritual But Not Religious, SBNR). This paper compares issue positions on same-sex relations and gender roles between SBNR respondents and religiously active, marginally affiliated and nonreligious and nonspiritual respondents. Previous studies show that more religious individuals tend to hold more right-leaning stances on many sociopolitical issues, due to more conservative religious and political socialization as well as influences from surrounding social environments. However, these previous studies have not looked at the potentially distinct category of SBNR. Our study finds that progressive attitudes extend to both the SBNR and the nonreligious and nonspiritual, the attitudes among respondents of both these categories being very similar when it comes to same-sex relations and gender roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We included two sacrifice constructs to reflect the awareness and (in)equity of behavioral sacrifice in same‐sex relationships: (a) the receiver's awareness (whether the receiver under‐, over‐, or unbiasedly estimated the other's frequency of sacrifice behaviors) and (b) the provider's perceived (in)equity (whether the provider perceived themselves as underbenefitted, overbenefitted, or equitably treated). We then tested how heterosexist discrimination related to same‐sex couples' relationship quality via receivers' awareness and providers' perceived (in)equity. Background: Sacrifices are pro‐relationship efforts in which individuals forgo self‐interests for the partner or the relationship. The links from sacrifice to same‐sex couples' relationship quality are still understudied. Further, no study has examined whether sexual minority stressors relate to sacrifice in same‐sex relationships. Method: We used dyadic, survey data from 141 same‐sex couples and conducted actor–partner interdependence models. Results: For receivers' awareness, unbiased estimation and overestimation were related to higher relationship quality; underestimation was related to lower relationship quality. For providers' perceived (in)equity, being underbenefitted—a situation in which individuals perceived that the other made fewer sacrifices than they did—was related to lower relationship quality. For indirect pathways, when one individual encountered heterosexist discrimination, this individual's sacrifice was likely underestimated by the receiver; in turn, this individual's partner experienced low relationship quality. Conclusions: To better understand sacrifice and relationship quality for same‐sex couples, heterosexist discrimination should be considered. Implications: Interventions are needed when practitioners work with same‐sex couples who feel that their sacrifices were underestimated, and efforts are still needed to reduce heterosexist discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, the rights of people whose sexual orientation does not conform to prevailing norms have become a divisive issue in many countries. Despite a long tradition of research on media and sexual minorities, the role of the media in these recent backlashes remains poorly understood. We argue that this is partly because work in this area is often underpinned by a simple, linear narrative that unambiguously links visibility to empowerment. We highlight the ambivalent impact of mediated visibility and argue that in the context of elite-driven polarization, illiberalism and low levels of media freedom, visibility can become a vehicle of control. To explore this proposition, we examine the link between media and public attitudes to same-sex relationships in four east European countries, combining a population survey with semi-structured interviews. The results confirm the need to consider the conditions of mediated visibility in particular socio-political contexts, showing that where control over the conditions of visibility remains in the hands of homophobic elites, specific types of media, which are controlled by ruling elites, including Public Service Media, can contribute to negative attitudes, while digital media play a more ambiguous role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti‐Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and/or Queer (LGBTQ+) education laws are defined as laws that prohibit or limit schools from discussing same‐sex relationships, broader sexuality, and gender issues in their sexual education curriculum. This study presents a historical context of anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws, examines the extant literature on the possible impact of these laws, and suggests recommendations for schools and school practitioners. Anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws may impact school climate and have been associated with poorer well‐being for LGBTQ+ students and cisgender heterosexual allies that encompass a range of sexual orientations and gender identities. With an Executive Order from the US president outlining the need to support LGBTQ+ youth in schools and the US Surgeon General's Advisory to highlight the urgent need to address the nation's youths' mental health, it is imperative to support LGBTQ+ students. We offer strategies that may be used to address anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws by school administrators and practitioners in a call for advocacy to make changes in sex education policy to improve the well‐being of students, particularly LGBTQ+ youth. Practitioner points: Anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws affect at least 10 million children nationwide.Sex education is essential for youth's well‐being and physical and mental health, specifically LGBTQ+ youth.Strategies to address anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws through advocacy on an individual level, community level, structural level, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse experiences in childhood may set the stage for future response to stress, emotion regulation, and interaction with partners in intimate relationships. This study examines the moderating role of childhood adversity on the association of daily marital stress with emotion work provision (intentional activities devoted to enhancing others' emotional well-being) and considers whether the association varies for men and women in same- and different-sex marriages. Specifically, I use ten days of dyadic diary data collected from 378 midlife same- and different-sex married couples (n = 756 individuals) and conduct multilevel regression models. The results show marital stress is positively associated with emotion work provision, and that the association is stronger for respondents who report more adverse childhood experiences. For respondents with low childhood adversity, the association of marital stress with emotion work is greater for same-sex couples compared to different-sex couples; for those with high childhood adversity, the association is equally strong. Findings from this study suggest that both men and women in same- and different-sex relationships do more emotion work in response to increased daily marital stress. Furthermore, early experiences of adversity are linked to stress responses in adulthood, with differing implications for men and women in different-sex and same-sex unions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships: Emerging Families in Ireland and Beyond" by Brian Tobin is an insightful book that examines the evolution of legal recognition for same-sex relationships in Ireland, drawing comparisons with other common law jurisdictions. The book explores the question of how to best progress rights and recognition for non-traditional relationships and family forms. It analyzes the legal context, the role of courts, and the legislative and social factors that have influenced the recognition of same-sex relationships in Ireland. The book also discusses the challenges and limitations in achieving legal intervention and highlights the importance of understanding these complexities in debates surrounding same-sex relationships and parental rights. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a case in which the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) considered whether the lack of legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples in Poland violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court ruled that Poland had failed to comply with its positive obligation to ensure legal recognition and protection for same-sex unions, thereby violating the right to private and family life and engaging in indirect discrimination based on sexual orientation. The ruling has implications for all member states of the Council of Europe and highlights the importance of the ECtHR in advancing same-sex rights. [Extracted from the article]

In a comparison of attitudes concerning same-sex relationships and inclusive policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons, African Americans are more likely to possess stronger opposition than Whites. The default agent in explaining disapproving attitudes is the Black Church. However, observations from 2017 expert interviews, part of a study on causes of Black homophobia, revealed that varying experts do not affirm the Black Church as the primary actor in sustaining these attitudes. Based on this observation, this study theorizes that attitudes considered homophobic are primarily sustained by actors distinct and separate from the Black Church. This study employs a modified grounded theory to explore themes toward the creation of an expert-driven narrative that disapproval of same-sex relationships and opposition to LGBTI policies are attitudes sustained by Black gatekeepers, as they see same-sex relationships and policy as oppositional to the Black identity and Black sociopolitical progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a multifactorial sexual orientation identity model, this study examined how lesbian and gay (LG) identity formation is associated with relationship status and relationship satisfaction. Data stem from a sample of 1,190 LG individuals (18–40 years; 47% female). Using a variable-centered approach, LG identity formation, as indicated by eight factors, was unrelated to relationship status (60% were in a relationship) but substantially related to relationship satisfaction. The correlation pattern, however, was complex. The picture was clearer when using a person-centered approach. Two profiles were identified, indicating affirmed versus struggling LG identities. Participants classified as affirmed identities were more than twice as likely to be in a relationship, and those in a relationship reported substantially higher levels of relationship satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I explore how Henriette-Julie de Murat (1668-1716), during a long period of exile, creates an authorial identity intended to interact with her cousin Menou as well as her captors. By focusing on Murat's literary relationship with Menou, I investigate how Murat's correspondence undermines her captors' attempts to control her expressions of desire and affection toward women. The letters--seemingly intended as a distraction from Murat's confinement and sickness--also serve as a political statement. Through references to Montaigne's notion of male friendship, Murat reimagines female friendship as equal to Montaigne's theorization of homosocial bonds. Murat then weaves into her discussion of female friendship love songs replete with pastoral references in which female companionate love replaces heteronormative tropes. Murat's correspondence reclaims agency over her expression of desire in a literary style that distracts her from the monotony of captivity and the suffering of her illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men, versus women, face more doubts about their heterosexuality based on a single same-gender sexual experience, a phenomenon known as the precarious sexuality effect. This phenomenon has thus far only been examined with sexually explicit same-gender acts (e.g., kissing, oral sex). Here, we conducted secondary data analyses of five large datasets of US adults (total N = 9770) to examine the replicability and robustness of the precarious sexuality effect across a range of same-gender acts varying in sexual explicitness. Using cross-classified hierarchical linear modeling, we replicated the precarious sexuality effect across all samples and demonstrated—in preregistered exploratory and confirmatory tests—that this effect was moderated by sexual explicitness. Consistent with our predictions, same-gender acts that were merely flirtatious (e.g., blowing a kiss) elicited stronger precarious sexuality (i.e., target gender) effects than same-gender acts that were explicitly sexual (e.g., oral sex), presumably because the former acts are more ambiguous and thereby allow more room for interpretation. Further, we found no consistent evidence that the precarious sexuality effect was moderated by perceiver characteristics including gender, sexual orientation, age, race, gender role beliefs, religiosity, or political orientation. Discussion considers possible explanations for the precarious sexuality effect and identifies important avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The social demands and pressure often lead individuals of the sexual minority to enter heterosexual marriages resulting in the termination of ongoing same-sex relationships. Consequently, short-lived relations and multiple romantic or sexual partners. Methods and Material: The study aimed to assess couple satisfaction in relation to sexual satisfaction, mental health, and stigma in gay individuals. It was a correlational cross-sectional study conducted online through social media platforms using Google Forms. The assessment measures used were: Couple Satisfaction Index, New Sexual Satisfaction Scale, General Health Questionnaire, and Self-Stigma Scale. Out of a total of 115 posts, 92 responses were received from which a sample of 30 was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 28. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, and regression were computed to determine predictors of relationship satisfaction. Results: The correlation between sexual satisfaction and couple satisfaction (r = 0.52, P ≤0.01) was significant indicating that sexual satisfaction increases couple satisfaction. Psychological distress and stigma were inversely related to couple satisfaction but not to sexual satisfaction. Conclusions: Sexual satisfaction largely determined the couple's satisfaction while psychological distress or stigma accounts for a small percentage of couple satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to highlight key narratives and themes that might have contributed to long-term romantic relationship development and commitment among gay men. A group of research participants living in the San Francisco Bay Area participated in a guided imagery exercise, a semi-structured interview, and a feedback meeting. Qualitative data analysis was conducted through narrative analysis. The main themes that emerged included First Impressions, Deepening Relationship, Stigma and Prejudice, Coming out to Self, Coming out to Family, Intimacy and Sexuality, and Relationship Commitment. By describing these themes, this study documents key experiences in gay men's lives, breaking the silence about gay relationships, and the experiences that shape them. Research participants described the experience of telling their relationship stories while participating as therapeutic. The findings have implications for evidence-based practice with gay men in relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the regression in empowering representations of queer women in the literary and, more generally, the cultural life of the modern Arab world, this article spotlights the hitherto under-researched literary portrayals of female homosexuality as a site of redemptive and/or reparative, queer(ed) home in 21st-century Syria. Through a close reading of Samar Yazbek's Ra'ihat al-Qirfa (2008), and, for added nuance, its English translation Cinnamon (2012), the study explores the novel's curation of home in and through the protagonist Aliyah's same-sex relationship with her employer Hanan al-Hashimi. Using Roberta Rubenstein's and Sara Ahmed's notions of fixing past homes, and of queer(ing) home, respectively, the article shows how the sense of home cushioned by the same-sex affair transcends social class and domination/submission binaries. I thus argue that even as the same-sex relationship in Yazbek's novel may not be performative from a contemporary lesbian feminist perspective, it kneads hope, not desolation, into the plot and the real-life setting it extrapolates, since it responds to the local context the characters inhabit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether gay men (Studies 1–2) and lesbian women (Study 1) who harbor internalized stigma due to their sexuality will desire a romantic relationship that reflects conventional, complementary gender roles where one partner is stereotypically feminine and the other is stereotypically masculine, in terms of both personality traits and division of household labor. Results showed that, among gay men with high (but not low) internalized stigma, self-ascribed masculinity was positively related to preferences for an ideal partner with stereotypically feminine traits. Preferences for partners with gender complementary traits did not emerge among women, or among men high in self-ascribed femininity. Contrary to predictions, internalized stigma was not associated with preferences for a gender-complementary division of household chores. Instead, internalized stigma was associated with the avoidance of tasks that are stereotypically gender incongruent—women high (vs. low) in stigma preferred for the partner (vs. self) to do so-called masculine (but not feminine) chores, whereas men high (vs. low) in stigma preferred for the partner (vs. self) to do stereotypically feminine (but not masculine) chores. Study 2 also included an experimental manipulation to test whether these effects were influenced by societal exclusion or acceptance, but there was no evidence of this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is a multiethnic and multireligious country in Asia that provides a rich landscape for the study of intersectional influences on sexual identity development. This study adopted a constructivist grounded theory research design to explore sexual identity development in 36 Malaysian gay males of varying ethnicities and religious affiliations. We proposed a five-stage Systemic Interaction Model (SIM) that theorizes sexual identity development as a continuous process of gay men discovering and then cycling between refining and redefining their self-concept. The five SIM stages are as follows: (1) noticing same-sex attraction and gender nonconformity; (2) exploring, experimenting, and eradicating differences from among same-sex peers; (3) confirming sexual orientation as gay; (4) accepting sexual identity as gay and (5) negotiating social expectations and pursuing a perceived ideal gay life. The five-stage model details the intricate intersectional, intrapersonal and interpersonal processes of Malaysian gay men as they move from passive roles into active cultural agents, developing their sexual identity in the relational, closeknit and tight Malaysian society in the process. Implications for health professionals and policymakers were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]