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Objectives. We investigated the association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) with sexual orientation among lesbians and bisexual women and compared the predictors of HRQOL between the 2 groups. Methods. We used multivariate logistic regression to analyze Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System population-based data (2003 to 2007) in a sample of 1496 lesbians and bisexual women and examined determinants of HRQOL among lesbians and bisexual women. Results. For lesbians and bisexual women, frequent mental distress and poor general health were associated with poverty and lack of exercise; poor general health was associated with obesity and mental distress. Bisexual women showed a higher likelihood of frequent mental distress and poor general health than did lesbians. The odds of mental distress were higher for bisexual women living in urban areas as compared with nonurban areas. Lesbians had an elevated risk of poor general health and mental distress during midlife. Conclusions. Despite the standard practice of collapsing sexual minority women into a single group, lesbian and bisexual women in this study emerge as distinct groups that merit specific attention. Bisexual women are at elevated risk for poor HRQOL. (Am J Public Health. 2010;100:2255-2261. doi:10.2105/ AJPH.2009.177329)

Objective: Prior research has established that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people experience higher rates of childhood abuse than heterosexuals. However, there has been little research on the mental health impact of these experiences or how race/ethnicity might influence prevalence and mental health impact of childhood abuse in this population. The study's objective was to examine the relationships between race/ethnicity, childhood abuse, and mental health indicators in a national sample of LGB adults. Method: Participants were recruited via the Internet through snowball and targeted sampling methods. Six hundred and sixty-nine LGB adults, 21% of whom were people of color, participated in an online survey. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire--Short Form, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist--Civilian Version, and the Perceived Stress Scale--Short Form. Results: Latina/o and Asian American participants reported the highest levels of physical abuse (p < .0l), and Latina/o and African American participants reported the highest levels of sexual abuse (p < .01). Childhood emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of psychopathology symptoms for all participants (ps < .01). Relative to White participants, emotional abuse showed a stronger relationship with PTSD and anxiety symptoms for African American participants (ps < .01), and physical abuse showed a stronger relationship with PTSD and anxiety symptoms for Latina/o participants (ps < .05). Conclusions: Race/ethnicity may be an important factor when examining childhood abuse and mental health correlates among LGB populations. Keywords: sexual orientation, race, child abuse, gay, lesbian DOI: 10.1037/a0018661

This study was a 3-year follow-up of 65 male and 138 female same-sex couples who had civil unions in Vermont during the 1st year of that legislation. These couples were compared with 23 male and 61 female same-sex couples in their friendship circles who did not have civil unions and with 55 heterosexual married couples (1 member of each was a sibling to a member of a civil union couple). Despite the legalized nature of their relationships, civil union couples did not differ on any measure from same-sex couples who were not in civil unions. However, same-sex couples not in civil unions were more likely to have ended their relationships than same-sex civil union or heterosexual married couples. Compared with heterosexual married participants, both types of same-sex couples reported greater relationship quality, compatibility, and intimacy and lower levels of conflict. Longitudinal predictors of relationship quality at Time 2 included less conflict, greater level of outness, and a shorter relationship length for men in same-sex relationships and included less conflict and more frequent sex for women in same-sex relationships at Time 1. Keywords: same-sex couples, civil unions, lesbian couples, gay male couples

This study compared 55 men and 78 women who had same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, 101 men and 120 women who had domestic partnerships in California, and 35 men and 86 women who had civil unions in Vermont, all in 2004. Couples were surveyed on demographic and relationship information, conflict, contact with family of origin, social support, politics, and leisure activities. There were few interstate differences, although couples in Massachusetts were more politically liberal and more sympathetic toward feminism than were couples in other states. There were, however, a number of gender differences. As compared to women, men were older and had waited longer to legalize their relationships; they were also more exclusively gay and less likely to have children. More than 90% of all couples were registered to vote and had voted in the last national election. Keywords: lesbian couples; gay male couples; same-sex marriage; same-sex civil unions; same-sex domestic partnerships 10.1177/0192513X7306087

This study extends research on dimensions of sexual minority experience by examining differences between bisexual and lesbian/gay adults in adaptation to sexual orientation stigma. The authors investigated sexual orientation self-disclosure, connection to community, and 4 identity-related variables (internalized homonegativity, stigma sensitivity, identity confusion, and identity superiority) in a community sample of 613 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Sexual orientation effects were found on 3 of these 6 variables: Bisexual participants reported higher levels of identity confusion and lower levels of both self-disclosure and community connection relative to their lesbian/gay peers. Taken together, the 6 variables predicted indicators of psychosocial functioning. Associations among the 6 dimensions of sexual minority experience and psychosocial functioning did not differ for bisexual and lesbian/gay participants. Keywords: gay, lesbian, bisexual, stigma, identity.

Objectives. Our primary aims were to identify differences on the basis of sexual orientation in victimization, substance use, and HIV risk behaviors and to examine associations among these variables in American Indian men. Our secondary aims included describing condom-use attitudes, beliefs about HIV/AIDS in the Indian community, HIV knowledge, HIV status, and preference for and access to HIV prevention services in this population. Methods. A survey was mailed to all members of an American Indian community organization in New York City. Results. The 20 men self-identifying as gay, two-spirit, or bisexual (hereafter, 'two-spirit') were more likely to report being victimized and engaging in HIV risk behaviors than the 51 heterosexual respondents, although they reported comparable levels of recent substance use. Overall, victimization was associated with lifetime HIV risk behaviors (even after control for sexual orientation) but not with substance use or unsafe sex in the past 12 months. The percentage of HIV infection was surprisingly high (10% of two-spirit men and 6% of heterosexual men). Conclusions. Two-spirit men are a vulnerable population whose victimization must be understood within an appropriate historical and political context.

Obesity is a risk factor for multiple disease outcomes, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. A healthy diet and physically active lifestyle can prevent obesity. Sexual orientation is an important demographic factor that has been suggested to affect engagement in health-related behaviors, and interventions developed for the general population of women are likely to be less effective in assisting sexual minority women to make healthy choices. We conducted seven focus groups with sexual minority women (i.e., lesbians and bisexual women) to explore issues, including barriers and motivations, regarding healthy eating, physical activity, and weight in this population. The participants reported a wide range of levels of engagement in health-related behaviors. While nearly all of the participants reported some awareness of the importance of good dietary choices, the majority reported some confusion about what constitutes a healthy diet. In contrast, the majority of participants seemed clearly aware that regular exercise was important for good health. These data can guide the design of effective intervention strategies to improve health behaviors in sexual minority women. KEYWORDS. Sexual minority women, obesity, intervention design, focus groups

Despite a large body of literature addressing relationship quality and domestic violence in women's same-sex relationships, few studies have empirically examined how stress specific to living as a lesbian or bisexual woman might correlate with these relationship variables. Degree of outness, internalized homophobia, lifetime and recent experiences of discrimination, butch/femme identity, relationship quality, and lifetime and recent experiences of domestic violence were assessed in a sample of 272 predominantly European American lesbian and bisexual women. Lesbian and bisexual women were found to be comparable on most relationship variables. In bivariate analyses, minority stress variables (internalized homophobia and discrimination) were associated with lower relationship quality and both domestic violence perpetration and victimization. Outness and butch/fern me identity were largely unrelated to relationship variables. Path analysis revealed that relationship quality fully mediated the relationship between internalized homophobia and recent domestic violence.

Self-identified lesbian, gay male, and bisexual (LGB) individuals were recruited via convenience sampling, and they in turn recruited their siblings (79% heterosexual, 19% LGB). The resulting sample of 533 heterosexual, 558 lesbian or gay male, and 163 bisexual participants was compared on mental health variables and their use of mental health services. Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that sexual orientation predicted suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, self-injurious behavior, use of psychotherapy, and use of psychiatric medications over and above the effects of family adjustment. Sexual orientation was unrelated to current psychological distress, psychiatric hospitalizations, and self-esteem. This is the 1st study to model family effects on the mental health of LGB participants and their siblings. Keywords: lesbian, gay, bisexual, mental health, sexual orientation

Lifetime victimization was examined in a primarily European American sample that comprised 557 lesbian/gay, 163 bisexual, and 525 heterosexual adults. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) participants were recruited via LGB e-mail lists, periodicals, and organizations; these participants recruited 1 of more siblings for participation in the study (81% heterosexual, 19% LGB). In hierarchical linear modeling analyses, sexual orientation was a significant predictor of most of the victimization variables. Compared with heterosexual participants, LGB participants reported more childhood psychological and physical abuse by parents of caretakers, more childhood sexual abuse, more partner psychological and pbysical victimization in adulthood, and more sexual assault experiences in adulthood. Sexual orientation differences in sexual victimization were greater among men than among women.

In this study we examined the division of finances, the division of household tasks, relationship maintenance behaviors, sexual activity, monogamy, and conflict among same-sex couples who had had civil unions in Vermont, same-sex couples who had not had civil unions recruited from their friendship circles, and married heterosexual couples recruited from among their siblings. Married heterosexuals had a more traditional, gendered division of finances, household tasks, and relationship maintenance behaviors, even though the heterosexuals were all siblings or in-laws of lesbians or gay men. Sexual orientation was a stronger predictor of the division of household tasks than was income difference within couples. Lesbians reported less frequent sexual activity than married heterosexual women, and gay men were less monogamous than married heterosexual men. Gay men in civil unions differed on a few variables from gay men not in civil unions, but there were no differences among lesbians. KEY WORDS: civil unions; same-sex couples; lesbian couples; gay male couples; sexual orientation; division of housework; division of finances; relationship maintenance behaviors.

This article discusses the social and demographic aspects of lesbian and bisexual women who have come out of the closet. Topics include race, sexual experience, motherhood, and family relations.

This article examines the relationship between lesbian battering, homophobia (both external and internalized), and the stress of living as a member of an oppressed minority. While domestic violence in lesbian relationships parallels domestic violence in heterosexual relationships in many ways, the context of homophobia in society, in addition to sexism, creates some unique dynamics, issues, and barriers to change. Drawing upon a review of the theoretical and empirical literature, as well as the author's clinical experience as a lesbian psychotherapist, the impact of the homophobic context on lesbian battering is examined from the perspective of victims, perpetrators, and helping systems. KEYWORDS. Lesbian battering, lesbians, domestic violence, homophobia, internalized homophobia, minority stress

A study on the social issues across sexual orientations shows that bisexual women are more comparable demographically to lesbians, whereas bisexual men are more similar to heterosexual men. Lesbians are highly educated and less religious whereas heterosexual women are more concerned in terms of marriage, children, religion and homemaker status.

Lesbian and gay male couples in civil unions in Vermont are compared with those not in civil unions and married heterosexual siblings in the first study on same-sex couples with civil unions. The results at a time of legal changes for same-sex couples indicate that legalized same-sex relationships are related to visibility of same-sex couples to their family and the general public.

This study investigated the relationship between lesbian internalized homophobia and various psychosocial variables in a national sample of 157 women. Internalized homophobia, or what some clinicians call 'internalized homonegativity,' represents [...]