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Despite improvements in the awareness and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) individuals, the LGBTQ+ community continues to experience discrimination, which can result in adverse health outcomes. In particular, LGBTQ+ youth have an increased risk of experiencing depression, substance abuse, and suicide. Societal stigma and rejection, bullying, and familial disapproval all contribute to these health disparities. In recognition of these inequities, an interprofessional team of biomedical faculty members, staff, and trainees from the Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans developed the needs-assessment evaluation, the Gender and Sexual Minority Youth Outreach Survey (GSMYO) for high school students. Health science centers have access to resources and experienced personnel who can provide support and education to high school students, teachers, and administrative staff. However, it is important to first determine the high schools' specific needs, attitudes towards LGBTQ+ acceptance, and their current resources. Faculty, staff, and trainees from the LSUHSC Science Youth Initiative (SYI) and the LSUHSC LGBTQ+ Organization, Tiger Pride, administered the short, anonymous survey to adolescents attending Southeast Louisiana high schools. English Language Learner (ELL) students received the survey in Spanish. Results from the GSMYO needs-assessment survey are presented. Other health science centers may adapt the presented survey to develop needs-based LGBTQ+ high school programs to address the educational and health inequities in their own communities, regardless of location or demographic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores Pope Francis’ vision of synodality, fundamentally underpinned by his commitment to mercy through discernment, to underscore certain grounds for the pastoral inclusion of the gay community, in particular same-sex couples, within the Catholic Church. This paper identifies the bases of Church tradition on the subject and identifies questions that have surfaced, both prior and during, the XVI Ordinary Synod of Bishops. This paper focuses on Francis’ treatment of synodality, through an exploration of the methods of his discernment and his gospel driven propensity toward mercy to those on the margins of society. These elements contribute to a vision of a validity of a kind which, when understood in light of Amoris laetitia, holds the potential for gay inclusion. The Synod of Bishops is further held as the platform of synodality regarding controversial issues, due to its reflection of the wider, universal Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterosexual-identified men who have sex with men (H-MSM) are a unique population difficult to identify and recruit for research and practice. Yet, engaging H-MSM remains a top research priority to learn more about this population’s health needs. A scoping review was conducted to develop a stronger understanding of recruitment patterns involving H-MSM in research. The search and screening procedures yielded 160 total articles included in the present study. Most studies relied on venue-based and internet-based recruitment strategies. Thematic analysis was then used to identify three themes. Locations of H-MSM’s sexual encounters related to where sex researchers may recruit participants; sociocultural backgrounds of H-MSM related to important characteristics researchers should acknowledge and consider when working with H-MSM; and engagement with health services related to how H-MSM interact with or avoid HIV/STI testing and treatment and other public health services. Findings suggest H-MSM have sex with other men in a variety of venues (e.g. bathhouses, saunas) but tend to avoid gay-centric venues. H-MSM also are diverse, and these unique identities should be accounted for when engaging them. Finally, H-MSM are less likely to access healthcare services than other MSM, highlighting the need for targeted advertisements and interventions specific for H-MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Background Method Results Conclusion With needed and growing attention to sexual minorities and unmarried individuals, there is a need to consider how best to capture relationships and relationship organization in family studies.Traditional measures of marital status are commonly used to examine differences in relationships and socioeconomic outcomes, but they do not adequately capture the diversity of relationship experiences and leave certain types of relationship experiences invisible.This article examines the inclusion of a relationship measure in the American Marriage Survey, a national probability‐based sample of 2806 adults in the United States, to provide a more diverse and expansive perspective on relationships and relationship organization. While there is a great deal of overlap between those who are married or cohabiting (marital status) and those who are in an exclusive relationship (relationship status), there is also potential for variation in what kinds of relationships, if any, people are in.We find that the relationship measure is particularly useful in showing that a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual individuals are in an exclusive relationship and also that gender and sexual minorities are more likely than cisgender and heterosexual individuals to be in consensual nonmonogamous relationships. This article also provides direction on re‐coding open text responses from the relationship status measure.We conclude that a relationship status measure allows for greater inclusivity and visibility of sexual minorities and unmarried persons, including but not limited to queer individuals, families, and communities, as well as consensual nonmonogamous relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multiple methods and qualitative research design (including analysis of online dating profiles, digital ethnography, and in-depth interviews), I examine the discriminatory nature and mechanism of youzhi (優質), a neoliberal discourse widespread on the Chinese gay dating platform "Blued." This paper also explores how users interpret the connotations of youzhi and utilize it while justifying and normalizing the usage. My findings consider that the discourse of youzhi can integrate a variety of human qualities and generate a hierarchy with establishing an image of first-class citizens in the Chinese gay community. Specifically on Blued, the connotation of youzhi has been reframed into a one-sided, superficial variant through the site's pre-configurated attributes and marketing promotions. This underlines the sexual and erotic capital with physical aspects of gay hegemonic masculinity as the currency. Given its discriminatory essence, which could risk the user's desirability, youzhi is still widely utilized on Blued to deter the ones lacking sexual capital from contacting, promote the user's image, and attract the ones who meet the stringent beauty standards. Based on my findings, the users rationalize and normalize these actions as solely following the logic of how Blued is configured and what it has constantly promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intersecting health implications of HIV/AIDS and mental health among men who have sex with men (MSM) have been of significant concern, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the relationship between these two health domains is crucial for developing targeted interventions and support services. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between HIV/AIDS and mental health among MSM in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the predictors of the mental health index and their implications for this population. A regression analysis was conducted using a dataset of (N = 366) MSM participants. The variables examined included HIV prevalence, COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing rate, new HIV infections, and the mental health index. The regression analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the predictor variables and the mental health index (multiple R = 0.9555, R2 = 0.9129). HIV prevalence emerged as a significant predictor, indicating that for every unit increase in HIV prevalence, there was an estimated increase of 532.7836 in the mental health index among MSM (p < 0.0001). However, COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing rate, and new HIV infections did not demonstrate significant relationships with the mental health index (p > 0.05). The findings highlight the significance of HIV/AIDS as a crucial factor influencing the mental health outcomes of MSM during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 91.29% of the variability in the mental health index can be explained by the included variables. Tailored interventions and support services that integrate HIV prevention and mental health promotion are needed to address the unique challenges faced by this population. Efforts should be made to reduce stigma, promote inclusivity, and provide comprehensive healthcare services that encompass both HIV/AIDS management and mental health support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study analyzes three gay Chinese immigrants' experiences and perspectives regarding English hegemony, internalized oppression, and sexual identity using language ideology, social positioning, and performativity. The findings show that speaking English still determines one's proximity to American culture, and language ideology affects attitudes towards one's own culture and language. In particular, the study demonstrates a triple marginalization in which participants are more or less marginalized because their inherited American values clash with their marginality, and at the same time, because of their negative experiences with local gay communities and rejection from their own culture, they feel alienated, displaced, and immobile as a result. Additionally, English learning and interacting with LGBTQ content contribute to their language acquisition, sexual identity transformation, and activism development. Queering ESL education is needed because English learners inherit oppressive English ideologies and show discrimination towards other marginalized groups. As a gateway to American society and cultures, ESL classes present opportunities to raise awareness and challenge hegemonic discourse. Furthermore, ESL classrooms can also be powerful places for queer students whose cultures provide little or no validation of their sexuality to cultivate their cultural competence and affirm their place within society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Happiness Index refers to the overall measure of the gay men in the community in their life satisfaction and wellbeing. This study's primary purpose is to determine the happiness index of gays in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines. A quantitative research method was utilized using a standardized questionnaire. The standardized questionnaire was devised by Michael Argyle and Peter Hills at Oxford University (2002). Percentage, Weighted Mean, Spearman Rank Correlation, Chi-Square Test, and Kruskal-Wallis H Test were used to analyze the data collected. The gay respondents' overall happiness index yielded the interpretation as Rather Happy. Therefore, the majority of the gay respondents are happy with their current lives but not too happy. As a result of the survey's analysis, it was revealed that older gay respondents are happier than younger gay respondents. Further research is recommended to corroborate the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on the experiences of gay Asian men demonstrate that members of these groups experience both subtle and blatant forms of racism within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities. This study expands on previous research by examining how gay Vietnamese American men experience racism within the gay community of Southern California, how racism affects members of this group mentally and emotionally, and their responses when facing racism. Based on 17 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with self-identified gay Vietnamese American men living in Southern California, this study found that they experienced racism similarly to other gay Asian men. Race and racism shape the everyday experiences of gay Vietnamese American men through the racial paradox of gay desire as they are either deemed undesirable and rejected as a potential sexual and romantic interest, or they are racially fetishized. However, members of this group do not experience racism passively but actively respond through various acts of resistance and intra-racial and ethnic community-building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Same-gender couples face unique sexual minority stressors that significantly impact individual and relationship health. This impact may be even greater among same-gender couples living in regions where there are pervasive social and legal biases that affect the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) community (e.g., south central Appalachia). Brief relationship interventions, like the relationship checkup, are effective at improving relationship health and can be widely disseminated due to the brief and flexible nature of the program. Yet, this program was developed for different-gender couples and, as a result, may lack specific intervention for the unique stressors of same-gender couples. While many skills delivered in relationship interventions, including the relationship checkup, are applicable to all couples, untailored interventions for same-gender couples may result in less impactful outcomes. The present study examined whether the relationship checkup, in its original, unadapted format, is as effective for same-gender couples as it is for different-gender couples. Using a subsample from the larger relationship checkup study (N = 656 couples), the present sample included 64 committed couples (same-gender = 32; different-gender = 32). We used propensity score matching to match different-gender participants to the same-gender participants based on racial minority status, poverty status, marital status, and parenting status. Results revealed that same-gender couples presented similarly to different-gender couples on baseline relationship functioning and changed similarly on all relationship functioning outcomes through 1-month postintervention. Same-gender couples also reported similar degrees of satisfaction with and perceived helpfulness of the relationship checkup. The relationship checkup appears to be equally effective and acceptable for same-gender and different-gender couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the emergence of gay, lesbian and trans community organizing in 1989–1994 in Estonia. During the post-Soviet transition period, issues of human rights and democracy were actively debated both in Estonia and internationally. Using the fragmentary material that we have gathered from media, archives and interviews, we try to reconstruct a narrative of events and public debate on AIDS, homosexuality, and gender transitions in Soviet Estonia that led to the formation of the LGBT community. We frame this homosexual and transgender emancipation with Juri Lotman's model of explosion that allows us to view how in specific historical circumstances seemingly opposing discourses of national emancipation and LGBT emancipation could emerge without conflict. The international community of LGBT organizations supported the first Estonian activists by funding their training, large-scale activities and community building. While the transition period saw a discursive explosion that opened the public debate to sexual and gender minorities, the new Estonian political elite dismissed these minorities as alien to their nation-building project. In the second half of the 1990s gay and lesbian activism was professionalized, and trans advocacy achieved an official legal gender recognition regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective lo explore the application value ot a recombinant antigen-based capture enzyme immunoassay (KAg-CEIA) in detection of recent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in the sentinel surveillance population. Methods Among the HIV/AIDS sentinel surveillance population in Yunnan province in 2015, the confirmed HIV-1 antibodies positive plasma specimens matching the detection criteria for recent HIV-1 infection were tested by HIV-1 RAg-CEIA. The recent HIV-1 infection specimens were classified by the normalized optical density (ODn) values, and then the HIV-1 incidence in population were estimated. The detection and analysis data were compared with those by BED capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) and limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay (LAg-Avidity EIA), respectively. Results A total of 51 313 plasma specimens were tested for HIV antibodies, in which 1 255 specimens were HIV-1 antibodies positive. 253 out of 373 specimens matching the detection criteria for recent HIV-1 infection were tested by the 3 assays, respectively. By RAg-CEIA, BED-CEIA and LAg-Avidity EIA, 88, 78 and 54 specimens were classified as recent HIV-1 infections, and the HIV-1 incidence in the sentinel surveillance population was 0.33% (95% CI: 0.26%~0.39%), 0.31% (95% CI: 0.24%-0.38%) and 0.31% (95% CI: 0.22%-0.39%), respectively. The differences between the HIV-1 incidence by the 3 assays were not statistically significant (P = 0.927). Among the sub-populations, the HIV-1 incidence in men who have sex with men (MSM) were 3.50% (95% CI: 2.48%-4.52%), 3.92% (95% CI: 2.76%-5.08%) and 4.17% (95% CI: 2.79%-5.55%), respectively. The differences between the HIV-1 incidence by the 3 assays were not statistically significant (P = 0.763). The ODn values by RAg-CEIA were linear correlation with those by BED-CEIA (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was 0.911), and those by LAg-Avidity EIA (Spearman' s rank correlation coefficient was 0.755), respectively. Conclusion HIV-1 RAg-CEIA can be effectively used in classification of recent HIV-1 infections and estimation of HIV-1 incidence, indicating that this approach has a good application prospect in detection of recent HIV-1 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a historical examination of sex between men in New Zealand's military from 1940 to 1960. It analyzes court-martial records, prison files, and criminal court files to understand the complexities of regulation, place, opportunity, consent, and social status that influenced these encounters. The article highlights the growth of homosexual subcultures, particularly in port cities, and discusses the inconsistent approach to regulating homosexuality in the military. It also explores court-martial cases involving same-sex encounters, emphasizing the role of alcohol and the issue of consent. Additionally, the article addresses instances of sexual coercion and violence within the armed forces, as well as the policing of queer individuals in Auckland. It concludes by discussing the changing attitudes towards homosexuality in the military and society in New Zealand. [Extracted from the article]

Anthropologists of religion are preoccupied with questions of identity, community, performance and representation. One way they cope with these concerns is through a reflexive examination of their ethnographic positionality in the field. This provides an opportunity to engage not only with "the other", but also to explore their own identities and background. This article presents an autoethnographic analysis of Pride Shabbat, a special service held in June to celebrate the intersection of Judaism and queerness. The service took place at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) as part of their 50th-anniversary celebration. Since the 1970s, CBST has been known as the largest gay synagogue in the world and provided diverse religious and spiritual services to the Jewish LGBTQ+ community. Based on my participation in this specific event in June 2023, I draw distinct differences between the Israeli Jewish LGBTQ community and the American Jewish LGBTQ community, such as issues related to ageism and multigenerational perceptions within the gay community, the internal dynamic for gender dominance, as well as diverse trajectories of queerness, religiosity and nationality. Symbolically, contrary to the common perception that the diaspora looks to the state of Israel for symbolic and actual existence, this inquiry sheds light on the opposite perspective; the homeland (represented by the ethnographer) absorbs and learns from the queer Jewish practices and experiences taking place within the diaspora (the American Jewish LGBTQ community). This is an opposite movement which reveals the cracks in the perception of the gay community as a transnational community, as well as the tense power relations between Israel and American Jewry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other minoritized genders and sexualities) and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities contend with oppressive realities on and off college campuses. Family relationships—families of origin and chosen families—have garnered attention for how they support and/or marginalize LGBTQ+ BIPOC college students. Informed by intersectionality as a theoretical framework, this narrative inquiry study centered on nine LGBTQ+ BIPOC students as they described the influence of families of origin and chosen families during college. Findings revealed the contexts that informed their negotiation of family relationships, how they discussed connection to family of origin based on family members' adherence to oppressive beliefs, and how chosen family served as a powerful mediator to oppressive realities. Shaped by these findings, we provide implications for research and practice relevant to higher education and student affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary Britain, the working-class subject is often portrayed as abject, deficient, and undeserving. In this article, I survey how mainstream theatre has often been complicit in replicating and authenticating these representations of the working class without offering an alternative. I argue that queer performance forms are a way of altering and undermining this narrative of working classness as a deficit. The queer working-class subject is defined by a sense of not fitting in to either the queer or working-class community and is therefore in a unique position to challenge a unifying representation of the working class. In particular, the queer aesthetics identified in José Esteban Muñoz's notion of utopian performance and the dialectic of hope and disappointment offers both a critique of the present and a look to the future beyond the inevitability of capitalism and heteronormativity. I analyse Scottee's solo autobiographical performances Bravado (2017) and Class (2019) through the lens of utopia and hope and how the performer's status as a queer and working-class artist allows him to offer alternatives to the here and now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite legal protections and growing acceptance in many industrialized countries, LGBTQ + workers continue to face considerable employment disadvantage. We explain this contradiction by detailing labor market processes that limit employment prospects for LGBTQ + workers in Sudbury and Windsor (both small cities with industrial histories). Drawing on 50 semistructured interviews and 662 community survey responses from LGBTQ + workers, we show how LGBTQ + employment opportunities are constrained by a constellation of multiscalar factors. These include the absence of good work opportunities outside of blue-collar work in deindustrializing labor markets, associated persistent cisnormativity and heteronormativity, and inconsistent protection from discrimination and social acceptance at work. As a result, respondents self-selected out of blue-collar workplaces, avoided and left jobs when they experienced or anticipated discrimination, and chose to remain in jobs with supportive employers rather than find a new job in a potentially homophobic or transphobic labor market. This article extends current understandings of labor markets economic geography by connecting production histories to persistent cisnormativity and heteronormitivity, and by showing how the search for emotional safety in cities with inconsistent social acceptance perpetuates economic disadvantage for queer and trans workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to a lack of research on sexual consent in sexual minority communities, we know little about how and what individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) learn about consent. To this end, a convenience sample of 25 LGB adults (N = 25) was interviewed about the factors that have shaped their perceptions and approaches to sexual consent. Data was analyzed using a constant comparative approach wherein data was collected and analyzed simultaneously. Participants identified interpersonal resources, such as past partners, friends, and family, as influential in their views of consent. They also described the lack of inclusive sexual health resources and inadequacies in school-based sexual education as obstacles in the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following calls to engage more directly with the materiality of sex in geographies of sexualities, we draw on our overlapping research to explore how sexual desire and social intimacy were entangled in the emergence and consolidation of lesbians' and queer women's social spaces from the 1980s onwards in Sydney, Australia. Though largely applied in the context of understanding the formation of gay male communities, the concept of sex-based sociality offers a unique framework for examining the intersections between the practice of sex and the social formation of identities that are critical to placemaking activism. Yet, lesbians and queer women lacked the commercial infrastructure available to gay men that facilitated sex in social spaces, such as bars, bathhouses and nightclubs. Instead, women's pursuit of sex took place within more mobile, ephemeral geographies but in which the production of social pleasure and sexual wellbeing were equally emphasised. Following sex within and across these mobile sites – and indeed, across our own research trajectories – we reveal how lesbians and queer women were attuned to the possibilities of sex-based sociality in such provisional geographies. Moreover, by tracing these mobilities and attunements over time, we offer a counterpoint to histories of sexual politics that have focussed on gay men's experiences, and in doing so, provide critical correctives to the tendency to overlook women's sexual experiences within placemaking activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fearless ancient Amazons have been seen as forebears and prototypes by lesbians, feminists, and transgender men. In this introduction, I will explore why the Greek legends of the Amazons lend themselves to such interpretation. Ancient Greek literature details how the Amazons challenged patriarchy, lived without men, and defeated their male enemies, thus setting a precedent that would later be emulated by feminists and lesbians. Though the Amazons are clearly designated as women they are also identified with men in ancient Greek lore; in ancient Greek vase painting, they wear masculine outfits and engage in masculine habits, including fighting and hunting. Thus I will examine the Amazons' gender transgression in ancient Greek contexts in order to understand how and why these myths set the stage for the adoption of the Amazons as role models by later generations of gender nonconformists. I will also briefly examine the history behind those myths, a history which is just as important to lesbian and other queer communities as the myths which it spawned. Finally, I will weave my analysis of the ancient Greek ideology of Amazons with innovative, new research on the reception of the Amazons found in the six other articles that make up this special edition. These essays explore the powerful place of Amazons and Amazon-like women in the imaginaries of peoples ranging from the ancient Romans to modern lesbian feminists, and the importance of historical and legendary warrior women who defied patriarchy and colonialism in locales ranging from the West to Africa to India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other gender and sexual minority (LGBTQ+) community are disproportionately affected by illicit substance use, yet sexual orientation and gender identity are largely omitted from criminology frameworks. LGBTQ+ identity is incorporated into Akers' Social Structure-Social Learning (SSSL) model to suggest that existing disparate substance use patterns may be attributed to variation in substance-related definitions, peer models, and reinforcement. Data from 2,349 young adults were used to estimate structural equations models. LGBTQ+ respondents reported greater substance use than peers. Consistent with theoretical expectations, this relationship was fully mediated by social learning constructs. This study justifies incorporating sexual orientation and gender identity into the SSSL model and suggests peer-based substance use interventions are particularly influential within the LGBTQ+ community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1960s, the American Jewish community has worked to find creative ways to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Queer+ (LGBTQ+) people in community practices and Jewish liturgy. The pioneering egalitarian denomination was and remains the Reform Jewish Movement, which promotes and supports gender equality and sexual diversity. This paper proposes a typology of queer Jewish liturgy based on classification into two categories: time and space. By exploring these specific categories, the texts expose a bipolar relationship between LGBTQ+s and divine individuals, LGBTQ+s and heterosexual/cisgender individuals, and LGBTQ+s and themselves. By analyzing particular queer prayers, I argue that this liturgy, created by American Jewish clergy, is characterized by inherent structural contradictions, which reflect tendencies and changes not only in non‐halachic Jewish communities but also in queer ideology and gay politics. Thus, the textual dimension is revealed as a vivid landscape that characterizes the dynamics of LGBTQ+ Jewish people between temporal, fragile, and safe spaces, painful memories and proud feelings, and victim consciousness and social agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a brief response to questions posed in Queerness as/and Political Attunement (Burns, 2021). Here we challenge the notion that discussions of queer oppression during, and beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic inherently denote the queer community as "hapless victims." Further, questions of who queer leisure scholars are writing for and about are considered. Specific attention is given to the role of "mainstream" queer spaces in processes of assimilation and transgression through discussions on the continued role these spaces play in queer lives and queer futures and the need for continued examination of queer spaces in leisure scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses how gender studies scholars in the United Kingdom are resisting anti-gender politics. The scholars have formed a network called Transnational "Anti-gender" Movements and Resistance to address threats to gender and queer studies, feminism, and marginalized communities. They aim to bring scholars together to have frank conversations and create transnational solidarity. Despite challenges and attacks, the scholars remain hopeful due to the transformative impact of their work, the support of the student body, and the formation of collective resistance. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the visual culture of social network applications (apps), using "safer-sex design" as an anchor to contemplate how different practices of looking at HIV co-constitute viral visibility. Drawing on science and technology studies and queer theories, this article traces viral visibility from its digital production through its marketization, and finally to its implications for gay men's sexual communication in Taiwan. Through interviews with gay Taiwanese men and a social app developer and the visual analysis of Hornet, Grindr, and Scruff, this article describes how the precarity of viruses, knowledge of HIV prevention, and social stigmas against sexual minorities are brought together, staged, and made eligible (and ineligible) for public viewing. This article demonstrates how digital platform designs work to facilitate gay men's sociosexual communication while ironically reinforcing stigmas against HIV/AIDS in Taiwan, and suggests a critical approach to the visual culture of social apps and queer health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the information barriers that the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, other) community encounters when seeking information about sexual orientation. For this study, a qualitative methodology was followed based on a questionnaire that was answered by various groups within the community. The findings reveal that the respondents preferred the Internet when searching for information due to the abundance of resources, easy accessibility and anonymity. However, they found it insufficient to determine their sexuality due to the presence of inaccurate information and hurtful comments from other users. Additionally, only a few of the respondents were aware of the existence of specialized LGBTQ+ libraries. They believed that the lack of financial resources results in these libraries selecting some resources over others. Therefore, libraries can play a key role in serving the LGBTQ+ community by curating collections in relation to their sexual orientation. This could overcome barriers by providing reliable information for the LGBTQ+ community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Minority stress theory views social support as a protective factor against the effects of minority-specific stressors like internalized homophobia (IH) on mental health in sexual minority populations. However, much of the empirical validation of this theory has been conducted within predominantly White samples, resulting in a limited understanding of how the theory applies to Black sexual minority individuals. Current examinations of social support fail to capture the nuances of how Black sexual minority men may access support systems differently, resulting in a need to investigate how social support, IH, and mental health operate for Black sexual minority men. This study examined relationships between IH, depression, and different types of social support (i.e., family, friends, Black community, gay community) using a mediation model. Methods: We used data from the POWER (Promoting Our Worth Equity and Resilience) Study, which recruited Black sexual minority men at Black Pride events across six cities in the United States from 2014 to 2017, to test four mediation pathways concurrently in Stata 17. Participants (N  =  4,430) completed a questionnaire assessing a variety of health and life domains, including depression symptoms, internalized homophobia, and social support. Results: IH was positively associated with depression. Lower levels of family, friend, and Black community support were all positively associated with depression symptoms. Additionally, IH was positively associated with all types of support. Finally, family, friend, and Black community support partially mediated the relationship between IH and depression. Conclusions and implications: Results suggest that the relationship between social support and depression is complex for Black sexual minority men. Findings suggest family support is an important factor for clinical intervention efforts targeting depression, and that gay community support systems should assess how their environments can better support Black sexual minority men. Overall, findings demonstrate the necessity of future examination of how social support functions differently within Black sexual minority communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the ways gay and queer men employ the concept of 'play' in relation to sex. Using Judith Butler's theory of performativity to analyse the experiences of 16 individuals from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia who identified as a gay and/or queer man or a member of the gay community, I present how my participants used 'play' to refer to casual and/or kinky sexual encounters, describe certain safer sex practices, and delineate the difference between queer and straight sexual identities. 'Playing' also involved a range of personally cultivated rules connected to the pursuit of well-being. When these rules were broken, the activity no longer felt 'playful' and became risky for some. 'Play' was ultimately a way for my participants to discuss how risk, pleasure, desire, identity, relationships, and personal well-being related to sexual practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we intended to examine the psychometric propensities of the traditional Chinese version of the Gay Community Stress Scale-Cognition subscale (GCSS-C) for measuring gay community stress experienced by gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Taiwan. Methods: Totally 736 GBM participated in this study and completed the traditional Chinese version of the GCSS-C, the Measure of Internalized Sexual Stigma for Lesbians and Gay Men (MISS-LG), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Scale (STAI-S), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results: In exploratory factor analysis, we found that a five-factor structure (i.e., Sex, Status, Competition, Exclusion, and Externals) for the 32-item traditional Chinese version of the GCSS-C among Taiwanese GBM had significantly positive correlations in validity with MISS-LG (p < 0.001), STAI-S (p < 0.001), and CES-D (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The traditional Chinese version of GCSS-C has been found to have satisfactory psychometric properties in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between sexual identity, coming out, and eating disorders to more fully understand the high rates of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction among sexual minority men. A sample of 15 sexual minority men (14 gay, one queer) with a diagnosed eating disorder completed qualitative interviews about their experiences related to their sexual identity, coming out process, and eating disorder. Qualitative data analysis based on grounded theory strategies revealed that the majority of participants identified their coming out process as playing a notable role in their body dissatisfaction and eating disorder. After coming out, participants identified unique stressors from within the community of sexual minority men. Participants' responses were categorized into four theoretical constructs: (1) The Mental Health Toll of the Closet, (2) The Mental Health Toll Out of the Closet, (3) The Mental Health Toll of Assimilating to the Gay Community, and (4) The Mental Health Toll of Gay Dating and Sex. The findings are contextualized based on three relevant theories: minority stress theory, intraminority gay community stress theory, and objectification theory. This study found the process of coming out, as well as navigating stressors within the mainstream gay community, are critical to more fully understanding the disparities in eating disorders among sexual minority men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to explore the inclusiveness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents in junior high school from the perspective of LGBTQ adolescents in Sweden. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 GBTQ adolescents aged 16 to 19. The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr: 2019-03816). A Braun and Clark inspired thematic analysis was performed through a theoretical lens inspired by Berger and Luckmann. The analysis resulted in three themes: (a) a navigator among peers as friends and bullies, (b) adults in school supported inclusion in and exclusion from the group of peers, and (c) non-heterosexuality and non-binary gender understanding as teaching projects in junior high school. In summary the LGBTQ adolescents face multiple challenges related to identity development in hetero- and cisnormative school environments, including adults and peers and their (re)actions. Inclusive and exclusive strategies exercised by the self, adults, and peers affect adolescents' experiences of their school time. Initiatives to increase awareness and knowledge about the LGBTQ subject in school can lead to enhanced inclusion but also to an enhanced sense of not belonging. Inclusive initiatives can contribute to enhanced inclusion or its opposite, motivating further research into LGBTQ adolescents' experiences of junior high school from a relational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, aromantic, and other sexual and/or gender minority (LGBTQIA+) communities are underrepresented in health research and subject to documented health disparities. In addition, LGBTQIA+ communities have experienced mistreatment, discrimination, and stigma in health care and health research settings. Effectively engaging LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals in health research is critical to developing representative data sets, improving health care provision and policy, and reducing disparities. However, little is known about what engagement approaches work well with LGBTQIA+ people. This paper describes the development of PRIDEnet (pridenet.org), a national network dedicated to catalyzing LGBTQIA+ community involvement in health research and built upon well-established community-engaged research (CEnR) principles. PRIDEnet's relationship building and digital communications activities engage thousands of LGBTQIA+-identified people across the country and offer multiple lowthreshold ways to participate in specific studies and shape research. These activities comprise a CEnR infrastructure that engages LGBTQIA+ people on behalf of other projects, primarily The PRIDE Study (pridestudy.org) and the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program (joinallofus.org/lgbtqia). Our impact, results, and lessons learned apply to those engaging communities underserved in biomedical research and include: the importance of building adaptable infrastructure that sustains transformational relationships long-term; implementing high-touch activities to establish trust and broad-reach activities to build large data sets; nurturing a team of diverse professionals with lived experiences that reflect those of the communities to be engaged; and maintaining CEnR mechanisms that exceed advice-giving and result in substantive research contributions from beginning to end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This article takes up the concept of "homo politicus" and seeks a contemporary understanding in the context of a globalized world. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: In the classical understanding, "homo politicus" was the member of a municipal or national civil society who is aware of his or her responsibility towards the community and contributes to it productively. Today, the population is confronted with the fact that the world has become a "global village". In this context, "homo politicus" can't be limited to a national identity because contemporary challenges do not recognize national borders. This means that globalization demands a corresponding critical-global perspective on political responsibility, how to achieve a just and peaceful future. The article is conceived theoretically-analytically and hermeneutically. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The article reflects on different conceptions of the term "homo politicus", it addresses the temptation of a nationalistic narrowing and analyses the concepts of state and nation for a design of "homo politicus". In the literature, an alternative concept to "homo politicus" is found in the form of "citizenship". Finally, the article discusses the ambivalent role of religions with regard to a trans-national perspective, but also points out their spiritual potential. RESEARCH RESULTS: The result of the reflections is to develop the idea of "homo politicus" towards a trans-national cosmopolitan citizenship. Many religions have the spiritual potential to promote this development. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Global or cosmopolitan citizenship is a key aspect of "homo politicus". It means that everyone is a global citizen and can claim certain rights (e.g. the right to education, a decent standard of living, etc.), but also has duties towards the global community, e.g. by being aware of the impact of one's actions on the present and future of humanity, striving for a sustainable way of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The purpose of this paper is to explore how gay men manage their identities both within and outside the gay community by drawing on post-gay discourses, which surmise stigma against the gay community as a thing of the past. Implementing qualitative methods, the findings show that a post-gay subjectivity is produced via a series of camouflage strategies, which enable consumers to assimilate into mainstream society, whilst acquiring cultural membership and recognition. This research illustrates how these strategies function as cultural repertoires that improve consumers' well-being while paradoxically reproducing heteronormative power relations that exacerbate stigma and diversification both within and outside the gay community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Out North: An Archive of Queer Activism and Kinship in Canada" by Craig Jennex and Nisha Eswaran showcases materials from the ArQuives, the world's largest independent queer archive located in Toronto, Canada. The book provides an overview of Canadian queer life from the mid-twentieth century to the present, featuring photographs, letters, diary entries, newspaper accounts, and more. It is organized into four parts, each covering a different time period and exploring various aspects of queer activism. The book aims to make these materials available and highlight diverse forms of queer experience and kinship. However, it is noted that the book could have given more attention to the social and cultural consequences of certain archival holdings, such as pornography, and could have further addressed issues of racism and ableism within the queer community. Overall, "Out North" serves as a valuable resource for activists and scholars interested in Canadian queer history, and it encourages a reevaluation of contemporary queer politics and a celebration of diverse histories and stories. [Extracted from the article]

Research shows that successful development of sexual identity is essential for healthy and well-adjusted ageing. Gay and bisexual (GB) older people have experienced cumulative events throughout their lives that may have affected the development of their identity. In addition, the few previous studies show an alarming lack of community connectedness among older GB people in Portugal. This study assessed the factors that have contributed to the development of sexual identity in Portuguese GB older adults throughout their lives, using an inductive qualitative cross-sectional approach based on Life Course Theory. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were carried out with older (60+ years) GB people living in the community and using the lifeline technique. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis with a codebook approach. Results suggest a multifactorial contribution of factors throughout the life cycle that have affected the development of GB older people's sexual identity. These include historical–cultural factors (e.g., sexual repression and traditionalism of the dictatorship), psychosocial factors (e.g., cumulative sexual stigma), relational factors (e.g., relational clandestinity) and intrapersonal factors (e.g., concealment of sexual orientation). The existence of the Internalized Sexual Minority Disconnectedness phenomenon and its contribution to the formation of the sexual identity of older GB adults were also verified. These results reveal important clues about the development of older GB people in Portugal and the factors that may be affecting the current invisibility of these people in the social and health-related context. Relevant implications for the clinical context are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Digital mental health interventions are a promising therapeutic modality to provide psychological support to LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, Queer, intersex, asexual, plus other gender, sexual, and romantic minority identities) people. The aim of this narrative review is to explore how the LGBTQIA+ community has been engaged in the design of digital mental health interventions, how content has been tailored to the LGBTQIA+ community, and features identified as important by LGBTQIA+ participants. Methods: A total of 33 studies were included in this review from a larger yield of 1933 identified from systematic searches of five databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHAL, and Medline). Data were analyzed narratively and using content analysis. Results: Only half of the studies reported engaging the LGBTQIA+ community in intervention designs. Interventions have been tailored in a variety of ways to support LGBTQIA+ individuals—such as through affirming imagery, recruitment through LGBTQIA+ networks, and designing content to focus specifically on LGBTQIA+ issues. A range of features were identified as important for participants, namely how content was tailored to LGBTQIA+ experiences, providing connection to community, and links to other relevant LGBTQIA+ resources. While not a primary aim, results also showed that a wide range of digital modalities can significantly improve a range of mental health problems. Conclusion: Digital interventions are an acceptable and effective form of therapeutic intervention, but future research needs to focus on meaningful engagement of community members to inform design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This queer narrative study examined the stories of two gay college men living with HIV and their relationship to HIV/AIDS. Foucault's technologies of the self served as the conceptual framework. Technologies of the self are practices, strategies, and narratives participants used to resist the stigma-tizing symbolic violence of AIDS. The men practiced different yet interlocking technologies of the self. They took partial control of the meaning of HIV/AIDS in ways that improved their lives and helped them navigate college. However, homophobic AIDS signifiers resulted in them taking personal responsibility for HIV/AIDS rather than understanding it as a structural inequity, which limited them personally and academically. Higher education environments were a place of stigma and support, leaving the men unsure of how to navigate oppressive environments on campus. Implications for reframing college student identity theory, addressing AIDS stigma on campus and beyond, and supporting students living with HIV are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term “gay community” has been criticized for its inability to explain the pluralities in a specific cultural and political context. Based on in-depth interviews with 63 non-heterosexual males in Bulgaria, this study aims to revisit the theories of gay communities in a non-Western, post-communist context. The data from this study suggest that (1) the idea of a “gay community” is often rejected due to anti-communist notions and explicit engagement with individualism as anti-communitarianism; (2) belonging to a gay community is subjective, and initial verbal detachment from gay communities does not indicate a lack of factual belonging to such communities; (3) the concepts of “personal communities” and “family of choice” remain relatively irrelevant in the Bulgarian context; (4) the most significant factor for attachment to a gay community is the notion of “gay culture” and “gay scene”; (5) recent forms of “sexual attachments” have led to a certain political involvement; and (6) the “anti-gender campaigns” have revitalized the importance of gay communities and have brought an increasing number of respondents to certain involvement in gay communities and networks, challenging the theories of “post-gay” societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This year, 2023, marks the sixtieth anniversary of Jeremy Seabrook's authorial career as one of our finest and most impassioned writers on the nexus of the personal, the political and the global. And, it is just over three decades since he first wrote in Race & Class. With a depth and range that spans the life situation of the poor in Britain, the underprivileged and precariat of the Asian sub-continent, the impact of imperialism and consumerism on the psyche, the meaning of work, the impact of environmental disaster and the essence of what it is to be human – and a gift for striking prophecy – Seabrook's career has been marked by the telling of beautifully expressed but often deeply uncomfortable and challenging truths. Yet always with immense feeling for the other at their heart. As expressed in his seminal piece, 'The soul of man under globalism' (Race & Class 43, no. 4, 2002), 'There are many macro-economic accounts of globalisation, but we rarely learn how it affects the psyche and sensibility of lives uprooted and radically reshaped by the penetration of their world by the market economy.' We are therefore delighted to publish in this issue and this anniversary year, not only Jeremy Seabrook's latest article for us, 'The present imperium', but also this response, by a contemporary, to his recently published autobiography, Private Worlds: growing up gay in post-war Britain (Pluto Press, 2023) which raises not only fundamental themes relating to the gay community in the UK and its history, but also profound, wider societal issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little geographical work has explored the role of hegemonic gay masculinity in constructing queer spaces and its impacts on multiply marginalized lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, and additional (LGBTQ2+) people. Building on interviews with LGBTQ2+ youth experiencing homelessness, and photographs taken by them, this article investigates how hegemonic gay masculinity materializes in visual representations of gendered bodies throughout Toronto's gay village, and how this is reflected in feminine and trans or gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth's social experiences of the neighborhood. Through a framework of hegemonic masculinity, gender and race are understood as co-constitutive and read simultaneously in the queer geographical productions of gendered inclusions and exclusions among LGBTQ2+ youth experiencing homelessness. This article analyzes how hegemonic gay masculinity links queer spaces to various structures of power through visual cultures, including whiteness, cisnormativity, nationalism, and able-bodiedness, and the implications of this in the everyday social relations of feminine and TGNC youth experiencing homelessness. Through this exploration, this article presents how visual representations of gendered bodies communicate hegemonic masculinity in built queer environments, instruct varying forms of gendered and racialized inclusions and exclusions, and (re)produce a sense of unbelonging for some of the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ2+ community. Key Words: gay village, hegemonic masculinity, queer geographies, race, trans geographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the United States government agencies' efforts, inconsistent messaging about the causes of the 2022 monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. facilitates the potential stigmatization of gay and bisexual communities. Grounded in the model of stigma communication, this research describes how Twitter users communicate about the monkeypox outbreak and sexual minorities by analyzing US-based tweets containing the following search strings: "gay," "bisexual," or "monkeypox." Using natural language processing (i.e. n-gram and sentiment analyses), this study uncovered that among tweets mentioning "gay" or "bisexual" with "monkeypox" together, stigmatizing phrases such as "gay disease" and negatively valenced words were common. Results were discussed in terms of the model of stigma communication and the potential influences of such communication on Twitter to a broader society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]