Building Community for Toronto's Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transsexual and Transgender Youth

SUMMARY

This paper describes the development of Supporting Our Youth, an innovative grassroots program that builds community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgender youth in Toronto. Hundreds of adults and youth have worked together to develop a broad range of arts, cultural, recreational, and employment training activities, as well as a very popular mentoring and housing program. Initiated in 1997, Supporting Our Youth has been developed according to underlying principles of community development and community building which value broad participation, diverse skills, partnerships, coalition building, and grassroots ownership and direction. As a model, it is transferable to other queer and trans communities, as well as to other marginalized populations.     

Life Course Diversity Among Older Lesbians and Gay Men: A Study in Chicago

How much can we assume about the shared life experiences of older lesbians and gays? This article is broadly concerned with rethinking the significance of this question as it pertains to cultural images and stereotypes of “older gay and lesbian” identities in a large and diverse American city. In 1996, the authors completed a 10-month needs assessment study regarding the lives and needs (social and psychological), which must be addressed for older lesbians and gays in the city of Chicago. The authors take the approach that simply being of the same or similar age is insufficient to understand the meaning of people's sexual identities. They entered into this study aware of some stereotypes about older lesbians and gays, but like previous investigators, they were surprised at the range of diversity that they uncovered. They discovered not only the common denominators in their participants' experiences and their lives, but as some commentators have already suggested, they also discovered a great deal of variation. To address the issues, the authors describe conceptual problems that emerged in a recent needs assessment of older lesbians and gay men in Chicago.     

Discrimination Against Gay Men,Lesbians, and Transgender People Working in Education

Abstract

This paper explores the workplace experiences of 120 gay men, lesbians, and transgender people who were employed as teachers, academics, and educators. The data, drawn from a larger collaborative research project, explored the workplace experiences of 900 gay men, lesbians, and transgender people. Homophobic harassment and treatment were widespread amongst the lesbian, gay men, and transgender teachers, academics, and educators. The paper will utilize the stories of those who experienced discrimination to explicate the issues confronting gay men, lesbians, and transgender people who work in the education system.     

Sexual Behaviors and Sexually Transmitted Diseases of Lesbians

ABSTRACT

The Boston Lesbian Health Project surveyed 1633 lesbians about their health status, health related behaviors and health problems. This paper reports on those parts of the questionnaire that dealt with sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases. The sample was predominantly monogamous, but few had been in their present relationship for more than five years. Sexual practices were similar to those reported in previous studies of lesbians and to those reported in a study of heterosexual women. Sexually transmitted diseases were rare in women who had never had sex with a male partner. The majority of the sample did report a history of male sexual partners and therefore are at risk for abnormal pap smears and other sexually transmitted diseases.     

Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual,and Transgendered People and Chemical Dependency: Exploring Successful Treatment

This exploratory and quantitative study presents a model of treatment success of the nation's oldest and largest chemical dependency treatment provider for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) population. The main purpose is to examine the potential ability of the predictor variables’ degree of affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the severity of chemical use, the strength of a higher power relationship, attitudes about sexual orientation, and length of time in treatment to predict length of time clean and sober.

The proposed model demonstrated the ability to explain 29% of the variance in time clean and sober. Results lend tentative support for culturally competent treatment and include specific intervention recommendations for professionals, including social workers, chemical dependency counselors, and therapists.     

Examining the Development of Positive Space in Health and Social Service Organizations: A Canadian Exploratory Study

All health care sectors are currently examining factors that influence delivery of high-quality services for diverse groups with an understanding that minority populations experience barriers to service access that contribute to well-documented ill health and health inequities. With a goal of understanding dynamics that can improve access to care in the home care sector, this qualitative exploratory study examined processes to create inclusive, positive space for diverse lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in community-based health and social service agencies. A purposeful sample of eight key informants from agencies in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which offer programs and services to LGBTQ communities, completed in-depth interviews. Conventional content analysis and a critical lens were used. Themes offered insight into the histories, challenges, and turning points which shaped the development of LGBTQ-positive spaces in these organizations. Community engagement and leadership emerged as relevant, as did strategies to embed LGBTQ voices and visibility within everyday organizational functioning. Given the gap in literature addressing LGBTQ access to home care and the unique dynamics that shape care in the home, implications address the application of these study findings for creating positive space in the home care sector.     

Substance Abuse in Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Communities

Abstract

This article calls attention to the lack of knowledge concerning alcohol and other drug (AOD) use in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations. Twenty-five Internet Web sites related to the LGBT substance use are reviewed.     

Special Interest Groups in Alcohol Anonymous:

Millions of alcoholics around the world find their recovery in “working the program” of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Most AA members find belonging to an AA group and attending meetings to be very important parts of working the program. Many recovering alcoholics, however, find that “special interest groups” are highly desirable in their recovery. This is the case of many gay men who see gay groups as critical in their achieving and maintaining sobriety. In this article, we will explore the special interest groups in terms of their definitions, types, and history. We will than take one group, gay men, and see why they have formed special interest AA groups, the positives of such groups, and the limitations of such groups. Clinical implication will then be provided.     

Coming Out and Job Satisfaction: A Moderated Mediation Model

Prior research suggests that the disclosure of sexual identity at work is not always significantly associated with job satisfaction. The authors investigated (a) the mediating role of workplace heterosexist climate in linking workplace outness with job satisfaction, and (b) the moderating role of anticipated discrimination in influencing the indirect and direct relationship between workplace outness and job satisfaction. This model was tested among 1,460 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) employees in Italy. Results indicated that workplace heterosexist climate mediated relationships between workplace outness and job satisfaction. Anticipated discrimination moderated the relationships between LGB employees’ disclosure of their sexual identity and job satisfaction and between workplace heterosexist climate and job satisfaction. This moderated mediation model may assist researchers who aim to understand the complexity of the relationship between workplace outness and job satisfaction. In this regard, practitioners need to recognize the role played by workplace heterosexist climate and anticipated discrimination.     

Health and Well-Being for Late Middle-Aged and Old Lesbians in a Rural Area

Abstract

Previous research on lesbian health care has drawn primarily from samples of young lesbians living in metropolitan areas. Through face-to-face interviews with twenty-one lesbians aged 54 or older and living in rural communities, this exploratory, naturalistic inquiry begins to fill a gap in the literature by examining the health care experiences of older, rural lesbians. Five themes emerged from the narrative data: issues of access; good health/good care; open to her own diversity; family and community; and visions-ideals and fears. We present these themes through informant quotes and discuss implications for policy and practice.     

Lesbians Grieving the Death of a Partner: Recommendations for Practice

ABSTRACT

Spousal loss is a common event that has been associated with risk of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Practitioners working with lesbians need comprehensive clinical guidelines that integrate research about lesbian partner loss with contemporary views of grief and bereavement. Using this literature, we make recommendations for clinical practice that address the possible contributions of several factors—social support, emotional closeness, relationship satisfaction, disclosure or non-disclosure of sexual identity and the relationship, faith and/or spirituality, and meaning-making—to the grieving process and positive psychological adjustment of lesbians grieving the death of a partner.     

Are There Differing Patterns of Health Care Access and Utilization Among Male Sexual Minorities in the United States?

Disparities in health care access and utilization among male sexual minorities in the United States were explored using data from the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 8,846). Bisexual men had a small disadvantage in health insurance coverage but no differences were found in health insurance or consistency of coverage between gay and heterosexual men. Gay men were more likely to have a usual place of care, but were not more likely to utilize services. The current study provides inconclusive evidence for systematic disparities in health care access and utilization among gay and bisexual men in the United States.     

Empowering Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Youth: Lessons Learned From a Safe Schools Summit

ABSTRACT

The bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in schools is a significant problem in the United States. This study examined responses of youth participants at a statewide Safe Schools Summit to a survey of their experiences with school-based violence, harassment, and discrimination, and of the effects of their attendance at the Summit. Quantitative analyses found that 92% of respondents felt “more empowered” following participation in the Summit. Qualitative analyses found several emerging themes related to respondents' experiences with victimization (leading to a sense of powerlessness and attempts at self-protection) and to their experiences at the Summit itself (leading to catharsis, strengthened skills, and a commitment to confront bullies and to make schools safer). A conceptual model of the interaction of these factors is presented and implications for further research and practice are discussed.     

The Impact of the Social Environment on Nursing Home Residents

ABSTRACT

This study contrasted the experienced quality of life of residents living on one of two nursing home units: a unit for those considered socially intact and a unit combining residents who had moderately impaired cognition or physical function with those requiring skilled nursing or therapy. Qualitative interviews were held with residents of both units. The findings indicate that the social environment of each of the units played a fundamental role in the residents' quality of life. The social environment affected the residents' conceptions of self, their interactions with other residents and their interactions with the nursing staff. The article suggests the processes behind the social environment of each floor that may have resulted in different perceptions of the quality of life.     

The Courage to Challenge: A New Measure of Hardiness in LGBT Adults

Even with society's increasing acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) persons, negative stereotypes persist. Despite these depictions, most LGBT people manage to cope with adversity, thrive, and develop increased self-efficacy along with personal resilience. This paper describes the process of developing and validating a rapid assessment instrument aimed at identifying personal hardiness, a central component of resilience in LGBT persons. Incorporating the conceptual intersection of three primary social constructs — stress/coping, self-efficacy, and social stigma — the Courage to Challenge Scale offers practitioners a more culturally relevant understanding of LGBT client populations. The implications are described; in particular, opportunities for more comprehensive assessment and utilization of client strengths. Implications for future research are identified.     

Dual Impact: Outness and LGB Identity Formation on Mental Health

Conflicting literature exists for the relationship among outness, sexual minority identity formation, and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. The present study examines the complex relationship among outness, identity, and mental health among 192 lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals collected from an online sample. The findings revealed that outness has a complex, dual impact on mental health. Specifically, outness was found to have both positive and negative consequences for mental health, with identity development accounting for the positive aspects of outness. Directions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.     

Dance of the Dedicated Bottom

Abstract

LGBT caregiving for midlife and older adults facing chronic illness or disability as well as the development and evaluation of interventions targeting LGBT caregivers remains fundamentally unexplored. Caregivers regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities leading to increased stress and distress. However, largely due to discrimination and discriminatory policies, many LGBT caregivers face barriers at multiple levels of service provision that can exacerbate stress and negatively impact caregiver and care recipient quality of life. This article highlights many of these obstacles and provides examples of intervention strategies designed to assist LGBT caregivers ranging from interventions aimed at the individual and interpersonal levels of service provision to changes needed at the social policy level. As an example of an individual or interpersonal level of intervention designed to assist LGBT caregivers, the SURE 2 framework is presented and more thoroughly discussed. Given the diversity of the LGBT community, the article ends with ways to extend or adapt SURE 2 as well as suggesting that the time has come to develop and test a variety of interventions for LGBT caregivers.     

The 'Pygmalion Syndrome': The Case of Mizrachi Lesbians in Israel

This article examines the mobilization of a lesbian identity in Israeli society by Mizrachi lesbians as a means to reach individual mobility through establishing social contacts with educated well-off professional Ashkenazi women. Based on interviews with ethnic lesbians living in steady relationships with educated professional women of the dominant group and with some of their partners, this study investigates how Mizrachi lesbians shoulder aside their distinctive features while mobilizing their lesbian identity as a means to establish connections, gain acceptance in the lesbian community, get better jobs, and succeed in schooling. Upon both professional and personal success, Mizrachi lesbians come to terms with their origins, redefine their identity components, and form a distinctive ethnic-lesbian identity to be supported with a strong ideology. While the obliteration of ethnic traits in favor of acceptance in the lesbian community allows mobility on a personal basis, it reinforces the invisibility of ethnic lesbians and reproduces the power relations between dominant and ethnic groups in Israel.