Unpacking Civic Engagement: The Sociopolitical Involvement of Same-Gender Loving Black Women

Employing a national sample of over 600 same-gender loving (SGL) Black women, we explore the relative impact of community-level support/comfort and the importance of sexual orientation and racial identity on two dependent variables—sociopolitical involvement within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities as well as sociopolitical involvement within people of color (POC) communities. Findings indicate that feelings of connectedness to the LGBT community are the most important predictor of sociopolitical involvement within both LGBT and POC communities; while, counterintuitively, being comfortable within the LGBT community had a negative impact. Further, the impact of the importance of identity was negligible.     

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.     

Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Communities’ Readiness for Intimate Partner Violence Prevention

Efforts to address intimate partner violence (IPV) in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities often rely on identifying what service providers can do to better reach and serve these populations. However, assessing a community's readiness in response to the issue of IPV in LGBT communities locates the issue where outcry is most likely to occur. Utilizing the Community Readiness Model in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in two rural and two urban communities, this study revealed a low level of community readiness to address IPV. Only vague awareness of IPV exists in these sexual orientation, gender identity, and geographic communities. The study suggests specific next steps tailored to raise LGBT communities’ readiness to address IPV from within their own communities, starting at the current low level.     

Intersections of Identities

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses several key issues related to counseling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian-Americans. An understanding of the intersections of these identities is important, yet can be complex because of the diversity within Asian-American cultural groups (i.e., ethnicity, generation, skin color, religion, levels of minority stress, and acculturation) and within LGBT communities. These factors may influence counselors' selection of developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive counseling approaches for LGBT Asian-American clients. We propose a framework for understanding the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual identity development, the Racial Ethnic and Sexual Orientation Identification Chart (RSIC), which is designed to assist therapists in determining relevant counseling issues and strategies. A case study is included along with a discussion of multidimensional assessment and clinical implications.     

Belonging and Acceptance: Examining the Correlates of Sociopolitical Involvement Among Bisexual and Lesbian Latinas

This article employs a national sample of almost 400 bisexual and lesbian Latinas to examine the impact of community-level support/comfort, as well as the importance of sexual orientation and racial identity, on sociopolitical involvement. Results indicate that feelings of connectedness to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community are the most important predictor of sociopolitical involvement within both LGBT and people of color (POC) communities. While comfort within the LGBT community had no impact on LGBT sociopolitical involvement, it had a negative impact on POC sociopolitical involvement.     

The Cat and the Cloud: ACT for LGBT Locus of Control,Responsibility, and Acceptance

Advocating acceptance, committed action, and value-guided behavior over experiential avoidance, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may aid lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) clients affected by hetero/homonormative social pressure. By conceptualizing LGBT paradigms of internal/external control/responsibility (IC-IR; EC-IR; IC-ER; EC-IR), ACT may be adapted to a myriad of multicultural worldviews. This article presents locus of acceptance as the attributed worth of internal/external cues perceived necessary by the client to achieve self-acceptance. Recognizing visibility and isolation as recurrent LGBT issues, locus of acceptances balances identity as individual (internal acceptance) with identity as community (external acceptance).     

Celebrating Stonewall at 50: A Culturally Geographic Approach to Introducing LGBT Themes

July 28, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of a police raid on the Stonewall Inn. During this raid, police verbally, and in some cases, physically accosted patrons of the Stonewall Inn. Events from this encounter eventually set off a series of protests by members and allies of the LGBT community. These protests came to be known as the Stonewall Riots. On June 24, 2016, the Stonewall Inn became the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to LGBT history. While this event served as a pivotal role in the gay rights movement, this article begins with an investigation into the geographical and spatial conditions surrounding the Stonewall Inn and its neighborhood. In asking, “Why New York City, why Stonewall?” we attempt to establish a cultural version of geography that uses a National Monument as a way for students to engage in the world around them through an examination of human/environment relationships. To explore this further and to celebrate Stonewall at 50, we present a pedagogical framework using articles, letters, photographs, podcasts, and Google Earth.     

Growing Pains: An Eriksonian View of the Arc of Presenting Concerns in an LGBT Community Mental Health Center

This article explores the evolving landscape of mental health practice at a New York City community health center serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons and those living with HIV/AIDS. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is used to understand the shift in presenting problems that has occurred over the past decade. In the authors’ analysis, the emphasis in treatment of LGBT persons has evolved from “coming out” concerns to issues related to developing intimate relationships, fostering generativity, and ego integrity in later adulthood. Case examples illustrate the changing focus of treatment over time. This article concludes by providing mental health practitioners with recommendations for working with the LGBT community now and over the following decade.     

“What About the Rest of Us?” An Overview of LGBT Poverty Issues and a Call to Action

In this article, I argue that, despite the myth of gay affluence, existing research is conclusive enough to claim that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adults are overall less financially secure than their heterosexual, cisgendered counterparts. I demonstrate that LGBT poverty is a broad social issue that can no longer be viewed as affecting only specific subpopulations of LGBT communities. I argue that the social work profession and the LGBT movement need to recognize LGBT poverty as a social issue. I then present a call to action for social work practitioners, researchers and LGBT organizations.     

Migrants in the closet: LGBT migrants,homonationalism, and the right to refuge in Serbia

This case study examines the accommodation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) migrants both de jure, in law, and de facto, in practice, in Serbia. The Balkan passage was a critical gateway for migrants throughout the 2015 European migrant crisis. Wedged between Eastern and Western politics, Serbia in particular faces pressure to promote LGBT rights arising from its candidacy for EU accession. The plight of LGBT communities seeking asylum is animated by interviews conducted with service providers working with these migrants in Serbia. The findings reflect the challenges of accommodating LGBT migrants in view of Serbia’s geopolitical dynamics, while situating this community’s rights in the broader human rights and legal discourse of continental Europe. Recommendations to service providers working with queer migrant communities are provided.     

Getting Involved: Exploring Latino GBT Volunteerism and Activism in AIDS and LGBT Organizations

The purpose of this article is to investigate the community involvement (e.g., volunteerism, activism) of Latino gay and bisexual men and transgender persons (GBT) in two areas: AIDS/LGBT and other general causes. Drawing from volunteering and identity theories, we explore the following: Who is likely to get involved? What factors affect variation in the levels of involvement? Where do Latino GBT participate and what do they do? Data come from a cross-sectional sample (N = 643) of Latino GBT in Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California. We found high levels of involvement, but primarily focused on AIDS/LGBT. Involvement appears to be driven by income, early involvement, role modeling, and childhood stigmatization of gender nonconformity.     

The spiral of advocacy: How state-based LGBT advocacy organizations use ground-up public communication strategies in their campaigns for the “Equality Agenda”

This article outlines the communication and outreach strategies used by state-based LGBT advocacy organizations. Leaders of these organizations explained through in-depth interviews that their campaigns address four policy areas: non-discrimination, hate crimes, safe schools, and relationship recognition. LGBT citizens and allies serve as spokespersons. They convey stories of the LGBT experience and reinforce LGBT issues as mainstream concerns. State-level advocacy emphasizes that substantive change occurs from the ground up; change nationally requires a critical mass of support first at local levels. This article demonstrates how public relations can serve as a tool for democracy and an instrument of social change, and how “managing legitimacy” can be placed as central to the public relations’ process.     

Identity,beliefs and community: LDS (Mormon) pre‐service secondary teacher views about diversity

Research shows that pre‐service teachers must engage in a self‐examination of identity, attitudes and assumptions concerning such issues as privilege, group membership, religion, gender and language before entering a classroom. However, this is no easy task for students with little experience of living in or learning about diverse communities. Such a state is Utah in the US, a region whose historical roots are rural and—unlike any other American state—whose citizens, political leaders and educators are predominately Euro‐American and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), commonly known as Mormons. While some teacher educators encourage their predominantly LDS secondary pre‐service teachers to utilize critical pedagogy, it becomes clear that students' religious identity comes into conflict with issues associated with race, class, language and gender. The following qualitative case study examines how the theology of the LDS Church informs the identity and educational belief systems of six female, LDS pre‐service secondary educators as they prepare to teach in diverse communities across the US.     

The Open Door Project Task Force: A Qualitative Study on LGBT Aging

This paper reports formative qualitative findings from the Open Door Project (ODP), a unique program created by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Aging Project. Data were collected from Open Door Task Force members (N = 34). This includes 4 focus groups that were held with a total of 22 participants; and key informant interviews that were conducted with 12 participants from 10 different agencies. Findings revealed that agencies took significant steps to make important and long-lasting structural changes, including changing their diversity and personnel policies, and intake forms to be LGBT inclusive; implementing ongoing staff training initiatives on LGBT issues; and actively involving leadership, including senior managers, executive directors, vendors, and Councils on Aging, in helping to create and sustain organizational change. The ODP is an effective model to increase cultural competence in working with aging LGBT communities.     

The ‘Building Blocks’ of Professional Identity among Social Work Graduates

Based on systems theory, the current study aimed to examine the relationships between the following sets of variables: input variables—satisfaction with supervision, self-differentiation, and sense of coherence; throughput variables—values and empathy; and the output variable—professional identity of BSW students. Questionnaires were completed by 160 social work students who were about to graduate the social work program. Path analysis (The AMOS 5 program) was used to analyze the research model. Satisfaction with supervision was the only input variable that was directly related to professional identity. Of the throughput variables, empathy and personal values were directly related to professional identity, whereas sense of coherence was indirectly related to empathic concern, with social values as a mediator. Practical recommendations are discussed.     

Identity and Ideas: A Roundtable on Identity Politics

This roundtable discussion examines the issue of identity politics and how identity influences and is influenced by gay/queer politics and theory. The participants discuss how identity politics affects political organizing and activism, how different identity communities can build coalitions, how the language related to identity is evolving, and how sexual attractions and practices interact with identity. The discussants look at how the influx into the gay and lesbian movement of new groups that challenge traditional identity boundaries—e.g., bisexuals and transgendered people—is affecting the movement. Finally, the discussants examine how “idea-based” politics may supplant identity-based politics as a new inclusive paradigm.     

A Research Note on Canada's LGBT Data Landscape: Where We Are and What the Future Holds

There is a growing international literature on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. One of the biggest limitations for researchers in this field continues to be the dearth of population‐based surveys that include questions on sexual orientation, gender identity, and high‐quality demographic, health, social, political, or economic variables. This research note provides an overview of the current LGBT data landscape in Canada. We start with some of the challenges for researchers studying the LGBT community, including issues of sample size, measurement, response bias, and concealment. Next, we provide an overview of Canadian surveys that include questions on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, including the strengths and weaknesses of each. We end with a brief discussion on newly available administrative data and provide recommendations for researchers and policymakers moving forward.     

Generic Processes in Aligning the Multiple Bases of Identity: The Case of Becoming a Ministry Student

Identity theory distinguishes three bases of identity—role, group, and person—but studies have typically focused on one identity at a time. The interrelationship among the multiple bases of identity remains understudied. This study examines the multiple bases of identity individuals engage on their way to becoming ministry students. The results reveal the advantage of examining the multiple bases of identity as subcultural processes, the utility of qualitative research for expanding the empirical scope of identity theory, and the possibility of employing structural symbolic interactionist concepts within a processual symbolic interactionist agenda.     

Considering the community influence for lesbian,gay, bisexual,and transgender youth

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth experience typical tasks of adolescence, but may also face heterosexist and homophobic environments and LGBT-related victimization that can lead to greater risk of poor psychological outcomes compared to non-LGBT youth. LGBT youth who are supported by peers, parents, and school personnel may be protected from these negative outcomes. One oft-cited recommendation to increase beneficial outcomes for LGBT students is the creation of a gay–straight alliance (GSA) in the school. Beneficial outcomes have been documented for LGBT students who attend schools with GSAs, but there seems to be a significant lapse in the literature with regard to community factors. The likelihood that acceptance and support at the community level leads to similar amounts of acceptance and support at the school level (in terms of supportive peers, faculty, and parents) and thus significantly affects student outcomes is discussed. Acknowledging the benefits of GSAs, this article suggests that the presence of GSAs in a given school may be indicative of overall community support and the benefits linked to GSAs may be better explained by these community-related factors.