“Coming Out” to Parents in a Christian Context: A Consensual Qualitative Analysis of LGB Student Experiences

Disclosures of same-sex attraction are some of the most difficult experiences for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. For LGB individuals of faith, disclosure to parents is often complicated by the intersection of religion/spirituality and sexuality. This study presents a grounded theory about a particular subgroup to address gaps in the literature concerning how LGB students on Christian college campuses describe and experience their parental disclosures. Consensual qualitative research analysis (Hill, Knox, Thompson, Williams, & Hess, 2005; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997) revealed themes related to predisclosure influencing factors, the disclosure event experience, and longer term impacts of the disclosure. Implications for parents, counselors, and college faculty/staff are provided.     

Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence: Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Affirmative Outreach and Advocacy

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is pervasive and crosses all boundaries of sexual orientation, race, and class. Scholars contend that the intimidation of another person through abusive acts and words is not a gender issue. Organizations seeking to offer equitable services to survivors of IPV must intentionally establish themselves as inclusive agencies. This article presents a review of common societal myths and barriers to help-seeking for survivors of same-sex partner violence and offers program guidelines for lesbian, gay, and bisexual affirmative outreach services and advocate training.     

THE BLACK SISTERHOOD

No abstract available for this article.     

Participant Perceptions of Relationship Education Programs Adapted for Same-Sex Couples

Mixed methods data were collected from 57 couples who participated in the Strengthening Same Sex Relationships (SSSR) Programs, relationship education programs adapted for same-sex couples. Quantitative and qualitative data yielded key themes, including high program satisfaction, appreciation that the program was designed specifically for same-sex couples, and requests for more detailed content addressing same-sex couples' unique needs. Participants expressed preferences for specialized programs for male or female same-sex couples. Women strongly preferred female sexual minority program leaders; men valued leader competency over match in gender or sexual orientation. Results can inform efforts to provide culturally sensitive relationship education to same-sex couples.     

Sexual Identity Development: A Base for Work with Same-Sex Couple Partner Abuse

Literature review reveals that domestic violence occurs in same-sex relationships at approximately the same rate as it does in heterosexual relationships. There are a number of dimensions common to same-sex and heterosexual battering as well as significant differences. The differential impact of sexual identity development on same-sex violence has not been addressed in the literature. Unlike the situation with heterosexual couples, there is little in the literature addressing treatment guidelines for work with same-sex couples. This article highlights some of the differences between same-sex battering and heterosexual battering and suggests the need for additional research on the interaction between sexual identity development stages of same-sex partners and domestic violence.     

“Hands Off the Car, It’s Mine!” and “The Teacher Will Be Angry if We Don’t Play Nicely”: Gender-Related Preferences in the Use of Moral Rules and Social Conventions in Preschoolers’ Dyadic Play

The aim of the present study was to examine the moral and conventional rules in 40 same-sex and same-age 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers’ dyads during their play interaction. Significant gender differences were found both in the dominant social domain and in the prevailing types of rules within each domain. Boys referred to moral rules more often than girls did. In the category of moral rules, boys were significantly more likely to bring up justice and rights issues than girls were. In the category of conventional rules, girls focused on miscellaneous and general conventions and boys on the destruction of property. Moral rules were applied more frequently in conflict situations. Regardless of gender, the rules of justice were the most likely moral rules to engender conflicts.     

Woman to Woman Sexual Violence

This article addresses woman to woman sexual violence, a topic that is seldom addressed in the therapy literature. A brief history of research and theory on sexual violence is presented followed by two case studies. Treatment issues are discussed and challenging questions are raised in an attempt to increase counselors' awareness of the issue of sexual violence between women with the goal of providing more comprehensive treatment to survivors of woman to woman sexual violence.     

Associations Between Sexual Orientation Discrimination and Depression Among Same-Sex Couples: Moderating Effects of Dyadic Coping

Drawing from minority stress theory and the systemic–transactional model, we examined whether perceptions of partner's dyadic coping behavior moderated the association between sexual orientation discrimination stress and symptoms of depression among individuals in a same-sex relationship. Data from 95 same-sex couples revealed that, overall, sexual orientation discrimination stress was positively associated with depressive symptoms; however, perceived partner emotion-focused supportive dyadic coping weakened this association. Specifically, higher sexual orientation discrimination stress was associated with greater depressive symptoms only for individuals perceiving low partner emotion-focused supportive dyadic coping. Implications for researchers and clinicians are presented.     

Do State Laws Concerning Homosexuals Reflect the Preeminence of Conservative-Liberal Individual Differences?

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to determine whether individual-level correlates of sexual prejudice (i.e., conservatism-liberalism, religious fundamentalism, educational levels, urbanism, income, and living in the South) are predictive at the state level of laws restricting homosexual behaviors and desires. Criterion 1 was a multifaceted index of state laws concerning gay men and lesbians; Criterion 2 was an index of state laws regarding same-sex partnerships. Multiple regression strategies showed that state conservatism-liberalism, as determined from the responses of 141,798 individuals aggregated at the state level (Erikson, Wright, & McIver, 1993 Erikson, R. S., Wright, G. C. and McIver, J. P. 1993. Statehouse democracy: Public opinion and policy in the American states, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.  [Google Scholar]), was the prime state-level predictor of both criteria. For Criterion 1, only Southern state status accounted for additional variance (4.2%) above the 54.8% already accounted for by conservatism-liberalism. For Criterion 2, no other variables accounted for variance beyond the 44.6% accounted for by state conservatism-liberalism.     

Marriage and the Public Good

In this article I seek to address some misunderstandings inarguments about same sex-marriage. I do this by evaluating severalviews on homosexuality and marriage. My central aim is to showthat a rejection of same-sex marriage does not depend upon theview that homosexual acts are immoral or disordered. Rather,one must examine sexual acts in light of public goods that areat stake. I also argue that the Christian understanding of marriageand sexuality offers more than a set of prohibitions againstcertain sexual acts. Rather, it offers reasonable principlesby which to evaluate the relationship between sexual acts andthe public good.     

Client discourses on the process of seeking same-sex couple counselling

How same-sex couples manage the process of seeking help for their relationships is an under-researched area. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 people who had engaged in same-sex couple counselling, and were analysed using discourse analysis. The ways in which the couples positioned themselves as part of a ‘minority group’, or part of a generic group of couples struggling with relationship issues, impacted on how they discussed seeking help. We conclude that counsellors and psychotherapists need to be aware of the ways in which couples construct their relationships, and mindful of the tricky navigations around similarity to, and difference from, different-sex relationships. The impact of this on couples seeking therapeutic help is considered.     

Spirituality and Sexuality: An Exploration of the Religious Beliefs of Non-Heterosexual Christians in Great Britain

Abstract

This article analyzes the religious beliefs of 565 gay, lesbian and bisexual Christians, focusing on God, Jesus Christ and the Bible. Most respondents saw no conflict between their sexualities and their Christian faith. The examination of these religious beliefs uncovers themes that appear to be influenced by their social circumstances, the core of which being their stigmatized sexualities. Their beliefs of God were consistent with the ‘love and justice’ theme of queer theology. Jesus Christ was perceived as a good role model committed to social justice. Although the divinity of Christ was acknowledged, they did not consider him the exclusive way to salvation. The Bible was considered still relevant to everyday life. It was, however, not regarded as the sole guide for Christian living, and it should be interpreted through the lens of shifting socio-cultural realities and personal experiences. On the whole, the data seem to suggest that the respondents' personal experiences and collective social circumstances have an impact on their religious beliefs.     

Heterosexist discrimination and relational sacrifice of same-sex couples

Drawing on the family stress process model and using data from 141 same-sex couples (N = 282 partners), we examined associations between heterosexist discrimination and relational sacrifices (i.e., willingness and behaviors). We also examined the moderating roles of both partners' internalized homophobia and state-level liberalism on same-sex marriage legalization. Actor-partner interdependence moderation models were conducted. Most of our findings supported hypotheses from the family stress process model. One individual's experiences of greater heterosexist discrimination were related to the partner's higher levels of sacrifice willingness and the individual's own higher frequency of sacrifice behaviors. Such associations emerged (a) among couples living in more liberal states that legalized same-sex marriage earlier, and (b) when the individual's partner reported lower levels of internalized homophobia. Yet the moderating role of an individual's internalized homophobia was the opposite of our hypothesis. When individuals reported high (versus low) internalized homophobia, individuals' experiences of more discriminative events were related to partners' higher levels of sacrifice willingness. Collectively, our study findings highlight that—when investigating how same-sex couples forge and maintain romantic bonds—researchers should consider their experiences in the social cultural context of heteronormativity, which includes the focus on discrimination, stigma, and affirmative laws and policies.     

“Nowhere does it say that in the Bible”

For lesbian women who marry in South Africa, religion is both a source of great opposition to their relationships and a tool that they can use to negotiate their belonging with family and friends, after deciding to exercise their citizenship through marriage. This article draws from qualitative research conducted in South Africa to explore the relationship between sexuality and religion in the context of legal same-sex marriage. Though religion has been previously implicated in the maintenance of oppressive regimes, such as colonialism and apartheid, it has also been one of the primary voices against such injustices. The article concludes by suggesting that lesbian women use their own understandings of religion and sexuality to actively participate in the formation of new opportunities for social, legal, and spiritual citizenship.     

班级朋友对抑郁的影响:一项社会网络分析

采用朋友提名和Beck抑郁问卷,以73个班级3034名大学生为被试,考察班级朋友网络中不同连接步数朋友的抑郁水平对个体抑郁的影响。结果发现:(1)互选朋友数量对抑郁存在显著的负向影响;(2)在控制了互选朋友数量的影响后,互选朋友中是否存在抑郁者,对个体自身的抑郁不具有显著的预测作用;(3)提名与被提名的直接朋友和两度距离朋友中,抑郁朋友数量对个体的抑郁具有显著的正向预测作用;(4)同性抑郁朋友的数量对个体的抑郁具有显著的正向预测作用,而异性抑郁朋友的数量对个体的抑郁则不具有显著的预测作用。综合上述结果可以得出以下结论:抑郁朋友在班级朋友网络中的影响范围仅限两度距离以内(包括两度),且这种影响不受朋友关系方向的限制。随着抑郁朋友的数量增多,个体抑郁的风险也显著增加,然而抑郁朋友对个体抑郁的影响,可能更多的是受到同性抑郁朋友的影响。     

Providing Relationship Interventions to Same-Sex Couples: Clinical Considerations,Program Adaptations,and Continuing Education

Despite remarkable similarities to different-sex couples in terms of core relationship processes and outcomes, same-sex couples differ from different-sex couples in important ways, including relational strengths (e.g., more egalitarian) and challenges associated with their sexual minority identity (e.g., discrimination). Given that most cognitive-behavioral relationship interventions have been designed for and tested on different-sex couples, clinicians wishing to serve same-sex couples will need to make appropriate adaptations to these interventions in order to remove heterosexist bias and sensitively meet the unique needs of same-sex couples. Further, clinicians should strive to be culturally competent in serving this population by developing knowledge of same-sex couple dynamics and issues, and by building a sense of comfort working with these families, which may involve addressing personal biases. The current paper seeks to provide an introduction to same-sex couple relational processes, and offers clinical recommendations and intervention adaptations to better serve this population. Some examples will refer to the development of the Strengthening Same-Sex Relationships programs, culturally sensitive relationship education programs specifically designed for and successfully piloted with male and female same-sex couples.     

Messiah the Lawgiver: The Torah of the Messiah on Divorce and Remarriage

This paper explores Matthew's presentation of Jesus as the new Moses, and will proceed in four steps. First, we will examine the relationship between law-giving and the offices of prophet and king in the Hebrew Bible as well as the writings of the community at Qumran. Second, we will examine in detail Matthew's Jesus-as-Moses theme. Third, we will offer a paradigmatic example of how one aspect of Torah is reworked by Jesus, namely that of divorce and remarriage, and fourth, we will offer some interpretive guidance for future research that would seek to apply Jesus's teaching on divorce and remarriage in a Western context.     

Constructions of Participatory Democracy Institutions and Same-Sex Union Rights in Online Public Deliberation in Greece

This article aims to explore the argumentative lines employed in an online public deliberation concerned with legislation on same-sex civil union in Greece. Drawing on rhetorical and discursive developments in political social psychology and sexual citizenship debates, the article focuses on arguments regarding the relevance and the implications of public deliberation on the construction of LGBTQI+ claims and rights. The analytic corpus consisted of 1,000 comments, analyzed with the concepts and tools of Rhetorical and Critical Discursive Social Psychology. A recurring line of arguing against the legislation questioned the democratic quality of public deliberation, representing it as a means used to legitimize predetermined decisions. Moreover, overtly discriminatory arguments were predicated on the values of participatory democracy. Accounts in favor of the legislation, though, challenged public deliberation on the grounds that it allows room for the dispute of universal human rights. The potential contribution of these findings to the understanding of the dilemmas of participatory democracy, the reproduction of heteronormativity, and the assimilation of LGBTQI+ claims is discussed.