Suchergebnisse

This paper presents the findings of a study that examined Vietnamese social work practitioners' conceptions of practice with people who identified as lesbian or gay. The findings presented in this article, drawn from semi-structured interviews with 12 social work practitioners in Hanoi, Vietnam, form part of the findings of a bigger study that looked into the attitudes of Vietnamese social work practitioners toward sexual minorities and how they conceptualise practice in relation to this segment of the population. A notable proportion of the interview participants, all of whom presented as having moderate to positive attitudes toward sexual minorities, were found to hold a heterosexist assumption with regards to the sexual identity of their clients. And while there was consensus in the need for a social work response, there were differences in the practitioners' conceptions of what form this should take. The participants were open to direct practice with individuals and a limited degree of community engagement but were apprehensive with the prospect of undertaking policy advocacy. It is argued that these conceptions of practice are informed by limitations imposed by their political environment as well as dominant ideological and philosophical influences.

Despite the fact that Fiji is one of only a handful of states to have given constitutional recognition to the rights of sexual minorities in its most recent constitution enacted in 1998, controversy over the issue of individual sexual orientation, and powerful condemnation of those who choose to publicly demonstrate a homosexual or transgender identity, has flourished in the public domain. The focus on male homosexuality has been predominant in this debate, with many influential political actors framing discourses of masculinity in ways that affirm Christian ideals of morality while also reinforcing the Christian Church's normative political authority. However, as this article demonstrates, public discourses of masculinity have also been articulated in a highly selective manner. This becomes clear when public debate that construes homosexuality in Fiji as a threat to the integrity of the country's key social institutions is contrasted with some church and political leaders' far more lenient responses to the forms of violent and lawless masculine behavior that predominated during the 2000 coup. While these developments have increased the political and social vulnerability of Fiji's homosexuals, young gay men have also employed strategies that contest mainstream discriminatory attitudes. In this article, I describe how the terrain of sexual minority politics is configured in ways that authorize certain varieties of masculine behavior and subordinate others, and consider the strategies deployed by local gay males to contest homophobic sentiments articulated in the public domain.

Despite the fact that Fiji is one of only a handful of states to have given constitutional recognition to the rights of sexual minorities in its most recent constitution enacted in 1998, controversy over the issue of individual sexual orientation, and powerful condemnation of those who choose to publicly demonstrate a homosexual or transgender identity, has flourished in the public domain. The focus on male homosexuality has been predominant in this debate, with many influential political actors framing discourses of masculinity in ways that affirm Christian ideals of morality while also reinforcing the Christian Church's normative political authority. However, as this article demonstrates, public discourses of masculinity have also been articulated in a highly selective manner. This becomes clear when public debate that construes homosexuality in Fiji as a threat to the integrity of the country's key social institutions is contrasted with some church and political leaders' far more lenient responses to the forms of violent and lawless masculine behavior that predominated during the 2000 coup. While these developments have increased the political and social vulnerability of Fiji's homosexuals, young gay men have also employed strategies that contest mainstream discriminatory attitudes. In this article, I describe how the terrain of sexual minority politics is configured in ways that authorize certain varieties of masculine behavior and subordinate others, and consider the strategies deployed by local gay males to contest homophobic sentiments articulated in the public domain.

Despite the fact that Fiji is one of only a handful of states to have given constitutional recognition to the rights of sexual minorities in its most recent constitution enacted in 1998, controversy over the issue of individual sexual orientation, and powerful condemnation of those who choose to publicly demonstrate a homosexual or transgender identity, has flourished in the public domain. The focus on male homosexuality has been predominant in this debate, with many influential political actors framing discourses of masculinity in ways that affirm Christian ideals of morality while also reinforcing the Christian Church's normative political authority. However, as this article demonstrates, public discourses of masculinity have also been articulated in a highly selective manner. This becomes clear when public debate that construes homosexuality in Fiji as a threat to the integrity of the country's key social institutions is contrasted with some church and political leaders' far more lenient responses to the forms of violent and lawless masculine behavior that predominated during the 2000 coup. While these developments have increased the political and social vulnerability of Fiji's homosexuals, young gay men have also employed strategies that contest mainstream discriminatory attitudes. In this article, I describe how the terrain of sexual minority politics is configured in ways that authorize certain varieties of masculine behavior and subordinate others, and consider the strategies deployed by local gay males to contest homophobic sentiments articulated in the public domain.

Introduction- This study presents associations between the perceived social rejection of sexual minorities and tobacco, alcohol and cannabis consumption and unprotected sexual intercourse in the capital of Greece, Athens. This is the first Greek study to evaluate the concept of the minority stress theory on sexual minorities' substance use and unprotected sexual intercourse. In addition, this is among the first international studies to examine whether periods of adverse economic conditions are associated with sexual minorities' substance use and unprotected sexual intercourse. Methods- Two-panel datasets covering the periods 2013–2014 and 2018–2019 were used to determine the perceived social rejection, that is, whether sexual minorities have been rejected by friends, treated unfairly in educational and/or workplace environments, treated negatively in social situations and received poor health and public services due to their sexuality. Results- The estimates indicate that perceived social rejection is associated with the increased consumption of tobacco (by 9.1%, P < 0.01), alcohol (by 7.1%, P < 0.01) and cannabis (by 12.5%, P < 0.01), as well as unprotected sexual intercourse (by 6.5%, P < 0.01). In the first three cases, the magnitude of the associations is stronger for men than women and there is increased cannabis consumption during periods of deteriorated economic conditions (by 5.5%, P < 0.01). Discussion and Conclusions- In the European Union, reducing stigma, substance use, risky sexual behaviours and health inequalities for sexual minorities is a goal of public health. If minority stress is correlated with substance use and risky sexual behaviours leading to detrimental physical/mental health outcomes then prevention and support interventions should be designed.

Gender and sexual minority health : history, current state, and terminology / K. Bryant Smalley, Jacob C. Warren, and K. Nikki Barefoot -- Sociocultural and systemic barriers to health for gender and sexual minority populations / Zachary McClain, Rosemary Thomas, and Baligh Yehia -- Health risk behaviors in the gender and sexual minority population / Nathaniel Kralik and Daniel Skinner -- Obesity in gender and sexual minority groups / Tyler B. Mason, Robin J. Lewis, and Kristin Heron -- Cancer in gender and sexual minority groups / Gwendolyn P. Quinn, Janella N. Hudson, Michelle T. Aihe, Lauren E. Wilson, and Matthew B. Schabath -- Chronic illnesses and conditions in gender and sexual minority individuals / Jane A. McElroy and Maria T Brown -- Reproductive health and parenting in gender and sexual minority populations / K. Nikki Barefoot, K. Bryant Smalley, and Jacob C. Warren -- Intimate partner violence among gender and sexual minority groups / Rita M. Melendez and Jillian Salazar -- The needs of gender and sexual minority persons living with disabilities / Franco Dispenza, Tameeka Hunter, and Asha Kumar -- The mental health of gender and sexual minority groups in context / Tracy J. Cohn, Stephen P. Casazza, and Elizabeth M. Cottrell -- Suicide and self-injury in gender and sexual minority populations / Kimberly H.M. O'Brien, Richard T. Liu, Jennifer M. Putney, Taylor A. Burke, and Laika D. Aguinaldo --

Sexual minorities are one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in the society. Sero-positivity accentuates social exclusion among the sexual minorities. The article aims to appraise the factors that make Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) vulnerable to HIV infection and lead to their social exclusion. Qualitative in nature and based on fifteen in-depth case studies of HIV-infected MSM, the study is located in Delhi, India. Findings show that variables such as age, child sexual abuse, marital status and multiple sex partners, contribute to vulnerabilities of respondents. Sociocultural milieu puts structural barriers, restricting integration of MSM in the society. Culture of silence over sexual matters, notions of proving 'manhood' through aggression and sexual violence are some of the factors that hamper healthy behaviours and relationships among the MSM. At the interpersonal level, possessiveness, betrayal, infidelity, heartbreak, strong emotional whirlpool when love–relations go incongruent, all take a heavy toll of their mental and physical health. These variables socially exclude the sexual minorities from the mainstream life. Findings reflect both positive (disclosing to family, abstinence, spiritual growth) and negative (suicide attempts, drug use) ways of coping among the MSM respondents. Critical areas of concern for service providers while planning interventions for social inclusion and empowerment of people with sexual minority are delineated.

This article looks at the "coming out" category in a broad political sense as the work of making the particular subject positions of LGBT minorities legible to those subjects themselves and to the public at large. Coming out thus understood includes, but is not limited to, the rhetorical act of announcing one's sexual identity; it likewise includes aesthetic representations such as memoirs and films. This broad definition of coming out, based on Jacques Rancière's political philosophy, enables a comparison between the political‑cum‑aesthetic work of sexual minorities in the US, especially after the Stonewall Inn riots and up to the AIDS epidemic and its aftermath, and some developments in post‑1989 Poland.