Toward positive social change for lesbians and gay men: a human rights approach

Lesbian and gay issues are increasingly being recognised politically and legally as human rights issues. Within psychology, however, they have rarely been explored within a human rights framework. The purpose of this study is to investigate support for and reasoning about lesbian and gay issues employing an explicitly human rights perspective, using a multi-method approach. In order to provide a broad overview of support for and reasoning about human rights among British students, a Human Rights Questionnaire was developed based on existing "homophobia" and "human rights" scales. This questionnaire was completed by 627 students, and subjected to statistical and thematic analyses. This was followed up by six tape-recorded focus groups with students, whose discussions of these issues enabled a more in-depth understanding derived from thematic analyses of their transcribed data. Finally, in order to explore arguments against lesbian and gay human rights, a textual analysis of Hansard and newspaper reports of the Age of Consent debate was perforined as a case study. Findings of the thesis are as follows. First, whilst respondents to the questionnaire support the general principle that a person's sexual orientation should not block that person's access to basic rights and freedoms, they are less willing to extend specific human rights to lesbians and gay men, especially social rights (e.g. right to marry, right to adopt children). Second, although in the focus groups students sometimes employed human rights arguments in relation to lesbian and gay issues, they tended to show initial support followed by an evaluation of potential considerations in extending human rights to lesbians and gay men using arguments which are not rights-based. As the case study also illustrates, when lesbian and gay issues are specifically addressed in human rights terms, they are countered with arguments which are derived from other frameworks (e.g. religious conviction, protection of the vulnerable), rather than with arguments w1iich are themselves rights-based. The findings are discussed with a view to establishing how best to promote lesbian and gay human rights in order to achieve positive, social change for lesbians and gay men

Rights-based reasoning in discussions about lesbian and gay issues: implications for moral educators

Despite a paucity of psychological research exploring the interface between lesbian and gay issues and human rights, a human rights framework has been widely adopted in debates to gain equality for lesbians and gay men. Given this prominence within political discourse of human rights as a framework for the promotion of positive social change for lesbians and gay men, the aim of this study was to explore the extent to which rights-based arguments are employed when talking about lesbian and gay issues in a social context. An analysis of six focus group discussions with students showed that when lesbian and gay issues are discussed, rights-based reasoning is employed intermittently, and in relation to certain issues more so than others. The implications of these findings for moral education aimed at promoting positive social change for lesbians and gay men are discussed.</p

Transphobic victimisation and perceptions of future risk:a large-scale study of the experiences of trans people in the UK

Due to perceived non-conformity to conventional constructions of gender, trans people may be subject to overt victimisation (e.g. physical or sexual violence; verbal abuse) and as a result of those experiences (actual or ‘witnessed’) may fear future victimisation. While some existing works report levels of transphobic victimisation, there is a dearth of research on perceived risk; and more importantly, exploring group differences in actual victimisation and perceived risk. Drawing on survey responses from 660 trans people, the current study sets out to explore levels of victimisation, perceived risk of victimisation, and group differences (gender identity; stage of transition) in both these phenomena. Findings show that congruent with work on systematic oppression and minority stress, perceived risk of victimisation outstrips actual experiences. Almost no group differences were found on a basis of gender identity. Conversely, those currently undergoing a process (or part of a process) of gender reassignment or transition were significantly more likely to report having been victimised, and to perceive themselves at risk of future victimisation than those at any other stage of transition. That levels of perceived risk outstripped actual experiences of victimisation suggests that, in a culture that privileges cis-gender experiences, isolated experiences of victimisation invoke a heightened sense of fear in members of the wider trans community. These findings suggest that there is a pressing need for dedicated support services for trans people; especially those who are going through a process of transitioning

Gender, stage of transition and situational avoidance : a UK study of trans people’s experiences

Most societies are heavily organised around a dichotomous model of gender, and individuals are heavily policed on their conformity (or otherwise) to gender norms. This scrutinisation of gender has a profound impact on the identities and lived experiences of trans people, especially for those whose gender identity (or presentation) does not appear to match social expectations for that gender; or where someone’s physical body in some way does not match the body conventionally associated with that gender. This might result in trans people avoiding certain situations to reduce the risk of being exposed. Based on a sample of 889 UK-based participants who self-defined as trans, the current paper explores situational avoidance with particular reference to gender identity and stage of transition. A key finding of this study concerned statistically significant associations between group (gender identity; stage of transition) and avoidance (or not) of certain situations, namely clothing shops, gyms, and public toilets. The implications of these findings for supporting trans people through transition – in particular, the Real Life Experience (RLE) are also discussed

Ageing and chronic illness in language and sexuality

An ageing demographic in Western societies as well as globally has made public health issues, such as dementias, subject to hyperbolic metaphor such as “tsunami” and “time bomb.” This chapter reviews the state of knowledge regarding language, sexualities, ageing, and chronic illness. In particular, we focus on discursive research from across the social sciences that furthers understandings of older people’s lives and experiences. We highlight research that has focused on ageism and chronic conditions impacting older people (specifically, dementia and type 2 diabetes), including empirical research on these conditions, and on manifestations of heterosexism and heteronormativity in these contexts. Using illustrative examples that emphasize the intersection of discourse and issues that relate to ageing, we foreground this area as an important element of language and sexuality scholarship. Last, we indicate future directions for the development of research focusing on these topics

Are women-who-have-sex-with-women an 'at-risk' group for cervical cancer? An exploratory study of women in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background. International research consistently indicates that women-who-have-sex-with-women (WSW) are less likely to engage in cervical screening than heterosexual women. In the main, studies have explored rates of engagement and highlighted some reasons for non-engagement. This study extends on this work by exploring perceptions among sexual minority women (WSW) for lower rates of engagement among WSW more generally and is the first study on this topic undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand. Methods. A sample of 177 self-identified WSW domiciled in New Zealand completed an online survey about their engagement in cervical screening, reasons for engaging (or not) in cervical screening, and perceptions of why SMW might be less likely to engage in cervical screening. Results. Fewer than half of participants had engaged in cervical screening every 3 years as recommended, with women who had only ever had sex with other women being significantly less likely to have engaged in screening. A lack of clear information about risk relative to sexual history, heteronormativity, and the invasive nature of screening were the dominant reasons for lower engagement among WSW. Conclusions. A legacy of misinformation, and endemic heteronormativity in public health messaging around cervical screening is a significant barrier to engagement in screening for WSW. To increase engagement in screening among WSW, public health information needs to specifically address the needs of WSW

LGBTIQ psychology in context

LGBTIQ psychology in contex

Sexual health practices of 16 to 19 year olds in New Zealand: an exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION New Zealand sexual health surveillance data suggest that young people aged 15-19 years are at considerable risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. Although there is an established body of international research around sexual behaviours and sexual health practices among teenagers, there is a dearth of local research focusing on this age group. AIM The aim of this study was to explore the sexual repertoires and sexual health practices among teenagers in New Zealand with a view to better understanding levels of risk in this age group. METHODS This study comprised a cross-sectional online survey designed to ask questions about sexual behaviours. A convenience sample of young people (n=52) aged 16-19 years living in New Zealand completed the survey. RESULTS Most participants (71.2%) were sexually active, reporting engagement in a range of sexual practices. The most commonly reported sexual behaviours were penis-in-vagina sex (86.5%) and oral sex with a person-with-a-penis (81.1%). Infrequent and inconsistent use of barrier protection across all types of sexual behaviour was also reported. DISCUSSION The findings of this study highlight the importance of ensuring that young people have access to sexual health education that routinely includes health information and advice addressing the full range of sexual practices, regardless of the identity classifications they may use, or that may be attributed to them

Young people and political action: who is taking responsibility for positive social change?

A human rights perspective suggests that we are all responsible for ensuring the human rights of others, which in turn ensures that our own human rights are respected and protected. A convenience sample of 108 young people (41 males and 67 females) aged between 16 and 25 completed a questionnaire which asked about (a) levels of involvement in political activity and (b) sense of personal responsibility for ensuring that the human rights of marginalised groups (e.g. ethnic minorities, immigrants, lesbians and gay men) are protected. Findings showed that most respondents supported (in principle) the notion of human rights for all, but tended to engage in low key political activity (e.g. signing petitions; donating money or goods to charity) rather than actively working towards positive social change. Qualitative data collected in the questionnaire suggested three main barriers to respondents viewing themselves as agents of positive social change: (1) "It’s not my problem", (2) "It’s not my responsibility", and (3) a sense of helplessness. Suggestions for how political action might best be mobilised among young people are also discussed.</p

Evaluating the performance of hydrological models via cross-spectral analysis: case study of the Thames Basin, United Kingdom

Nine distributed hydrological models, forced with common meteorological inputs, simulated naturalised daily discharge from the Thames Basin for 1963-2001. While model-dependent evaporative losses are critical for modelling mean discharge, multiple physical processes at many time scales influence the variability and timing of discharge. Here we advocate the use of cross-spectral analysis to measure how the average amplitude, and independently the average phase, of modelled discharge differ from observed discharge at daily to decadal time scales. Simulation of the spectral properties of the model discharge via numerical manipulation of precipitation confirms that modelled transformation involves runoff generation and routing that amplify the annual cycle, while subsurface storage and routing of runoff between grid boxes introduces most autocorrelation and delays. Too much or too little modelled evaporation affects discharge variability as do the capacity and time constants of modelled stores. Additionally the performance of specific models would improve if four issues were tackled: a) non-sinusoidal annual variations in model discharge (prolonged low baseflow and shortened high baseflow, 3 models), b) excessive attenuation of high frequency variability (3 models), c) excessive short-term variability in winter half years but too little variability in summer half years (2 models) and d) introduction of phase delays at the annual scale only during runoff generation (3 models) or only during routing (1 model). Cross-spectral analysis reveals how re-runs of one model using alternative methods of runoff generation - designed to improve performance at the weekly to monthly time scales - degraded performance at the annual scale. The cross-spectral approach facilitates hydrological model diagnoses and development