Queering Research: Health & Sexuality of Sexual Minoritized Individuals

A special issue of Sexes (ISSN 2411-5118). This special issue belongs to the section "Sexual Diversity: Orientation, Gender, Identity, and Attraction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 15358

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
Interests: resilience; LGBTQ+ health; sexual pleasure; intimate relationships; qualitative research; mixed methods research; sexual self-image

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Community Health & Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Interests: LGBTQ+ health; reproductive health; abortion; resilience; qualitative research; young adults

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Throughout history, sexual health researchers have advocated for broader understandings of sexual minoritized individuals. Centering sexual minoritized individuals in sexual health research may lead to the emergence of new frameworks or understandings not only for this population, but for others as well. This centering involves more than just inclusion. Simply inclusive approaches to sexual health may be nominal and fail to address the specific experiences of sexual minoritized individuals. In response, researchers and advocates have called for more specific and tailored approaches to sexual health (e.g., sexual education, interventions) for sexual minoritized individuals and communities. Queer theorists and other critical theorists challenge hegemonic and normative approaches related to sexuality and gender. Research design, data collection, data analysis, and dissemination may replicate heteronormative structures and fail to include sexual minoritized individuals’ realities.

This Special Issue is focused on the sexual health of sexual minoritized individuals and communities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer, among others). We seek perspectives that acknowledge or address power and privilege by decentering white, Western perspectives. We invite and welcome papers that highlight innovative designs, methods, and populations that challenge queer conceptualizations of contemporary sexual health. The goal of this Special Issue is to expand and improve sexual health research focused on sexual minoritized individuals by curating a selection of manuscripts that detail rigorous approaches to research on the sexual health of sexual minoritized individuals and communities. 

Dr. Jessamyn Bowling
Dr. Elizabeth Bartelt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sexes is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • LGBT Health
  • lesbian
  • bisexual
  • queer
  • gay
  • sexual health
  • sexual minority
  • sexual diversity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 260 KiB  
Article
Ownership, Enjoyment, Arousal Troubles, and Robust Education: Pleasure in LGBTQ+ Alt-Sex Members’ Responses to Consent Violations
by Jessamyn Bowling, Susan Wright, Casey Mesaeh, J. Kevin Benson and Russell Stambaugh
Sexes 2022, 3(3), 434-444; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes3030032 - 30 Aug 2022
Viewed by 3569
Abstract
Background: Alt-sex practitioners are a diverse group with diverse unconventional sexual behaviors including consensual non-monogamy (CNM), kink, fetishism, and bondage/discipline dominance/submission, sadomasochism (BDSM). Perhaps because of their openness to non-normative sexuality, these communities often comprise a large proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, [...] Read more.
Background: Alt-sex practitioners are a diverse group with diverse unconventional sexual behaviors including consensual non-monogamy (CNM), kink, fetishism, and bondage/discipline dominance/submission, sadomasochism (BDSM). Perhaps because of their openness to non-normative sexuality, these communities often comprise a large proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, among others (LGBTQ+) individuals. LGBTQ+ individuals experience higher rates of sexual violence and consent violation than their cisgender, heterosexual peers both inside and outside of formalized alt-sex communities. Pleasure, including but not limited to sexual pleasure, is often a motivator for engaging in sexual and alt-sex activities. This study examines how consent violations influence pleasure among LGBTQ+ alt-sex members. Methods: We conducted an electronic one-time survey of LGBTQ+ alt-sex practitioners (N = 1354). In this study, we analyze open-ended responses for ways pleasure was described in response to questions about consent violations. We use thematic analyses in Dedoose online software. Results: Two subthemes emerged related to the violation itself, (a) pleasure as a motivator for violating consent and (b) pleasure in spite of consent violation. As the second theme that emerged, pleasure was a component of the aftereffects of the violation in two ways: (1) pleasure was reduced or inhibited by consent violations; (2) pleasure was a motivator for healing and advocacy. Conclusions: We discuss practical and research implications based on the complex relationships between violations and pleasure reported by participants. Full article
17 pages, 271 KiB  
Article
‘We Want to Help but We Don’t Know What to Do’: Service Providers Working with Indigenous LGBTIQ+ Youth in Australia
by Corrinne T. Sullivan, Duy Tran, William Trewlynn, Kim Spurway, John Leha, Linda Briskman and Karen Soldatic
Sexes 2022, 3(2), 308-324; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes3020024 - 7 Jun 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5734
Abstract
Access to adequate and appropriate service provision has a direct positive impact on health and wellbeing. Experiences of inaccessible, discriminatory, and culturally unsafe services and/or service providers are considered a root cause for the health inequalities that exist among Indigenous queer youth. Experiences [...] Read more.
Access to adequate and appropriate service provision has a direct positive impact on health and wellbeing. Experiences of inaccessible, discriminatory, and culturally unsafe services and/or service providers are considered a root cause for the health inequalities that exist among Indigenous queer youth. Experiences of discrimination and cultural inappropriateness are commonplace, with Indigenous queer youth noting issues related to access to services and treatment, stereotyping, and a lack of quality in the care provided, which discourage Indigenous people from accessing care. This paper examines the perspectives of Indigenous LGBTIQ+ youth and health service providers to identify what challenges, obstacles and opportunities are currently being faced and what could be implemented to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous LGBTIQ+ youth in the future. Full article

Review

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11 pages, 245 KiB  
Review
Cultural Safety for LGBTQIA+ People: A Narrative Review and Implications for Health Care in Malaysia
by Kyle K. H. Tan and Sai Ang Ling
Sexes 2022, 3(3), 385-395; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes3030029 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4740
Abstract
LGBTQIA+ people in Malaysia constitute a marginalised population as they are subjected to cisheterosexism that permeates every layer of society. Cisheterosexist ideologies in Malaysia find their eligibility on secular and religious laws that criminalise LGBTQIA+ identities, which have detrimental consequences on LGBTQIA+ people’s [...] Read more.
LGBTQIA+ people in Malaysia constitute a marginalised population as they are subjected to cisheterosexism that permeates every layer of society. Cisheterosexist ideologies in Malaysia find their eligibility on secular and religious laws that criminalise LGBTQIA+ identities, which have detrimental consequences on LGBTQIA+ people’s mental health and their ability to access equitable health care. Existing literature has revealed limitations for healthcare providers to employ a blinded approach (i.e., treat everyone the same) and practise culturally competency when seeing LGBTQIA+ patients. In this narrative review, we compiled international evidence of culturally safe care for LGBTQIA+ people and outlined its relevance to interrogating power relationships within healthcare practices and structures. Our reviewed findings brought together five components of culturally safe care for LGBTQIA+ people: power-enhancing care; inclusive healthcare institutions; continuous education and research; promotion of visibility; and individualised care. These components set crucial milestones for healthcare providers to reflect on ways to equalise power dynamics in a provider–patient relationship. The applicability and implication of culturally safe healthcare in Malaysia are succinctly discussed. Full article
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