Using data from the first national probability sample of Black, White, and Latinx sexual minority people in the United States, we examined whether and how sexual identity development timing and ...pacing differs across demographic subgroups at the intersections of cohort, sex, sexual identity, and race/ethnicity. Among a sample of 1,491 participants aged 18-60 from 3 distinct birth cohorts, we measured participants' ages of sexual identity development milestones, including first same-sex attraction, first self-realization of a sexual minority identity, first same-sex sexual behavior, first disclosure to a straight friend, and first disclosure to a family member. Participants from more recent cohorts reported earlier and accelerated pacing of milestones relative to those from older cohorts. Subgroups defined by sex and sexual identity varied in milestone timing and pacing, with gay males reporting an earlier onset of some milestones than other subgroups. Those who used newer identity labels (e.g., pansexual, queer) reported younger ages of milestones relative to bisexual participants but similar ages to lesbian and gay participants. Black and Latinx participants reported some milestones at younger ages than White participants. Race-stratified models testing groups at the intersection of cohort, sex, and sexual identity revealed subgroup differences in ages of first disclosure to family, as well as differences in the time between self-realization, same-sex sexual behavior, and disclosure to a straight friend. The results suggest substantial variation in the developmental timing and pacing of milestones across social identities and the need to further examine how milestone timing is related to identity, stress, and health.
Romantic relationships are developmentally salient across the transition to adulthood, yet the timing to a first relationship for sexual minority youth is largely unknown and is complicated by the ...developmental timing of sexual orientation development. We use the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to predict the timing to a first relationship among heterosexual and sexual minority youth, defined as those with same-sex attraction and/or a sexual minority identity. We examine variability across subgroups of youth with a sexual minority status in adolescence only, in adulthood only, or in both developmental periods, and by gender. Participants with lesbian/gay sexual orientations emerging during adulthood delay a first relationship compared to their heterosexual peers. Those with bisexual orientations only in adulthood enter relationships earlier than their heterosexual peers, particularly women. Results suggest that patterns of dating relationship formations differ by distinct developmental contexts of sexual orientation development.
Despite well-established substance use disparities between sexual and gender minority adolescents and their heterosexual, cisgender peers, there remain questions about whether there are developmental ...differences in the onset and progression of these disparities across adolescence. These perspectives are critical for prevention efforts. We therefore estimate age-based patterns of five substance use behaviors across groups of adolescents defined by sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
Data are from the 2013–2015 cycles of the California Healthy Kids Survey (N = 634,454). Substance use was assessed with past 30-day e-cigarette use, combustible cigarette use, alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking, and marijuana use. Two- and three-way interactions were used to assess differences in age-specific prevalence rates of each substance by (1) sex and sexual identity; and (2) gender identity.
Across all substances, SOGI differences in past 30-day use were present by age 12 years. Most disparities persisted to age 18 years and older. SOGI disparities in combustible and e-cigarette use were wider in late adolescence. Analyses by sexual identity show that sexual minority girls reported the highest rates of substance use across age, followed by sexual minority boys.
SOGI differences in substance use emerged in early adolescence and appeared to persist and accelerate by late adolescence. Sexual minority girls had the highest rates of substance use across all ages. The findings underscore the urgent need for screening and prevention strategies to reduce substance use for sexual and gender minority youth.
Expanding Notions of LGBTQ Russell, Stephen T; Bishop, Meg D; Fish, Jessica N
Annual review of sociology,
07/2023, Letnik:
49, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Sexual identity labels and meanings have been expanding. We explore how sexual identities are taking shape, intertwining, and emerging in new forms among a growing number of LGBTQ+ people (i.e., ...lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning, or people whose identities are outside the historically privileged or dominant groups of heterosexual sexual identities). We situate contemporary sexual identities in theories of the social construction of identity, intersectionality, and the life course. We review recent research that illuminates identity complexity and intersectionality, the increasingly intertwined understandings and experiences of sexuality and gender, and intersections of sexuality and gender with identities embedded in race and social class. Finally, we consider new work that situates sexual identities in the context of life course development, including life stage, developmental processes, and relationships.
Disparities in mental health and bullying between SGM youth and their heterosexual, cisgender peers are well-established. There remain questions about whether the onset and progression of these ...disparities differ across adolescence—knowledge critical for screening, prevention, and intervention. To address this, the current study estimates age-based patterns of homophobic bullying, gender-based bullying, and mental health across groups of adolescents defined by sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Data are from the 2013–2015 cycle of the California Healthy Kids Survey (
n
= 728,204). We estimated the age-specific prevalence rates of past-year homophobic bullying, gender-based bullying, and depressive symptoms using three- and two-way interactions by (1) age, sex, and sexual identity and (2) age and gender identity, respectively. We also tested how adjustments for bias-based bullying alter predicted prevalence rates of past-year mental health symptoms. Results showed that SOGI differences in homophobic bullying, gender-based bullying, and mental health were already present among youth aged 11 and younger. SOGI differences by age were attenuated when adjusting models for homophobic and gender-based bullying, particularly among transgender youth. SOGI-related bias-based bullying and mental health disparities were present early and generally persisted throughout adolescence. Strategies that prevent exposure to homophobic and gender-based bullying would significantly reduce SOGI-related disparities in mental health across adolescence.
Professional development training for school personnel on issues related to sexual and gender identity (i.e., SOGI training) is a school strategy designed to prevent health and educational ...disparities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth at school. Yet we know surprisingly little about how the presence of this practice at school affects students’ experience. This study explores whether students’ experiences of victimization and school climate vary as a function of school administrator support for SOGI training at two time points (2004 and 2014). We combined multiple independent databases: students’ reports on victimization and school climate in 2013–2015 (
n
= 55,158), and school (n = 152) and school district data (n = 67) on support for SOGI training in 2004 and 2014. More positive school climates were found in schools with support for SOGI training in 2004 only and both 2004 and 2014 compared to schools with SOGI training support in 2014 only. In schools with support for SOGI training in both 2004 and 2014, LGBT students reported the lowest rates of victimization. Findings from this study provide evidence that support for SOGI training by school administration is an effective way to improve school contexts for LGBT and all students. School administrators who aim to reduce victimization disparities for LGBT students and improve school climates should support the implementation of SOGI training, and sustain such training over time.
Disclosing a sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, or bisexual) identity to others is an ongoing process throughout life. Research shows that disclosure is stressful, and this stress is related to ...poorer mental health for sexual minority youth. However, there are few theoretically grounded studies examining disclosure stress and its prospective association with mental health. The current study utilizes 2 conceptualizations of sexual identity development-stage models and milestone models-to contextualize how changes in disclosure-related stress are associated with depression symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood. Data come from a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth between ages 15-24 surveyed over 3 years (N = 555; 82% youth of color; 40% bisexual; 63% free and reduced lunch; and 49% assigned female at birth). We estimated (a) parallel process models and (b) growth curve models with disclosure stress as a time-varying covariate, which were respectively informed by stage and milestone conceptualizations of sexual identity development. Results indicated that depression symptoms declined while disclosure stress increased. In the parallel process model, higher baseline disclosure stress correlated with higher baseline levels and steeper declines in depression symptoms. When disclosure stress was modeled as a time-varying covariate, it was most strongly associated with higher depression symptoms at earlier ages. Disclosure is a developmental process that confers differential risk for depression symptoms earlier in the life course, which can hinder the typical decline of depression symptoms in young adulthood. Supporting sexual minority youth when they disclose their sexual identity throughout adolescence can have long-term benefits for mental health.
There is a paucity of national data documenting chest binding practices among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents, despite the possibility that adolescents chest bind at high rates due ...to gender identity exploration and/or structural barriers to accessing other gender affirmation strategies.
We used data from the 2022 LGBTQ National Teen Survey to estimate the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of chest binding among TGD adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB; n = 6,080), and, in supplementary analyses, a broader sample of AFAB and intersex LGBTQ+ adolescents (n = 7,622).
Nearly two-thirds (63.8%) of TGD AFAB adolescents in our sample reported chest binding. More than 80% of transgender boys reported chest binding. Chest binding varied by some sociodemographics but was prevalent across many characteristics.
Chest binding is a common gender exploration and affirmation strategy among TGD AFAB adolescents. Adolescent health providers require data to inform evidence-based healthcare related to chest binding.
To synthesize the diverse body of literature on sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) and sexual health education.
We conducted a systematic search of the literature on SGMY and sexual health ...education, including SGMY perspectives on sexual health education, the acceptability or effectiveness of programs designed for SGMY, and SGMY-specific results of sexual health education programs delivered to general youth populations.
A total of 32 articles were included. Sixteen qualitative studies with SGMY highlight key perspectives underscoring how youth gained inadequate knowledge from sexual health education experiences and received content that excluded their identities and behaviors. Thirteen studies examined the acceptability or effectiveness of sexual health interventions designed for SGMY from which key characteristics of inclusive sexual health education relating to development, content, and delivery emerged. One study found a sexual health education program delivered to a general population of youth was also acceptable for a subsample of sexual minority girls.
Future research on SGMY experiences should incorporate populations understudied, including younger adolescents, sexual minority girls, and transgender persons. Further, the effectiveness of inclusive sexual health education in general population settings requires further study.
Victimization is a well-established driver of sexual minority youth’s (SMY) mental health and substance use risk. The current study examined and extended this research by exploring how victimization, ...cybervictimization, and non-parental supportive adults contribute to SMY’s vulnerability to poor mental health and substance use. Using data from the first representative sample of Texas youth that measures sexual identity, we analyzed sex-stratified models of the association between sexual identity, mental health, and substance use, and the confounding effects of victimization, cybervictimization, and non-parental adult support. Victimization was more common among SMY and accounted for a greater proportion of sexual identity disparities on mental health and substance use, especially for males. Sexual minority females were more likely to report cybervictimization than heterosexual youth, and cybervictimization was associated with mental health risk. SMY reported fewer available non-parental supportive adults, which was associated with more sadness, suicidality, and polysubstance use. Our study adds to extant evidence that victimization drives SMY’s increased susceptibility to mental health and substance use risk. Schools should implement inclusive policies that prohibit bullying based on sexual minority identity and offer professional development opportunities for supporting SMY.
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