Culturally Relevant Africultural Coping Moderates the Association Between Discrimination and Antiretroviral Adherence Among Sexual Minority Black Americans Living with HIV

Exposure to discrimination has been linked to lower HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and poor HIV care outcomes among Black Americans. Coping has been shown to mitigate the harmful effects of discrimination on health behaviors, but the use of cultural relevant Africultural coping strategies is understudied as a moderator of the association between intersectional discrimination and ART adherence among Black Americans. We used adjusted logistic regression to test whether Africultural coping strategies (cognitive/emotional debriefing; collective; spiritual-centered; ritual-centered) moderated associations between multiple forms of discrimination (HIV, sexual orientation, race) and good ART adherence (minimum of 75% or 85% of prescribed doses taken, as measured by electronic monitoring in separate analyses) among 92 sexual minority Black Americans living with HIV. Mean adherence was 66.5% in month 8 after baseline (36% ≥ 85% adherence; 49% ≥ 75% adherence). Ritual-centered coping moderated the relationship between each of the three types of discrimination at baseline and good ART adherence in month 8 (regardless of the minimum threshold for good adherence); when use of ritual coping was low, the association between discrimination and adherence was statistically significant. The other three coping scales each moderated the association between racial discrimination and good ART adherence (defined by the 75% threshold); cognitive/emotional debriefing was also a moderator for both HIV- and race-related discrimination at the 85% adherence threshold. These findings support the benefits of Africultural coping, particularly ritual-centered coping, to help sexual minority Black Americans manage stressors associated with discrimination and to adhere well to ART.

Everyday Discrimination and HIV Testing Among Partnered Latino/x Sexual Minority Men in the United States: A Stratified Analysis by Birth Location

We examined the association between everyday discrimination and HIV testing patterns-current (≤ 6 months), recent (7-12 months), and delayed (> 12 months or never tested)-among partnered Latino/x sexual minority men (SMM). Multinomial regression analyses revealed that in the full sample (N = 484) experiencing discrimination based on sexual orientation and race/ethnicity attributions concurrently (vs. no discrimination) was associated with higher odds of delayed (vs. current) HIV testing (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.0, 6.7]). Similarly, in the subset of Latino/x SMM born outside the mainland U.S. (n = 209), experiencing concurrent sexual orientation- and race/ethnicity-based discrimination (vs. no discrimination) was associated with higher odds of recent (AOR = 12.4, 95% CI [1.3, 115.7]) and delayed HIV testing (AOR = 7.3, 95% CI [1.6, 33.0]), compared with current testing. Findings suggest that addressing discrimination may improve HIV testing uptake among partnered Latino/x SMM, particularly those born outside the U.S.

Lifetime Prevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Multifactorial Discrimination Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Men Who Have Sex with Men

This study describes multifactorial discrimination (discrimination attributed to multiple social identities) among middle-aged and older adult MSM. MSM aged 40+ years (N = 1,193) enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study completed behavioral surveys ascertaining experiences of discrimination and their social identity attributions. Non-proportional odds regressions assessed multifactorial discrimination by age, race/ethnicity, HIV status, and covariates. Twenty-seven percent of participants reported multifactorial discrimination. Adjusted models indicated that middle-aged men were more likely to report multifactorial discrimination compared to older adult men. Racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to report multifactorial discrimination compared to non-Hispanic white participants. These same patterns emerged among the sub-sample of participants living with HIV. To our knowledge, this is the first assessment of multifactorial discrimination in middle-aged and older MSM. Our findings support the deleterious association between multiple-marginalization and multifactorial discrimination. Multilevel interventions targeting interconnected experiences of stigma may improve the health of MSM in transition to older age.

Substance Use and Depression Among Recently Migrated African Gay and Bisexual Men Living in the United States

Immigrant African gay and bisexual men (GBM) are at risk for substance use and adverse mental health outcomes due to negative experiences in home and host countries. Little is known about correlates of substance use and mental health outcomes in this population. We explored pre- and post-migratory factors associated with substance use and depression in recently migrated African GBM. Participants (N = 70) were recruited between July and November 2015 in NYC. Eligible participants were administered a structured questionnaire. Correlates of substance use and depression were identified using bivariate and multivariable analyses. Factors independently associated with current substance use were age, openness about sexual orientation, homophobic experiences in home country, forced sex in home country, current housing instability, and internalized homophobia. Factors independently associated with depression were post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and alcohol use. Substance use and depression were associated with negative experiences in home and host country.

HIV and Sexuality Stigma Reduction Through Engagement in Online Forums: Results from the HealthMPowerment Intervention

HIV and sexuality stigma impede HIV prevention and care efforts. HealthMpowerment.org (HMP) is an interactive mobile phone- and web-based HIV prevention and care intervention for young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM; ages 18-30) in the United States. HMP included three forums where participants could share their experiences. In this study, we explored whether engaging in stigma-related discussions was associated with changes in YBMSM's stigma-related scores throughout the trial. YBMSM (ages 18-30; N = 238) participating in HMP completed surveys at baseline, and 3 and 6 month follow-ups that included a series of scales focused on HIV and sexuality (internalized homophobia; sexual prejudice) stigma. Sixty-two participants contributed to the forums (1497 posts). We coded instances where YBMSM's conversations were stigma related (915 posts, 61.1%), including discussions of anticipated (74/915, 8.1%), experienced (125/915, 13.7%), internalized (410/915, 44.8%), and/or challenged (639/915, 69.8%) stigma regarding sexuality and HIV. Using a mixed methods approach, we examined whether changes in YBMSM's stigma scores were associated with stigma-related discussions within the forum. We controlled for age, HIV status, income, and educational attainment in these multivariable models. YBMSM who discussed experiencing HIV stigma in the forums reported decreases in perceived HIV stigma over time (b = - 0.37, p ≤ 0.05). YBMSM whose forum posts indicated anticipated HIV stigma reported increases in HIV stigma over time (b = 0.46, p ≤ 0.01). Participants who challenged sexuality-related stigma in forums had lower internalized homophobia (b = - 0.68, p ≤ 0.01) at baseline. YBMSM whose discussions focused on experiencing sexuality-related stigma reported increases in internalized homophobia (b = 0.39, p ≤ 0.01) and sexual prejudice (b = 0.87, p ≤ 0.05) over time. Developing strategies to combat stigma remains a key priority. HMP created an online space where YBMSM could discuss HIV and sexuality stigma. Although a limited number of HMP participants authored the majority of these forum discussions, the discussions were associated with changes in the sample's stigma scores over time. Online interventions (e.g., social media, apps) should consider the inclusion of forums to address stigma and test the efficacy of forums to improve YBMSM's HIV prevention and care continuum outcomes.

Understanding and Reducing Sexual Prejudice in Jamaica: Theoretical and Practical Insights From a Severely Anti-Gay Society

Jamaica has earned an international reputation for severe sexual prejudice-perhaps disproportionately so compared to other severely anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) societies. Until recently, however, no quantitative empirical research had investigated Jamaica's sexual prejudice, leaving the prejudice poorly understood and methods of reducing it unclear. This article reviews empirical research on Jamaican anti-LGBT prejudice from the past 15 years. It situates Jamaica within the global context, explains the current understanding of the severity and nature of the problem, evaluates solutions currently being explored, and suggests promising strategies based on available evidence. Importantly, this article also reflects on lessons learned from Jamaica that are relevant for other severely anti-LGBT societies.

HIV Testing, Stigma, and Risk: A Comparison of Church Leaders and Their Congregants

The involvement of African American churches in HIV testing and prevention is a viable community-based strategy in efforts to reduce rates of HIV among African Americans; however, church members' beliefs and attitudes are often barriers to successful implementation. This study aimed to compare church leaders and congregants regarding HIV testing behaviors, HIV-related stigma, HIV knowledge, and perceived risk. This comparative, cross-sectional study used self-reporting questionnaires across six churches in Baltimore, Maryland. Of the 173 participants (68 leaders, 105 congregants), leaders and congregants had equally high levels of HIV knowledge and equally low levels of HIV stigma, but leaders had higher homosexuality stigma than congregants t(169) = 1.773, p = .039. Congregants had higher perceived HIV risk t(170) = 3.814, p < .001, and were more likely to be tested annually for HIV than leaders, c²(1) = 8.940, p = .002. Given the higher rates of stigma, lower perceived risk and lower likelihood to be tested, interventions should focus on changing the beliefs and behaviors of church leadership to promote implementation of HIV efforts.

Challenging the Black Church Narrative: Race, Class, and Homosexual Attitudes

In recent years, scholars have pointed to the Black church as the driving force behind Blacks' more conservative lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) attitudes. Although evidence suggests a robust association between religiosity and LGBT attitudes, contemporary scholarship has not examined the role of class or the extent to which religiosity actually explains these trends. Using the 2004-2014 waves of the General Social Survey, we find that class moderates in the effect of race on negative LGBT attitudes, resulting in a noticeably larger gap between middle-class Blacks and Whites than in the top or the bottom of the class distribution. Although religiosity and moralization explain a portion of racial differences in homosexual attitudes across class groups, we find that neither fully accounts for the more conservative attitudes of the Black middle class. We conclude by discussing the shortcomings of these narratives for understanding Blacks' more conservative LGBT attitudes.

Latino men who have sex with transgender women: the influence of heteronormativity, homonegativity and transphobia on gender and sexual scripts

Latino men who have sex with transgender women make up an overlooked sector of the population that requires more attention than is currently given in sexuality and gender studies, particularly in regard to their non-commercial, long-term sexual and romantic relationships with transgender women. Sixty-one sexual histories were selected for this qualitative analysis from a larger study on Latino male bisexuality in the New York City metropolitan area. Findings suggest that participants' sexual and gender scripts with transgender women are strongly regulated by heteronormativity. Furthermore, homonegativity and transphobia often intersect in the lived experiences of men who have sex with transgender women, resulting in relationship conflicts over the control of transgender women's bodies, sexual behaviours and gender performance both in public and in private. Findings also suggest that low relationship conflict is more common among men who have sex with transgender women who exhibit diverse sexual roles (being both insertive and receptive during anal sex), or transgress heteronormative scripts through dialogue of desires and/or by embracing transgender women as human beings and not as hyperfeminised objects of desire. Stigma reduction and alternatives to heteronormative interventions are needed to improve relationship dynamics and potentially positively impact on the sexual health and overall wellbeing of Latino men who have sex with transgender women and their transgender partners.

"Lesbian"/female same-sex sexualities in Africa

Understandings of African lesbian sexualities have been affected by silence, repression, and uncertainty. The subject of lesbian experiences and sexualities in Africa constitutes an opportunity for feminist scholars to address the transnational politics of knowledge production about African lesbians' lives and the contours of lesbian art, activism, and relationships in African nations. This article contextualizes the state of research on African lesbian sexualities and introduces the special issue.

"Homophobia hurts": Mourning as resistance to violence in South Africa

Much has been written on the successful lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex movement in South Africa, and the resulting institutionalization of sexual minority rights. Comparatively less has been written about the forms of activism undertaken specifically by Black lesbians that are not oriented toward legal change. In this article, I assert the need to examine public demonstrations of mourning as an act of Black lesbian resistance to violence in South Africa. Based on in-depth interviews with members of Free Gender, a Black lesbian organization, I argue that members' conceptualizations of mourning as providing community support force a reconsideration of what it means to be human. In order to grasp the decolonial potential of Free Gender's activism, I draw on Sylvia Wynter's argument that a singular Western bourgeois conception of human has come to dominate globally.

Contextualising family microaggressions and strategies of resilience among young gay and bisexual men of Latino heritage

Young Latino gay and bisexual men experience discrimination due to heterosexism and racism from within and beyond their communities. Although most research has emphasised overt forms of discrimination, a growing body of research is examining the effects of microaggressions, or indirect forms of discrimination, on racial and sexual minorities. The purpose of this study was to explore the contexts of various types of microaggressions, as well as describe the resilience strategies used by young adult Latino gay and bisexual men living in Los Angeles, California. A sample of 21 young Latino gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 29 years were recruited to complete qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews following a phenomenological approach. Three contextual themes relevant to microaggressions emerged: (1) microassaults, (2) microinsults and (3) microinvalidations. Three themes emerged around the resilience strategies to overcome these experiences: (1) self-discovery, (2) adaptive socialisation and (3) self-advocacy. Family and community-based efforts to reinforce and expand resilience repertoires are needed to help young Latino gay and bisexual men.

Jamaica, Three Years Later: Effects of Intensified Pro-Gay Activism on Severe Prejudice Against Lesbians and Gay Men

Jamaica has developed an international reputation for severe anti-gay prejudice. However, in the past few years, between 2012 and 2015, intensified waves of activism have increased the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Jamaicans, and supported their social and legal inclusion in Jamaican society. This research investigated the effects of that activism by taking advantage of two large, representative surveys of Jamaicans' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: one in 2012 and one in 2015. Over the three-year period there were significant reductions in desire for social distance and opposition to gay rights. However, there was no significant change in anti-gay attitudes, and there was evidence of an increase in anti-gay behaviors. There was also no evidence of polarization of responses to gay men and lesbians; rather, the most prejudiced Jamaicans showed the largest reductions in bias. Implications of these findings for activism in Jamaica and other anti-gay countries are discussed.

The Internalized Homophobia Scale for Vietnamese Sexual Minority Women: Conceptualization, Factor Structure, Reliability, and Associations With Hypothesized Correlates

We developed the first Vietnamese Internalized Homophobia (IH) scale for use with Vietnamese sexual minority women (SMW). Drawing from existing IH scales in the international literature and based on prior qualitative research about SMW in the Viet Nam context, the scale covers two domains: self-stigma (negative attitudes toward oneself as a sexual minority person) and sexual prejudice (negative attitudes toward homosexuality/same-sex relations in general). Scale items, including items borrowed from existing scales and items based on local expressions, were reviewed and confirmed by members of the target population. Quantitative evaluation used data from an anonymous web-based survey of Vietnamese SMW, including those who identified as lesbian (n = 1187), or as bisexual (n = 641) and those who were unsure about their sexual identity (n = 353). The scale was found to consist of two highly correlated factors reflecting self-stigma (not normal/wholesome and self-reproach and wishing away same-sex sexuality) and one factor reflecting sexual prejudice, and to have excellent internal consistency. Construct validity was evidenced by subscale associations with a wide range of hypothesized correlates, including perceived sexual stigma, outness, social support, connection to other SMW, relationship quality, psychological well-being, anticipation of heterosexual marriage, and endorsement of same-sex marriage legalization. Self-stigma was more strongly associated with psychosocial correlates, and sexual prejudice was more associated with endorsement of legal same-sex marriage. The variations in these associations across the hypothesized correlates and across sexual identity groups were consistent with the minority stress model and the IH literature, and exhibited context-specific features, which are discussed.

Gender Nonconformity, Homophobic Peer Victimization, and Mental Health: How Same-Sex Attraction and Biological Sex Matter

We assessed whether homophobic name-calling accounts for the relationship between gender nonconformity and mental health (social anxiety and psychological distress) in a sample of 1,026 Dutch adolescents (boys: n = 517) ages 11 to 16 (Mage = 13.4). We also explored whether this hypothesized mediation differs by sexual attraction and biological sex. Data were collected by means of paper-and-pencil questionnaires at five secondary schools located in urban areas in the Netherlands. Mediation analysis indicated that gender nonconformity was related to both social anxiety and psychological distress partially via homophobic name-calling. Moderated mediation analysis further showed that the mediating role of homophobic name-calling varied according to levels of same-sex attraction (SSA) and biological sex. The mediation effects increased in magnitude when levels of SSA increased and were significant only for adolescents with mean and high levels of SSA. The mediation effects were significant for boys and girls in general, although the mediation effects were stronger for boys than for girls. Our findings emphasize the importance of research and school-level interventions to focus on factors that promote acceptance of cross-gender behavior among adolescents.

Assessing the Gender Invariance of the Modern Homonegativity Scale

The measurement invariance of the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS) was examined among heterosexual female (n = 449) and male (n = 329) university students who were predominantly Mexican American. The MHS demonstrated full invariance of factor loadings and partial invariance of latent intercepts. At the latent mean level, heterosexual men compared to heterosexual women held more negative attitudes toward both gay men and lesbian women. There were no latent mean differences in attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women when rated by either heterosexual men or heterosexual women. The MHS can be used by heterosexual men and heterosexual women to assess their homonegativity.

Coping With Antigay Violence: In-Depth Interviews With Flemish LGB Adults

In view of the possible negative mental health outcomes of antigay violence and the limited understanding of how lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men and women cope with such experiences, this study examined the coping and social support-seeking strategies that victims adopt. In 2012, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 Flemish sexual minority victims of violence. These in-depth interviews show that antigay violence can generate profound negative outcomes. However, the respondents employed a range of coping strategies, of which four were discerned: (1) avoidance strategies, (2) assertiveness and confrontation, (3) cognitive change, and (4) social support. Applying a diverse set of coping strategies and actively attaching meaning to negative experiences helps victims of antigay violence to overcome negative effects such as fear, embarrassment, or depressive feelings. However, the presence of a supportive network seems an important condition in order for these positive outcomes to occur.

Factors Related to Homophobia Among Nursing Students

A convenience sample of 90 nursing students participated in an online survey measuring homophobia or sexual prejudice. Significantly higher scores were seen among those who endorsed the belief that being gay was a matter of personal choice, did not have a friend or family member who was gay or lesbian, and endorsed religiosity. A significantly higher level of sexual prejudice was seen among those who identified as non-Catholic Christians when compared to other religions. Asian/Pacific Islanders showed significantly higher scores on the scales compared to non-Hispanic Caucasian students. Nursing education should focus on those aspects of homophobia amenable to change.

On the transgressiveness of ambiguity: Richard Bruce Nugent and the flow of sexuality and race

The study focuses on the slender corpus of literary work by Harlem Renaissance poet, author and visual artist Richard Bruce Nugent (1906-1987), arguably America's foremost Black aesthete. As an individualist in the footsteps of post-Hegelian and pre-Nietzschean philosopher Max Stirner (1806-1856), Nugent sought to re-think sexuality and race beyond fixed schemes of categorial distribution. To this end, Nugent deployed a strategy of sexual and racial ambiguity that aimed at situating the uniquely sexed and raced individual within the continuities of ever-diversifying Nature. Nugent's deconstructive approach of sexuality and race proves to be convergent with (but not genealogically dependent on) the universalization of sexual intermediariness and racial miscegenation postulated by German-Jewish sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld during the first third of the twentieth century. Nugent's non-identitarian conception of sex acts anticipated by more than a decade comparable insights propounded by Alfred Kinsey.

Lesbian mommy blogging in Canada: documenting subtle homophobia in Canadian society and building community online

This article analyzes how lesbian mommy bloggers in Canada are using their blogs as forums for self-expression and a means to form community, as they record their unique experiences as queer parents. Further, it argues that lesbian mommy blogging is documenting a subtle form of homophobia that exists in Canada in terms of social acceptance. Although there is legal acceptance of queer families, society has not necessarily caught up with the law. These blogs show that lesbian parents in Canada still struggle with issues of equality, including difficulties being "out," invisibility, and having to advocate for the non-birth parent.

Pride and prejudice: factors affecting school attachment among lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual girls

School attachment is often regarded as a key measure in gauging the integration and wellbeing of students. Previous research suggests that levels of school attachment are generally lower among sexual minority students, but most studies focus on between-gender comparisons and do not conduct within-gender analyses. Using data from the First National Climate Survey on Homophobia and Transphobia in Canadian schools, this study set out to empirically analyze what, if any, differences exist among lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual female students when assessing the relationship between homophobic and gender-negative language, feelings of safety, harassment/direct victimization, and school climate on school attachment. Bivariate and multivariate findings suggest that there are key differences among female students in terms of school attachment.

The Last Bastion of Sexual and Gender Prejudice? Sexualities, Race, Gender, Religiosity, and Spirituality in the Examination of Prejudice Toward Sexual and Gender Minorities

Prior research has reported that many Americans hold prejudicial attitudes toward sexual and gender minorities. Most of this research analyzed attitudes toward target categories in isolation and not in relation to attitudes toward heterosexuals. In addition, most previous research has not examined attitudes of members of sexual and gender minority categories toward other categories. While some research has examined the influence of religiosity on attitudes toward sexual and gender minorities, none of these studies has examined religiosity while also examining the influence of spirituality. In this article we drew on insights from queer theory to examine attitudes toward heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, as well as individuals who practice polygamy, among college students. Three samples gathered over a four-year period (2009, 2011, 2013) at a private, nonsectarian, midsized urban university in the Southeastern United States were used. We found that heterosexuals had the most positive rating, followed in order of rating by gay/lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, and then those who practice polygamy. Regression analyses revealed gender and race were significant predictors of attitudes toward various sexual and gender categories. Holding a literalistic view of the Bible and self-identifying as more religious were related to more negative views toward sexual minorities, while self-identifying as more spiritual was related to more positive views.

Male Role Endorsement Explains Negative Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Among Students in Mexico More Than in Germany

Anti-gay attitudes vary across cultures because the larger social context plays a role in attitude formation. Psychological correlates of these attitudes have been investigated in the United States and Europe. Endorsement of traditional gender roles has emerged from that research as a central correlate, next to religiosity and personal contact with lesbians/gay men. In a cross-sectional study, we tested whether these correlates are relevant in Mexico, characterized as an androcentric culture in which both gender-role traditionalism and religiosity are high, using a college-age student sample (N = 63). Because we relied on self-reports, the motivation to appear nonprejudiced was also assessed. We found typical gender differences in attitudes toward gay men. In bivariate tests, anti-gay attitudes were related to male role endorsement, contact with lesbians/gay men, and religiosity. In a multivariate analysis, variance in attitudes was explained by male role endorsement; personal contact or religiosity did not explain additional variance. In a German comparison sample (N = 112), male role endorsement played a smaller role. Variance in anti-gay attitudes in the German sample was also related to personal contact, religiosity, and the motivation to appear nonprejudiced. We discuss the centrality of (male) gender-role endorsement in cultures with high gender-role traditionalism.

Desirable rights: same-sex sexual subjectivities, socio-economic transformations, global flows and boundaries--in India and beyond

Sexual rights are increasingly and unevenly advanced internationally as constitutive of progressive legal possibilities for same-sex desiring subjects. Legislative progress in this area has taken place in the context of recognition of same-sex sexual subjects within the globalising flow of neo-liberal political-economic ideologies in some parts of the word, and resurgent homophobia as a countervailing trend elsewhere (or indeed even within the same context). Ambivalent responses to sexual rights praxis in people's day-to-day lives indicate complex relationships between sexual subjectivity, economy, law, the state, and people's most intimate aspirations. Rights on grounds of same-sex sexualities may or may not be perceived as universally desirable, even among those people who might otherwise be imagined as their beneficiaries. Given this, the relationship between sexual subjectivities, political economies, and rights must be understood in terms of multifaceted refractions, attending to generative and curtailing possibilities--imagined in people's differing responses to free-market capital, legislation, and possibilities for livelihood. These issues are explored in respect of ethnographic work in West Bengal, India, with a particular focus on male-bodied subjects who evince both masculine and feminine subjectivities, and in respect of recent contestations in law, polity, and sexual rights praxis.

The intersection of youth masculinities, decreasing homophobia and class: an ethnography

This article examines the emergence of progressive attitudes toward homosexuality among working-class boys in a sixth form in the south of England to develop an intersectional analysis of class, youth masculinities and decreasing homophobia. Drawing on three months of ethnographic data collection, I find that working-class male youth intellectualize pro-gay attitudes and that homophobic language is almost entirely absent from the setting. I document the presence of homosocial tactility, as well as the valuing of friendship and emotional closeness. However, these behaviours are less pronounced than documented among middle-class boys, and I use these findings to advance understanding of how class influences the development of inclusive attitudes and behaviours. Inclusive masculinity theory is used to understand these findings, refining the theory and extending it to a new demographic.

Predictors of prejudice against lesbians and gay men in Jamaica

Jamaica has acquired an international reputation for strong antigay prejudice, incidents of antigay violence, and outspoken, antigay public figures. In recent years, national and international gay rights groups have attempted to improve this situation. However, these efforts have not been based on an empirical analysis of the factors underlying Jamaican antigay bias, which is essential for developing effective prejudice-reducing strategies. Using data collected in two large-scale national surveys in 2011 and 2012 (N 2011 = 997, N 2012 = 945), we investigated predictors of Jamaican antigay prejudice, including age, gender, religious affiliation, education, income, and a preference for dancehall music. We also examined changes in reported antigay bias between 2011 and 2012 after accounting for other predictors. All proposed variables predicted some aspect of antigay prejudice, though sometimes in unexpected ways. Male gender emerged as a particularly important predictor. We discuss the strengths and limitations of our design and the implications of our findings for prejudice-reduction strategies in Jamaica.

Beyond the dichotomy: six religious views of homosexuality

Using published theological and scholarly evidence, this article disrupts the stereotypical "born gay"/"sinful choice" dichotomy widely assumed to characterize religious views of homosexuality in the United States. It argues that we need to keep moral questions separate from questions about the fixity or fluidity of sexual orientation. Rather than two, American Christian and Jewish views of homosexuality can been seen on a range from the "God Hates Fags" view through "Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin," "We Don't Talk About That," "They Can't Help It," "God's Good Gift," and a queer-theological view of the "Godly Calling."

Motives and decisions for and against having children among nonheterosexuals and the impact of experiences of discrimination, internalized stigma, and social acceptance

Same-sex parents are increasingly a topic of public discourse. A growing number of homosexuals openly speak about their desire to have children or are already living together in different family constellations. The current study examined the decisions for or against having children and the motivations behind those decisions among nonheterosexuals living in Germany. A sample of 1,283 nonheterosexuals participated by means of an online survey. As some nonheterosexual individuals do not identify themselves with a male or female gender identity, a third category, "gender different," was generated. Motives for (not) having children, perceptions of social acceptance, experiences of discrimination in relation to one's sexual orientation, and levels of internalized stigma were taken into account regarding their influence on the decision about parenthood. Most respondents (80%) reported that they did not have children. However, among this group, 43% stated that they had decided to have children later in their lives, 24% were undecided, and 11% had already decided against having children. The most important influences on the decision of whether to have children were respondents' age and their desire for emotional stabilization. Negative experiences as a result of sexual orientation and internalized stigma had no impact on the decisions regarding parenthood.

Challenging homophobia and heterosexism through storytelling and critical dialogue among Hong Kong Chinese immigrant parents in Toronto

Homophobia and heterosexism are ubiquitous in Canadian society. They contribute to significant health and mental health disparities for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth and their families. Anti-homophobia efforts tend to focus on students and teachers at school. While these efforts are important, they do not reach parents, who play an important role in shaping young people's attitudes towards gender and sexuality. To eliminate bullying and victimisation associated with homophobia at school and in the community, concerted efforts are urgently needed to mobilise parents to become champions against homophobia and heterosexism. In this paper, we report on our use of storytelling and critical dialogue to engage a group of Hong Kong Chinese immigrant parents in Toronto to interrogate their values and assumptions about homosexuality. In particular, we illustrate how we use storytelling to create a liminal space whereby the narrators and listeners collaborate to create counter-discourses that challenge social domination and exclusion. We then discuss the implications of using a critical dialogical approach to integrate anti-homophobia efforts in community parenting programmes.