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Koh AS, Bos HMW, Rothblum ED, Carone N, Gartrell NK. Donor sibling relations among adult offspring conceived via insemination by lesbian parents. Hum Reprod 2023; 38:2166-2174. [PMID: 37697711 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION How do adult offspring in planned lesbian-parent families feel about and relate to their donor (half) sibling(s) (DS)? SUMMARY ANSWER A majority of offspring had found DS and maintained good ongoing relationships, and all offspring (regardless of whether a DS had been identified) were satisfied with their knowledge of and contact level with the DS. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The first generation of donor insemination offspring of intended lesbian-parent families is now in their 30s. Coincident with this is an increased use of DNA testing and genetic ancestry websites, facilitating the discovery of donor siblings from a common sperm donor. Few studies of offspring and their DS include sexual minority parent (SMP) families, and only sparse data separately analyze the offspring of SMP families or extend the analyses to established adult offspring. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This cohort study included 75 adult offspring, longitudinally followed since conception in lesbian-parent families. Quantitative analyses were performed from online surveys of the offspring in the seventh wave of the 36-year study, with a 90% family retention rate. The data were collected from March 2021 to November 2022. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants were 30- to 33-year-old donor insemination offspring whose lesbian parents enrolled in a US prospective longitudinal study when these offspring were conceived. Offspring who knew of a DS were asked about their numbers found, characteristics or motivations for meeting, DS terminology, relationship quality and maintenance, and impact of the DS contact on others. All offspring (with or without known DS) were asked about the importance of knowing if they have DS and their terminology, satisfaction with information about DS, and feelings about future contact. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Of offspring, 53% (n = 40) had found DS in modest numbers, via a DS or sperm bank registry in 45% of cases, and most of these offspring had made contact. The offspring had their meeting motivations fulfilled, viewed the DS as acquaintances more often than siblings or friends, and maintained good relationships via meetings, social media, and cell phone communication. They disclosed their DS meetings to most relatives with neutral impact. The offspring, whether with known or unknown DS, felt neutral about the importance of knowing if they had DS, were satisfied with what they knew (or did not know) of the DS, and were satisfied with their current level of DS contact. This study is the largest, longest-running longitudinal study of intended lesbian-parent families and their offspring, and due to its prospective nature, is not biased by over-sampling offspring who were already satisfied with their DS. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The sample was from the USA, and mostly White, highly educated individuals, not representative of the diversity of donor insemination offspring of lesbian-parent families. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS While about half of the offspring found out about DS, the other half did not. Regardless of knowing of a DS, these adult offspring of lesbian parents were satisfied with their level of DS contact. Early disclosure and identity formation about being donor-conceived in a lesbian-parent family may distinguish these study participants from donor insemination offspring and adoptees in the general population, who may be more compelled to seek genetic relatives. The study participants who sought DS mostly found a modest number of them, in contrast to reports in studies that have found large numbers of DS. This may be because one-third of study offspring had donors known to the families since conception, who may have been less likely to participate in commercial sperm banking or internet donation sites, where quotas are difficult to enforce or nonexistent. The study results have implications for anyone considering gamete donation, gamete donors, donor-conceived offspring, and/or gamete banks, as well as the medical and public policy professionals who advise them. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No funding was provided for this project. The authors have no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey S Koh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Henny M W Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- Department of Women's Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicola Carone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nanette K Gartrell
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Koh AS, Rothblum ED, Bos HMW, Carone N, Gartrell NK. Sperm donor relations among adult offspring conceived via insemination by lesbian parents. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37394815 DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2023.2227867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
AIM The present study examined how adult offspring of lesbian parents relate to their anonymous, open-identity, or known donors. DESIGN An online survey of 75 donor-conceived offspring of lesbian parents, aged 30-33 years, participating in Wave 7 of a U.S. 36-year longitudinal study of planned lesbian-parent families was conducted. Offspring were asked about donor type, motivations for contacting the donor, terminology for the donor, relationship quality, means of relationship maintenance, impact of donor contact on offspring's other family members, and their feelings about the donor. RESULTS Twenty offspring with anonymous donors and 15 with open-identity donors whom they had not contacted felt comfortable not knowing their donors. Forty offspring knew their donors - anonymous, contacted through an online registry (n = 7), open-identity, contacted (n = 9), or known since childhood (n = 24). Offspring who had contacted their donor since age 18 had their motivations fulfilled after contact, got along well with him, did not view him as a relative, and had told most family members about their contact, without detriment. Whether the donor was unknown or known at this stage of their lives, most offspring were satisfied with their contact level. CONCLUSION This cohort of donor-conceived offspring of lesbian parents was among the first to reach adulthood during a time of technological advances in DNA testing, giving access to anonymous donors via online registries. The results inform donors, families, mental health providers, medical providers and public policymakers, on whether, how, and to what degree donor-conceived offspring optimally make donor contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey S Koh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- Department of Women's Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- Visiting Distinguished Scholar, Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Henny M W Bos
- Child Development and Education, and Chair in Sexual and Gender Diversity in Families and Youth, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicola Carone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nanette K Gartrell
- Visiting Distinguished Scholar, Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Bos HMW, Carone N, Rothblum ED, Koh AS, Gartrell NK. Long-Term Effects of Family Resilience on the Subjective Well-Being of Offspring in the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:5149. [PMID: 36982058 PMCID: PMC10048869 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20065149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The current study used a family resilience approach to investigate why some offspring of sexual minority parents thrive despite homophobic stigmatization while others do not. Specifically, the study explored the role of two specific family functioning mechanisms (i.e., during adolescence, disclosure of offspring's personal life to their parents, and family compatibility) in the association between experienced homophobic stigmatization at age 17 and subjective well-being at age 25, among 71 offspring (37 females and 34 males, all cisgender) of the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS). The results showed that, overall, the offspring reported healthy subjective well-being as emerging adults. However, among NLLFS offspring with less family compatibility as adolescents, homophobic stigmatization was related to higher scores on negative affect when they were emerging adults. Psychological counseling that supports adolescent-parent communication may help prevent the negative effect of homophobic stigmatization on the subjective well-being of offspring with sexual minority parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henny M. W. Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicola Carone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Esther D. Rothblum
- Williams Institute, Los Angeles School of Law, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Audrey S. Koh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Nanette K. Gartrell
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Williams Institute, Los Angeles School of Law, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Rothblum ED. Mentoring Women to Publish in Order to Thrive in the Academic Patriarchy. Psychology of Women Quarterly 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/03616843221137294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
It is vital for women to publish their writing for tenure and promotion so that they are no longer underrepresented as senior scholars in academia. Furthermore, it is important that their radical and important ideas are published and not lost to history. For the 2022 Carolyn Wood Sherif Award talk, I focused on five topics: (1) publishing is vital for women in academia; (2) women may not feel entitled to write and publish; (3) women need to learn how to be invited to publish; (4) women may leave academia; and (5) feminist writing is political, radical, and important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther D. Rothblum
- Women's Studies Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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Carone N, Gartrell NK, Rothblum ED, Koh AS, Bos HMW. Helicopter parenting, emotional avoidant coping, mental health, and homophobic stigmatization among emerging adult offspring of lesbian parents. J Fam Psychol 2022; 36:1205-1215. [PMID: 35862080 DOI: 10.1037/fam0001020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Helicopter parents are highly involved parents who hover over and around their child, applying developmentally inappropriate levels of control and tangible assistance. Previous research with different-sex parent families indicates that helicopter parenting is particularly problematic in emerging adulthood as it may indirectly affect the offspring's mental health through their use of emotional avoidant coping. Knowledge is lacking, however, on the antecedents and consequences of helicopter parenting in lesbian-parent families. The present longitudinal, questionnaire-based study investigated the effect of homophobic stigmatization in adolescence on mental health via helicopter parenting and emotional avoidant coping among 76 (37 females and 39 males) National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study 25-year-old offspring of lesbian parents. All participants were cisgender, born in the USA, and conceived through donor sperm, with the majority being White, heterosexual, highly educated, and no longer living with their parents. Parents who reported that their offspring experienced homophobic stigmatization in adolescence were likely to enact higher helicopter parenting in emerging adulthood. Then, higher scores on helicopter parenting were associated with offspring's greater use of emotional avoidant coping, which in turn negatively affected the mental health of emerging adult offspring. Discussed in light of Bowen's family differentiation theory, the results suggest that clinicians should examine helicopter parenting in the context of lesbian parents' developmental history and potential tendency to project their own concerns about safety onto their child in order to reduce the distress of experienced homophobic stigmatization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Audrey S Koh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
| | - Henny M W Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education
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Assink M, Rothblum ED, Wilson BDM, Gartrell N, Bos HMW. Mental Health of Lesbian, Bisexual, and Other-Identified Parents and Non-Parents from a Population-Based Study. J Homosex 2022; 69:205-229. [PMID: 33684022 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2021.1892401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Studies have compared sexual minority mothers (mostly lesbian) to heterosexual mothers on mental health, but little research has compared sexual minority women with and without children. This was the first study to compare sexual minority women who did or did not have children, using a population-based sample with three age cohorts. Unlike prior convenience studies, this study finds parents more likely to be bisexual, in a relationship with a man, and non-urban. Bisexual parents scored higher than lesbian parents on psychological distress and lower on life satisfaction and happiness; they also reported less connection to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Among lesbians, the oldest non-parents reported more happiness and less psychological distress than the youngest non-parents. Parents with other identities perceived more social support from friends and reported lower levels of internalized homophobia than bisexual parents. The results will help professionals and policymakers understand how parenthood status affects women across sexual identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Assink
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- Women's Studies Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Bianca D M Wilson
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nanette Gartrell
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Henny M W Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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van Bergen DD, Wilson BD, Russell ST, Gordon AG, Rothblum ED. Parental Responses to Coming out by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Pansexual, or Two-Spirited People across Three Age Cohorts. J Marriage Fam 2021; 83:1116-1133. [PMID: 34413541 PMCID: PMC8359215 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study aimed to better understand the complexities of parental responses to coming out in the narratives from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Pansexual, or Two-Spirited (LGBQ+) individuals, and to examine whether those from recent cohorts experience a different parental response than those in older cohorts. BACKGROUND Sexual minorities come out at younger ages today than in past decades, and coming out to parents is a major part of the identification process. METHOD Interview excerpts of 155 US lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, or two-spirited (LGBQ+) respondents were analyzed with a qualitative thematic analysis and with basic quantitative methods. The sample consisted of 61 interviewees in a young cohort (ages 18-25), 65 in a middle cohort (ages 35-42), and 29 in an older cohort (ages 52-59), in six ethnic/racial groups. RESULTS Themes based on LGBQ+ people's accounts indicated that parental responses varied with the degree of their a priori knowledge of respondents' sexual identities (ranging from suspicion or certainty to surprise). Parental appraisal was either lacking, negative, mixed, or positive with accompanying silent, invalidating, ambivalent, and validating responses, respectively. Validating responses from parents were more often found in the youngest cohort, but invalidating responses were frequent across all cohorts. LGBQ+ people in the oldest cohort were more inclined to accept their parents being noncommunicative about sexuality in general and also about sexual diversity. CONCLUSION It is too early to state that coming out to parents has become easier. Harmony in the parent-child relationship after coming out and open communication about sexual identities is regarded as desirable and yet it remains elusive for many LGBQ+ people.
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Carone N, Gartrell NK, Rothblum ED, Koh AS, Bos HMW. The stability of psychological adjustment among donor-conceived offspring in the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study from childhood to adulthood: differences by donor type. Fertil Steril 2021; 115:1302-1311. [PMID: 33541691 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study differences by sperm donor type in the psychological adjustment of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS) offspring across three time periods from childhood to adulthood. DESIGN U.S.-based prospective cohort study. SETTING Paper-and-pencil questionnaires and protected online surveys. PATIENT(S) A cohort of 74 offspring conceived by lesbian parents using an anonymous (n = 26), a known (n = 26), or an open-identity (n = 22) sperm donor. Data were reported when offspring were ages 10 (wave 4), 17 (wave 5), and 25 (wave 6). INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist administered to lesbian parents when offspring were ages 10 and 17 and the Achenbach Adult Self-Report administered to offspring at age 25. RESULT(S) In both relative and absolute stability, no differences were found in internalizing, externalizing, and total problem behaviors by donor type over 15 years. However, both externalizing and total problem behaviors significantly declined from age 10 to 17 and then increased from age 17 to 25. Irrespective of donor type, among the 74 offspring, the large majority scored continuously within the normal range on internalizing (n = 62, 83.8%), externalizing (n = 62, 83.8%), and total problem behaviors (n = 60, 81.1%). CONCLUSION(S) The results reassure prospective lesbian parents and provide policy makers and reproductive medicine practitioners with empirical evidence that psychological adjustment in offspring raised by lesbian parents is unrelated to donor type in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Carone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Lab on Attachment and Parenting - LAG, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Nanette K Gartrell
- Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- Department of Women's Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Audrey S Koh
- School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Henny M W Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Carone N, Rothblum ED, Bos HMW, Gartrell NK, Herman JL. Demographics and health outcomes in a U.S. probability sample of transgender parents. J Fam Psychol 2021; 35:57-68. [PMID: 33001675 PMCID: PMC8329606 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Nonrepresentative estimates indicate that 25%-50% of transgender people are parents. Yet very little is known about their demographic characteristics and health outcomes. The present study compared the quality of life and several mental health (i.e., psychological distress, life satisfaction, happiness, social well-being) and health (i.e., physical health, alcohol and drug use) dimensions by gender identity and parenthood status in a probability sample of 1,436 transgender and cisgender respondents to the U.S. Transgender Population Health Survey (TransPop study). An estimated 18.8% of transgender respondents were parents, with the majority (52.5%) being transgender women. After controlling for age, education, and relationship status, there were no significant differences between trans- and cisgender parents and their nonparent counterparts on any mental health or health dimensions. These findings are important to family practitioners and policymakers so that they do not mistakenly assume that any problems transgender parents may report reveal their unsuitability to parent. Rather, because differences in health outcomes were seen only across gender identities, such problems are more likely related to stigma and discrimination experiences in a cisgenderist/heterosexist society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Carone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Lab on Attachment and Parenting – LAG, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Esther D. Rothblum
- Department of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Henny M. W. Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nanette K. Gartrell
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jody L. Herman
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Bos H, Carone N, Rothblum ED, Koh A, Gartrell N. Long-Term Effects of Homophobic Stigmatization During Adolescence on Problem Behavior in Emerging Adult Offspring of Lesbian Parents. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 50:1114-1125. [PMID: 33420885 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-020-01364-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The long-term impact of homophobic stigmatization on adolescents with lesbian parents has not been explored. This longitudinal study investigated the effects of homophobia experienced during adolescence on problem behavior among emerging adult offspring of lesbian parents. The 72 offspring (37 females and 35 males; all cisgender and 25 years old) were predominantly White, heterosexual, and highly educated. As 17-year-old adolescents, 40.3% (n = 29) reported that they had been treated unfairly because of having lesbian parents. Experienced homophobia during adolescence was indirectly associated with internalizing problems during emerging adulthood through psychological problems during adolescence and meaning in life in emerging adulthood. Adolescent experiences of homophobia were also indirectly related to externalizing problems during emerging adulthood through adolescent psychological problems, but not through meaning in life in emerging adulthood. These findings indicate that long-term effects of homophobic stigmatization during adolescence persist into adulthood. School and community interventions should include all types of families in their diversity appreciation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henny Bos
- Sexual and Gender Diversity in Families and Youth, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Nicola Carone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Lab on Attachment and Parenting-LAG University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- Women's Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Audrey Koh
- School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nanette Gartrell
- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Goldberg SK, Rothblum ED, Russell ST, Meyer IH. Exploring the Q in LGBTQ: Demographic characteristic and sexuality of Queer people in a U.S. representative sample of sexual minorities. Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers 2020; 7:101-112. [PMID: 34017899 DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although queer identity has been used among sexual minorities for decades, little is known about the population of queer-identified people in the U.S. We compared people who identify as queer (unweighted n = 88; weighted % = 5.8%) with those who identify as lesbian/gay (n = 833; 46.9%), bisexual (n = 493; 40.6%) or other sexual minority identities (n = 93; 6.7%), in order to describe queer-identified people as a distinct sexual minority group. The study is the first to estimate demographic characteristics and sexuality of queer-identified people using a U.S. nationally representative sample. We found that queer people are overwhelmingly cisgender women and genderqueer/ nonbinary (GQNB), younger, and more highly educated than other groups. After stratifying by gender identity (cisgender women; cisgender men; GQNB), survey-weighted descriptive differences in attraction, sexual partnering, and relationship patterns show that queer individuals are more likely to report attraction to, and sexual relationships with, transgender and GQNB people, though differences by respondent gender identity were noted: The majority of queer women are attracted to and partnered with both women and men, and were more likely than other groups to be attracted to and partnered with cisgender and transgender people. In contrast, queer men are split in their attractions-about half were attracted exclusively to men, and half to men and women-but the majority partnered with men only. Of all groups, queer men are the most likely to partner with transgender men, but none had partnered with transgender women. GQNB people are more likely than cisgender people to identify as queer (25.9%) and are attracted to both cisgender and transgender women and men, yet predominantly partnered with cisgender people. The results provide support for queer as a distinct sexual identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshana K Goldberg
- Dept. of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina
| | | | - Stephen T Russell
- Chair, Dept. of Human Development and Family Science, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Ilan H Meyer
- The Williams Institute, University of California Los Angeles School of Law
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12
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Rothblum ED, Krueger EA, Kittle KR, Meyer IH. Asexual and Non-Asexual Respondents from a U.S. Population-Based Study of Sexual Minorities. Arch Sex Behav 2020; 49:757-767. [PMID: 31214906 PMCID: PMC7059692 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-01485-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Using a U.S. population-based sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) and other sexual minority (e.g., queer-identified) people, we compared those who identified as asexual (n = 19; 1.66%) and those who were non-asexual (n = 1504; 98.34%). Compared to non-asexual respondents, asexual respondents were more likely to be women or gender non-binary and belong to a younger (ages 18-27) cohort. Asexual individuals were also less likely to have had sex in the past 5 years, compared to non-asexual men, women, and gender non-binary participants, and also reported lower levels of sexual attraction to cisgender men and women than non-asexual women and men, respectively. However, asexual participants did not differ from non-asexual participants in being in an intimate relationship. Asexual respondents felt more stigma than non-asexual men and women, and asexuals reported more everyday discrimination than did non-asexual men. Asexual and non-asexual respondents did not differ in their sense of connectedness to the LGB community. Asexual and non-asexual respondents were as likely to be out to all family, all friends, and all co-workers, but fewer asexual participants were out to all healthcare providers than non-asexual men. The two groups were similar in general well-being, life satisfaction, and social support. In conclusion, asexual identity is an infrequent but unique identity, and one that has the potential to expand the concept of queer identity as well as to destabilize the foregrounding of sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther D Rothblum
- Women's Studies Department, San Diego State University, MC 6030, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
| | - Evan A Krueger
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Krystal R Kittle
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ilan H Meyer
- The Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Gartrell N, Rothblum ED, Koh AS, van Beusekom G, Bos H. "We Were Among the First Non-traditional Families": Thematic Perceptions of Lesbian Parenting After 25 Years. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2414. [PMID: 31708847 PMCID: PMC6824413 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the sixth wave of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), when their offspring were 25 years old, the parents were asked to reflect on their most challenging and best experiences raising children in non-traditional families. The responses of 131 parents were interpreted through thematic analysis. The most challenging parenting experiences fell into five major categories: (1) distress about their children's experiences of exclusion, heterosexism, or homophobic stigmatization; (2) family of origin non-acceptance of their lesbian-parent family; (3) the never-ending process of "educating the world about queer parents"; (4) homophobia or hostility toward their non-traditional family; and (5) lack of legal protections for sexual minority parent (SMP) families. Their best parenting experiences included: (1) being role models, leading to a greater acceptance of LGBTQ people; (2) treasuring the LGBTQ parent and family community; (3) teaching their children to appreciate diversity of all types; and (4) witnessing their child's pride in their non-traditional family. Some of these challenges were anticipated by the parents more than a quarter century ago at the time that they were inseminating or pregnant with the index offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanette Gartrell
- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Women's Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Audrey S Koh
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Henny Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Rothblum ED, Cole E. Two Editors Reflect on Women and Therapy in the 1980s and 1990s. Women & Therapy 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/02703149.2019.1664073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Green RJ, Rubio RJ, Rothblum ED, Bergman K, Katuzny KE. Gay fathers by surrogacy: Prejudice, parenting, and well-being of female and male children. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity 2019. [DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Rothblum ED, Balsam KF, Riggle EDB, Rostosky SS, Wickham RE. Studying the Longest 'Legal' U.S. Same-Sex Couples: A Case of Lessons Learned. J GLBT Fam Stud 2019; 16:259-276. [PMID: 32863795 PMCID: PMC7451017 DOI: 10.1080/1550428x.2019.1626787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We review methodological opportunities and lessons learned in conducting a longitudinal, prospective study of same-sex couples with civil unions, recruited from a population-based sample, who were compared with same-sex couples in their friendship circle who did not have civil unions, and heterosexual married siblings and their spouse. At Time 1 (2002), Vermont was the only U.S. state to provide legal recognition similar to marriage to same-sex couples; couples came from other U.S. states and other countries to obtain a civil union. At Time 2 (2005), only one U.S. state had legalized same-sex marriage, and at Time 3 (2013) about half of U.S. states had legalized same-sex marriage, some within weeks of the onset of the Time 3 study. Opportunities included sampling legalized same-sex relationships from a population; the use of heterosexual married couples and same-sex couples not in legalized relationships as comparison samples from within the same social network; comparisons between sexual minority and heterosexual women and men with and without children; improvements in statistical methods for non-independence of data and missing data; and the use of mixed methodologies. Lessons learned included obtaining funding, locating participants over time as technologies changed, and on-going shifts in marriage laws during the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther D Rothblum
- San Diego State University and the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law
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Rothblum ED, Heimann K, Carpenter K. The lives of asexual individuals outside of sexual and romantic relationships: education, occupation, religion and community. Psychology & Sexuality 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2018.1552186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyra Heimann
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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Haynes HT, Schwartz CE, Rothblum ED. Book Review: Finding feminism: Millennial activists and the unfinished gender revolution. Psychology of Women Quarterly 2018. [DOI: 10.1177/0361684317751339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Balsam KF, Rothblum ED, Wickham RE. Longitudinal predictors of relationship dissolution among same-sex and heterosexual couples. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1037/cfp0000091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Enderle KA, Haynes HT, Rothblum ED. Mark Tedeschi, Eugenia: a true story of adversity, tragedy, crime and courage. Psychology & Sexuality 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2017.1323777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Enderle
- Department of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hartlyn T. Haynes
- Department of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Esther D. Rothblum
- Department of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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Factor RJ, Rothblum ED. A Comparison of Trans Women, Trans Men, Genderqueer Individuals, and Cisgender Brothers and Sisters on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory: Ratings by Self and Siblings. J Homosex 2016; 64:1872-1889. [PMID: 27983897 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2016.1273717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A U.S. national sample of 295 transgender adults (trans women, trans men, and genderqueer individuals) and their cisgender siblings completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory about their siblings as well as themselves, which enabled a comparison between self-perceptions and sibling's perceptions of personality characteristics. Self-reported personality characteristics scored as feminine of trans women were not statistically different from those of their cisgender sisters, but they were significantly higher than self-reported femininity scores of trans men, genderqueer individuals, and cisgender brothers. Self-reported personality characteristics scored as masculine of trans men did not differ significantly from those of their cisgender brothers, but they were higher than those of trans women. Trans men and cisgender brothers were viewed by their siblings in a more sex-typed way than they rated themselves, whereas trans women and cisgender sisters were rated by their siblings in a less sex-typed way than they viewed themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda J Factor
- a Counseling Services , The New School , New York City , New York , USA
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- b Women's Studies Department , San Diego State University , San Diego , California , USA
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Todosijevic J, Rothblum ED, Solomon SE. Relationship Satisfaction, Affectivity, and Gay-Specific Stressors in Same-Sex Couples Joined in Civil Unions. Psychology of Women Quarterly 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.2005.00178.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Relationship satisfaction, affect, and stress were examined in 313 same-sex couples who had had civil unions in Vermont during the first year of this legislation. Similarity between partners on age and on positive/negative affectivity was related to relationship satisfaction whereas there was no association with similarity in income, education, and outness. Lesbian couples ( n = 199), compared to gay male couples, reported experiencing more stress related to family reaction to their sexuality, whereas gay male couples ( n = 114) reported more stress surrounding the issues of HIV/AIDS and violence/harassment than did lesbian couples. This study is the first to examine within-couple factors among same-sex couples with legalized relationships.
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Wickham RE, Beard CL, Riggle EDB, Rothblum ED, Rostosky S, Balsam KF. Accuracy and Bias in Perceptions of Conflict Style Among Same-Sex and Heterosexual Couples. J Res Pers 2016; 65:109-119. [PMID: 31231144 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Intimates form stable impressions of their romantic partner's conflict style, which may influence interactions during conflicts and shape expectancies regarding future disagreements. Despite a large body of work comparing relationship outcomes among heterosexual and same-sex couples, research has yet to examine how the validity of these perceptions vary as a function of gender and sexual orientation. The present study examines perceptual accuracy and bias in perceptions of conflict style among same-sex female (Ndyads=215), same-sex male (Ndyads=113), and heterosexual (Ndyads=93) couples. Although members of same-sex and heterosexual couples exhibited some similarity in accuracy and bias in perceptions, a number of compelling differences suggest that the gender and the sexual orientation of a couple shape perceptions of partner conflict style.
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Rostosky SS, Riggle EDB, Rothblum ED, Balsam KF. Same-Sex Couples' Decisions and Experiences of Marriage in the Context of Minority Stress: Interviews From a Population-Based Longitudinal Study. J Homosex 2016; 63:1019-1040. [PMID: 27191207 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2016.1191232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In the emerging context of marriage equality, it is important to explore the reasons for and experience of marriage for long-term same-sex couples, including the role of minority stress. In Wave 3 of the population-based, longitudinal CUPPLES Study we interviewed 21 long-term same-sex couples (14 female, 7 male) who resided in 12 different states and who were legally married. Couple members ranged in age from 37 to 84 and reported being together as a couple from 15 to 41 years. Seven couples lived in states that did not recognize their marriage at the time of the interview. Legal protection and social validation emerged as the two primary domains that captured couples' lived experiences of marriage. Minority stress experiences emerged in the narratives in the context of couples' long-term commitment, the availability of civil marriage, and couples' participation in activist efforts on behalf of marriage equality for themselves and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon S Rostosky
- a Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA
| | - Ellen D B Riggle
- b Department of Political Science and Department of Gender and Women's Studies , University of Kentucky , Lexington , Kentucky , USA
| | - Esther D Rothblum
- c Women's Studies Department , San Diego State University and Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law , San Diego , California , USA
| | - Kimberly F Balsam
- d Pacific Graduate School of Psychology , Palo Alto University , Palo Alto , California , USA
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Rothblum ED, Balsam KF, Mickey RM. Brothers and Sisters of Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals as a Demographic Comparison Group. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0021886304266877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study provides an innovative methodology to study social issues across sexual orientations. Lesbians, gay men, and bisexualwomen and men (LGB) were recruited via LGB periodicals and organizations, and they in turn recruited their siblings. Results of female participants indicate that lesbians are more highly educated, have occupations with greater status, are less religious, and are more geographically mobile than are heterosexual women. Heterosexual women are more similar to census data in terms of marriage, children, religion, and homemaker status. Gay men have moved to large cities and are more highly educated than are heterosexual men. In general, bisexual women are more comparable demographically to lesbians, whereas bisexual men are more similar to heterosexual men. Limiting the sample to paired comparisons between lesbian-heterosexual sisters and gay-heterosexual brothers generally yielded similar means on demographic variables.
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Cogan JC, Bhalla SK, Sefa-Dedeh A, Rothblum ED. A Comparison Study of United States and African Students on Perceptions of Obesity and Thinness. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0022022196271007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
There is a negative correlation between body weight and income in the United States, and epidemic numbers of people diet to become thin. In developing nations, on the other hand, there is a positive correlation between weight and income, and fatness is associated with wealth and abundance. Although these differing cross-cultural trends have been documented by anthropologists, there has been minimal cross-cultural research on attitudes toward obesity and thinness and corresponding dieting behaviors in the psychological literature. A sample of 349 students at a university in Ghana and 219 students at a U.S. university completed questionnaires about their weight, frequency of dieting and restrained eating, the degree to which their weight has interfered with social activities, their perceptions of ideal bodies, disordered eating, and stereotypes of thin and heavy people. Students in Ghana more often rated larger body sizes as ideal for both males and females and also assumed that these larger sizes were held as ideals in society, than did U.S. students. U.S. students (regardless of weight) were more likely to have dieted than were Ghanaian students, with U.S. females being most likely to diet. Additionally, U.S. females scored significantly higher on restraint, eating-disordered behavior, and experiencing weight as social interference. Findings illustrate that perceptions of ideal body size and corresponding behaviors are influenced by culture and gender.
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Abstract
In this study, 409 undergraduate women completed surveys about their own body image, feminism and sexual orientation as well as their attitudes about others, that is, attitudes about weight in others, attitudes about feminism and attitudes about lesbians and gay men. There was a significant relationship between the three external measures of fat attitudes, attitudes towards feminism and attitudes towards lesbians and gay men, and it is argued that each of these three variables reflects some degree of political liberalism. We also found that the relationship between own identity and attitudes towards others was significant for feminism and sexual orientation, but non-significant for own body image and attitudes about fatness in others. Thus, the results of this study imply that fat people as a group have still not formed the kind of political or social cohesiveness that has been so advantageous to other oppressed groups, such as women or gay men and lesbians.
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Rothblum ED. VI We May Be Your Worst Nightmare, but We Are also Your Future: The Role of a Psychology of Lesbianism Section in the British Psychological Society. Feminism & Psychology 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/095935359222018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Esther D. Rothblum
- Department of Psychology, John Dewey Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther D. Rothblum
- Department of Psychology, John Dewey Hall, University of Vermont,
Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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Abstract
This article reviews the literature on weight and social stigma. It argues that obese women are both held accountable for their weight and rejected on account of their weight. Secondly, it presents evidence that obese women become downwardly socially mobile because of their weight. Finally, it points to some directions that are necessary for western society to cease its obsession with body weight and consequently improve the life satisfaction and mental health of millions of women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther D. Rothblum
- Department of Psychology, The University of Vermont, John Dewey Hall, Burlington, Vermont 05405-0134, USA
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Abstract
The hypothesis that obese women compensate for the prejudice of others was tested by having obese and nonobese women converse by telephone with someone who they believed, correctly or incorrectly, could or could not see them. Partners rated obese women's social skills negatively when the women were visible (thus activating the partners' prejudice) but thought they were not. Obese women rated themselves as more likable and socially skilled than nonobese women did when the women thought they were visible to female partners. Judges' ratings of the women's contribution to the conversation indicated that there were no obvious differences in the impressions created by their verbal or nonverbal behaviors. Results support the hypothesis that obese women who were aware of the need to compensate for their partners' reactions to their appearance were able to do so.
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Hullings B, de la Rosa V, Rothblum ED. Making Sense of Intersex: Changing ethical perspectives in biomedicine, by Ellen K. Feder, Bloomington, Indiana, Indiana University Press, 2014, 278 pp., £18.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-253-01228-9. Psychology & Sexuality 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2016.1173087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Rojas-Salas M, Vargas D, Rothblum ED. Gender and sexuality in Muslim cultures, edited by Gul Ozyegin, Surrey, UK, Ashgate Publishing Company, 2015, 392 pp., £75 (hardcover), ISBN 978-1472414526. Psychology & Sexuality 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2016.1173088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Gibson LE, Rothblum ED. Book Reviews: Combatting Homoignorance in Therapists. Psychology of Women Quarterly 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/036168439702100302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Gibson
- working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Vermont. Her current research focuses on coping with sexual violence and trauma
| | - Esther D. Rothblum
- is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Vermont and editor of the Journal of Lesbian Studies
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Abstract
Most research on lesbians has used self-report questionnaires, and assumed that respondents who complete a “lesbian” questionnaire self-identify as lesbians and engage in sexual relationships with women. The present study examined the degree to which 2,393 women who answered a “Lesbian Wellness Survey” are distributed on five aspects of lesbian sexuality and the coming-out process. The five aspects were: (a) Sexual Orientation (numerical rating of sexual identity from exclusively lesbian/gay to exclusively heterosexual); (b) Years Out (length of time of self-identity as lesbian/gay/bisexual); (c) Outness/Disclosure (amount of disclosure of sexual orientation to others); (d) Sexual Experience (proportion of sexual relationships with women); and (e) Lesbian Activities (extent of participation in lesbian community events). Mild but significant correlations were found among these dimensions, indicating that being lesbian is not a homogeneous experience. Closer examination by the demographic characteristics of race/ethnicity and age revealed a diversity of experience. African American, Native American, and Latina respondents had moderate correlations among these aspects of lesbian experience, whereas White and Asian American respondents evidenced only mild or nonsignificant correlations. The results indicate that researchers who are studying one aspect of the lesbian experience (e.g., outness to others) need to ensure that they are not assuming such behavior based on other dimensions (such as frequent participation in lesbian community activities or years of being out), especially among White and Asian American lesbians.
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Abstract
Women are objectified and sexualized by the media and the economy, so that they live in a culture of sex. Lesbians are excluded from the mainstream sexual and appearance norms for women, yet are affected by these norms, including the association of sex and violence against women. The word sexuality has been used to connote both sexual orientation and sexual activity, and it is argued that this dual meaning illustrates the dominance of patriarchal definitions of women's sexuality. This article discusses methodologic issues in understanding who is a lesbian and presents various models or dimensions for understanding who is included in research about lesbians. It asks the question “What is sex?” and reviews the implications of this question for lesbian sexual activity. This question has implications for a collorary question: “What is a lesbian relationship?”, and the article discusses the implications of this question on various forms of sexual and nonsexual relationships among lesbians.
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Abstract
Previous research has found that people with an internal weight locus of control (beliefs in self-control over weight) are more likely to join and stay in weight-loss programs and have higher self-esteem than those who have an external locus of control (e.g., belief that weight is due to luck, genes). There has been no research on how weight locus of control affects the self-esteem of people who are not average weight or not satisfied with their weight. The present study predicted that for people who are overweight, weight locus of control would be negatively related to self-esteem. The results confirmed this interaction between weight locus of control and weight on self-esteem for women, but not for men. The second prediction was that internal weight locus of control would have negative social consequences in terms of greater negative stereotyping of obese people, and this was also confirmed for women. Because weight loss is rarely permanent, it would seem important to change people's attitudes about the lack of control that they (and others) have over body weight.
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Abstract
The U.S. Supreme Court decisions in U.S. v. Windsor (570 U.S. 307) and Hollingsworth v. Perry (570 U.S. 399) created a focal point for public discussion of marriage equality for same-sex couples. This article reports the results of an exploratory study of the reactions of individuals currently or previously in same-sex couple relationships and a heterosexual sibling who is currently or previously married (N = 371) to the Supreme Court decisions. Thematic content analysis was used to explore participants' responses to an open-ended question on a survey. Reactions of individuals from same-sex couples revealed the following themes: (1) longitudinal perspectives on the advancement of rights for same-sex couples; (2) emotional responses celebrating the decisions or expressing relief; (3) affirmation of their relationship or rights; (4) practical consequences of the extension of rights; and (5) minority stress related to anticipation of future prejudice or discrimination. Themes in the heterosexual siblings' responses were (1) ally support; (2) flat support without emotion or elaboration; (3) indifference to or ignorance about the decisions; and (4) disapproval of the decisions. These themes are compared and discussed in light of prior research on reactions to marriage restriction debates and marriage (in)equality and family relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer B Clark
- a CUPPLES Project, Palo Alto University , Palo Alto , California , USA
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Rothblum ED. Commentary: Lesbians should take the lead in removing the stigma that has long been associated with body weight. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity 2014. [DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Editorial Note: This essay on teaching lesbian studies is the first submission in a new feature in the Journal of Homosexuality, aimed at providing guidance to students and faculty who wish to teach courses in LGBT studies or to learn about basic concepts in the field such as minority stress, coming out models, heterosexism, etc. Esther D. Rothblum starts us out on this mission with her experiences teaching a course in lesbian studies. We encourage commentary on this piece and submissions about other experiences in teaching or introductions to basic concepts in sexuality and gender studies. This article describes teaching an upper-level undergraduate course on lesbian studies. It focuses on the types of students likely to enroll in this course, key aspects of gender identity and sexual orientation to be included, national and international issues to be discussed, and potential readings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther D Rothblum
- Women's Studies Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA.
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Rothblum ED. Foreword to the special issue: fifteen years of lesbian scholarship: advances in methods and topics. J Lesbian Stud 2012; 16:1-3. [PMID: 22239447 DOI: 10.1080/10894160.2011.565703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
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Nare J, Burke K, Hastings L, Rothblum ED. A Review of “Transgender Voices: Beyond Women and Men”. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/19359701003606027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Egan V, Stephenson J, Chukhray I, Franco NR, Rothblum ED, Hekma G. Book Reviews. Psychology & Sexuality 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/19419891003634653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Arrington CL, Stephenson J, Rothblum ED. Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love and Desire. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/19359700902897075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Factor RJ, Rothblum ED. A Study of Transgender Adults and Their Non-Transgender Siblings on Demographic Characteristics, Social Support, and Experiences of Violence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 3:11-30. [DOI: 10.1080/15574090802092879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Balsam KF, Beauchaine TP, Rothblum ED, Solomon SE. Three-year follow-up of same-sex couples who had civil unions in Vermont, same-sex couples not in civil unions, and heterosexual married couples. Dev Psychol 2008; 44:102-16. [DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.44.1.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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