Chasing the rainbow: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and pride semiotics
Abstract While the pride rainbow has been part of political and social intervention for decades, few have researched how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer young people perceive and use the symbol. How do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth who experience greater feelings of isolation and discrimination than heterosexual youth recognise and deploy […]
Being Safe, Being Me: Results of the Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey
A national study by SARAVYC showed that while Canada’s transgender youth face significant physical and mental health issues, strong family, school and community connections help many of them navigate these challenges. The study, funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research and completed in collaboration with universities and health researchers across Canada, was the first […]
School-based strategies to reduce suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and discrimination among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents in Western Canada
Abstract This study explored the relationships between the existence of and length of time since implementation of school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and explicit anti-homophobic bullying policies in secondary schools across British Columbia, Canada, with experiences of anti-gay discrimination, suicidal ideation and attempts among lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), mostly heterosexual, and exclusively heterosexual students. Analyses of […]
Sexual-orientation disparities in school: The mediational role of indicators of victimization in achievement and truancy because of feeling unsafe
Abstract Objectives: We examined sexual-orientation identity disparities in truancy and academic achievement, and the mediational role of victimization in a large high-school sample. Methods: We utilized pooled data, measuring sexual identity, from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System Surveys. Multilevel logistic regression modeling estimated the odds of low grades and truancy because of feeling […]
The success of gay–straight alliances in Waterloo Region, Ontario: A confluence of political and social factors
Abstract This article outlines how gay–straight alliances (GSAs) work to connect youth with community resources, and outlines the political and social context of GSAs in Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Fifteen individuals (youth, teachers, and a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] youth service provider) participated in interviews about the role of GSAs in creating […]
Buried above ground: A university-based study of prevalence and risk/protective factors for suicidality among sexual minority youth
Abstract This study examined differences in suicidal behavior between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) and non-LGBTQ university students as well as investigated the importance of risk and protective factors in the prediction of suicidality between these two groups. A total of 1,205 university students participated in the survey. Findings show, compared to non-LGBTQ […]
Our right to choose: Religious conservatives versus LGBTQ-inclusive schools
The “gay agenda” is a rhetorical strategy deployed by the religious right and other social conservatives to magnify fear and hostility of queers. Queers are accused, among other things, of strategizing to recruit children into sexually deviant lifestyles; dismantling family and marriage as cornerstones of civilization; and forcing the entertainment industry and court systems to […]
Population-level evaluation of school-based interventions to prevent problem substance use among gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents in Canada
Abstract Objective: This study examined whether students’ odds of recent substance use were lower in the presence of gay-straight alliances or explicit anti-homophobia policy that had been established at their school recently, or at least 3 years prior. Methods: We analyzed a population-based sample of students in grades 8 through 12 from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey of 2008 (weighted N = 21,708). We […]
Enacted Stigma, Problem Substance Use, and Protective Factors among Asian Sexual Minority Youth in British Columbia
Abstract This study examined enacted stigma and problem substance use among Asian sexual minority youth and the buffering role of protective factors. Logistic regression analyses of a weighted sample of 5,423 Asian youth who completed the 2003 BC Adolescent Health Survey indicated that sexual minority youth were more likely to be victimized compared to heterosexual […]
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Reducing homophobia in high school: The effects of “The Laramie Project” play and an integrated curriculum [abstract]
Purpose: Homophobic attitudes and resulting bullying have been linked to school and health problems for sexual minority youth, including suicide. While school-based policy and curricular interventions to reduce homophobia have been suggested, only correlational evidence has been published to date. This quasi-experimental longitudinal study examined the effects on homophobic attitudes in an urban high […]
