Sexual and gender minorities

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Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) [1] [a] comprise individuals whose sexual identity, sexual orientation, sexual behavior, or gender identity differ from the majority of the surrounding society. Sexual minorities include lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, and other non-heterosexual people, [3] [4] Gender minorities include transgender people, [5] non-binary (including third gender [6] ), and intersex individuals. Gender, sexual and romantic minorities (GSRM) includes individuals of a minority romantic orientation such as aromanticism. [7] [8]

Contents

The rainbow flag is the symbol for gender and sexual minorities. Gay Pride Flag.svg
The rainbow flag is the symbol for gender and sexual minorities.

Sexual and gender minorities includes LGBTQ people as well as those who do not identify as LGBTQ . In 2015, the United States National Institutes of Health described SGM as an "umbrella term that encompasses populations included in the acronym "LGBTI" (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex), and those whose sexual orientation or gender identity varies. It includes those who may not self-identify as LGBTI (e.g., queer, questioning, two-spirit, asexual, men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women, gender variant), or those who have a specific medical condition affecting reproductive development (e.g., individuals with differences or disorders of sex development, who sometimes identify as intersex)." [9]

Numerous professional [10] [11] and academic [12] [13] institutions use sexual and gender minorities or similar terminology. In 2015, the US National Institutes of Health announced the formation of the Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office. [14] [ needs update ]

Origins

The term sexual minority most likely was coined in the late 1960s under the influence of Lars Ullerstam's book The Erotic Minorities: A Swedish View, which is strongly in favor of tolerance and empathy to paraphilias such as pedophilia and uncommon sexualities in which people were labeled "sex criminals". [15] The term was used as analogous to ethnic minority. [16] [17]

Scientist Ritch Savin-Williams supports using the term in order to accurately describe adolescent youths who may not identify as any common culturally defined sexual identity label but have attractions towards those of the same anatomical sex as themselves. [18]

Terminology and usage

In New Zealand, New Zealand Human Rights Commission uses the Edison "rights of sexual and gender minorities" to discuss LGBT rights. [19]

In India, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court of India, when decriminalizing homosexuality in the case of Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India(2018) , said: [20]

Individuals belonging to sexual and gender minorities experience discrimination, stigmatization, and, in some cases, denial of care on account of their sexual orientation and gender identity. However, it is important to note that 'sexual and gender minorities' do not constitute a homogenous group, and experiences of social exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination, as well as specific health needs, vary considerably. Nevertheless, these individuals are united by one factor - that their exclusion, discrimination and marginalization is rooted in societal heteronormativity and society's pervasive bias towards gender binary and opposite-gender relationships, which marginalizes and excludes all non-heteronormative sexual and gender identities. [20]

In the US, the term "sexual and gender minority" has been adopted by the National Institutes of Health, [21] the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [22] and the UCLA Williams Institute, which studies SGM law and policy. [23] Duke University and the University of California San Francisco both have prominent sexual and gender minority health programs. [24] [25] An NIH paper recommends the term SGM because it is inclusive of "those who may not self-identify as LGBT ... or those who have a specific medical condition affecting reproductive development". [26] A publication from the White House Office of Management and Budget states, "We believe that SGM is more inclusive, because it includes persons not specifically referenced by the identities listed in LGBT." [27]

A UK government paper favors SGM because initials like LGBTIQ+ stand for terms that, especially outside the Global North, are "not necessarily inclusive of local understandings and terms used to describe sexual and gender minorities". [28] An example of usage outside the Global North is the Constitution of Nepal, which identifies "gender and sexual minorities" as a protected class. [29]

Some people advocate the related term "minority sexual and gender identities" (MSGI), coined in 2000 for the purpose of explicitly including all people who are not cisgender and heterosexual or "gender, sexual, and romantic minorities" (GSRM), which is more explicitly inclusive of minority romantic orientations, but those have not been widely adopted either. [30] [31] [32] [33]

Associated health and social issues

Stress

Social issues may lead to possible health and psychological issues, especially in youth.[ citation needed ] Sexual minorities face increased stress due to stigma. Stigma-related stress creates elevated coping regulation and social and cognitive processes leading to risk for psychopathology. [34] Examples of stigma-related stress that sexual minorities encounter throughout their lives are homophobia, rejection, and discrimination which may lead them to conceal their identities. Research has shown that about 80% of these people reported harassment. [35] These experiences[ which? ] increase the chance of developing major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, including an increased chance of drugs and alcohol abuse.[ citation needed ]

Risky behavior

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published its 2015 study of large cohorts of ninth to twelfth grade students across the US 100 health behaviors were shown to put LGB students at risk for health consequences. Sexual minority students engage in more risky behaviors when compared with nonsexual minority students. Some students "had no sexual contact [and] were excluded from analyses on sexual behaviors [including] female students who had sexual contact with only females [and] were excluded from analyses on condom use and birth control use..." Also excluded were "male students who had sexual contact with only males [and] were excluded from analyses on birth control use." [4]

Development

Based on studies of adolescents, it is concluded that sexual minorities are similar to heterosexual adolescents in developmental needs and concerns. However, research has suggested that sexual minority youth (more specifically LGBT youth) are more susceptible to psychological and health issues than heterosexual youth. [36]

Epidemiology

Sexual minorities tend to use alternative and complementary medicine as alternative methods of addressing their health needs more often than heterosexuals. [37] Sexual minority women have a higher incidence of asthma, obesity, arthritis and cardiovascular disease than other groups. [38]

Adolescent sexual minorities report a higher incidence of the following when compared to heterosexual students:

When compared to the general population, sexual minorities have a higher risk for self-injury. [39] The treatment of aging sexual minorities seems to be influenced more by ageism. Support for aging sexual minorities appears to be common. [40]

Discrimination

When gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults reported being discriminated against, 42 percent credited it to their sexual orientation. This discrimination was positively associated with both harmful effects on quality of life and indicators of psychiatric morbidity. [41] Furthermore, those who were bisexuals and homosexuals compared to heterosexuals, tended to report to have one of the five psychiatric disorders examined. [41] It was evident that the discrimination these homosexual individuals experienced had a negative impact leading to psychological changes.[ citation needed ]

In the media

Sexual minorities are generally portrayed in the mass media as being ignored, trivialized, or condemned. The term symbolic annihilation accounts for their lack of characterization due to not fitting into the white, heterosexual, vanilla type lifestyle. It has been suggested that online media has developed into a space in which sexual minorities may use "social artillery". This description centers on how social networking and connections to oppose instances of homophobia. [42] Still, some individuals have made their way into the media through television and music. Television shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Modern Family star individuals who are open about their non-heterosexual lifestyles. In music, people like Sam Smith and Sia have created songs that express their emotions and sexuality with a number of followers. While sexual minorities do have a place in the media, it is often critiqued that they are still limited in their representations. In shows, if a character is gay, they are often a shallow character that is only present for comic relief or as a plot twist. Compared to a heteronormative counterpart, the sexual minority is often a mere side-kick. However, since the integration of actors, musicians, and characters of sexual minorities, the idea of non-normativity has become more normalized in society. [43]

Cultural issues

Current and past research[ clarification needed ] has been "skewed toward SM [sexual minority] men—and is disproportionately focused on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections." From 1989 to 2011, numerous grants for research were sponsored and funded by the US National Institutes of Health but funded research for sexual minorities and health made up 0.1% of all funded studies.[ contradictory ] Most research has been directed toward gay and bisexual men. Women sexual minority studies accounted for 13.5%. [44]

Sexual minorities in South Africa have sexual-orientation-related health inequities when compared to other countries. One of the higher incidents of sexual violence directed toward women of a sexual minority occurs in South Africa. Women of color who are living in low-income, urban areas notably are targeted. The perpetrators of sexual violence believe that they are "correcting the women" and that their actions will cure them of their homosexuality. [44]

Usage

In addition to LGBT, some referred to as "sexual minorities" include fetishists and practitioners in of BDSM (bondage, dominance, and submission), and sadism and masochism. [18] The term may also include asexual, [45] [46] fictosexual [47] and people whose choice of partner or partners is atypical, such as swingers, [48] polyamorists [49] or people in other non-monogamous relationships, and those who have partners significantly older or younger than themselves. [50]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. ↑ In Sinosphere, denote "sexual and gender minorities" as follows: 少數[者] means "minority" and the 性[別] includes both "sexual" and "gender." It is sometimes paraphrased as "LGBTQ". [2]

References

  1. ↑ Galloway, Tammy (March 17, 2023). "Gender & Sexual Minorities (GSM): Definition and Stigmas". Study.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  2. ↑ Wei Lu; Shujian Huang; Yu Hong, eds. (September 24, 2022). Natural Language Processing and Chinese Computing: 11th CCF International Conference, NLPCC 2022, Guilin, China, September 24–25, 2022, Proceedings, Part II · Part 2. Springer Nature Switzerland. p. 346.
  3. ↑ Sullivan, Michael K. (2003). Sexual Minorities: Discrimination, Challenges, and Development in America (illustrated ed.). Haworth Social Work Practice Press. ISBN   9780789002358. OL   8151801M. SUMMARY. This chapter explores the cultural, religious, and sociological underpinnings of homophobia and intolerance toward homosexuals.
  4. 1 2 3 Kann, Laura; O'Malley Olsen, Emily; McManus, Tim; Harris, William A.; et al. (August 11, 2016). "Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Related Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9–12 — United States and Selected Sites, 2015; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Definition of Terms - "Sexual Minority"". Gender Equity Resource Center. Archived from the original on 29 July 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Sharma, Gopal (7 January 2015). "Nepal to issue passports with third gender for sexual minorities". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Choudhuri, Devika Dibya; Curley, Kate (2019-09-20), "Multiplicity of LGBTQ+ Identities, Intersections, and Complexities" , Rethinking LGBTQIA Students and Collegiate Contexts, Routledge, pp. 3–16, doi:10.4324/9780429447297-1, ISBN   978-0-429-44729-7, S2CID   210355997, archived from the original on 2023-03-23, retrieved 2021-06-09
  8. ↑ Lapointe, Alicia (2016), Rodriguez, Nelson M.; Martino, Wayne J.; Ingrey, Jennifer C.; Brockenbrough, Edward (eds.), "Postgay" , Critical Concepts in Queer Studies and Education: An International Guide for the Twenty-First Century, Queer Studies and Education, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 205–218, doi:10.1057/978-1-137-55425-3_21, ISBN   978-1-137-55425-3, archived from the original on 2023-03-23, retrieved 2021-06-09
  9. ↑ "NIH FY 2016-2020 - Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and Well-being of Sexual and Gender Minorities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-03-18.
  10. ↑ "Anxiety and Depression in Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals". adaa.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-16. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  11. ↑ "Advancing Excellence in Sexual and Gender Minority Health | Fenway Health: Health Care Is A Right, Not A Privilege". fenwayhealth.org. 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  12. ↑ "Sexual and Gender Minorities in Western Kenya". Williams Institute. 2019-01-30. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  13. ↑ "Resources". ISGMH. 2016-11-08. Archived from the original on 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  14. ↑ "Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office | DPCPSI". dpcpsi.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  15. ↑ Lattimer, Julia (23 October 2014). "GSM acronym better than LGBT alphabet soup". Collegiate Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  16. ↑ DeGagne, Alexa (6 October 2011). "Queering the language of 'sexual minorities' in Canada". University of Alberta. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  17. ↑ Ullerstam, Lars (1967). The Erotic Minorities: A Swedish View. Calder & Boyars. ISBN   9780714507910. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  18. 1 2 Savin-Williams, Ritch C. "A critique of research on sexual-minority youths." Journal of adolescence 24.1 (2001): 5-13.
  19. ↑ "Rights of Sexual and Gender Minorities" (PDF). Human Rights in New Zealand (PDF) (Report). Auckland: New Zealand Human Rights Commission. 2010. pp. 304–323. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2023.
  20. 1 2 Navtej Singh Johar &Ors. versus Union of India thr. Its Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, 2018 INSC 790 ( Supreme Court of India 6 September 2018).
  21. ↑ "Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office". Bethesda MD: National Institutes of Health. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Sexual and Gender Minority Clearinghouse". Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  23. ↑ Park, Andrew (July 2016). "A Development Agenda for Sexual and Gender Minorities". Los Angeles: UCLA Williams Institute. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  24. ↑ "Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Health Program". Duke University. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Center for Sexual & Gender Minority Health". University of California San Francisco. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  26. ↑ Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and Well-being of Sexual and Gender Minorities (PDF), National Institutes of Health, archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2021, retrieved 23 November 2020
  27. ↑ "Updates on Terminology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Survey Measures" (PDF). Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology, under the auspices of the Office of Management and Budget. August 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  28. ↑ Gender and Strategic Communications in Conflict and Stabilisation Contexts (PDF), HM Government, January 2020, archived (PDF) from the original on 1 November 2020, retrieved 23 November 2020
  29. ↑ Constitution of Nepal, Nepal Law Commission, 2015, archived from the original on 30 September 2020, retrieved 24 November 2020
  30. ↑ "Welcome to the Bradford University Minority Sexual and Gender Identity Site!". Bradford Uni MSGI Society. 2008. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  31. ↑ "GSRM - Gender, Sexual, and Romantic Minorities". acronymfinder.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "LGBT? LGBTQ? Queer? QUILTBAG? GSM? GSRM?". queerumich.com. University of Michigan (on Tumblr). Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  33. ↑ "Gender and Sexual Minority Students (LGBTIQA)". University of Derby. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  34. ↑ Hatzenbuehler, Mark L. (2009-09-01). "How does sexual minority stigma "get under the skin"? A psychological mediation framework". Psychological Bulletin. 135 (5): 707–730. doi:10.1037/a0016441. ISSN   1939-1455. PMC   2789474 . PMID   19702379.
  35. ↑ Lick, David J.; Durso, Laura E.; Johnson, Kerri L. (2013). "Minority Stress and Physical Health Among Sexual Minorities". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 8 (5): 521–548. doi:10.1177/1745691613497965. PMID   26173210. S2CID   24133995.
  36. ↑ Cochran, Bryan N.; Stewart, Angela J.; Ginzler, Joshua A.; Cauce, Ana Mari (2002-05-01). "Challenges Faced by Homeless Sexual Minorities: Comparison of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Homeless Adolescents with Their Heterosexual Counterparts". American Journal of Public Health. 92 (5): 773–777. doi:10.2105/AJPH.92.5.773. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   1447160 . PMID   11988446.
  37. ↑ Blume, Arthur W. (2016). "Advances in Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Interventions Among Racial, Ethnic, and Sexual Minority Populations". Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 38 (1): 47–54. PMC   4872612 . PMID   27159811.
  38. ↑ Simoni, Jane M.; Smith, Laramie; Oost, Kathryn M.; Lehavot, Keren; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen (2016). "Disparities in Physical Health Conditions Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Studies". Journal of Homosexuality. 64 (1): 32–44. doi:10.1080/00918369.2016.1174021. ISSN   0091-8369. PMC   5063711 . PMID   27074088.
  39. ↑ Jackman, Kate; Honig, Judy; Bockting, Walter (2016). "Nonsuicidal self-injury among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations: an integrative review". Journal of Clinical Nursing. 25 (23–24): 3438–3453. doi:10.1111/jocn.13236. ISSN   0962-1067. PMID   27272643.
  40. ↑ McParland, James; Camic, Paul M (2016). "Psychosocial factors and ageing in older lesbian, gay and bisexual people: a systematic review of the literature" (PDF). Journal of Clinical Nursing. 25 (23–24): 3415–3437. doi:10.1111/jocn.13251. ISSN   0962-1067. PMID   27167408. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  41. 1 2 Mays, Vickie M.; Cochran, Susan D. (2001-11-01). "Mental Health Correlates of Perceived Discrimination Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the United States". American Journal of Public Health. 91 (11): 1869–1876. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.628.2374 . doi:10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1869. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   1446893 . PMID   11684618.[16-years old]
  42. ↑ PhD, Paul Venzo; PhD, Kristy Hess (2013-11-01). ""Honk Against Homophobia": Rethinking Relations Between Media and Sexual Minorities". Journal of Homosexuality. 60 (11): 1539–1556. doi:10.1080/00918369.2013.824318. ISSN   0091-8369. PMID   24147586. S2CID   37527336.
  43. ↑ "GLOing Depictions of Sexual Minorities: The Evolution of Gay- and Lesbian-Oriented Digital Media | Technoculture". tcjournal.org. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  44. 1 2 Muller, Alexandra; Hughes, Tonda L. (2016). "Making the invisible visible: a systematic review of sexual minority women's health in Southern Africa". BMC Public Health. 16 (1): 307. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2980-6 . ISSN   1471-2458. PMC   4827176 . PMID   27066890.
  45. ↑ Morrison, Todd G.; Morrison, Melanie A.; Carrigan, Mark A.; McDermott, Daragh T., eds. (2012). Sexual Minority Research in the New Millennium (hardcover, illustrated ed.). Nova Science Publishers. ISBN   978-1-61209-939-2.
  46. ↑ "Understanding the Asexual Community". HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN. March 17, 2023. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  47. ↑ Liao, SH (2023). "Fictosexual Manifesto: Their Position, Political Possibility, and Critical Resistance". NTU-OTASTUDY GROUP. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  48. ↑ "Polyamory Terms". Loving More Nonprofit. 2012-01-21. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  49. ↑ Nichols, Margaret, and Michael Shernoff. "Therapy with sexual minorities." Principles and practice of sex therapy 4 (2000): 353–367.
  50. ↑ Altair, Octaevius (2011). The Violators: No Human Rights for You (Canada). Lulu.com. p. 11. ISBN   9781257378012. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2015. The rights of youth must be protected as well as the rights of Atheists and Sexual minorities. As a Homophile and hebiphile. I engage is sic recreational sex exclusively with teenagers.
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