Research on psychotherapy for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals remains limited, particularly regarding barriers to care and patients' own accounts of treatment. This study explored how TGD adults in Chile describe the contextual determinants, relational and procedural characteristics, and perceived consequences of their psychotherapeutic experiences. Eight TGD adults who had received psychotherapy in Chile participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Constructivist Grounded Theory, with the Generic Model of Psychotherapy as a sensitizing framework. Participants identified four contextual determinants of their therapeutic experiences: the sociocultural context, their experiences as TGD patients within the health system, varying levels of family support, and therapist characteristics. They described fragmented treatment histories marked by financial instability, discrimination, and frequent changes of therapist, which often left them feeling lost. In contrast, beneficial therapy was characterized by consistent validation of identity, including the use of chosen names and pronouns; a safe space to discuss gender experiences; regular weekly sessions; and trauma-informed, gender-affirming practices. Participants attributed improvements in body affirmation, emotional regulation, and self-compassion, as well as reduced internalized stigma, to trans-affirmative psychotherapy. They also linked positive therapy experiences to less perceived stigma from peers and greater acceptance from family members. These findings underscore the need for trans-competent psychotherapy that acknowledges personal histories and gender realities while addressing sociopolitical barriers to care. Clinicians should develop competencies in gender diversity and trauma-informed care. Future research should include more diverse samples across gender identities and age groups, as well as comparative evaluations of care models, to inform evidence-based guidelines for TGD-affirming practice.

Same-gender interracial couples often encounter unique stressors, including disapproval from friends, which can undermine relationship quality. Drawing on self-expansion theory, we tested whether engaging in novel self-expanding activities with a partner buffers against the negative effects of low perceived friend approval. At Time 1, participants (N = 205) in same-gender interracial relationships were randomly assigned to either a self-expansion condition, in which they completed a novel activity with their partner, or a control condition, in which they were given no additional instructions. As predicted, there was a significant interaction between the self-expansion condition and friend approval at Time 1 on relationship quality at Time 2. Such that, individuals in the self-expansion condition reported higher satisfaction and commitment at Time 2, even when they perceived low levels of friend approval. These effects held when controlling for relationship quality at Time 1. Findings highlight self-expansion as a relational process that promotes resilience against social network stigma, underscoring the importance of novel, growth-oriented activities for supporting relationship well-being in same-gender interracial relationships.

What conceptual frameworks can adequately account for the well-being of people historically excluded from dominant definitions of a "good life?" This article addresses this question through a qualitative study of trans aging, based on in-depth interviews with ten members of Sindicato Afrodita, Chile's only organization of older trans women. Given the limitations of conventional Quality of Life (QoL) instruments for lives shaped by institutional exclusion, the study reappropriates the QoL model of Schalock and Verdugo. Based on thematic analysis, the model's eight dimensions are reorganized into five situated domains: civic well-being and recognition; bodily well-being and identity; material well-being and dignity; relational well-being and community legacy; and emotional well-being and sustained agency. Drawing on feminist and queer/crip perspectives, the analysis shows that well-being in trans aging is neither an individual condition nor a fixed normative endpoint, but a relational, affective, and political practice. Chosen care networks compensate for state absence; the body operates as both archive of medical exclusion and ongoing site of identity; and community emerges as the primary infrastructure of recognition and agency. The study identifies four structural tensions within the original model-individualism, linearity, normative baseline assumptions, and ableism-with implications for critical gerontology and public policy.

This paper examines how sex and gender are distinguished or conflated, how gender nonconformity is recognized and negotiated, and what oral histories and spiritual narratives reveal about locally situated understandings of gender and sexual difference in Ghana. We draw on African feminist, queer, and intersectional approaches and use ethnographic interviews, informal group discussions, oral histories, archival materials, and cultural artifacts collected between August and December 2023. Findings show that local languages and social practices distinguish bodily sex, gendered expectations, gender expression, and sexuality in uneven and context-dependent ways. Gender-nonconforming practices are named, sanctioned, accommodated, and negotiated across families, religious communities, political institutions, and other cultural publics. Oral histories and spiritual narratives reveal culturally specific ways of remembering and interpreting gender and sexual difference that do not map neatly onto contemporary LGBTQI+ categories. Local expressions alongside historical accounts of male-male intimacy and spiritual embodiment, demonstrate the importance of attending to indigenous vocabularies and social relations rather than translating past practices into contemporary identities. We argue that Ghanaian sexuality debates cannot be reduced to a heterosexual African past versus a Western queer present, but must be understood through changing cultural publics where gender, identity, relationships, and belonging are negotiated.

Sexual role identity (SRI; e.g. Top, Bottom, Versatile, Side/Others) is a central feature of gay and bisexual men's sexual self-definition and a potential source of intra-minority stress such as bottom-shaming, yet its mental health correlates remain unclear and empirical findings are mixed. This preregistered three-level meta-analysis synthesized 393 effect sizes from 41 studies (N = 27,819) on men with a history of same-sex behavior, published in Chinese and English databases up to January 2025. All effect sizes were converted to Cohen's d and modeled using three-level random-effects models. Across studies, Tops showed the most favorable mental health profile, followed by Versatiles and then Bottoms; the Top-Bottom contrast was small-to-moderate for negative indicators (d = -0.27), indicating higher depression, anxiety, and related distress among Bottoms, and the difference between Tops and Others was marginal. Available sexual-role categories significantly moderated the Top-Bottom association, suggesting that traditional binary classifications (Top vs. Bottom) may exaggerate role-related disparities when Versatile and Side/Others identities are not distinguished. Overall, the findings identify SRI as a small but statistically reliable correlate of mental health disparities among sexual minority men and underscore the need for role-sensitive assessment and interventions that target sexual-role-specific stressors within gay and bisexual communities.

Sexual orientation concealment is a central yet culturally contingent process shaping the mental health of sexual minority individuals. This mixed-methods study examined how Chinese gay male college students manage and conceal their sexual orientation and the associations linking these processes to psychological outcomes. Semi-structured interviews with 20 participants revealed four key identity management strategies, passing, avoidance, selective disclosure, and compartmentalization, employed dynamically across contexts. Concealment was highly situational, intensified in family and dormitory settings under the strong influence of filial piety and collectivist norms. It functioned not only as self-protection but also as a relationally driven moral practice to preserve family harmony. A subsequent survey of 381 students tested a serial mediation model, showing that identity management strategies were positively associated with greater concealment and minority stress, with both variables significantly mediating the association with poorer mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and reduced well-being. By reconceptualizing concealment as a culturally embedded moral practice, this study extends the application of Meyer's minority stress theory to the Chinese context and highlights the interplay of relational and cultural forces. The findings emphasize the need for culturally sensitive interventions addressing both individual and family dynamics.

This article examines how homosociality, femmephobia, and homonationalism intersect to shape power, legitimacy, and exclusion in LGBTQ+ organizations. Drawing on in-depth interviews with lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LBT) women in leadership positions in LGBTQ+ organizations in Tel Aviv, we ask how professionalization and formal inclusion coexist with persistent gay men's informal power. The findings show that gay men's homosocial relations function as a key organizational mechanism through which visibility, trust, influence, and symbolic authority circulate. These relations are sustained not only through networks and leadership styles, but also through embodied and aesthetic forms of intimacy, including bodily display, sexual familiarity, and gay men's beauty norms. The article argues that femmephobia is crucial to understanding how these homosocial formations are stabilized, as femininity is cast as less legitimate, excessive, or professionally incompatible. These dynamics are intensified within a homonational context in which masculinized repertoires of intimacy, leadership, and public respectability align with broader nationalist norms. By integrating homosociality, femmephobia, and homonationalism, the article shows how gendered regimes of valuation operate within LGBTQ+ organizations, normalizing specific masculinities as credible and institutionally legitimate, while also tracing the collective strategies through which LBT women contest and disrupt these hierarchies.

An emerging queer focus in Crisis and Disaster Research and Peace and Conflict Research has highlighted the historical exclusion of sexual and gender minorities from research and policy on conflict, crisis, and disaster management. Yet, despite growing efforts to highlight queer vulnerabilities and to stress interdisciplinarity in a world experiencing ever more complex crises, the two fields remain weakly connected in queer-focused research, creating a queer knowledge gap that potentially (re)produces policy blind spots in prevention, response, and recovery. This motivates and calls for greater interdisciplinary efforts to advance queer-sensitive research agendas and inclusive conflict, crisis, and disaster management policy. This article examines the fields' interconnectedness in queer-focused research and identifies areas for further conceptual and thematic bridging. To achieve this, 1,145 queer-focused publications were mapped and analyzed using citation network analysis, word frequency analysis, and computer-assisted thematic keyword-in-context analysis. The results show that cross-citation between the fields is minimal. However, the lexical and thematic analyses identify conceptual and thematic overlaps, particularly regarding gender, groups, rights, and sexuality. The findings show how disciplinary silos persist despite shared analytical and empirical concerns and reproduce blind spots affecting sexual and gender minorities during conflicts, crises, and disasters.

Chemsex among men who have sex with men (MSM) is a complex health issue shaped by individual, interpersonal, community, and structural factors. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the lived experiences and healthcare needs of MSM engaging in chemsex across diverse sociocultural and policy contexts using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) as an interpretive framework. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CINAHL. Qualitative studies were synthesized using Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis method. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument, and confidence in findings was evaluated using the CERQual approach. Twenty-four qualitative studies from Asia, Europe, and North America were included. Five themes were identified across SEM levels, including pleasure-seeking and emotional escape at the individual level, tensions between connection and pseudo-intimacy at the interpersonal level, informal harm-reduction practices within communities, and stigma-related barriers at societal and policy levels. Participants emphasized the need for safe, anonymous, integrated, and non-judgmental healthcare services. Trauma-informed care, partner communication support, and community empowerment may guide nursing practice. Future research should develop culturally adapted multilevel interventions, particularly in punitive policy contexts.

Language reclamation is often treated as a monolith, yet gay people reclaim homophobic labels for distinct reasons. We investigated the relationships of three motivations to reclaim language-regaining control, consolidating ingroup relationships, and humor-with collective action intentions to support the gay community and self-esteem among gay people, as well as whether ingroup identification mediates these links. In a three-wave longitudinal study with one-month intervals (Nt1 = 950; nt2 = 637; nt3 = 485), we found that regaining control and consolidating relationships as motivations to reclaim homophobic language predicted stronger identification with gay people, which, in turn, was associated with greater intentions to engage in collective action and higher positive self-esteem. Instead, reclaiming language for humorous purposes predicted weaker identification, which was associated with lower collective action intentions and lower positive self-esteem. Our findings indicate that the correlates of reclamation depend on why language is reclaimed. Reclaiming language to regain control and, primarily, reclaiming language to consolidate relationships are associated with benefits that humor-based motivation is not. Therefore, our research provides information on which forms of language reclamation may be more effective for the emancipation of the gay community and its members.

Identity disclosure decisions among sexuality and gender diverse (SGD) people are often portrayed as a critical step toward personal liberation and individuality with positive psychological outcomes. However, these models reflect Western cultural ideals and overlook the complex experiences of nonwhite people, shaped by intersectional factors such as race and culture. These factors can introduce additional layers of minority stress, discrimination, and risk of social rejection. Identity compartmentalization may result, protecting from familial rejection, cultural conflict, and safety risks, and preserving cultural and relational harmony. Stressors can be amplified among SGD emerging and young adults who tend to navigate these decisions earlier than counterparts in previous generations. This qualitative research used interviews with six SGD Asian and South Asian emerging and young adults living in Australia to explore how they navigated identity disclosure decisions. Results of interpretative phenomenological analysis demonstrated the complexities of identity disclosure, with participants perceiving themselves as needing to navigate both collectivist and individualist values in identity disclosure decisions, and as therefore needing to apply a range of management strategies to navigate these decisions. Results can inform more culturally responsive therapeutic approaches and broaden Western sexual identity development and minority stress theories.

Electoral sociology has shown that the LGBTIQ+ constituency differs significantly from the cisheterosexual population, exhibiting greater affinity for liberal values and progressive parties. However, in recent years, a LGB+ minority that aligns with right-wing ideology and parties has been identified. This article examines how these profiles construct narratives that articulate a right-wing political identity in terms of political behavior and how they relate to left- and right-wing parties and regarding LGBTIQ+ rights. Through a case study in Spain-a country with high social acceptance of sexual and gender diversity and mild political consensus on LGBTIQ+ rights prior to the emergence of far-right Vox-the discourses of right-wing LGB+ individuals are analyzed. Findings show that, although participants acknowledge that advances in rights have historically been promoted by left-wing parties, this recognition causes tension between their sexual identity and their ideological identity. This feeling of mismatch is managed through argumentative strategies that, on the one hand, minimize or justify historically homophobic stances from the right, and on the other, question the left's lead in LGBTIQ+ rights. Simultaneously, they engage in a narrative that right-wing parties have undergone crucial transformation through openly LGB+ politicians and alternative agendas distanced from "identity politics."

This article offers a sociologically informed analysis of queer racial and spatial politics in Alan Hollinghurst's fiction. Through a close textual analysis of The Swimming-Pool Library, The Line of Beauty, The Folding Star and The Spell, the study reveals how queer spaces, while supposed to be inclusive, indeed reproduce colonial and orientalist exclusive discourses. Nonwhite gay men are represented as feminized, hypersexualised, and subordinate to their white British counterparts, echoing the master-slave dynamic of colonial narratives. Drawing on the works of such theorists as Mercer, Crenshaw, Foucault and Said, the study examines how these characters are simultaneously desired and degraded, constructed as the exotic other in contrast to whiteness and masculinity functioning as organizing principles of desirability in queer culture. By unveiling these racialized dynamics and sexualized structures of domination, the study, adopting a multi-theoretical approach, intends to address a significant gap in current scholarship by problematizing the intersection of racial and sexual disenfranchisement and contribute to the discourse on intersectionality in queer literature, especially regarding the entanglement of race, class and gender.

Over the past two decades, research has consistently reported a relationship between the emotion of disgust and homonegativity toward gay men. Yet these investigations have focused exclusively on heterosexual individuals' perceptions of the emotion, leaving gay men's own perspectives on disgust directed toward their social group unconsidered. The present online qualitative study addressed this gap by examining how exclusively gay men residing in Canada (N = 22) understand disgust in relation to their own social group. Using thematic analysis, four themes emerged: 1) Sex and Intimacy, 2) Disrupting Heterosexual Norms, 3) Pathogen Threat, and 4) Gender Expectations. These findings offer new insight into how disgust is understood and negotiated by gay men. Implications, as well as limitations of the study, are discussed.