Sharon G. Horne

Since 2004, 13 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marriage for same-sex couples, with 16 states and the District of Columbia enacting varying degrees of protection that include gender identity and expression. While a great step forward for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (GLBTQQ) individuals, there are also negative consequences of this increased exposure (Rostosky, Riggle, Horne, & Miller, 2009). Given that the world is rapidly changing with respect to GLBTQQ issues, counseling approaches for GLBTQQ clients, including group work, are needed (Cochran, 2001). Groups for GLBTQQ are available in metropolitan areas and ...

Drawing on sexual identity development theory and interpersonal contact theory, this study explored GLB knowledge and GLB internalized affirmation as mediators of connection to GLB community and outcomes including negative marriage amendment-related affect and level of activism among family members of GLB individuals (N = 206). Using structural equation modeling, knowledge of GLB history and symbols mediated the relationship between the connection of family members to GLB community and negative marriage amendment affect as well as reported GLB activism. Although GLB connection positively predicted internalized affirmation, a mediating relationship was not found. The findings suggest family members who engage with GLB issues beyond interpersonal contact and self-disclosure to encompass a broad civil rights perspective on GLB rights are most negatively impacted by marriage amendments in terms of affect and are most likely to engage in GLB-specific activism. Implications of the findings are discussed.

This paper presents findings related to the silencing of battered women within Christian faith communities in Memphis, Tennessee, a large metropolitan area in the Mid-South region of the United States. Participants in this qualitative inquiry were 10 Christian identified women from diverse denominations and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who had experienced intimate partner violence. Data were analyzed according to grounded theory method. Findings illuminate mechanisms through which Christian beliefs about the sanctity of marriage and partner and community pressure to present as model Christians serve to shame and silence battered women. Findings are discussed in relation to stages that participants negotiated as they sought to create abuse-free lives.

This study explored the experiences of Uzbek women therapists and counselors working to end violence against women through their involvement in nongovernmental organizations. A content analysis was used, which elicited four themes: (a) participants' early interactions provided them with an awareness of gender injustices that led them into adult leadership roles with the support of family members; (b) motivation to work with nongovernmental organizations developed due to perceived barriers that impeded women's access to resources and personal freedoms; (c) participants struggled with how to create crisis centers without a grassroots foundation and with the limitations placed on them by the Uzbek government; and (d) the paradox of feminism: participants held views of Western feminism that both inspired and disturbed them, resulting in distance from feminist identities but general respect for its philosophies.

This article reports on a study that explored how living during the transition from a Soviet system to a postcommunist society affected gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people in Russia. A grounded theory method was used to analyze the interviews of 10 Russian GLBT individuals. The core category, leaving the herd— the lingering threat of difference in postcommunist Russia, reflected how dangerous perceived difference of any kind remains for those living in a country where, traditionally, standing out has had consequences ranging from social ostracization to prison sentences. Results also addressed the advantages and disadvantages of invisibility for GLBT Russians, the effects of globalization on the GLBT community in Russia, and uncertainty about the future. Clinical and research implications of the study are discussed.

More than half of U.S. states have passed amendments to their constitutions excluding same-sex couples from civil marriage. The impact of these ballot initiatives and debates on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals has been underresearched. Extending research on racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as research on LGB groups, the study discussed in this article hypothesized that LGB individuals would encounter more negative messages, be at risk for negative psychological effects, and increase their political activities, including voting, during elections with marriage amendments on the ballot. A national cross-sectional online survey of 1,824 LGB participants conducted postelection in November 2006 confirmed these hypotheses.