Protections for Transgender Inmates Under PREA: a Comparison of State Correctional Policies in the United States Abstract The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) contains several protections for transgender inmates; specifically, that prison administration understands key definitions of “transgender,” that inmates are provided with the appropriate classification and housing, and they are kept safe from victimization by other inmates and staff. A total of ten states were found to be fully compliant by the Department of Justice deadline in 2015, but these policies are changing rapidly in the USA. This analysis aims to determine the status of each state’s protections using publicly available information about correctional policies. We find that approximately half of the states in the USA have published policies consistent with PREA, but several maintain policies regarding transgender inmates that are in direct conflict with federal law. Recommendations for compliance are provided.

Political Environment and Perceptions of Social Inclusion After Nationwide Marriage Equality Among Partnered Men Who Have Sex with Men in the USA Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine how nationwide marriage equality and minority stressors are associated with perceptions of social inclusion using a national sample of partnered men who have sex with men (MSM) (n = 498). A four-item scale measuring changes in perceived social inclusion due to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage was created. Respondents were categorized into four distinct political environments using results from the 2016 US Presidential election. Multilevel modeling was used to examine associations between political environment, minority stressors, and perceived social inclusion. Changes in perceived social inclusion due to marriage equality did not significantly differ between political environments. Higher levels of internalized, anticipated, and enacted stigma were all associated with fewer gains in perceived social inclusion. An interaction between political environment and external stigma was significant in the most politically conservative areas. The legalization of marriage equality has improved perceived social inclusion overall, but less so among men who experience more discrimination and live in conservative environments. Multilevel interventions to change social norms are needed to help decrease minority stressors and improve perceived social inclusion in politically conservative areas with elevated levels of discrimination.

Rethinking ‘Risk’ in Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy: the Value of the Reproductive Justice Framework Abstract Using the case of Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy in Aotearoa (New Zealand), this article interrogates the dominant risk discourse in sexual and reproductive health policy. It highlights the tensions between risk discourse and broader equity goals, which are increasingly seen as significant within sexual and reproductive health. Working within a poststructuralist perspective, discursive methodology is used to explore the positioning of youth in ten (10) policy documents. The analysis shows how the risk discourse, along with a developmental discourse, creates three common youth subject positions: youth as at risk and vulnerable, as not-yet citizens, and as especially vulnerable relative to other young people. It demonstrates how these positions may be associated with ‘new’ or covert forms of morality and stigmatisation. Detailing the implications for ethnic minorities in particular, it adds to prior analyses of gender- and class-based inequities. The Sexual and Reproductive Justice framework, which encompasses notions of rights and justice, is discussed as an alternative to risk-based policy development that can attend to sexual and reproductive health inequities.

“Women Make That World Go ‘Round”: the Role of Women’s Sexual Capital in the Gendered Scaffolding of Street Life Abstract While all girls and women experience sexualization, these experiences differ based on a range of individual-level factors to structural contexts. For marginalized populations of women, such as those on the streets, sexualization can take on a particularly pivotal role. Using in-depth interviews with formerly street-involved women, the study explores the processes through which the street context reified the participants’ dependence on their “sexual capital” in order to survive. While they did exercise some agency over their bodies, the ability to make decisions in this regard dissipated as they became more tethered to street life. Dependence on sexual capital preserved street dynamics that disempowered and damaged them vis-à-vis men, a vulnerable status which effectively sustained the arrangement that harmed them. Control over participants’ sexual capital was usurped by others on the streets as they were traded, sold, and victimized by violence. Ultimately, participants’ experiences suggest that sexual capital is central to the gendered scaffolding upon which the street context is constructed.

An Exploratory Study of Sexual Risk Behaviour Among University Students in Bhutan Abstract Once isolated, Bhutan has become exposed to lifestyles and values from other countries with the rapid expansion of social media access and tourism. This has created tensions with traditional culture and values, especially concerns about substance use, sexual behaviour and mental health of young people. This study employed a self-administered survey in eight university college campuses across Bhutan (n = 2471) of substance use, mental health and sexual behaviour among the students and is the first of its kind in Bhutan. Potentially risky sexual behaviour was reported by over 50% of sexually active students. In light of the findings, relevant stakeholders, especially education, nursing and allied health, might review and revitalise tertiary curricula and on campus health promotion activities as their graduates will become valued and trusted frontline workers and role models. National sexual and reproductive health policies might also require review, including those relevant to health promotion and easy access to youth friendly health services.

Individual and Contextual Factors Associated with School Staff Responses to Homophobic Bullying Abstract This cross-sectional research investigates the individual (i.e., sexual prejudice, contact with lesbian and gay [LG] people, and perceived seriousness of homophobic epithets) and contextual (i.e., homophobic bullying observed by school staff and perceived colleague reactions to homophobic bullying) factors as predictors of school staff intervention against vs. legitimization of homophobic bullying. Data were collected in secondary schools in the North of Italy via a paper-and-pencil survey. Participants were school staff members (N = 273) from 24 Italian secondary schools. The results have indicated that the higher the sexual prejudice and the lower the contact with LG individuals, the higher the legitimization of homophobic bullying. Also, perceiving colleagues as legitimizing or intervening in cases of homophobic bullying predicted similar reactions on the part of school staff participants. The findings are discussed with respect to the current literature regarding homophobic bullying, and applied interventions for school staff training programs to tackle homophobic bullying at school are put forward.

Intersections of LGBTI Exclusion and Discrimination in Thailand: the Role of Socio-Economic Status Abstract Previous studies have found that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Thailand experience discrimination and exclusion based on their non-normative sexes, genders, and/or sexualities. However, such studies have insufficiently analyzed how intersecting characteristics shape these experiences. We conducted 19 life story interviews with LGBTI individuals in Thailand to track how exclusion and discrimination are influenced by their socio-economic status (SES). The study documented cases of discrimination and exclusion in education, employment, health care and insurance, housing, and financial institutions. Experiences of exclusion and discrimination were not universal but were profoundly shaped by an individual’s SES. Participants with more economic and social capital encountered less anti-LGBTI exclusion and discrimination and had greater protective factors to negotiate any discriminatory experiences they encountered. Our findings point to the necessity of considering the role of SES in policy advocacy, development efforts, and future research on LGBTI issues in Thailand.

#sendeanlat (#tellyourstory): Text Analyses of Tweets About Sexual Assault Experiences Abstract On 11 February 2015, a 20-year-old university student, Ozgecan Aslan, was violently murdered in an attempted rape in Mersin, southern Turkey. This event led to a mass Twitter protest in the country. Women across the country started sharing the hashtag #sendeanlat (“#tellyourstory” in English). In the current exploratory study, 164,279 original tweets were analyzed using the text analytic approach called the Meaning Extraction Method. Results revealed the key themes of reactions to victim blaming, honor culture/namus, assault experiences, social media, and women’s responsibility. Policy, media, and mental-health-related implications and future research directions are discussed.

Sexual Situations in Spanish Long-Term Care Facilities: Which Ones Cause the Most Discomfort to Staff? Abstract This study aimed to explore which kinds of residents’ sexual expressions cause the most discomfort to staff and to determine the situational circumstances that might be related to this perception of discomfort. The sample was made up of 1895 front-line care staff employed at 152 Spanish long-term care facilities. Participants’ answers to an open-ended question regarding the sexual situation that caused them the most discomfort were content-analyzed. Results showed that most participants were able to mention at least one sexual situation that had caused them discomfort. Moreover, the range of sexual situations mentioned by our participants clearly goes beyond the typical behaviors associated with inappropriate sexual behaviors in dementia. Situational circumstances were related to participants’ perception of discomfort. Our results suggest the importance of including sexual issues on the formal training of staff and developing explicit guidelines and institutional policies regarding sexual expression in long-term care facilities.

Major Depression Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men in Beirut, and Its Association with Structural and Sexual Minority-Related Stressors, and Social Support Abstract Guided by the minority stress model, we assessed depression and its relationship to structural and sexual minority-related stressors and social support in a sample of 226 young (age 18–29 years) men who have sex with men in Beirut, Lebanon. The sample was recruited with long-chain peer referrals and administered a survey that included the PHQ-9 measure of depression. Sixteen percent had current major depression based on our PHQ-9 criteria, and 33% reported any lifetime history of suicidal ideation (including 8% who had made an attempt); 69% had experienced any sexual minority-related discrimination in the past year. In bivariate analysis, structural (unemployment, no legal resident status) and sexual minority-related (greater number of types of discrimination experienced, greater discomfort with one’s sexual orientation) stressors were associated with major depression, as was lower social support. Discomfort with one’s sexual orientation was the only correlate of major depression when controlling for other stressors, social support and socio-demographics. These findings highlight a high level of depression, and the potential for community building and social solidarity for mitigating the effects of stressors based in personal security, internalized stigma, and discrimination.