Promoting the Health of Gender and Sexual Minorities _ ____________________________________________
Coming-out process : A process by which an individual, in the face of societal stigma, moves from denial to acknowledg- ing his/her sexual orientation. Successful resolution leads to self-acceptance. Coming out is a lifelong process for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons and their families and friends as they begin to tell others at work, in school, at church, and in their communities. Gay : The umbrella term for GSM persons, although it most specifically refers to men who are attracted to and love men. It is equally acceptable and more accurate to refer to gay women as “lesbians.” Gender and sexual minorities (GSM) : A term meant to encompass lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, intersex/intergender, asexual/ally (LGBTQIA) people as well as less well-recognized groups, including aromantic, two-spirited, and gender-fluid persons. Heterosexism : An institutional and societal reinforcement of heterosexuality as the privileged and powerful norm. Heterosexuality : Erotic feelings, attitudes, values, attraction, arousal, and/or physical contact with partners of the opposite gender. Homophobia : A negative attitude or fear of non-straight sexuality or GSM individuals. This may be internalized in the form of negative feelings toward oneself and self-hatred. Called “internalized homophobia,” it may be manifested by fear of discovery, denial, or discomfort with being LGBTQIA, low self-esteem, aggression against other lesbians and gay men, or exaggerated gay pride and rejection of all heterosexuals. Homosexuality : The “persistent sexual and emotional attrac- tion to members of one’s own gender” as part of the continuum of sexual expression. Typically not used to describe people. LGBTQIA : An acronym used to refer to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, queer/questioning, inter- sex/intergender, asexual/ally community. In some cases, the acronym may be shortened for ease of use or lengthened for inclusivity. Members of this group may also be referred to as gender and sexual minorities (GSM). Sexual identity : The inner sense of oneself as a sexual being, including how one identifies in terms of gender and sexual orientation. Sexual minority youth : Sexual minority youth are those who self-identify with any nonheterosexual orientation or whose gender experience runs contrary to norms. The term is often used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Sexual orientation : An enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, and/or affectionate attraction to another person. Individuals may experience this attraction to someone of the same gender, the opposite gender, or all genders. Transgender : An umbrella term describing a number of dis- tinct gender positions and identities including: crossdressing, transsexual, nonbinary, and intersex.
however). Still, many GSM individuals have not revealed their sexual identity or suspicion about being a sexual minority. As a result, their unique health and safety needs have been less understood by healthcare professionals, educators, counselors, and others. A growing number of professional organizations have called for the development of more information about sexual minorities [9; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15]: • The American Academy of Nurses has recommended that there be “development of knowledge related to healthcare of minority, stigmatized, and disenfran- chised populations.” • The National Institutes of Health has called for research related to sexual minority health. • Healthy People 2030 has included gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals among the targeted groups for reducing health outcome disparities. • The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and Colum- bia University’s Mailman School of Public Health has also successfully lobbied for inclusion of the research needs of gays and lesbians. • A 2007 resolution issued by the American Medical Association (AMA) has called for more information about the GSM population and recommended that its health needs become a part of the healthcare profes- sional’s education. • An Institute of Medicine committee has been tasked with identifying research gaps and opportunities regard- ing gay/transgender health and preparing a research agenda to help the National Institutes of Health improve research and training in this field. DEFINITIONS Clear definitions of the concepts related to sexual identity will be helpful. The following is a glossary of terms used throughout this course [16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21]: Asexual : An individual who does not experience sexual attrac- tion. There is considerable diversity in individuals’ desire (or lack thereof) for romantic or other relationships. Aging gay/GSM population : While no clear definition exists, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the age of 65 years or older as a cutoff when talking about aging individuals. Bisexual : An adjective that refers to people who relate sexually and affectionately to both women and men.
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MDDC1026
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