Partnership Dynamics of LGB People and Heterosexuals: Patterns of First Partnership Formation and First Cohabitation.

In this study we examine partnership dynamics among people with different sexual orientations in Germany. More specifically, we explore the process of first partnership formation and first cohabitation among men and women who self-identify as heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Given the various discriminations against same-sex lifestyles, and the limited opportunities to meet potential partners, we assume that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people form partnerships later in life and less frequently than heterosexuals. We further expect that the constantly improving social and legal climate for sexual minorities will lead to a reduction in differences in partnership behaviour by sexual orientation. We use retrospectively reported partnership biographies from the German Socio-Economic Panel, which was supplemented in 2019 with a boost sample of sexual and gender minority households. Using discrete-time event history models, we analyse nearly 15,000 episodes of being single and nearly 20,000 episodes of living without a partner in the household. Around 4.5% of these episodes are from people who self-identify as LGB. The results clearly show that patterns of partnership and coresidential union formation differ by sexual orientation. People with a homosexual orientation-and to a lesser extent people with a bisexual orientation-are less likely to enter into a first partnership and a first cohabitation than people with a heterosexual orientation. Significant changes occur across cohorts: LGB people from younger birth cohorts enter (cohabiting) partnerships much earlier and more frequently than those from older cohorts. Thus, the union formation patterns of LGB and straight people have converged slightly.

Body Dissatisfaction, Cognitive Distraction, and Sexual Satisfaction in a Sample of LGB+ People: A Mediation Study Framed by Cognitive Psychology Models of Sexual Response.

Introduction: Body dissatisfaction is a well-established risk factor for emotional problems and low levels of well-being indicators, such as sexual health. Cognitive models propose that dissatisfaction with one's body can cause cognitive distraction related to physical appearance during sexual activity. This may compromise sexual response, namely, sexual satisfaction in heterosexual cis women. However, this relationship has only been studied within heterosexual samples. The present study aims to test a mediation model using cognitive distraction related to body appearance during sexual activity as a mediator between body dissatisfaction and sexual satisfaction in LGB+ cis people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other minority sexual orientations). Methods: This cross-sectional online study comprised 165 cisgender LGB+ participants (n = 67 cis women, 40.6%; n = 98 cis men, 59.4%). Self-report questionnaires were used: the Global Body Dissatisfaction Scale, the Body Appearance Distraction Scale, and a Single-Item Measure of Sexual Satisfaction. Results: Cis women and cis men experience similar levels of body dissatisfaction, cognitive distraction with body appearance during sexual activity, and sexual satisfaction. Body appearance cognitive distraction during sexual activity mediated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and sexual satisfaction only in the men's sample. Discussion: Overall, in terms of gender and body dissatisfaction, our results reveal a reversed pattern than those found in heterosexual samples. This may be because LGB+ cis women may conform less to societal pressure, leading to less meaning given to body dissatisfaction in relation to sexuality, which may lead to more positive sexual outcomes. Likewise, LGB+ cis men present higher body dissatisfaction and experience lower sexual satisfaction, possibly due to the emphasis on physical appearance in the gay subculture. The results confirm the validity of cognitive models of sexual response.

Parental Experiences of Coming Out: From "Un-doing Family Bonds" to "Family Generativity".

The coming out (CO) is a family process that involves the LGB+ person and all family members. The present study aimed to analyze the CO process from parents' perspective and examine if and how the emotional states of mothers and fathers changed in the years following the disclosure. The study involved 25 Italian parents (16 mothers, 9 fathers; Mage = 67, SD = 7.8) of 17 gay men and 8 lesbian women. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview designed to explore parents' reactions to their child's CO and the evolution of their CO experiences over the medium to long term (M = 13.9; SD = 8.3). Interviews were analyzed using emotional text analysis, representing a mixed methodology for tracing the emotional dimensions that organize linguistic productions. The factorial analysis generated four thematic clusters: (1) the un-doing of family bonds; (2) perceived gender typicality in childhood; (3) the freedom to be oneself and transgression; and (4) family generativity. Parents experience CO as challenging, especially in the initial phase. However, some parents develop CO narratives characterized by openness, pride, and generativity. The findings have implications for practice.

Health Inequalities by Sexual Orientation: Results from the 2016-2017 Barcelona Health Survey.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess health inequalities by sexual attraction in the 2016-2017 Barcelona population, stratifying by sex. Methods: Data came from the 2016-2017 Barcelona Health Survey, where 3362 adults answered among other instruments the EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L), which measures five dimensions and summarizes health-related quality of life into a single utility index score. To assess health differences by sexual attraction, we constructed Tobit models for the EQ-5D index score and Poisson regression models for the EQ-5D dimensions. Nested models were constructed to examine the mediating role of discrimination and health-related variables. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, women feeling attraction to more than one sex showed a lower EQ-5D index score (worse health) than those with only other sex attraction (-0.042, p = 0.012), and higher prevalence of problems with mobility, usual activities, and anxiety/depression with the following adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and confidence intervals (CIs): 1.79 (95% CI 1.05-3.05), 1.84 (95% CI 1.05-3.21), and 1.76 (95% CI 1.27-2.43). Women feeling attraction only to their same sex also presented higher prevalence of anxiety/depression (aPR = 1.46, CI 95% 1.10-1.92). In contrast, differences were not observed for men. Conclusion: Women, but not men, feeling attraction to more than one sex and only same-sex attraction in Barcelona in 2016-2017 presented worse health than those feeling only other sex attraction, with discrimination playing a mediating role in explaining such inequalities. These results among women indicate the need to develop public health strategies in Barcelona addressed to lesbian and bisexual women, considering the intersection of gender and sexual orientation.

Measurement Invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale by Sexual Orientation.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) has shown strong evidence of reliability, validity, and gender invariance, and there is some evidence of invariance across age, culture, and educational levels. So far, invariance across sexual orientation has not been studied, despite the number of works that relate well-being to sexual orientation. The SWLS should be invariant across sexual orientation to be able to compare group means. This study aimed to explore the invariance of the SWLS across sexual orientation. A non-probabilistic sample with 553 Spanish adults (208 males, 345 females; 212 heterosexuals, 182 gays, and 138 bisexuals among other sexual orientations) participated in a survey. We tested a one-factor model using confirmatory factor analysis. We tested the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the factorial structure of the SWLS across sexual orientation with heterosexual, lesbian/gay, and bisexual groups. According to our results, the Spanish version of the SWLS shows scalar invariance across sexual orientations, allowing a valid comparison between sexual minority and heterosexual people. Moreover, in our sample, lesbian/gay and bisexual participants obtained lower scores in life satisfaction than heterosexual participants. Bisexual people obtained the lowest score in well-being compared with the other groups. Implications related to the importance of checking instrument invariance before comparing mean differences between groups are discussed.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Depressive Symptoms through the Lens of Sexual Orientation.

This research seeks to explore the impact of COVID-19 on depressive symptoms, analyzing discrepancies of sexual orientation in a Portuguese-speaking sample. 1590 individuals participated, of which 63% were women, and 88% self-identified as straight. Participants responded to the depression sub-scale of the Beck Symptoms Iventory-18, the fear of COVID-19 scale and the COVID-19 negative impact scale. Depressive symptoms observed were higher than expected, and several significant differences were obtained: women and self-identified bisexual participants had higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to male and straight and gay or lesbian participants. Depressive symptoms negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with COVID-19 aggravated responses, fear of COVID-19, and negative impact of COVID-19. Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that age, gender and sexual orientation explained 6% of the variance of depressive symptoms, and when fear and the negative impact of COVID-19 was added, the model explained 23% of results. This study provides an important contribution to the understanding of factors arising from the pandemic that may have an impact on the mental health of sexual minorities.

Love is heterosexual-by-default: Cultural heterosexism in default prototypes of romantic love.

Cultural heterosexist ideologies assume heterosexuality to be the default norm. Four studies investigated when concepts of romantic love are heterosexual-by-default (N = 685). In Studies 1-2, participants generated features of romantic love, in general (i.e., the default prototype) or among one of three sexual orientation-specific couples (lesbian, gay, or heterosexual). Heterosexual-identified participants' default prototypes were more similar to heterosexual than same-gender prototypes (Study 1). Lesbian- and gay-identified participants' default prototypes were more similar to both heterosexual and gay male than lesbian prototypes, whereas bisexual-identified participants' sexual orientation-specific prototypes were equivalently similar to the default (Study 2). However, heterosexual-identified participants rated presented features of love similarly across sexual orientation-specific conditions (Study 3). In a timed feature-verification task (Study 4), participants categorized fewer peripheral features of romantic love as relevant to same-gender than mixed-gender couples. Activating sexual orientation-specific representations affected subsequent default concepts of romantic love. We discuss implications for heterosexism theories and intervention.

Disclosing a LGB Sexual Identity When Living in an Elderly Long-Term Care Facility: Common and Best Practices.

This study aims at exploring staff perceptions of common and best practices toward a situation in which an older resident discloses their non-heterosexual sexual identity, differentiating between gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals. A total of 2,254 staff members from 96 Spanish long-term care facilities took part in the study. They were asked about what they think most of their workmates would do and what they think should be done in a situation in which an older resident discloses his/her non-heterosexual sexual orientation. The results indicate that, in general, staff's attitudes to non-heterosexual older residents' disclosure of their sexual identity are quite tolerant and open. However, differences in staff perceptions of common and best practices indicate that there is still potential for improvement. Results underline that factors such as residents' sexual identity (and particularly, bisexuality), generation, professional position, and the prevailing model of care influence staff responses.

Staff Reactions Toward Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual (LGB) People Living in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) Who Actively Disclose Their Sexual Orientation.

Fifty-three staff members currently working in residential aged care facilities located in Barcelona, Spain, were asked about the way they would react if a resident told them that he or she felt sexually attracted and had maintained sexual relationships with another resident of the same gender. Acceptance of non-heterosexual sexual orientation was a frequent answer, and around one in four professionals stated that they would try helping the resident in question, by offering a private space or giving some emotional support. However, some reactions were not consistent with a respectful approach toward sexual diversity, as, for instance, informing the resident's family or advising the resident to keep his or her sexual orientation hidden. We highlight the importance of developing formal policies and offering formal training to staff in order to address the specific needs of older LGB people living in RACFs.

As Long as They Keep Away From Me: Attitudes Toward Non-heterosexual Sexual Orientation Among Residents Living in Spanish Residential Aged Care Facilities.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this article is to shed light on the attitudes of older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) toward non-heterosexual sexual orientation. DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty-seven residents living in 5 RACFs located in Catalonia (Spain) were interviewed in relation to the way they would think and react if another resident told them he/she felt sexually attracted to people of the same gender and that he/she had maintained sexual relationships with another man/woman in the home, and whether they would have any problem in sharing common spaces or a room with this resident. RESULTS: Most residents expressed some kind of negative reaction ranging from staying away from the resident in question to extreme rejection, although positive and neutral reactions also emerged. Participants were far more reluctant to share a room with that resident than to share common spaces. IMPLICATIONS: The prevalence of homophobic attitudes among older people living in RACFs seems to be high. This may be a barrier for LGB residents, making the expression of their sexual identity more difficult and leading to discriminatory practices.