Mixed methods analyses of an online survey sample (n = 4942) of sexual and/or gender minority youth (SGMY) (age 14-29) explore the relationship between participation in online fandom communities and (1) socially-mediated identity milestones and (2) self-identification, comparing fandom participating SGMY versus non-fandom participating SGMY.…

This study responds to a need for research in a fast-growing and significant area of study, that of exploring, understanding and documenting the numerous ways that multiply marginalized LGBTQ youth use social media as part of their everyday experiences in an attempt to safely navigate their lives through learning, participating, engaging,…

Go-along interviews, which are interviews conducted while being in and moving within participant selected spaces, were conducted with 66 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adolescents (14-19 years old) in their self-identified communities to explore perceived community attributes, including safe spaces, resources, and supports; this…

In order to accommodate the education needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, American schools need to do more than add LGBT information to the curriculum in sex education class. If we believe, as Erikson (1968) suggested--that adolescence is the time when young people try to make sense of who they are--and if we believe that…

It is known from history that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have always existed in society. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexed, and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) individuals, collectively known as sexual minorities, represent approximately 10% of the population. As many as nine students in every classroom of 30 are in…

Everyone in the United States lives in multiple worlds including work, home, community, school, and social and religious groups. Individuals also have a number of identities and behavioral repertoires that shift among contexts. However, some children and families experience more discontinuities between school and home than others. These gaps are…

Gay and lesbian youth encounter most of the typical biological and cognitive changes of adolescence. However, cultural circumstances create differences in the social and emotional development of many gay and lesbian teens. In the United States, these teens often live within social environments characterized by a hostile fear and an active…

Some studies suggest lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teens are at higher risk than peers for violence at home, in school, and in the community. That can bring them into the child welfare system or services for runaway and homeless teens. This study compared self-reported experiences of sexual and physical abuse based on sexual orientation and…

Reports on the school climate for gay and lesbian students in the United States suggest that negative attitudes toward gay and lesbian individuals are quite common in adolescence. Very little research, however, has investigated adolescents' sexual prejudice from a developmental perspective. In this study, 10th- (N = 119) and 12th- (N = 145) grade…