Browsing by Subject "lesbian"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
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    A Qualitative Exploration of Housing Expectations of Gay and Lesbian Individuals as they Age
    (2016-09) Urness, Michael
    The housing concerns of senior gay and lesbian persons have not been well researched or explored and nearly all published articles that do exist acknowledged that gaps exist in current understandings. Many researchers of housing for seniors were self-critical of these deficiencies. This paper sought to answer the questions: What are the housing expectations and aspirations of gay and lesbian people as they age? What resources do they identify that make their aspirations achievable? What constraints may hinder their realization of their housing aspirations? How does their current housing situation shape their approach to these questions? Qualitative analysis of 15 interviews revealed six themes that were common among participants. Participants placed high value on their sexual orientation being respected and valued in their community. This recognition was especially crucial if they were to receive in home care or enter a retirement facility. The value of privacy and independence was a priority for participants, sometimes sacrificing financially to ensure their desires were fulfilled. The importance of community connections was regarded highly for its social merit as well as its contribution to networks of assistance that could aid in the demands of aging. The physical accessibility of the home was a topic that was confronted by all participants. The impact of wealth and privilege revealed that the LGBT community is not a monolith; different segments have different challenges. Finally, in consideration of future challenges, many participants had not considered and/or denied their impending aging and associated life changes.
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    Women Who Love Women in Jamaica
    (2016-08) Martin-Kerr, Keitha-Gail
    Jamaica, known to its locals as the land of milk and honey, is also perceived as the most homonegative country in the world. Even though there is no research substantiating this claim, it is still a largely held belief by many people. The purpose of this study is to initiate a line of inquiry into the lives of women-who-love-women, a topic that is often neglected and silenced in Jamaica for a variety of reasons. The current study explores the lived experiences of women-who-love-women in Jamaica. Specifically, it investigates the phenomenon of homonegativity on the lives of women-who-love-women. Using post-intentional phenomenology as a methodological framework, I examined data from four self-identified Jamaican women-who-love-women to better understand the nuances and complexities of their daily lives. Post-intentional phenomenology allowed me to look at glimpses in the lives of these women to see slithers of the tentative manifestations of their lives. Data collection tools included written memories, interviews, participants’ reflections on two Jamaican dancehall songs, and my post-reflexive journal entries. I discovered tentative manifestations into the lives of these women that revealed how they operate daily with care, hope, fear, and a multitude of productive tension-filled emotions in a land permeated with homonegative attitudes. I analyzed data using Thinking with theory, a framework designed by Jackson and Mazzei (2012) that assumes data is partial, incomplete, and always being re-told and re-remembered. Thinking with theory allowed me to plug theoretical concepts into the data to see what new understandings could be produced. I also inserted the data into the theoretical concepts to garner varying interpretations. I ‘plugged in’ Ahmed (2006), Bulter (1990), and Lorde’s (2012) concepts of orientation, performativity, and the erotic as power to open up the phenomenon that I studied. This allowed me to explore varying perspectives of the lived experiences of women-who-love-women in Jamaica to see glimpses of their lives in its multiple, partial, and fleeting ways. This study has implications for policy makers, teaching, and learning.