One Month in Jail: The Sentence in the Ravi Case
University of Maryland, BaltimoreProf. Danielle Citron, an international authority on privacy and cyber-harassment, issued a statement on the sentencing of Dharun Ravi in the Rutgers spycam case.
Prof. Danielle Citron, an international authority on privacy and cyber-harassment, issued a statement on the sentencing of Dharun Ravi in the Rutgers spycam case.
After seeing faces for less than a blink of an eye, college students have accuracy greater than mere chance in judging others’ sexual orientation. Their "gaydar" persisted even when they saw the photos upside-down, and gay versus straight judgments were more accurate for women’s faces than for men’s.
The American Sociological Association (ASA) has sociologists available to discuss the significance of President Obama’s announcement on Wednesday that he supports same-sex marriage.
Adam Seth Levine, assistant professor of government at Cornell University and an expert on political behavior and public policy, comments on President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. He says "young people ages 18-29 are overwhelmingly in support of same sex marriage. Yet, at the same time, this demographic has a very high unemployment rate right now, so to the extent Obama can shift attention away from the economy and give people change that they can believe in, this will energize them."
Brian Powell, Rudy Professor of Sociology at Indiana University Bloomington, is available to comment on President Obama's endorsement Wednesday of same-sex marriage.
Homophobia is more pronounced in individuals with an unacknowledged attraction to the same sex and who grew up with authoritarian parents who forbade such desires, a series of psychology studies demonstrates. The study is the first to document the role that both parenting and sexual orientation play in the formation of intense fear of homosexuals.
APA supports ruling on proposition 8 for same-sex marriage equality.
Adolescent children of lesbian mothers report as good quality of life as those with heterosexual parents, reports a study in the January Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers have been largely ignored by services, policies and research. These seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to the first study on aging and health in these communities.
New research findings reported in the October 2011 issue of Educational Researcher highlight differences between LGBTQ- and straight-identified youth in health outcomes and educational equity. The peer-reviewed scholarly journal is one of six published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
A new book by a University of Illinois at Chicago health sociologist and educator examines how gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) Latino activists and volunteers are transformed by the AIDS epidemic.
Although sharply divided, public attitudes toward gays and lesbians are rapidly changing to reflect greater acceptance, with younger generations leading the way, research shows. In addition to a plurality who now approve of same-sex marriage, Americans overwhelmingly support freedom of expression for gays and lesbians.
The harassment, discrimination and negative feelings about homosexuality that black gay and bisexual men often experience can contribute significantly to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, a small new study finds.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently filed a lawsuit against the Camdenton, Mo. school district for using filtering software to block websites targeted to the gay and lesbian community. "The Supreme Court has made clear that school districts have great latitude in choosing what educational materials they make available to their students," says Gregory P. Magarian, JD, constitutional law expert and professor of law at Washington University In St. Louis. "However, in a case in 1982, a plurality of the Court suggested that schools may not have the authority to remove materials from school libraries based on viewpoint discrimination."
University of Iowa scholar Jeff Bennett researches the ways in which gay men challenge a federal policy that prohibits men who have sex with men from donating blood. The policy was established during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, and remains in place despite advances in HIV screening.
For the third consecutive year, Rush University Medical Center has been named a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) report, an annual survey of U.S. hospitals regarding treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients and their families and hospital employees.
Coming out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual increases emotional well-being even more than earlier research has indicated. But the psychological benefits of revealing one’s sexual identity -- less anger, less depression, and higher self-esteem – are limited to supportive settings, shows a study published June 20 in Social Psychology and Personality Science. The findings underscore the importance of creating workplaces and other social settings that are accepting of all people, but especially gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals.
Jason Frank, Cornell University professor of government and member of the Cornell Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies Program, comments on a proposed bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State.
New book edited by American University professor explores thinking queerly about Shakespeare.
Public Religion Research Institute will host a teleconference on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, to release a major new research report of Catholic attitudes on gay and lesbian issues. The new report offers the most comprehensive national portrait to date of Catholic attitudes on gay and lesbian issues, and includes previously unreleased data from PRRI’s monthly Religion and Politics Tracking polls. Catholic scholar Michele Dillon, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, is among the select group of national experts who will discuss the new research during the teleconference.
New paper outlines ways physicians can examine the effect their own beliefs and practice habits can have on their LGBT patients and offers several minor but effective changes to create comfortable office settings for all patients.
American University professor organizes world’s only conference exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer issues facing society.
The continuing debate over same-sex marriage has put the issue of gender at the forefront of conversations about whom the law recognizes as a child’s parents. “The shift in family law’s treatment of gender has been transformative,” says Susan Appleton, JD, family law expert and the Lemma Barkeloo and Phoebe Couzins Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis.
Ritch Savin-Williams, professor of developmental psychology and director of Cornell University’s Sex & Gender Lab, will talk with media members about the dangerous myth of a gay youth suicide epidemic and the real messages our culture needs to send adolescents as featured speaker for the November Inside Cornell.
When some students at Ithaca College heard about a recent string of suicides by young people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, they decided to take action.
In light of the charges against Bishop Eddie Long, Vanderbilt sociologist Richard Pitt is available for comment to media. Pitt’s research interests include the intersection of sexual identity and religion. He looks specifically at homosexuality and the black church in his papers “Killing the Messenger: Gay Black Men’s Negotiation of Anti-Gay Religious Messages,” and “Still Looking for My Jonathan: Gay Black Men’s Management of Religious and Sexual Identity Conflicts.”
Being married has often been associated with improving people’s health, but a new study suggests that having that long-term bond also alters hormones in a way that reduces stress. Unmarried people in a committed, romantic relationship show the same reduced responses to stress as do married people.
A study by Indiana University researchers found that terminology and efforts to frame an issue -- often effective in influencing public opinion -- have no effect on public opinion concerning the ongoing debate in the U.S. over legalizing same-sex marriage.
Family law expert Jennifer Drobac says the ruling concerning the overturning of California's ban against same-sex marriages could contribute to a growing acceptance of same-sex marriages.
Despite the overturning of California’s Proposition 8, the issue may face a long journey to the U.S. Supreme Court as other, similar cases work their way through the legal system, WUSTL experts say.
Cynthia Grant Bowman, professor of law at the Cornell University Law School and an expert on family law and gender, comments on the Aug. 4 decision of the Federal District Court in California holding that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
The American Psychological Association’s 2010 meeting will include a full program of sessions summarizing the areas of research that have been key in recent same-sex marriage court cases and other legal decisions supporting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Sessions will feature the latest scientific research into same-sex couples’ relationships and family formation among lesbian, gay and bisexual people, as well as the effect of sexual stigma on individuals and families. Experts will explain how the most recent scientific evidence and legislation support same-sex marriage and adoption and counter prejudice and discrimination.
Two faculty experts at Indiana University Bloomington are available to comment on the ruling Wednesday by a federal judge that California’s prohibition of same-sex marriage violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
The American Psychological Association hailed Wednesday’s ruling overturning Proposition 8, in which voters had taken away the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
Indiana U. sociologist Brian Powell has talked with more than 2,000 adults nationwide about their attitudes toward same-sex marriages and is publishing a book in September on the topic. He is available to talk about the issue and can be reached on Wednesday.
Should the sexual orientation of prospective adoptive parents be considered when placing children in adoptive homes? According to the results of a new University of Virginia study, the answer may be "no."
The first study ever to examine the experiences of gay male partners who became fathers via surrogacy shows that they are more likely than heterosexual fathers to scale back their careers in order to care for their children. Also, these fathers report that their self-esteem and their closeness with their extended families increases after becoming parents.
Male homosexuality doesn’t make complete sense from an evolutionary point of view. One possible explanation is what evolutionary psychologists call the “kin selection hypothesis.” Homosexuality may convey an indirect benefit by enhancing the survival prospects of close relatives.
As more and more gay men set out to become parents, a new book by University of Iowa Professor Ellen Lewin explores their desire to become parents, the challenges they face along the path to parenthood, and how fatherhood affects their identities as gay men.
Challenging the idea that marriage is necessary for solidifying relationships, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin reveals same-sex couples in long-term relationships believe marriage is more important in terms of legal rights, but less so as a symbol of commitment.
Although some commentators have argued that governments should be out of the marriage business--whether straight or gay--University of Iowa law professor Ann Estin believes that marriage is such a strong part of American culture that it demands a government role.
Experts available on same-sex marriage and relationships to comment on California Supreme Court ruling on Proposition 8.
Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, is available to statewide trends regarding voter views on same-sex civil marriage as well as recent polling of New Hampshire voters on the issue. The New Hampshire State Senate is expected to vote today, Wednesday, April 29, 2009, on the state's same-sex marriage legislation. If approved, New Hampshire would join three other New England states where same-sex marriage is legal.
Recent legal and legislative decisions to legalize gay marriage in Iowa and Vermont have brought suggestions from some commentators that government should get out of the marriage business entirely, grant civil unions to all couples and leave marriage to religious faiths. But University of Iowa law professor Ann Estin said that such ideas fail to recognize the deeply rooted importance of marriage in American culture.
When marriage amendments are on the ballot, lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience acute psychological stress and downturns in general well-being; they also become more politically active.
In November, California citizens passed Proposition 8 upholding the idea that marriage is defined as and limited to the union of one man with one woman. The vote has given encouragement to many in other states who want to pass similar legislation. The United States is about to enter a period of legal upheaval on the question of marriage in the civil law, suggest Frank K. Flinn, Ph.D., adjunct professor of religious studies in Arts & Sciences. His proposal? Give marriage to the churches and let the state define civil unions.
As the Iowa Supreme Court prepares to hear a case that could clear the way for gay marriage in Iowa, a poll shows nearly sixty percent of voters in the state favor some type of legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Iowa. In the random, statewide poll of 586 voters, University of Iowa political scientists found that 28 percent of Iowans support same-sex marriage. Another 30 percent support civil unions, not gay marriage. About one in three oppose both.
Indiana University professors of law and sociology discuss issues involved with the same-sex marriage debate in the United States.
Groundbreaking new book, Same Sex, Different Politics (University of Chicago Press, October 2008), compares results, and sheds light on the conditions that lead to contradictory policies, across six key LGBT rights issues: legalization of homosexual conduct, military service, adoption, marriage and partner recognition, hate crimes, and civil rights.
A study conducted 13 months after same-sex marriage in Massachusetts became legal found that obtaining legal protections and making a public statement of commitment were the most often mentioned motivations for same-sex marriage. It also found that lack of family approval and difficulties planning and paying for the wedding were the most noted obstacles to marriage.