A team of researchers from the West Coast, the Midwest, and the South are studying how stigma and discrimination negatively impact LBQ and transgender health.
"There is an urgent need for research on the health of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, and transgender identified people," they stated. "Although there has been much research on HIV/AIDS, LBQ women and transgender people face a lot of other issues that are important to health and well-being that are woefully understudied.
"Our research has examined some of the factors that impact the health of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, including's higher rates depression, alcohol use, discrimination, violence and victimization. We have also studied things that promote health, such as building social support, connection to the LGTBQ+ community, religiosity/spirituality, relationships, and positive identities."
They are working on a project to try to better understand how marriage equality impacts the health and well-being of LBQ women and transgender people. "Stress from discrimination and stigma have been shown to increase risks for poor health, but we still need more research," they stated. "We want to learn whether the legalization of same-sex marriage and other positive policy changes make a difference in your health and life experiences. Given the possible impact of the recent election on the LGBTQ community, we also want to know how this is affecting you and what your concerns and worries are about the future."
The study includes an online survey and offers the opportunity to volunteer for an interview study. See: sites.google.com/a/sjsu.edu/marriage-recognition-study/home .
Link to the survey: sjsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9nqT1cK0V2YCleJ .