Constructing LGBTQ+ Identities

Thursday, 10 July 2025: 13:00-14:45
Location: FSE002 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
RC32 Women, Gender and Society (host committee)

Language: English

There has been an increase in the number of people who identify as LGBTQ+ around the world. In the US, the percentage of those identifying as LGBTQ+ doubled in the last 10 years from 3.6% in 2013 to 7.6% in 2023 (Jones, 2024). A recent survey of 30 countries conducted by Ipsos (2023) shows an average of 9%, though this varies widely across countries from 4% in Peru to 15% in Brazil. Not surprisingly, LGBT+ visibility has increased, with 47% of people saying they have a relative, friend, or work colleague who is gay or lesbian, an increase of 5% from only two years prior.

This regular session invites submissions that focus on LGBTQ+ lives around the world. This may involve case studies from one country or comparative research across multiple countries. The following list includes some, but not all, possibilities:

  • Coming out narratives
  • Mental health
  • Education and work experiences
  • Sex and relationships
  • LGBTQ+ older adults

This theme is broadly conceived so we are open to other topics related to LGBTQ+ lives.

Session Organizer:
Gayle KAUFMAN, Davidson College, USA
Chair:
Gayle KAUFMAN, Davidson College, USA
Oral Presentations
Beyond Sexual Attraction: A Study of Asexual Identity Discourse on Reddit
Salvatore MONACO, Italy; Ciro PROSPERO, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Distributed Papers
Reaffirming Identity: Legal Challenges and Lived Experiences of Transgender Individuals in Assam
Kashmira KHANAM, Department of Sociology, India; Diganta ROY, Ph.D. Research Scholar, India
Black 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Navigating the Dis/Comfort of Home Place
Adwoa ONUORA, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada