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Online Program

333601
Who is Excluded from Existing Non-Discrimination Policies? Experiences of Victimization among Gender Nonconforming Individuals


Monday, November 2, 2015

Kathryn Oost, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Nicholas Livingston, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Hillary Gleason, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Bryan Cochran, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Objectives: LGBT individuals experience disproportionately more victimization than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Within these populations, perceived gender nonconformity predicts even higher rates of victimization (Grossman & D’Augelli, 2006). Consequently, non-discrimination ordinances designed to protect LGBT individuals continue to emerge throughout the United States. Gender nonconformity, however, extends beyond the scope of most LGBT-related ordinances. This project examined the role of gender nonconformity in predicting victimization and psychopathology across sexual orientations.

Methods: Participants were 681 cisgender women and men, including 63 LGB-identified individuals, who took part in an online study that examined correlates among different dimensions of identities, stigma, and mental health. Hierarchical regressions were calculated to examine the relationships between gender expression, victimization, and psychopathology while controlling for sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethnicity.

Results: Gender nonconformity was a significant predictor of reported victimization, beyond sexual orientation and ethnicity (DR2 = .018, p = .009), contributing to an overall model that predicted 15.0% of the variance in victimization scores. In another hierarchical regression, gender nonconformity and victimization significantly predicted psychopathology scores (DR2 = .061, p < .001) above and beyond sexual orientation and ethnicity, contributing to a model that explained 14.7% of the variance in psychopathology scores.  

Conclusion: Gender nonconformity predicts victimization above and beyond sexual orientation, yet many gender nonconforming individuals may be excluded from protection under the current language of many non-discrimination ordinances.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe how gender nonconforming individuals may be excluded from the language of current non-discrimination ordinances. Identify differences between gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

Keyword(s): Gender, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal investigator of several projects investigating the relationships between gender, sexual orientation, stigma, and mental health. I have published and presented several papers on these topics.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3309.1: Relevant LGBT Topics 4