Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
Structural heteronormativity, sexual identity, and health among college students in a conservative state
Authors: Ekaterina Baldina, Yunmyung Cho,
Presenting Author: Ekaterina Baldina*
A growing proportion of young adults in the U.S. identify with a non-heterosexual sexual identity, such as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (Jones 2022). Alongside the increasing visibility of sexual minority identities and improving availability of data, there has been increasing efforts to understand the relationship between sexual identity and well-being (Blosnich et al. 2014; Strutz, Herring, and Halpern 2015). Specifically, much research shows that sexual minority adults fare worse regarding mental health outcomes, such as having increased risks for depression or anxiety (Plöderl and Tremblay 2015). Despite such advances, we know less about other dimensions of health that may (or may not) distinguish sexual minority adults from their heterosexual peers, such as health-related behaviors (e.g., eating breakfast, engaging in physical activity) or physical health outcomes (Hatzenbuehler et al. 2024). Furthermore, studies have rarely incorporated proximate local-level factors that may impact the health of sexual minority populations beyond the national or state level (Hatzenbuehler et al. 2024; Lattanner et al. 2024). Meanwhile, Indiana ranks low among U.S. states in terms of legal measures that promote LGBTQ+ individuals’ well-being. For example, Indiana is one of nine states that have “Don’t Say Gay” laws, restricting teachers from discussing LGBTQ issues; one of seven states that have HIV criminalization laws; and the only state with a law that prohibits local-level bans on “conversion therapy” for minors (Movement Advancement Project 2024). Such state-wide contextual factors may create a hostile environment for sexual minority young adults’ health. This raises important questions about the state of sexual minority youths’ health outcomes and whether more proximate contextual factors can have protective effects…