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In Russia, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community continues to exist under the pressure of stigmatizing invisibility in the general public discourse, particularly in the mainstream media, which ignore issues related to the advancement of human rights for sexual minorities. In 2013 a nationwide ban on "the propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism, and transgenderness among minors" was passed. Designed to broadly cover any non-heterosexual relationships, it prohibits their positive representation. In effect, the ban seriously impedes any public campaigns, in media and otherwise, which aim at the support of the LGBT community. In this situation, the internet, still relatively unrestricted when compared to Russia's traditional media outlets, remains a privileged space for LGBT people to form communities to participate in a meaningful public conversation about their political and social status as well as to discuss a variety of everyday concerns in a fairly non-hostile environment. The present study focuses on a specific case, which is a LiveJournal-based Russian-language blogging community called AntiDogma. A loosely organized grassroots gathering of internet users, AntiDogma is conceived of as an issue public centered on LGBT- related topics and as a counterpublic sphere which positions itself against the dominant public sphere and the hostile discourses it hosts. This dissertation is primarily informed by the theory of the public sphere and considerations about the social functions of the mass media. It set out to analyze a versatile functionality of the AntiDogma blogging community including information and news producing function, function of deliberative community building, and mobilization and coordination function. A case-study approach allowed the examination of AntiDogma in its context, together with the accompanying political and social processes. Textual analysis along the lines of social constructivism captured discourses, themes, and messages communicated in AntiDogma. The ...

Hearing young voices is of paramount importance, particularly as some voices are seldom-heard, including those of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) youth. Recent research highlighting mental health disparities for these populations led to the formation of the Irish LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy, which prioritized youth participation through a Youth Advisory Group (YAG). A policy analysis of the initiation of the Strategy outlines the convergence of problems, policies and politics using a Multiple Streams Approach (MSA), with quantitative literature suggesting substantial vulnerabilities. This is enhanced through qualitative exploration of the views of six youth co-authors, with experiential expertise, and as YAG members. A university ethics committee granted approval for online recorded consultations via group, pair and individual interviews. The theme of 'seen and heard' highlighted unprompted discussions on discursive assumptions representing young LGBT+ identities almost solely in relation to mental health risk. These rich narratives problematize the (in)visibility and silence in representations of the diversity of LGBT+ youth identities, which may inadvertently reinforce stigma. This underscores the need for comprehensive and inclusive school curricula. While MSA may explain prioritization for policy initiation, participation potentially disrupts unintended negative consequences. This article concludes by emphasizing how 'learning with' LGBT+ young people can ensure research, policy and practice speaks directly to youth interests and concerns.

Este artículo analiza los contenidos producidos por la campaña ciberactivista #Votelgbt, surgida durante el período electoral brasileño de 2014, en redes de comunicación digital distribuida, y centrada en el aumento de la participación y representación política lgbt. El corpus se compone de publicaciones realizadas en página de la red social Facebook, durante los dos primeros momentos de actuación de la campaña (2014 y 2016). A partir del análisis de contenido bardiniano, se concluye que las principales intenciones de comunicación empleadas se volvieron a la sensibilización y convocatoria (llamada a la acción) de los electores, reflejando la legitimidad de las pautas y la importancia del compromiso en los procesos institucionales de participación. ; This paper analyzes the content produced by the #Votelgbt cyberactivist campaign, that emerged throughout the Brazilian election of 2014, in the digital communication networks distributed, aiming at increasing participation and political representation lgbt. The corpus is composed of publications carried out on the social network page Facebook, throughout the first two moments of the campaign (2014 and 2016). From the bardinian content analysis, we conclude that the main intentions of communication used were to raise awareness and convocation (call to action) of voters, reflecting the legitimacy of the agenda and the importance of involvement with the institutional processes of participation. ; Este artigo analisa os conteúdos produzidos pela campanha ciberativista #Votelgbt, surgida durante o pleito eleitoral brasileiro de 2014, em redes de comunicação digital distribuída, e centrada no aumento da participação e representação política lgbt. O corpus é composto por publicações realizadas em página da rede social Facebook, durante os dois primeiros momentos de atuação da campanha (2014 e 2016). A partir da análise de conteúdo bardiniana, conclui-se que as principais intenções de comunicação empregadas voltaram-se para a sensibilização e convocação (chamada à ação) dos eleitores, refletindo a legitimidade das pautas e a importància do envolvimento com os processos institucionais de participação.

Este artigo analisa os conteúdos produzidos pela campanha ciberativista #Votelgbt, surgida durante o pleito eleitoral brasileiro de 2014, em redes de comunicação digital distribuída, e centrada no aumento da participação e representação política lgbt. O corpus é composto por publicações realizadas em página da rede social Facebook, durante os dois primeiros momentos de atuação da campanha (2014 e 2016). A partir da análise de conteúdo bardiniana, conclui-se que as principais intenções de comunicação empregadas voltaram-se para a sensibilização e convocação (chamada à ação) dos eleitores, refletindo a legitimidade das pautas e a importância do envolvimento com os processos institucionais de participação. ; This paper analyzes the content produced by the #Votelgbt cyberactivist campaign, that emerged throughout the Brazilian election of 2014, in the digital communication networks distributed, aiming at increasing participation and political representation lgbt. The corpus is composed of publications carried out on the social network page Facebook, throughout the first two moments of the campaign (2014 and 2016). From the bardinian content analysis, we conclude that the main intentions of communication used were to raise awareness and convocation (call to action) of voters, reflecting the legitimacy of the agenda and the importance of involvement with the institutional processes of participation. ; Este artículo analiza los contenidos producidos por la campaña ciberactivista #Votelgbt, surgida durante el período electoral brasileño de 2014, en redes de comunicación digital distribuida, y centrada en el aumento de la participación y representación política lgbt. El corpus se compone de publicaciones realizadas en página de la red social Facebook, durante los dos primeros momentos de actuación de la campaña (2014 y 2016). A partir del análisis de contenido bardiniano, se concluye que las principales intenciones de comunicación empleadas se volvieron a la sensibilización y convocatoria (llamada a la acción) de los electores, reflejando la legitimidad de las pautas y la importancia del compromiso en los procesos institucionales de participación.

LGBT/Q film festivals are an integral part of the social practice of queer film culture. They are places where social, political and economic discourses intersect and where LGBT/Q identities, representation through film, definitions of queer cinema, community and global queer politics are negotiated. The festivals themselves are constantly responding to the changing surroundings and demands from stakeholders such as their audience base, the communities they want to serve, and economic and political stakeholders. The versatile, ever evolving form of the festival speaks to its performative formation. Therefore, the concepts of performativity, the performative and performance lend themselves to the analysis of the mechanisms and processes at play there. This study, situated at the intersection of film and media studies, sociology and queer theory, builds its arguments on the interdisciplinary field of film festival studies, and sets out to argue for the value of applying the concepts of the performative, performativity and performance to the study of film festivals in general, and LGBT/Q film festivals in particular. As the discussion of the concepts in chapter 1 show, the performative as developed by Austin in language philosophy and its further transposition to performativity in the theorizations of philosophy and literature by Derrida, for gender/queer theory by Butler, and performance for ethnography by Turner, and in theater/performance studies by Fischer-Lichte and McKenzie provides a versatile analytical arsenal for the analysis of film festivals. At the same time it is highly compatible with other existing concepts and theorizations such as event, public sphere, and networks and flows that have already been canonically applied to festival studies. In chapter 2, I mobilize the historical dimension of the performative to discuss the formation of LGBT/Q film festivals and their circuit. There, I sketch out the historical development of the LGBT/Q film festival while paying attention also to the larger social, political, geographic, and economic contexts. The discursive historiography is accompanied by an empirical one, where I analyze the growth pattern and global spread of the LGBT/Q film festival circuit. Along with the global perspective, a discussion of US-American (Frameline, NewFest, MIX NYC), German (Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg, Verzaubert, Berlinale Teddy Award) and Austrian (identities) case studies provides further depth in understanding the evolution of the festivals and the circuit. Having drawn a broad picture of the circuit in chapter 3, I zoom in to look at a number of specific incidents of disruption and boycotts as case studies to unravel the different layers in which LGBT/Q film festivals as instances of queer film culture are performed (or failed). In this chapter I mobilize mainly perspectives of performativity and performance from ethnography and performance studies. These are put in synch with concepts such as public spheres, audience address, and event culture in three steps: selection, exhibition, and reception. Under the heading of selection, I discuss the performance of queer cinema as it becomes visible in the practices of selection of films and their programming at LGBT/Q film festivals. There I discuss various processes involved in programming, ranging from pre-selection, to screening committees, to programming strategies. Two historical incidents from the history of Frameline, the "Lesbian Riot" and the "Genderator" incident, serve as examples of how programming directly interrelates with identity negotiations. In the section on exhibition, I turn to the performative architecture of an LGBT/Q film festival by shedding light on the event itself, which follows specific scripts and rituals. In the last section on reception, I look at the corresponding side of these processes and look at the audience. Here, I discuss the formation of a counterpublic sphere, audience address, and the specific reception context of a festival. Two further festival boycotts are presented to analyze how LGBT/Q film festivals operate as queer counterpublic spheres that activists utilize for political intervention. The last section discusses the communal experience of collective viewing and the impact on the formation of a festival community. With this take on audiences, community and reception contexts, the chapter returns to the question of how LGBT/Q film festivals are an integral part of the practices of queer film culture, which was raised in the introduction. In the concluding outlook to the study I propose three further research trajectories. While the study mostly relied on conceptions of performativity and performance in the sense developed in ethnography, gender/queer theory and performance studies, another aspect of performance can be productively brought to bear on the subject of (LGBT/Q) film festivals: performance in the economic sense of efficiency and achievement.

Abstract In the past decade, the Vietnamese lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBT+) movement has succeeded in repositioning this population from the stigmatising label of "social evils" to a more positive social representation. Despite the limited space for civil society in this authoritarian environment, Vietnamese activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have effectively changed public attitudes, improved visibility, and gained legal recognition for this marginalised community. This study uses qualitative data from interviews with twelve activists and fieldwork observations to explain how activist strategies in this setting align with the "service delivery" function of civil society. By examining how activists have addressed healthcare and education deficits, I demonstrate that activism in authoritarian regimes can be effective when it assists instead of challenges the government. The findings contribute to scholarship on global queer activism by demonstrating how a service delivery approach can achieve social change, highlighting the role of NGOs and international development in this process. Additionally, the findings expose existing challenges that hinder these activists' efforts, showing how funding dependency and inadequate legal recognition can significantly limit the creativity and autonomy of grassroots activist groups.

Foreword / Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo -- Introduction -- PART 1: LGBTQ Voters 1. Profile of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Electorate in Canada / Andrea M.L. Perrella, Steven D. Brown, and Barry Kay 2. Winning as a Woman/Winning as a Lesbian: Voter Attitudes toward Kathleen Wynne in the 2014 Ontario Election / Joanna Everitt and Tracey Raney 3. Media Framing of Lesbian and Gay Politicians: Is Sexual Mediation at Work? / Mireille Lalancette and Manon Tremblay 4. Electing LGBT Representatives and the Voting System in Canada / Dennis Pilon -- PART 2: LGBTQ Representatives 5. LGBT Groups and the Canadian Conservative Movement: A New Relationship? / Frédéric Boily and Ève Robidoux-Descary 6. Liberalism and the Protection of LGBT Rights in Canada / Brooke Jeffrey 7. A True Match? The Federal New Democratic Party and LGBTQ Communities and Politics / Alexa DeGagne 8. Representation: The Case of LGBTQ People / Manon Tremblay 9. Pathway to Office: The Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, and Election of LGBT Candidates / Joanna Everitt, Manon Tremblay, and Angelia Wagner 10. LGBTQ Perspectives on Political Candidacy in Canada / Angelia Wagner 11. Out to Win: The ProudPolitics Approach to LGBTQ Electoralism / Curtis Atkins 12. LGBT Place Management: Representative Politics and Toronto's Gay Village / Catherine J. Nash and Andrew Gorman-Murray -- Afterword: The Champion / Graeme Truelove -- Index

In the past several years, the Wikimedia Movement has become more aware of the lack of representation of specific communities, that is, content gaps. Next to geographical and gender-related initiatives, the LGBT+ Wikimedia community has organized to create LGBT+ content encompassing (among other topics) biographies, events, and culture. In this paper, we present a computational approach to collecting and analyzing LGBT+ articles. We selected 14 Wikipedia language editions to study the coverage of LGBT+ content in general, its visibility in the list of Featured Articles, and its overlap with the local content of the Wikipedia language editions. Results show that a considerable part of potentially LGBT+ related content exists across Wikipedia language editions; however, this relation is not evident in each language edition. In this sense, closing the LGBT+ content gap is about creating articles and making connection to the topic visible in already existing articles. We also analyze the frequency of biographies of persons with non-heterosexual sexual orientations. We find that even though they represent only a small share of all biographies, they are a bit more frequent among the Featured Articles. When taking into account all the LGBT+ biographies of the different languages, English context celebrities are the most visible. While part of the LGBT+ content is related to each language edition's local context, it tends to be less contextualized than the entire language editions. This indicates the possibility of growing LGBT+ content in each Wikipedia language edition by representing its most immediate LGBT+ local context. We propose a dashboard tool to find relevant LGBT+ articles across language editions and start bridging the gaps. Finally, we conclude this study by presenting recommendations for the next steps amongst the Wikipedia communities to fill some of these gaps.

This paper proposes that LGBT+ mainstreaming on reality television programme Strictly Come Dancing creates space for audience demand for radical, authentic representations of same-sex desire and intimacy, both of which challenges normative representations of ballroom dancing. Integrating concepts of normativity and authenticity explored in existing scholarship, I argue against the encountering through a defensive stance, of reality TV's normalization of queer narratives to promote authentic, inclusive representation. Focusing on dance-themed British reality TV programme for family entertainment, I draw on a queer reading of 285 newspaper articles on Strictly Come Dancing's same-sex dance partnerships and 35 interviews with LGBT+ equality dancers in the United Kingdom, to conclude that active engagement with mechanisms of normalization can open up spaces for a reclamation of queer representation in its authenticity. The article makes a contribution to media and cultural studies and queer television scholarship through a troubling of anti-normativity, proposing a working with normativity to achieve queer inclusivity.

Abstract
This paper provides critical insights into the inclusion of sexual minorities in Flemish fictional TV shows aimed at children. Narratives including LGBT+ characters and non-normative gender performances have gained presence, and especially Nordic and Dutch productions have been acknowledged for their inclusive storytelling. Following up on this premise, our study analyzes five Flemish programs aimed at children aged six to twelve, which all include at least one character who identifies as LGBT+. Our analysis concludes that Flemish children's productions show a visible willingness to include diversified and inclusive storytelling. However, the assimilationist venture of minimizing the 'otherness' of non-heterosexual characters has led to a rather homogenous and normative portrayal of these characters. More stereotypical representations like frivolous singing hairdressers have now been replaced by rather heteronormative and gender-conforming characters. Not confining representations to either end of the spectrum are a necessity if Flemish children's television wants its audience to understand the diversified range of sexual and gender identities.

This article presents an exploratory literature review of scientific publications (from 2000 to 2020) to identify how public policies for the LGBT population in Brazil are being discussed. The findings indicate that this subject is still emerging in the field of public administration. The study identified two distinct approaches used in the literature: articles that rely on the stages of the public policy cycle and articles based on the queer perspective. The articles identified that the main barriers to LGBT public policies in Brazil were: the lack of laws to protect the rights of this population; miscommunication between the state and civil society; budget shortage for the plans and programs; and lack of political representation. In addition, it was possible to observe that the articles converge when they refer to the presence and advancement of conservatism, specifically when it comes to religious segments, characterizing it as a common barrier to enforce LGBT rights. ; Este artículo presenta una revisión exploratoria de la literatura de publicaciones científicas (de 2000 a 2020) para identificar cómo se están discutiendo las políticas públicas para la población LGBT en Brasil. Los resultados indican que esta discusión aún está en desarrollo en el campo de estudio de la administración pública. Fue posible identificar dos enfoques distintos que tipifican los textos en dos categorías principales: artículos que se basan en las etapas del ciclo de las políticas públicas y artículos basados en la perspectiva queer. Las principales barreras presentadas en los artículos a las políticas públicas LGBT en Brasil fueron: la falta de leyes que protejan los derechos de esta población; mala comunicación entre el Estado y la sociedad civil; escasez de presupuesto para los planes y programas; y falta de representación política en el entorno LGBT. Además, se observó que los artículos convergen cuando se refieren a la presencia y el avance del conservadurismo, específicamente cuando se trata de segmentos religiosos, lo que se caracteriza como una barrera común para hacer cumplir los derechos LGBT. ; Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão exploratória da literatura sobre publicações científicas (entre os anos 2000 e 2020) a fim de identificar como as políticas públicas voltadas à população LGBT no Brasil estão sendo discutidas. O levantamento realizado aponta que tal discussão ainda se apresenta de forma emergente no campo de administração pública. Foi possível identificar no corpus da pesquisa dois eixos de abordagem sobre os quais os textos podem ser tipificados: aqueles com discussão centrada em etapas do ciclo de políticas públicas e outros com debate apoiado na perspectiva queer. Os principais pontos apresentados como entraves às políticas públicas LGBT no Brasil foram: a falta de leis que resguardem os direitos dessa população; falhas na interlocução entre Estado e sociedade civil; falta de previsão orçamentária para os planos e programas; e falta de representação política no meio LGBT. Além do já exposto, foi observada convergência entre os artigos ao se referirem sobre a presença e avanço do conservadorismo, especificamente aquele protagonizado por segmentos religiosos, caracterizando-o como habitual empecilho na efetivação dos direitos LGBT.

This volume presents an analysis of the political representation of gay and lesbian elected candidates and elected officials within government institutions, especially at the state level. It presents a number of findings about the strategies of LGBT candidates for state legislative office, the conditions under which they run and get elected, and most importantly, how electing LGBT legislators helps efforts to shape policies favored by the LGBT rights movement

Situational contexts vary substantially across the country. This variation provides conditionswhere a subset of the American public may be exposed to situations that others arenot. How do contexts affect the politics of minority groups? In this dissertation, I examinehow the politics of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are situated by differing contextsacross the United States. I examine how LGB presence aects and conditions the approvalof the mass public. I examine the mechanism this influence bears on representative behavior in Congress. I finally examine how varying contexts uniquely affects some LGBs over others. In total, I find that varying contexts situate the political positions of LGB peopledifferently. This results in unique conditions where LGB people are politically ininfluentialand cohesive.