The Politics of Invisibility

Arend, Elizabeth

doi:10.1300/j082v49n01_05

Cited by 21 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The current study's findings are supported by previous qualitative research in the United States that highlighted the invisibility and lack of services to meet the needs of HIV-positive WSW [1,2,5]. The exclusion of HIV-positive LBQT women reported in HIV research, services and programmes corroborates previous work that highlights the assumptions in HIV “gender” works that women living with HIV are heterosexual and cisgender [2,7,31].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender (LBQT) women living with HIV have been described as invisible, ignored, neglected and understudied [1–4]. Lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women were considered at risk at the beginning of the epidemic and were almost prohibited from donating blood; this perception was a shift from the mid-1980s when LBQ women were constructed as “immune” to HIV and not relevant to HIV research and practice [2,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The term WSW, women having sex with women, was developed to challenge fixed and categorical conceptualizations of sexuality, and LBQ/WSW researchers underscore the importance of understanding that sexual identity, behaviour and desire do not always align and women who identify as LBQ/WSW may have histories of engaging in consensual and non-consensual sex with men for complex reasons [2,3,5,8,14,18–20]. This complexity of women's sexuality is not well understood or integrated in HIV services; a qualitative study with HIV-positive WSW in the United States revealed a lack of resources tailored for HIV-positive WSW [1]. Researchers have described a low level of engagement of HIV-positive LBQ women in HIV treatment and care [9,21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

“We don't exist”: a qualitative study of marginalization experienced by HIV‐positive lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender women in Toronto, Canada

Logie

James

Tharao

et al. 2012

Journal of the International AIDS Society

120

101

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundLesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender (LBQT) women living with HIV have been described as invisible and understudied. Yet, social and structural contexts of violence and discrimination exacerbate the risk of HIV infection among LBQT women. The study objective was to explore challenges in daily life and experiences of accessing HIV services among HIV-positive LBQT women in Toronto, Canada.MethodsWe used a community-based qualitative approach guided by an intersectional theoretical framework. We conducted two focus groups; one focus group was conducted with HIV-positive lesbian, bisexual and queer women (n=7) and the second with HIV-positive transgender women (n=16). Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used for analyzing data to enhance understanding of factors that influence the wellbeing of HIV-positive LBQT women.ResultsParticipant narratives revealed a trajectory of marginalization. Structural factors such as social exclusion and violence elevated the risk for HIV infection; this risk was exacerbated by inadequate HIV prevention information. Participants described multiple barriers to HIV care and support, including pervasive HIV-related stigma, heteronormative assumptions in HIV-positive women's services and discriminatory and incompetent treatment by health professionals. Underrepresentation of LBQT women in HIV research further contributed to marginalization and exclusion. Participants expressed a willingness to participate in HIV research that would be translated into action.ConclusionsStructural factors elevate HIV risk among LBQT women, limit access to HIV prevention and present barriers to HIV care and support. This study's conceptualization of a trajectory of marginalization enriches the discussion of structural factors implicated in the wellbeing of LBQT women and highlights the necessity of addressing LBQT women's needs in HIV prevention, care and research. Interventions that address intersecting forms of marginalization (e.g. sexual stigma, transphobia, HIV-related stigma) in community and social norms, HIV programming and research are required to promote health equity among LBQT women.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“We don't exist”: a qualitative study of marginalization experienced by HIV‐positive lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender women in Toronto, Canada

Logie

James

Tharao

et al. 2012

Journal of the International AIDS Society

120

101

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As will be demonstrated within the data, Elizabeth's claim that queer identities go unnoticed is in conflict with her intrapersonal and interpersonal lived experience. We will see that as she and I further explore her narrative, queer blindfolding is exposed as a discursive strategy that fosters a form of social invisibility that serves to repress the painful acknowledgment of queer oppression (for more on queer [in]visibilities, see Acosta, 2011;Arend, 2005;Steinbugler, 2005;Tucker, 2009). We will demonstrate that Elizabeth's claim is a good intention that has become subconsciously packaged as reality.…”

Section: Downloaded By [Indiana University Libraries] At 11:17 04 Febmentioning

confidence: 99%

Queer Blindfolding: A Case Study on Difference “Blindness” Toward Persons Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

Smith

Shin

2014

Journal of Homosexuality

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this article is to introduce and explore the narrative strategy of queer blindfolding. Utilizing psycho-discursive qualitative methodology, the authors will draw from a case study to demonstrate how some beneficent, well-intended persons who identify as heterosexual adopt the narrative strategy of queer blindfolding as they negotiate the discourse of heteronormativity. We will map this narrative strategy, compare and contrast it to racial colorblindness, and unpack the accompanying intra-psychic conflict and defense mechanisms that are utilized by the participant in the case study. We will also demonstrate how this discursive strategy positions participants within systemic heterosexism.

show abstract

“…Despite the ongoing silence, the presence of HIV/AIDS in lesbian women and other WSW has been documented since the early 1990s, with prevalence rates that are sometimes higher than among their heterosexual counterparts [3], [15], [24]–[29]. This increased risk of HIV is usually associated with injection drug use and sexual involvement with men.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced Sexual Experiences as Risk Factor for Self-Reported HIV Infection among Southern African Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Sandfort

Baumann²,

Matebeni

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Even though women who have sex with women are usually understood to be at no or very low risk for HIV infection, we explored whether lesbian and bisexual women in a geographical area with high HIV prevalence (Southern Africa) get tested for HIV and whether, among those women who get tested, there are women who live with HIV/AIDS. The study was conducted in collaboration with community-based organizations in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Data were collected via written surveys of women who in the preceding year had had sex with a woman (18 years and older; N = 591). Most participating women identified as lesbian and black. Almost half of the women (47.2%) reported ever having had consensual heterosexual sex. Engagement in transactional sex (lifetime) was reported by 18.6% of all women. Forced sex by men or women was reported by 31.1% of all women. A large proportion of the women reported to ever have been tested for HIV (78.3%); number of lifetime female and male partners was independently associated with having been tested; women who had engaged in transactional sex with women only or with women and men were less likely to have been tested. Self-reported HIV prevalence among tested women who knew their serostatus was 9.6%. Besides age, the sole independent predictor of a positive serostatus was having experienced forced sex by men, by women, or by both men and women. Study findings indicate that despite the image of invulnerability, HIV/AIDS is a reality for lesbian and bisexual women in Southern Africa. Surprisingly, it is not sex with men per se, but rather forced sex that is the important risk factor for self-reported HIV infection among the participating women. HIV/AIDS policy should also address the needs of lesbian, bisexual and other women who have sex with women.

show abstract

The Politics of Invisibility

Cited by 21 publications

References 4 publications

“We don't exist”: a qualitative study of marginalization experienced by HIV‐positive lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender women in Toronto, Canada

“We don't exist”: a qualitative study of marginalization experienced by HIV‐positive lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender women in Toronto, Canada

Queer Blindfolding: A Case Study on Difference “Blindness” Toward Persons Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

Forced Sexual Experiences as Risk Factor for Self-Reported HIV Infection among Southern African Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About