Ethnic identity is consistently associated with well-being (Sattler & Zeyen, 2021) and may mitigate negative psychological symptoms (Cotter et al., 2015). Few studies have examined ethnic identity in relation to positive psychological symptoms in Black women–including flow and flourishing. This study investigated flow—a mental state of deep focus and enjoyment (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)—as a mediator of the association between ethnic identity and flourishing.Approximately 216 Black women ages 18-79 completed a survey about their health behaviors at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Over 65% (n=141) of participants completed the follow-up. Measures assessed demographics, ethnic identity (Phinney & Ong, 2007), flow (Szymanski & Henning, 2007), and flourishing (Deiner et al., 2010). A multiple regression tested whether flow would mediate the association between ethnic identity and flourishing cross-sectionally and longitudinally (while controlling for baseline flourishing). The overall cross-sectional model was significant, F(2, 209)=43.17, p<.001; ethnic identity was positively associated with flow (p=.002) and flourishing (p<.001), and flow was positively associated with flourishing (p<.001). While controlling for flow, the association between ethnic identity and flourishing was diminished (p<.001). The indirect effect was significant, suggesting partial mediation (.08, 95%C.I. [0.02, 0.17]). Conversely, in the longitudinal model (F(2, 138)=21.78, p<.001), ethnic identity did not significantly predict flow or flourishing. The indirect effect was also not significant. However, baseline flourishing strongly predicted later flourishing (p<.001). Flow partially explained the association between ethnic identity and flourishing cross-sectionally, but not longitudinally.

Black queer individuals face unique and often overlooked vulnerabilities at the intersections of racism, homophobia, and economic oppression. These intersecting identities make the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) higher, simultaneously increasing the likelihood of incarceration or being arrested in the aftermath. This research will investigate how systemic factors like, discriminatory policing, social stigmas, and inadequate survivor services contribute to disproportionately high rates of IPV and incarceration rates among Black queer individuals. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, this study draws on existing national data sets, including the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey and the National Incident-Based Reporting System, to analyze trends related to IPV and incarceration. To support these statistics, qualitative narratives from Black queer survivors are used to highlight their lived experiences. By situating these findings within a Black feminist framework, this research seeks to illuminate how structural violence and institutional neglect perpetuate cycles of trauma. Overall, this work aims to inform future advocacy efforts, improve survivor services, and challenge policies that disproportionately harm Black queer individuals.

Identity development is an important function of adolescence (Erikson, 1968). This is especially true for LGBTQ+ youth as they discover their differences compared to their heterosexual or cisgender peers. As more youth identify as LGBTQ+, social networking applications – like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X – have quickly established a dominant presence in the lives of kids and teenagers since their rise twenty years ago. The prevalence of these applications indicates a shifting developmental landscape, where young people are developing critical functions – like identity formation and exploration – across both the virtual world and “real-life” (boyd, 2008; Pérez-Torres, 2024). With these effects, social media has become especially prevalent in LGBTQ+ youth identity development; it’s critical to study the messages youth are exposed to online. Using semi-structured interviews (N=32) conducted in 2021 with a diverse group of youth (ages 15-24, M=20.8), this study consists of a qualitative content analysis of social media influencers’ (N=28) accounts, coding for themes related to the LGBTQ+ community, including LGBTQ+ representation, advocacy, anti-sexual minority rhetoric and anti-transgender rhetoric. The content posted by politicians and social media influencers are compared. While these findings are limited to the year the interviews were conducted, they highlight specific issues for LGBTQ+ people living in the digital age.

Consensual unwanted sexual experiences (CUSE) are common for people in the U.S., especially women. Previous research has mainly focused on the motivations for consenting to unwanted sex as well as analyzing the frequency of these experiences. However, these articles have exclusively looked at these relationships in heterosexual and cisgender women in the United States instead of including LGBTQ+ individuals. The literature surrounding CUSE has established a base for understanding this kind of sexual interaction, but it is also important to study its relationship to aspects of health and wellbeing, like body satisfaction. Additionally, research is needed to examine how CUSE may be related to body image among women who are not heterosexual and cisgender. Therefore, the current study focuses on the association between experiencing consensual unwanted sex and body satisfaction for Queer women (i.e., LGBTQ+). This study used survey data from 452 Queer women and gender expansive individuals in the U.S. We ran an independent t-test to determine the difference in body satisfaction (using the Body Shape Questionnaire; BSQ) between those who had and had not consented to unwanted sex. We found that women who had experienced consensual unwanted sex reported more body dissatisfaction, compared to those without these experiences. Our results suggest that these experiences, which have been previously deemed harmless, could have potentially negative consequences for wellbeing. Knowledge of this relationship could help to improve education and prevention practices for future generations of LGBTQ+ individuals.