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A Cultivation Of Rape Culture In D.C., Maryland, And Virginia Universities

Nadia BenAissa
Kate Drabinski, Gender and Women’s Studies

The normalization of sexual violence is known in the literature as rape culture. Four year universities in the United States have historically cultivated rape culture. The public has a vested interest in knowing what is or is not being done to dismantle rape culture and prevent sexual assault on campuses, in order to hold these institutions accountable. The scope of this research was select universities within the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. This research recognizes commonalities within the cross populated universities that cultivate rape culture and identify how inconsistent metrics have left universities unaccountable. A social constructionist and mixed methods approach was used to explore how institutional betrayal has exacerbated the problems with campus climate surveys and further distanced people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals from reporting. An archival analysis of university policies, rape culture, and Title IX was conducted, along with a statistical analysis of campus sexual assault surveys. The archival analysis suggests that despite updates to laws/policies, universities have failed to reach their more diverse populations. The data analysis suggests that the differing modes of surveying campus climates has led to statistically insignificant results that cannot affirm that new university sexual violence policies are working.

“Begin Purging State Dept. Of Homosexuals”: The Lavender Scare And The LGBT Community During The Cold War

Rosie McNeely
Meredith Oyen, History

The Lavender Scare was a little-known episode in LGBTQ history in which thousands of gay men and women employed by the federal government in the 1950s lost their jobs due to their sexuality. From this purge, the gay rights movement emerged to fight vigorously for LGBTQ individuals’ ability to work, regardless of their sexual orientation. By examining both government documents and the manuscripts of those involved in the budding gay rights movement, I evaluate how the Lavender Scare came into play and the reverberating effects on the LGBTQ community in the 1950s and 1960s. The Lavender Scare blossomed out of the anti-communist and homophobic paranoia of the McCarthy era and resulted in the termination of thousands of homosexual government employees and major panic in the LGBT community due to the loss of people’s sense of security, but the aftermath gave way to unity in the community and helped lay the foundation for equal LGBT rights in the United States. This research is increasingly relevant at a time when the Supreme Court is deciding a case on whether employees can be discriminated against based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

Why Do We Like Rappers Cuckolding And Having Sex With Lesbians?

Kenneth M’Bale
Rebecca Adelman, Media and Communication Studies

In rap there is a curious trend of rappers rapping about cuckolding the listeners’ girlfriend and having sex with non-heterosexual women.This project sought to explore why these reoccuring lyrics resonate with audiences. Rap may have originated from a black community, but it is the most global genre of music. Thus, it has to be seen as a cultural force among all listeners outside of that black community. With this understanding, the project explored where the listening obsession for cuckolding and sex with non-heterosexual women originates. The project focused on the listening audience, as many rappers are performing a fantasy for the listeners, and do not live nor believe the lyrics that they write. This included performances from confirmed straight female rappers like Cardi B or Nicki Minaj, and rappers like Kendrick Lamar or Kanye West. The project explored the nature of black hypersexuality, the expectations of what a rapper must look and be like, the homophobia rampant in mainstream rap, the objectification of women, and objectification of non-normative sexuality as a whole. The project concluded that this cuckolding is a form of sexual violence from one man to another. Further, the objectification of non-heterosexual women renders them sub-human.

Creating An Inclusive Sexual Health Education For Transgender Youth In Maryland Public High Schools

Alexandra Siebenhaar
Kate Drabinski, Gender and Women’s Studies

LGBTQ+ high-school students are excluded from most sexual health education curriculums in the United States. Not only is sexual health education very heteronormative, but lacking gender-inclusive language in the classroom is detrimental to the health of transgender youth. This results in transgender youth being at a higher risk of having unprotected sex leading to unintended pregnancies, STI’s, and HIV/AIDS. My research focuses on sexual health education in Maryland Public High Schools and how educators can work on developing a more inclusive curriculum that accommodates the transgender experience. My research compares the state of Maryland’s framework to the state of California’s framework (in which they legally require sex education to be LGBTQ+ inclusive). Also, my research examines qualitative or interview-based scholarly articles to seek out what transgender individuals wish they were taught in their sexual health education classes. Finally, my research conducts a data analysis of both Maryland and California’s state statistics regarding pregnancy rates, STIs, and HIV/AIDS amongst young individuals. My research specifically analyzes how the varying sexual orientations within the transgender community are included in sexual health education, as well as the discussion of hormone therapy, gender dysphoria, sex and body positivity.

An Investigation Into The State Of South Korea’s LGBT Community Through Analysis Of Language Use

Julianne Townsend
Kyung-Eun Yoon, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication

This research analyzes the language use of LGBT people through examination of internet forums and social media platforms. Incidences of LGBT activity has been recorded in the Korean Peninsula since its early history. However, but due to the present-day influence of conservative Christian groups, Confucian ideology, and government policy, the existence of the LGBT community in Korea is largely unknown to those outside of the group, and is regarded as taboo. Speaking openly about one’s own sexual or gender identity is not widely accepted, and as a result there is a dearth of open discourse about this subject. Despite this, there is a wealth of information about and discourse regarding the Korean LGBT community on internet forums and social media platforms, such as Twitter. Through the examination of the language used on internet forums, social media pages centered around South Korean LGBT people, Google Images, and content in South Korean television programs, this paper analyzes and attempts to reveal the state of the South Korean LGBT community through the analysis of the language used in relation to community identity construction and media visibility.