The Discrimination Experiences of Sexual Minority Students
Abstract
"That's so gay!" What types of discrimination experiences do lesbian, gay, bisexual and other sexual minority students face? At this Thursday Forum, Dr. Lisa Platt (Psychology) discusses her recent research on sexual orientation microaggressions - subtle discrimination in the form of verbal, behavioral, and environmental slights and indignities. This research, which builds off of prior research with racial/ethnic minority groups, highlights the unique challenges faced by sexual minorities. Dr. Platt's research identified seven types of sexual minority microaggressions. These include: Endorsement of Heteronormative Culture, Sinfulness, Homophobia, Heterosexist Language/Terminology, Oversexualization, Undersexualization and Microaggressions as Humor. The implications of sexual orientation microaggressions, along with limitations and future research directions, will be addressed.