Non-Existent “Bi”omes : Attitudes and Binegativity against Bisexual People in India

3 years ago the same-sex law was decriminalized in India which has brought about an increase in the LGBTQIA+ community’s visibility. Today, around 9% of India’s population identifies as bisexual (Ipsos, 2021). Bisexuality is the sexuality of any person who identifies themselves to be sexually attracted to people of any gender including binary, non-binary and agender individuals. There has been some research to understand the lesbian/gay and transgender population in India, but there’s a dearth of literature studying the various factors influencing the lives of bisexual population of India. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes and binegativity against bisexual people by cisgender and heterosexual (cis-het) high school (9-12th grade) students from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. This study will follow a cross-sectional exploratory design using a multiple stage cluster sampling. The Attitudes Regarding Bisexuality Scale (Mohr & Rochlen, 1999) and the Gender Specific Binegativity Scale (Mullik & Wright, 2002) would be administered to the students using an online survey platform. The findings would provide a better understanding of the bisexual population in India and present implications at the policy level to prevent discrimination against the bisexual community.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus and parthenogenetic Asian longhorned tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae)

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is spreading rapidly in Asia. It is transmitted by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick, ALT), which has both parthenogenetically and sexually reproducing populations. Parthenogenetic populations were found in at least 15 provinces in China and strongly correlated with the distribution of SFTS. The distribution of SFTS cases was however poorly correlated with the distribution of populations of bisexual ALTs. Phylogeographic analysis suggested that the parthenogenetic population spread much faster than bisexual population because colonization is independent of sexual reproduction. A higher proportion of parthenogenetic ALTs were collected from migratory birds captured at an SFTS endemic area, implicating the contribution to the long-range movement of ALTs in China. The SFTSV susceptibility of parthenogenetic females was like that of bisexual females under laboratory conditions. These results suggest that parthenogenetic ALT, probably transported by migratory birds, play a major role in the rapid spread of SFTSV.

LGBT Diversity and Inclusion, Community Characteristics, and Success

Drawing from concepts in institutional theory, the purpose of this study was to examine how community measures intersect with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender inclusiveness to predict organizational success. The authors collected publicly available data about National Collegiate Athletic Association departments (N = 65) and their communities. Moderated regression analyses demonstrated significant interactive effects, such that performance was highest when the department followed an inclusive strategy and (a) the lesbian, gay, and bisexual population density was high and (b) the state-level implicit bias toward sexual minorities was low. Importantly, there were no negative effects in following an inclusive strategy, even when institutional logics did not prescribe such an approach. The models explained 60–62% of the variance in performance. The authors discuss theoretical and practical implications.

Sexually Transmitted Infections and Associated Factors in Homosexuals and Bisexuals in Granada (Spain) During the Period 2000–2015

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health issue. Previous research shows the vulnerability of the homosexual and bisexual population, as well as the influence of economic, political, and cultural determinants. The aim of this study was to describe the socio-demographic healthcare profile and the main risk factors associated with STIs in homosexuals and bisexuals seen at the STI clinic in Granada (Spain) during the years 2000–2015. Infection prevalences were compared between the economic crisis period (2008–2014) and the rest of the years analysed. A cross-sectional observational and analytical study was conducted by reviewing 261 clinical records of individuals with suspected or present infection. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. 91.2% of the individuals were men, and 8.8% were women, with the mean age being 28.61 (SD = 9.35, Range = 17–74) years old. The prevailing sexual orientation identity was homosexual. 94.2% were single. The main reason for consultation was HIV. Differences in prevalence were found between crisis and non-crisis years (OR = 3.91; 95% CI = 1.73–9.19). In conclusion, their profile was that of a young, single man suspecting possible HIV infection. STI prevalence was significantly higher in the years of economic recession in comparison to the rest of the years.