1. The Ins & Outs of inclusive research with sexual & gender minorities
Karen L. Blair, PhD
St. Francis xavier university

2. Where are we now?
Psychology: The study of the mind and behaviour. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience – from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. ~ APA

3. Psychology & exclusion
Historical treatment of LGBTQ identities in Psychology

4. Current exclusion
Failure to collect sexual or gender identity information.
Explicit exclusion by using heterosexual as an inclusion criteria.
Reasons for Exclusion:
Vulnerable population status
Uneven sample sizes
Don’t know how to “find them”
Too complicated / messy
Lack of measures
Not enough funding
Need to study phenomenon in “normative” sample first

5. Failed inclusion Failure to use the data of LGBTQ participants
Failure to properly adapt instruments for LGBTQ participants
Heteronormative Wording
Husband / wife vs. Spouse, Partner
He/she vs. them, they
Sexual intercourse vs. sex, sexual activity
Mother / Father vs. Parents

6. Queer Isolation Studies that only include LGBTQ participants
Serial studies
With heterosexual studies first

7. Ok… but is it really that bad?
Review of Conference Poster Sessions
SPSP 2014
CPA

8. SPSP 2014 Close Relationships Poster Session 58 Posters
45 deemed “relevant”
15.5% included LGBTQ Participants
24.4% reported sexual orientation as a demographic
76.6% did not!

9. SPSP 2014 Of the 15.5% that included LGBTQ Participants
Majority were studies of ONLY LGBTQ participants
Only 4 posters indicated sexual orientation when all participants were heterosexual
i.e., Heterosexuality was assumed / implied

10. Newly Weds

11. Expecting Parents

12. Married Couples
Also – “females coupled with men”

13. SPS 2014

14. CPA 2014 31 Relevant Posters Judged During 2 Poster Sessions
6 described sexual orientation of sample (as heterosexual)
2 used LGBTQ participants in presented analyses
0 reported Gender Identity
4 included LGBTQ participants in research, but cut from analysis
Not relevant
There were group differences
Sample was too small
Methods of Implying Heterosexual Identity of Sample
Women in relationships with men
Married or in a relationship
Expecting Parents

15. CPA 2015 & 2016
2015
First Annual Morrison Award for LGBTQ Inclusive Research Methods
84 Applications
14% “loosely” considered contenders
70% collected data on ethnicity
28% collected data on sexual identity
2016
2nd year for the Morrison Award
No winner selected
Only 30 Applicants

16. Why change?
“Taking into account the scope and objectives of their research, researchers should be inclusive in selecting their participants. Researchers shall not exclude individuals from the opportunity to participate in research on the basis of attributes such as .... sexual orientation ... unless there is a valid reason for the exclusion.” ~ Tri-Council Policy

17. Unless there is a valid reason for exclusion…
Shall not be excluded from research ….
Unless there is a valid reason for exclusion…

19. Why Change? Accuracy Participant Experience
Uncover new solutions / novel findings

20. Why Change? Increase the ACCURACY of your data!
Do you want EASY data, or do you seek the truth?
Heterosexuality cannot be assumed

23. Accurate Data
Sexual or gender identity could be an important confounding variable
Avoid inaccurate responses to heteronormative questions

24. Improve participant Experience
Don’t be part of the problem
Excluding participants from research
= contributing to day-to-day exclusion
Minority Stress
Micro Aggressions

25. Which contributes to exclusion?

27. Improve participant Experience
Don’t be part of the problem
Excluding participants from research
= contributing to day-to-day exclusion
Minority Stress
Micro Aggressions
Being Inclusive gives participants a greater ability to tell you their reality.

28. Uncover new solutions
Understanding a concept from the perspective of Sexual & Gender minorities can shed light on phenomena relevant to ALL participants
Study on Vulvar Pain in Women
Study on Sexual Durations & Orgasms
Sexual Scripts
Division of Labour & Childcare
Questions of Gender, Gender Identity, and Socialization

29. Recommendations
Include sexual orientation, identity and gender identity as standard demographic questions
When possible, use multidimensional measures
Sexual Attraction
Sexual Behaviours
Nature of Current Relationship
Sexual Fantasies
Propensity to Falling Love
Past and Current experiences
Qualitative Kinsey Scale

30. Provide alternatives
Consider the experiences of not only those who take part in your study, but the experience of everyone who sees your advertisements.
What is the impact of passing a sign that says “heterosexuals only?”
What messages are we sending to youth who see our research ads?

31. Provide alternatives If you must exclude or “kick out” after screening
Branch to an alternate survey
Provide list of other open surveys (your own or others)
Collect information for future studies.
Don’t make it obvious that you’re kicking them out

32. Give an explanation Why is someone or some group excluded?
Explanation can go a long way
Explain during survey – informed consent, advertisements
Explain in reports – papers, posters, presentations

33. Avoid Common Assumptions
Not all newlyweds are in mixed-sex / mixed-gender relationships
Not everyone in a mixed-sex relationship is heterosexual
Mixed-sex and heterosexual are not interchangeable
Not all expecting parents are heterosexual
Not everyone has a mother / father (mother/mother, father/father, mother/father/father…)
Do not assume that sexual orientation or gender identity is irrelevant
But don’t overestimate relevance either

34. So you’re already an inclusive researcher…
Moving beyond your own work
Evaluate the inclusiveness of LGBTQ participants and issues in all aspects of your work
Ethics Boards
Reviewing
Teaching

35. Ethics Boards Tri-Council Policy – Use it!
Question your institution’s definition of a “vulnerable population”
Evaluate research materials for inclusive methods
How will an LGBTQ participant experience the study you are reviewing?

36. Journal Reviewing
Ask authors to include sexual and gender identity in their demographics section
Question the exclusion of LGBTQ participants and request an explanation be provided in the paper
If they collect the data, request that they analyze and include the results
Goal: NOT using inclusive methods = barrier to publication

37. Conference Organizing
Consider including a question about inclusive research methods during abstract submission
Avoid lumping all things LGBTQ together
Search for better links with other topics

38. Questions What challenges have you faced? Resources: www.LGBTdata.org
content/uploads/SMART-FINAL-Nov-2009.pdf