Sexuality and Gender Studies Journal

Consent Across the Spectrum: Comparing Queer and Cis-Heterosexual Approaches to Sexual Agreement

Annina Boehm-Fischer, Jane Hergert — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores how sexual consent attitudes differ across gender identities and sexual orientations in Germany. Using a German version of two scales from the Sexual Consent Questionnaire by Humphreys and Herold (2007) and a third newly developed scale on consent negotiation tactics, data from 399 diverse online participants were collected. Results show that cisgender men find asking for consent less important (scale 1), are more likely to believe that the length of a relationship reduces the obligation to obtain consent (scale 2), and tend to normalize persuasion tactics (scale 3), compared to transgender, intersex, non-binary, and other (TIN) individuals and cisgender women. Between heterosexual and non-heterosexual participants, differences were only found on scales 1 and 3, but not on scale 2, suggesting that the attitude related to relationship length may be generally accepted across all sexual orientations, but not across all gender identities. These findings highlight how consent norms are reinterpreted across different identity groups and emphasize the need for inclusive sexual health education. Extending Humphreys’ work beyond North American heterosexual samples, this research contributes culturally and intersectionally nuanced insights to the global understanding of sexual ethics.

Cyborg Bodies, Posthuman Identities: Rethinking Gender in the Age of AI

Subha Chakraburtty — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This comparative analysis of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun (2021) and Manjula Padmanabhan’s The Island of Lost Girls (2015) employs a feminist posthumanist lens, augmented by disability studies, trans technofeminism, and decolonial AI ethics, to interrogate artificial and engineered female embodiments. It explores negotiations of vulnerability, care, surveillance, and biopolitical regulation, guided by five research questions: conceptualizations of posthuman female embodiment and emergent ethical-political-affective possibilities; manifestations of feminist posthumanist themes like relationality and techno-agency; enrichments from crip and queer technofeminist perspectives on embodied difference; influences of cultural locations on posthuman paradigms sans West/South Asia binaries; and a comparative mapping of care, resistance, and technological governance intersections. Findings delineate contrasting yet complementary posthuman visions. One is grounded in relational ethics, while the other is shaped by necropolitical control, affirming literature’s capacity to theorize the ethical and political stakes of AI-mediated futures.

Experiences of Sexual and Gender Based Violence Among Queer Individuals in India

Immaculate Damasus — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores the multifaceted experiences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among queer individuals in India, both online and offline, through an intersectional and phenomenological lens. Drawing from in-depth interviews with three participants, it examines how caste, religion, gender identity, and socio-cultural structures influence the nature, frequency, and response to SGBV. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research uncovers themes of digital and physical violence, institutional apathy, internalized stigma, and fractured support systems. The findings highlight the psychological toll of SGBV, the failure of formal legal and mental health structures, and the critical role of informal and community-based support. This study calls for systemic reform and inclusive interventions that recognize intersectionality as essential to justice and healing.

Students’ Perspectives of Power and Gendered Discourse in Moroccan EFL Classrooms- Fez Meknes Academy as a Case Study

Maryem HourmatAllah — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Moroccan secondary schools, EFL classrooms serve as significant environments for the development of identity, expression, and engagement. However, not much has looked at how students view the gendered character of authority and classroom discourse. This research explores how gender influences classroom participation in Moroccan EFL classes, with an emphasis on students’ experiences, interpretations, and resistance to gendered interactions with the teacher. Drawing on qualitative data from 30 hours of classroom observation, six-gender segregated focus groups, and a supplementary questionnaire administrated to 80 students in public secondary schools in the region of Fez- Meknes, Morocco, the study examines how students interpret differences in who speaks, who dominates discussions, and how teachers react to students of different genders. Findings demonstrate that many students are well conscious of the power dynamics present in class discussions. Boys claim to be under pressure to demonstrate dominance and superiority in class debates, whereas girls frequently share stories of being ignored in conversations or subjected to harsher criticism for speaking directly. Language hierarchy and societal standards unique to Morocco’s postcolonial and multilingual culture, in addition to gender customs, influence these impressions. This study presents an unusual perspective on gender and language in education by emphasizing student viewpoints rather than only analysing the teacher’s behaviour and action. It urges the creation of more inclusive classroom practices that acknowledge and question gendered power relations in English learning contexts, as well as a reconsideration of educational approaches that accidentally promote unequal speaking rights.

Managing Diversity Beyond the Binary: Organizational Policies and Workplace Inclusion for Sexual and Gender Minorities in Emerging Economies: A Mixed-Methods Study from Nigeria

Akaninyene Unaam — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The inclusion of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) in workplaces across emerging economies remains critically understudied, particularly in contexts where legal, cultural, and organizational norms create substantial barriers to equality. This mixed-methods study examines how organizational policies and inclusion practices shape the workplace experiences and career outcomes of SGM employees in Nigeria. Integrating Institutional Theory, Minority Stress Theory, and Organizational Inclusion frameworks, we investigate the relationships among policy strength, perceived inclusion climate, perceived organizational support (POS), job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Quantitative data were collected from 400 employees across Rivers, Lagos, Kogi, and Abuja using validated Likert-based scales. Qualitative insights were generated from 32 semi-structured interviews (24 SGM employees, 8 HR managers). Results indicate that policy strength positively predicts an inclusive climate, which in turn enhances job satisfaction and reduces turnover intentions. POS significantly mediates the relationship between inclusion climate and job outcomes, while regional differences moderate these effects. Qualitative findings reveal persistent policy–practice gaps, widespread fear of disclosure, leadership silence, and markedly varying inclusion climates across regions. This study provides novel empirical evidence from an under-researched emerging-economy context, identifies the structural and cultural constraints uniquely affecting SGM employees, and offers actionable, context-sensitive recommendations for HR practitioners, policymakers, and organizational leaders. The findings advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) discourse beyond binary gender categories and furnish a practical framework for designing policies that promote psychological safety, dignity, and belonging for all employees.

Mitigating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Rural Communities: Challenges and Way Forward

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is a pressing global issue that severely hampers socioeconomic progress and deepens gender inequities, with women and girls in rural communities disproportionately impacted. This study synthesizes qualitative insights from semi-structured as well as Life history interviews conducted in Delta and Edo states of Nigeria to explore the prevalence, forms and causes of SGBV, as well as the barriers women and girls face in seeking help after experiences of violence. Key findings indicate that intimate partner violence, sexual assault by acquaintances and strangers, and other forms of gender-based violence are common. Social norms, such as the belief that men are superior to women and minimal penalties for perpetrators, contribute to the normalization of violence. Many women are reluctant to report abuse to authorities due to fear of stigma, blame and the perception that law enforcement will not act. To mitigate these challenges, the study recommends multifaceted approaches including challenging harmful gender norms through community education and engagement, strengthening law enforcement's capacity to respond appropriately to reports of violence, providing comprehensive support services for survivors, and amplifying the voices of women leaders to drive change.