In this TedX talk, Panti Bliss discusses same-sex PDAs, homophobia, and the tireless stress put on same-sex couples simply attempting to navigate the world like any other couple, but constantly having to be vigilant about their surroundings.
Panti hits the nail on the head and in our research, we are trying to add empirical evidence to support what Panti (and I) know to be true - that this kind of stress takes its tole. In Panti's words, she's fed up with putting up. From my perspective, I want to know what this does to our health. What does it do to your immune system and your mental well-being to always be vigilant? To never "carelessly and thoughtlessly" hold hands with your partner? But I also want to know about our resilience - because LGBTQ individuals are nothing if not resilient. How do we make up for not being able to "carelessly and thoughtlessly" hold hands with our partners? If you'd like to be a part of this research and help us to document the experiences of as many same-sex and gender-diverse couples as possible, consider becoming a patron of KLB Research. As little as $1/month can help us do great things. At $3/month we'll send you some fridge magnets, and at $5/month you'll receive early access to our research publications. Or, if you'd rather make a one time donation, consider our current campaign to raise $1500 to close the gap between our existing funding and the cost of a piece of software that we need in order to continue our research on the emotions associated with anti-gay violence, especially the kind that seems to target same-sex public displays of affection.