Academic Papers by Margaret Robinson
Increasingly, two-spirit identity is being included as one of the
identities under the bisexual u... more Increasingly, two-spirit identity is being included as one of the
identities under the bisexual umbrella, yet there has been very
little discussion about how this inclusion might affect two-spirit
people, the research that pertains to us, or the services shaped
by such data. This article draws upon personal experience as a
two-spirit and bisexual woman as well as upon research
conducted with two-spirit people in the province of Ontario,
Canada. Five points of comparison between bisexual and twospirit
identity are examined: (1) the complexity of our identities,
(2) the role of spirituality, (3) our elevated rates of poverty,
(4) sexual violence, and (5) the influence of colonialism.
Although bisexual and two-spirit identities share a number of
commonalities they have key differences in cultural context and
meaning.
Bisexuality is consistently associated with poor mental health outcomes. In population-based data... more Bisexuality is consistently associated with poor mental health outcomes. In population-based data, this is partially explained by income differences between bisexual people and lesbian, gay, and/or heterosexual individuals. However, the interrelationships between bisexuality, poverty, and mental health are poorly understood. In this paper, we examine the relationships between these variables using a mixed methods study of 302 adult bisexuals from Ontario, Canada. Participants were recruited using respondent-driven sampling to complete an internet-based survey including measures of psychological distress and minority stress. A subset of participants completed a semi-structured qualitative interview to contextualize their mental health experiences. Using information regarding household income, number of individuals supported by the income and geographic location, participants were categorized as living below or above the Canadian Low Income Cut Off (LICO). Accounting for the networked nature of the sample, participants living below the LICO had significantly higher mean scores for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and reported significantly more perceived discrimination compared to individuals living above the LICO. Grounded theory analysis of the qualitative interviews suggested four pathways through which bisexuality and poverty may intersect to impact mental health: through early life experiences linked to bisexuality or poverty that impacted future financial stability; through effects of bisexual identity on employment and earning potential; through the impact of class and sexual orientation discrimination on access to communities of support; and through lack of access to mental health services that could provide culturally competent care. These mixed methods data help us understand the income disparities associated with bisexual identity in population-based data, and suggest points of intervention to address their impact on bisexual mental health.
Research suggests an elevated level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among bisexuals. The ... more Research suggests an elevated level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among bisexuals. The PTSD Checklist–Civilian version (PCL-C) is a self-report measure used to assess PTSD symptoms in nonmilitary persons, closely following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria. In a study of 405 bisexuals in Ontario, Canada, the authors evaluated the PCL-C using confirmatory factor analysis and found it performed poorly. The authors caution researchers to be aware of the PCL-C's limitations. The authors concur that the three symptom clusters may not be the best way to evaluate the presence of PTSD, an issue that may be alleviated with PCL-C revisions to align with DSM-V criteria.
Bisexual women report high rates of illegal cannabis use relative to other women, yet little is k... more Bisexual women report high rates of illegal cannabis use relative to other women, yet little is known about what motivates such use. This community-based mixed-methods study draws on quantitative data from 92 bisexual women reporting past-year cannabis use in a large provincial study of bisexual mental health, and on qualitative data from 23 bisexual women in the Greater Toronto Area. Quantitative results on the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test-Extended Version for women reporting past-year cannabis use (n = 92) are compared with results for those reporting past year use of cannabis only (n = 27). Drawing from the quantitative participant pool, 9 women who report using cannabis twice per week or more (frequent use) were interviewed about their motivations for cannabis use. Because social norms may influence use, 2 focus groups were held with women reporting frequent use of cannabis (n = 7), and with demographically matched women (n = 7) reporting no use of cannabis. Data were analyzed using grounded theory, and findings were triangulated with quantitative results and member checked. Bisexual women report using cannabis to cope with anxiety, pain, stress, and biphobia with few negative repercussions. Women in the no use focus groups questioned the utility of cannabis and perceived it as undermining relationships. Both groups noted a lack of community awareness regarding cannabis use, and a lack of peer support for women seeking to reduce their use. Awareness campaigns and treatment interventions designed for bisexual women may assist those for whom cannabis use is problematic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)
Bisexuals are at greater risk for poor mental health compared with heterosexual, gay, and lesbian... more Bisexuals are at greater risk for poor mental health compared with heterosexual, gay, and lesbian people. This increased risk has been attributed to biphobia yet the relationship between biphobia and mental health has been understudied. Data were collected from an Ontario-wide survey of bisexuals, broadly defined, using respondent-driven sampling (N = 405), and minority stress theory was applied to examine the relationship between biphobia (from the straight community and gay/lesbian community separately) and anxiety using structural equation modelling. In contrast to our hypothesis, biphobia had little impact on anxiety. Results suggest that we need to enhance our capacity to measure discrimination.
The Mi’kmaq are the First Nation people that traditionally inhabited the eastern coast of North A... more The Mi’kmaq are the First Nation people that traditionally inhabited the eastern coast of North America. This article explores the Mi’kmaq cultural view of non-human animals as siblings and persons, including elements shaping the Mi’kmaq relation with animals such as the belief that animals sacrifice themselves for food, that human and animal spirits are eternal, and a belief in reincarnation. The role of reciprocity in the animal–human relationship is examined through the concepts of respect and honor, and the Mi’kmaq value of avoiding scarcity (netukulimk) is expanded to include non-human animals.
PLOS, Aug 11, 2014
Research has shown that bisexuals have poorer health outcomes than heterosexuals, gays, or lesbia... more Research has shown that bisexuals have poorer health outcomes than heterosexuals, gays, or lesbians, particularly with regard to mental health and substance use. However, research on bisexuals is often hampered by issues in defining bisexuality, small sample sizes, and by the failure to address age differences between bisexuals and other groups or age gradients in mental health. The Risk & Resilience Survey of Bisexual Mental Health collected data on 405 bisexuals from Ontario, Canada, using respondent-driven sampling, a network-based sampling method for hidden populations. The weighted prevalence of severe depression (PHQ-9≥20) was 4.7%, possible anxiety disorder (OASIS≥8) was 30.9%, possible post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-C≥50) was 10.8%, and past year suicide attempt was 1.9%. With respect to substance use, the weighted prevalence of problem drinking (AUDIT≥5) was 31.2%, and the weighted prevalence of illicit polydrug use was 30.5%. Daily smoking was low in this sample, with a weighted prevalence of 7.9%. Youth (aged 16–24) reported significantly higher weighted mean scores on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and higher rates of past year suicidal ideation (29.7% vs. 15.2%) compared with those aged 25 and older. The burden of mental health and substance use among bisexuals in Ontario is high relative to population-based studies of other sexual orientation groups. Bisexual youth appear to be at risk for poor mental health. Additional research is needed to understand if and how minority stress explains this burden.
Journal of Bisexuality, Feb 20, 2014
Education is a treaty right for Aboriginal people in Canada and the United States, and Aboriginal... more Education is a treaty right for Aboriginal people in Canada and the United States, and Aboriginal schools aim to provide a comprehensive education rooted in indigenous knowledge and culture. In an Aboriginal context, anti-bullying programs may address microaggressions against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirited youth. Two-spirited identity offers a model of sexuality that may reduce youth suicide by providing a sense of cultural belonging and purpose for sexual and gender minority Aboriginal people. Yet even as it offers social support, the two-spirited identity model risks replicating the dichotomous constructions of sexuality that form the basis of bisexual erasure. This article discusses strategies for preventing such erasure within Aboriginal schools.
Canadian Journal of Native Studies 33 (1), 189-196., 2013
This paper proposes a postcolonial ecofeminist reading of Mi’kmaq legends as a basis for a vegani... more This paper proposes a postcolonial ecofeminist reading of Mi’kmaq legends as a basis for a veganism rooted in Aboriginal culture. Mi’kmaq legends portray animals as siblings to humanity. These legends offer an alternative to the colonial stewardship/domination model of human-animal relations. The development of an Aboriginal veganism is complicated by the gendered nature of food production and consumption in Mi’kmaq culture. Ecofeminist exegesis of Mi’kmaq legends provide us with an indigenous grounding for vegan practice while offering a critical standpoint on issues such as the indigenous fishing industry.
Journal of Bisexuality 13 (1), 21-38., 2013
Increasingly, challengers to antipolygamy legislation have framed polyamory as a sexual orientati... more Increasingly, challengers to antipolygamy legislation have framed polyamory as a sexual orientation, arguing that some people are immutably predisposed toward forming multiple relationships. Drawing on a qualitative study of 40 bisexual women in Toronto, Canada, this article argues that polyamory and monogamy are better viewed as strategies of sexual expression rather than as immutable orientations. Such an approach accommodates identity shifts between monogamy and polyamory that enable women to manage and negotiate their visibility as bisexuals. Viewing monogamy and polyamory as strategic identities can help health care practitioners more accurately assess their clients’ needs and health risks.
Journal of Bisexuality 10 (1), 108-120. , 2013
This article examines the queer theology of Marcella Althaus-Reid in light of the author's recent... more This article examines the queer theology of Marcella Althaus-Reid in light of the author's recent qualitative research with bisexual women in the Greater Toronto Area. Althaus-Reid identifies herself as a “queer among queers,” and her work builds upon postcolonial and liberation theology. Five themes in her work offer a framework for constructing a bisexual feminist theology: (1) valuing queer culture, (2) sexualizing theology, (3) reframing authority, (4) taking metaphor seriously, and (5) reclaiming the sacred. The author notes the promise and problems in Althaus-Reid's work on these subjects and offers some directions for bisexual feminist theology.
Socialist Studies Bulletin 75, 25-28., 2005
This article examines masochistic constructions of masculinity in The Passion of The Christ and F... more This article examines masochistic constructions of masculinity in The Passion of The Christ and Fight Club. Reviewers of The Passion have evoked films such as Raging Bull or Rocky. Alastair McKay justly dubbed the film “Fight Club in sandals." Both films have remarkable similarities, with their masochistic masculinity and proliferation of religious symbolism, a similar blue-black lighting, and use of warped sound to focus on the physicality of violence. Both films also present a masochistic masculinity that helps support and justify White supremacy.
Fireweed (Winter), 58-61., 2002
This study contributes to the development of nascent bisexual theology by examining bisexual wome... more This study contributes to the development of nascent bisexual theology by examining bisexual women’s lives in relation to the stereotype that bisexuals desire concurrent male and female partners. Building on qualitative email interviews with forty bisexual women in the Greater Toronto Area, this thesis finds that monogamy and polyamory function as strategic identities. If bisexual theology is to speak authentically to the needs of bisexual women, it must provide a critical analysis of these identities, understand and respond to their role in shaping communities, moral agency and theological knowledge.
My thesis traces the Catholic response to same-sex erotic attachments, from its roots in the acti... more My thesis traces the Catholic response to same-sex erotic attachments, from its roots in the active/passive gender system of classical antiquity, through the characters of the kinaidos and the medieval sodomite, to the “homosexual” as a medical case study, and ending with present day identity politics. I argue that gender expectations have played a foundational role in the Christian position on same-sex attraction and sexual activity. I suggest that as gender roles change, so too could the Church’s understanding of the meaning of same-sex relationships.
A reflective analysis of elements that have shaped Toronto's bisexual women's community.
Talks by Margaret Robinson
This paper proposes a postcolonial ecofeminist reading of Mi’kmaq legends as a basis for a vegeta... more This paper proposes a postcolonial ecofeminist reading of Mi’kmaq legends as a basis for a vegetarian or vegan diet rooted in indigenous culture. Mi’kmaq legends portray animals as siblings to Lnu’k (the people). Rather than dominion over the animals, humanity and animal life are presented as being on a spiritual and physical continuum. These legends offer an alternative to the widespread stewardship/domination model of human-animal relations found in the Genesis story. The development of ecofeminist readings of traditional stories is complicated by the gendered nature of food production and consumption in Mi’kmaq culture. Ecofeminist exegesis of Mi’kmaq legends provide us with an indigenous grounding for vegetarian or vegan practice while offering a critical standpoint on issues such as the indigenous fishing industry.
This presentation focused on Gloria Anzaldua's concept of Mestiza, reading it through the work of... more This presentation focused on Gloria Anzaldua's concept of Mestiza, reading it through the work of scholars such as Adrienne Rich and Monique Wittig, with a Canadian postcolonial approach.
This paper examines bisexual anthologies, such as the groundbreaking book Bi Any Other Name, edit... more This paper examines bisexual anthologies, such as the groundbreaking book Bi Any Other Name, edited by Loraine Hutchins and Lani Ka’ahumanu, which the Lambda Book Report and others have called the “Bi Bible.”
Uploads
Academic Papers by Margaret Robinson
identities under the bisexual umbrella, yet there has been very
little discussion about how this inclusion might affect two-spirit
people, the research that pertains to us, or the services shaped
by such data. This article draws upon personal experience as a
two-spirit and bisexual woman as well as upon research
conducted with two-spirit people in the province of Ontario,
Canada. Five points of comparison between bisexual and twospirit
identity are examined: (1) the complexity of our identities,
(2) the role of spirituality, (3) our elevated rates of poverty,
(4) sexual violence, and (5) the influence of colonialism.
Although bisexual and two-spirit identities share a number of
commonalities they have key differences in cultural context and
meaning.
Talks by Margaret Robinson
identities under the bisexual umbrella, yet there has been very
little discussion about how this inclusion might affect two-spirit
people, the research that pertains to us, or the services shaped
by such data. This article draws upon personal experience as a
two-spirit and bisexual woman as well as upon research
conducted with two-spirit people in the province of Ontario,
Canada. Five points of comparison between bisexual and twospirit
identity are examined: (1) the complexity of our identities,
(2) the role of spirituality, (3) our elevated rates of poverty,
(4) sexual violence, and (5) the influence of colonialism.
Although bisexual and two-spirit identities share a number of
commonalities they have key differences in cultural context and
meaning.
accommodate and may mask women’s actual sexual practice. Drawing on a qualitative study of
40 bisexual women in Toronto, this paper argues that polyamory and monogamy are strategies
by which bisexual women explore their sexuality, rather than cohesive identities or behavioural
orientations. Nearly a quarter of the monogamous-identified women reported having previously
identified as polyamorous. Among total participants, 12.5% reported shifting between
monogamy and polyamory more than once. These shifts enable women to manage and negotiate
their visibility as bisexuals. There was a significant disjoint between self-identity and sexual
behaviour. The majority of the polyamorous women were not dating multiple partners at the time
of the interview, while over a quarter of the monogamous women reported having threesomes in
their current relationship. Viewing monogamy and polyamory as strategic identities can help
health care practitioners more accurately assess their clients’ needs and risks, within a social
determinants of mental health framework.
To do postcolonial theology within Canada requires acknowledging that “postcolonial” is a goal, rather than a reality for First Nations People. Although Canada has political autonomy from Britain, Native Canadians still feel the political, economic, psychological and physical effects of ongoing colonization. One of these effects is that our identity is not under our own control. The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs determines who is an Indian and who is not. By keeping the numbers of “authentic” Indians low, white elites perpetuate the myth of Canada as an empty country into which French and British settlers simply moved.
A first step in producing a postcolonial theology is the process of psychological decolonization. This requires examining our economic conditions and our racialization. A decolonizing theology must name our oppression as sin, and identify those people and power structures that benefit from our economic submission and our cultural and racial oppression.
Rather than allowing the centre to set the terms of discussion, postcolonial theology argues that the margins are a more fruitful place from which to theologize. While first nations people can discuss theology at an abstract level, it is the socio-political that is our immediate horizon. To do theology with a postcolonial goal means that issues such as the power of self-definition, the preservation or ongoing creation of native culture, and our opposition to colonialism must be the stuff of which our theology is made.
This paper relates the critical bisexual methodology of Marcella Althaus-Reid to the findings of my recent qualitative study of forty bisexual women in the Greater Toronto Area. Althaus-Reid’s work is particularly relevant to this research because she examines polyamory outside the framework of compulsory monogamy. I propose ways that a developing bisexual theology can build upon Althaus-Reid’s work.
Margaret Robinson explores questions of culture and diet in relation to veganism. She examines continuities and compatibilities between veganism and Mi’kmaq culture in her Animal Voices’ interview with Lauren Corman. Taking her provocative and lauded article, “Indigenous Veganism: Feminist Natives Do Eat Tofu,” as the starting point for their conversation, Robinson offers a post-colonial ecofeminist reading of Mi’kmaq legends as a foundation for a veganism grounded in Aboriginal culture. Reflecting on her journey with veganism, Robinson discusses the process of merging vegan ethics with her Mi’kmaq value system. Spanning a broad range of topics throughout the “All My Relations” interview, including gender and human-animal relations in Mi’kmaq legends and culture, impacts of colonialism on food security for Aboriginal communities, and thoughts on the indigenous fishing industry from a critical Aboriginal perspective, Robinson’s nuanced observations draw attention to the specificities of her culture while they also challenge the larger stereotype that Indigeneity is necessarily incongruous with veganism.
The majority of LGBTQ psychological research focuses on dysfunction. The exclusion of
strengths-based perspectives in LGBTQ psychology limits the understanding of LGBTQ mental
health. In this paper we report experiences that young bisexual and other nonmonosexual people
perceive as affirming of their sexual identity. A 28-day, daily diary study was used to investigate
whether bisexual-identified participants encountered positive experiences related to their sexual
identity, and which type of experiences they perceived to be positive. Using a constructivist
grounded theory approach, participants’ experiences were organized according to a social
ecological model. Experiences were reported at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional
levels, but most positive sexual identity experiences occurred at the interpersonal level.
Implications for positive health outcome research and the integration of positive psychology with
LGBTQ psychology are discussed, as well as study limitations.
day, daily diary study investigated whether participants encountered negative experiences related to their sexual identity. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, participants’ experiences were organized according to a social ecological model. Experiences were reported at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social-structural levels, though most negative sexual identity experiences occurred at the interpersonal level. Implications for negative health outcomes research and the inclusion of bisexual specific stressors in minority stress research are discussed.