Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies at the Virginia Commonwealth University
About
Bethany M (bee) Coston is a White, queer, bisexual, non-binary, disabled, neurodivergent activist-scholar, and an assistant professor of gender, sexuality, and women's Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. They are a faculty researcher with the Institute for Women's Health and a data collaborator with the College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute (Spit for Science initiative). bee specializes in gender and sexualities, with a focus on disabled LGBTQIA+ identities, lives, families, and relationships.
Specifically, they study dating, intimate partner, sexual and gender-based violence; the impact of trauma and violence on mental health, coping skills, and long-term resilience; and the importance of peer advocacy and complementary health approaches in reducing health disparities for survivors. You can find their work in The Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Disability & Health, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Violence Against Women, and Journal of Social Issues, among others.
In community, they are a collaborator and volunteer with the Virginia Anti-Violence Project, Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and Southerners on New Ground; they also serve on the Board of Directors for the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood.
Current Work:
Most of Dr. Coston's scholarly and public work focuses on extending previous research on intimate partner violence and access to quality healthcare. For instance, they have assessed the role of power and inequality on risk of IPV victimization, examined disparities in post-victimization mental health outcomes and healthcare utilization, and explored the disparities reported for disabled LGBTQIA+ people. Their community work assess the role of community service providers in offering alternative and integrative options to the traditional medical model, especially for those with limited access to insurance-based care or who have traditionally experienced discrimination in care.
They additionally collaborate and contribute to quantitative research on trans healthcare and aging/end of life issues; trans healthcare legislation and policy change; the evaluation of secondary education bystander intervention training programs to prevent sexual assault and dating violence on college campuses; a longitudinal analysis of stigma reduction campaigns, inclusive and affirmative care and service delivery, use of social media interventions for mental health and wellness, partnerships and collaborations with both on and off-campus organizations, diverse and intersectional LGBTQIA+ programming, and consistent collection of student perceptions of service efficacy on LGBTQIA+ student mental health outcomes; and quality data collection and survey methodologies for sexual orientation and gender identity.
Taken together, Dr. Coston's body of work focuses broadly on creating, envisioning, and/or implementing strategies and solutions that promote resilience and thriving among LGBTQIA+ people, particularly those who, like themself, are survivors of violence, disabled, and/or neurodivergent.
Research Area Keyword(s):
LGBTQIA, public health, mental health, disability studies, violence prevention
