Coming Out Twice: Sexual Orientation Disclosure in Bisexual Young Adults

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan J. Mohr ◽  
Raymond L. Sheets
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas P. Salter ◽  
Thomas Sasso

PurposeMuch research has focused on the negative aspects of disclosing sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the workplace but less has explicitly examined the positive aspects. This lack of research is problematic as this can oversimplify the work lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) people. The current study examines positive intrapersonal, interpersonal and work opportunity experiences associated with coming out in the workplace as LGBTQ.Design/methodology/approachThe current study surveyed 135 working adults who identified as LGBTQ and used a mixed qualitative and quantitative design to examine the relationship between disclosure and various positive workplace experiences.FindingsResults suggest that sexual orientation disclosure at work was related to participants perceiving multiple positive interpersonal as well as work opportunity experiences. Furthermore, results suggest gender identity disclosure was similar to, but not the same as, sexual orientation disclosure in terms of perception of positive experiences.Originality/valuePrevious research on disclosure at work has taken a somewhat narrow and typically quantitative approach. The current study provides more nuance to the phenomenon by broadly examining multiple positive experiences associated with disclosure and studying them qualitatively in order to best understand participants' experiences in their own voices.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 765-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabra L. Katz-Wise ◽  
Bethany Everett ◽  
Emily A. Scherer ◽  
Holly Gooding ◽  
Carly E. Milliren ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky J. Liddle

A lesbian assistant professor of counseling psychology disclosed her sexual orientation during lectures to 2 sections of an undergraduate course and did not disclose in 2 comparable sections of the same course. Group differences in means and variances of teaching evaluations were examined for possible student bias. No evidence of sexual orientation bias was found.


2016 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 197-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bryn Austin ◽  
Margaret Rosario ◽  
Katie A. McLaughlin ◽  
Andrea L. Roberts ◽  
Allegra R. Gordon ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Caplan

The author uses a nationally representative sample of cisgender young adults to examine the relationship between sexual orientation concordance and the prevalence of depressive symptoms. In these analyses, the author differentiates between those with an exclusive identity (100 percent gay or 100 percent straight) and those with a nonexclusive identity (“mostly gay,” “mostly straight,” or bisexual). Among those with an exclusive identity, the author differentiates between those with behavior and attraction that is in line with (concordant) or goes against (discordant) a claimed gay or straight identity. Those with a concordant sexual orientation report significantly lower depressive symptoms scores than do those with either a discordant sexual orientation or a nonexclusive identity. When accounting for orientation, concordance is significantly associated with depressive symptoms for straight- but not gay-identified young adults. These findings generally hold for women, but not for men when change in identity is controlled for.


2021 ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Caitlin Ryan ◽  
David Huebner ◽  
Rafael M. Diaz ◽  
Jorge Sanchez

OBJECTIVE We examined specific family rejecting reactions to sexual orientation and gender expression during adolescence as predictors of current health problems in a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. METHODS On the basis of previously collected in-depth interviews, we developed quantitative scales to assess retrospectively in young adults the frequency of parental and caregiver reactions to a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation during adolescence. Our survey instrument also included measures of 9 negative health indicators, including mental health, substance abuse, and sexual risk. The survey was administered to a sample of 224 white and Latino self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults, aged 21 to 25, recruited through diverse venues and organizations. Participants completed self-report questionnaires by using either computer-assisted or pencil-and-paper surveys. RESULTS Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection. Latino men reported the highest number of negative family reactions to their sexual orientation in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS This study establishes a clear link between specific parental and caregiver rejecting behaviors and negative health problems in young lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Providers who serve this population should assess and help educate families about the impact of rejecting behaviors. Counseling families, providing anticipatory guidance, and referring families for counseling and support can help make a critical difference in helping decrease risk and increasing well-being for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.


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