Coming Out and Political Attitudes Among Sexual Minorities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Page
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Political Attitudes ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Bisexual

A nascent body of research is growing on the issue of disclosing one’s sexuality, also termed “coming out,” and the implications for attitudes, behavior, and health. This research engages (a) the political attitudes of those reporting their sexual identity, and (b) the social conditions that lead people to express different forms of sexual identity. Four main findings help to characterize the relationship between coming out and political attitudes among sexual minorities. First, people who come out tend to be socially liberal, but the reasons behind this pattern remain unclear. Second, tolerant social conditions correlate with coming out; expressions of tolerant attitudes; and political engagement on behalf of lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights. Third, the reverse holds as well: Intolerant, homophobic social conditions correlate with the concealment of one’s homosexuality and the expression of homophobic attitudes. Fourth, homophobic social conditions also may lead to worse mental health outcomes, which in turn reduce political efficacy and participation. However, the causal relationships between social conditions, coming out, political outcomes, and health outcomes elude existing research. Future research can unpack these relationships and include more cases outside Western Europe and North America, where most research on this topic is conducted.

All change please: education, mobility and habitus dislocation

2019 ◽  
pp. 119-136
Author(s):  
Jill Wilkens
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Affinity Groups ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Positive Ageing

This chapter examines the intersection of ageing, gender, class and sexual identity, and highlights the significance of same-sexuality social groups for older lesbians and bisexual women. Interviews with 35 women aged between 57 and 73, discussed ‘coming out’ in the 1950s and 1960s, loneliness and isolation and the experience of attending affinity groups. Many participants were rendered ‘out of place’ by aspects of their social mobility, generation, gender and sexuality. The chapter draws on Bourdieu’s concept of ‘cleft habitus’ to consider the contradictions of these mobilities, suggesting that these women faced unprecedented and unique disjuncture between their original habitus and the new classed, sexual and gendered locations in which they finally ‘arrived’. The chapter looks at the potential of social groups to alleviate loneliness and isolation; for many, they are sites of resilience, helping to promote positive ageing for those who have faced marginalisation across their life course.

scholarly journals Coming Out to Parents in Lesbian and Bisexual Women: The Role of Internalized Sexual Stigma and Positive LB Identity

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Baiocco ◽  
Jessica Pistella ◽  
Mara Morelli
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Sexual Stigma ◽  
Positive Identity ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Internalized Sexual Stigma

The experience of “coming out” (CO) to parents is often a crucial event in the lives of lesbian and bisexual (LB) women, associated with lower internalized sexual stigma (ISS) and higher positive LB identity. Few studies have compared the experiences of LB women in the CO process. Rather, most prior research has either: (1) not addressed bisexuality or eliminated bisexual individuals from the analysis; (2) combined bisexual women and bisexual men in the same sexual orientation group; or (3) examined bisexual participants alongside lesbian women and gay men, using a single monolithic measure. Thus, the present research aimed at investigating the role of ISS and positive LB identity in inhibiting or encouraging CO to parents in a sample of 241 lesbian women (Mage = 27.61, SD = 7.19) and 186 bisexual women (Mage = 25.23, SD = 5.81), aged 18–40 years. Most participants reported that they had already revealed their sexual orientation to their mother (69%) and their father (52%). More lesbian women had CO to both their mother and their father than had bisexual women. These lesbian women reported lower levels of ISS and higher levels of LB positive identity relative to bisexual women. On average, CO to mothers occurred at age 20 (SD = 5.54), while CO to fathers occurred at age 22 (SD = 5.63). LB women did not differ in the average age of CO to mothers or fathers, or in parental reactions to CO. Finally, ISS was found to affect the process of CO to both parents via positive identity (bootstrapping estimate = −0.26, SE = 0.08, 95% CI = −0.43, 0.11), whereas sexual orientation was not found to moderate the path from ISS to CO to both parents. The present study contributes to our understanding of the differences between LB women when developing their sexual orientation, highlighting the relevance of a positive LB identity for CO to parents. Research and clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment among Young Adults (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J Young ◽  
Michelle Bover Manderski ◽  
Ollie Ganz ◽  
Cristine D Delnevo ◽  
Mary Hrywna
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Identities ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Compared to heterosexuals, sexual minorities in the United States experience a higher incidence of negative physical and mental health outcomes. However, a variety of measurement challenges limit researchers’ ability to conduct meaningful survey research to understand these disparities. Many national health surveys only offer respondents three substantive options for reporting their sexual identities (straight/heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and bisexual) despite the prevalence of additional identities, which could lead to measurement error via misreporting and item non-response. OBJECTIVE This study compared the traditional three-option approach to measuring sexual identity with an expanded approach that offered respondents five additional options. METHODS An online survey experiment conducted among New Jersey residents between March and June 2021 randomly assigned 1,258 young adults (ages 18-21) to answer either the three-response measure of sexual identity or the expanded item. Response distributions for each measure were compared as were the odds of item non-response. RESULTS The expanded version of the question appeared to result in more accurate reporting among some subgroups and induced less item non-response. Twelve percent of participants answering the expanded version of the question selected a response that was not available in the shorter version. Females answering the expanded item were less likely to identify as gay or lesbian (2% vs.7%). Females and Non-Hispanic whites were slightly more likely to skip the shorter item (1% vs. 0%). Five percent of respondents answering the longer item were unsure of their sexual identity (a similar option was not available in the shorter version). Compared to respondents answering the longer version of the question, those answering the shorter version had substantially greater odds of skipping the question altogether (Odds Ratio 9.57, 95% CI 1.21-75.73, P=.03). CONCLUSIONS Results favor the use of a longer, more detailed approach to measuring sexual identity in epidemiological research. Such a measure will likely allow researchers to produce more accurate estimates of health behaviors and outcomes among sexual minorities.

scholarly journals The Internet’s Multiple Roles in Facilitating the Sexual Orientation Identity Development of Gay and Bisexual Male Adolescents

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Harper ◽  
Pedro A. Serrano ◽  
Douglas Bruce ◽  
Jose A. Bauermeister
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Male Adolescents ◽  
Sexual Orientation Identity ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Bisexual People

One emerging avenue for the exploration of adolescents’ sexual orientation identity development is the Internet, since it allows for varying degrees of anonymity and exploration. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the role of the Internet in facilitating the sexual orientation identity development process of gay and bisexual male adolescents. Qualitative interviews were conducted with an ethnically diverse sample of 63 gay/bisexual male adolescents (ages 15-23). Participants reported using a range of Internet applications as they explored and came to accept their sexual orientation identity, with the intended purpose and degree of anonymity desired determining which applications were used. Youth reported that the Internet provided a range of functions with regard to the exploration and acceptance of their sexual orientation identity, including (1) increasing self-awareness of sexual orientation identity, (2) learning about gay/bisexual community life, (3) communicating with other gay/bisexual people, (4) meeting other gay/bisexual people, (5) finding comfort and acceptance with sexual orientation, and (6) facilitating the coming out process. Future research and practice may explore the Internet as a platform for promoting the healthy development of gay and bisexual male adolescents by providing a developmentally and culturally appropriate venue for the exploration and subsequent commitment to an integrated sexual orientation identity.

scholarly journals Minority stress, distress, and suicide attempts in three cohorts of sexual minority adults: A U.S. probability sample

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0246827
Author(s):  
Ilan H. Meyer ◽  
Stephen T. Russell ◽  
Phillip L. Hammack ◽  
David M. Frost ◽  
Bianca D. M. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Suicide Behavior ◽  
The Social ◽  
Minority People

During the past 50 years, there have been marked improvement in the social and legal environment of sexual minorities in the United States. Minority stress theory predicts that health of sexual minorities is predicated on the social environment. As the social environment improves, exposure to stress would decline and health outcomes would improve. We assessed how stress, identity, connectedness with the LGBT community, and psychological distress and suicide behavior varied across three distinct cohorts of sexual minority people in the United States. Using a national probability sample recruited in 2016 and 2017, we assessed three a priori defined cohorts of sexual minorities we labeled the pride (born 1956–1963), visibility (born 1974–1981), and equality (born 1990–1997) cohorts. We found significant and impressive cohort differences in coming out milestones, with members of the younger cohort coming out much earlier than members of the two older cohorts. But we found no signs that the improved social environment attenuated their exposure to minority stressors—both distal stressors, such as violence and discrimination, and proximal stressors, such as internalized homophobia and expectations of rejection. Psychological distress and suicide behavior also were not improved, and indeed were worse for the younger than the older cohorts. These findings suggest that changes in the social environment had limited impact on stress processes and mental health for sexual minority people. They speak to the endurance of cultural ideologies such as homophobia and heterosexism and accompanying rejection of and violence toward sexual minorities.

scholarly journals Sexual Identity Differences in Health Care Access and Satisfaction: Findings from Nationally Representative Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica N Fish ◽  
Rodman E Turpin ◽  
Natasha D Williams ◽  
Bradley O Boekeloo
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Bisexual

Abstract Identification of barriers to adequate health care for sexual minority populations remains elusive as they are complex and variable across sexual orientation subgroups (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual). To address these complexities, we use a U.S. nationally representative sample of health care consumers to assess sexual identity differences in health care access and satisfaction. We conducted a secondary data analysis of 12 waves (2012-2018) of the biannual Consumer Survey of Health Care Access (n=30,548) to assess sexual identity differences in 6 health care access and 3 health care satisfaction indicators. Despite parity in health insurance coverage, sexual minorities – with some variation across sexual minority subgroups and sex – reported more chronic health conditions alongside restricted health care access and unmet health care needs. Gay/lesbian females had the lowest prevalence of health care utilization and higher prevalence rates of delaying needed health care and medical tests relative to heterosexual females. Gay/lesbian females and bisexual males were less likely than their heterosexual counterparts to be able to pay for needed health care services. Sexual minorities also reported less satisfactory experiences with medical providers. Examining barriers to health care among sexual minorities is critical to eliminating health disparities that disproportionately burden this population.

Reconceptualizing the Social: East Central Europe and the New Sociocultural History

2008 ◽  
Vol 34-35 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantin Iordachi
Keyword(s):  
Social History ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Future Research ◽  
East Central Europe ◽  
East Central ◽  
Catching Up ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Europe

This introductory essay reviews recent debates on social history, with a focus on the revival of this field of studies in post-communist East Central Europe and its potential impact on rejuvenating approaches to the social history of Europe. The first part of the essay provides a brief overview of the emergence of social history as a reaction to the dominant political history of the nineteenth century and its crystallization in different national schools, and highlights recent responses to the poststructuralist and postmodern critiques of “the social.” The second part focuses on traditions of social history research in East Central Europe, taking Poland and Romania as main examples. The third part summarizes the main claims of the articles included in this issue and evaluates their implications for future research. It is argued that, at first glance, post-communist historiography in East Central Europe provides the picture of a discipline in transformation, still struggling to break up with the past and to rebuild its institutional framework, catching up with recent trends and redefining its role in continental and global historiography. The recent attempts to invigorate research in traditional fields of social history might seem largely obsolete, not only out of tune with international developments but also futile reiterations of vistas that have been for long experimented with and superseded in Western Europe. At closer scrutiny, however, historiography in East Central Europe appears—unequal and variegated as it is—as a laboratory for historical innovation and a field of experimentation, and interaction of scholars from various disciplines and scholarly traditions, in which old and new trends amalgamate in peculiar ways. It is suggested that the tendency to reconceptualize the “social” that we currently witness in humanities and social sciences worldwide could be not only reinforced but also cross-fertilized by the “social turn” in East Central Europe, potentially leading to novel approaches.

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