Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

As individuals move through life, there are developed and identified areas referred to as social networks that provide support and assistance. It is through these social networks that identity formation occurs, these broad categories are highly influential in defining self-concept, which is developed through an affiliation (whether it be positive or negative) with the following groups: family, peers, education, spirituality, and the broader community/society. For those individuals that identify as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual (LGB) there are challenges that exist in their development that are unique to them as compared to what the general population experiences. LGB individuals are an extremely vulnerable subset of the population, particularly given the degree of homophobia in our society. Adolescents who are struggling with issues of sexual orientation face incredible challenges and lack many of the fundamental support systems available to their heterosexual peers (Gonsiorek, 1988). All of these identified social networks of this developmental period lend themselves to the overall identity formation of each adolescent. A positive identity must integrate one’s sexual identity into it (Baker, 2002). For LGB individuals who are struggling to identify, define, and make sense of feelings of attraction toward members of the same sex, adolescence may be a particularly challenging time in their lives. This qualitative study consisted of eighteen participants that discussed their coming-out process in the context of supportive and non-supportive social networks. It explored the difference between the high school and college environments, identifying risk and protective factors that impacted this important milestone in their sexual identity development. Several themes were identified around the process of coming-out; these were fear, shift of social networks (high school to college), and search for community and acceptance. Throughout these identified areas there was further acknowledgement of factors within the social networks that impacted the coming-out process, that are explored further in the following narrative. Identifying non-judgmental environments where both high school and college students can explore the possible intersection and acceptance between their religion/spirituality and their sexuality would minimize many of the issues that surround the fear that is associated with the coming-out process and lead to a more affirming, supportive environment for the LGB individual.