Faculty Articles

Sexual and Ethnic Identity Development Among Gay-Bisexual-Questioning (GBQ) Male Ethnic Minority Adolescents

Publication Title

Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology

ISSN

1099-9809

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Abstract

Identity development is a critical task of adolescence and occurs across multiple areas of self-identification. Although research on the identity development process among individuals who are ethnic and sexual minorities has been conducted for individuals who have 1 minority status or the other, few studies have examined these processes in people who are both ethnic and sexual minorities. In this qualitative study, the authors examined the dual identity development processes related to ethnic and sexual identity among gay–bisexual–questioning (GBQ) Latino and African American male adolescents. Results indicated that the processes associated with the development of sexual orientation and ethnic identity occur concurrently. However, the actual processes involved with the development of each identity not only differed, but seemed to be independent of each other because neither process was referenced in the development of the other. Overall, the process of ethnic identity development involved the process of becoming aware of one’s ethnic and cultural heritage, whereas sexual identity development involved finding one’s own personally relevant sexual orientation label and connecting to that community. The implications of these findings for the development of interventions to assist in the healthy development of GBQ adolescents are discussed

DOI

10.1037/a0014795

Volume

15

Issue

3

First Page

203

Last Page

214

Disciplines

Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences | Osteopathic Medicine and Osteopathy

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