Sexual and ethnic identity development among gay–bisexual–questioning (GBQ) male ethnic minority adolescents.

Abstract

Identity development is a critical task of adolescence and occurs across multiple areas of self identification. Though research on the identity development process among individuals who are ethnic and sexual minorities has been conducted for individuals who have one minority status or the other, few studies have examined these processes in persons who are both ethnic and sexual minorities. This qualitative study 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 since 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, while 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.

Young Black Gay/Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Review and Content Analysis of Health-Focused Research Between 1988 and 2013

“…Racial/ethnic identity was also underrepresented in the review with only six articles collecting data specific to participants' experiences as Black men. Of the articles that explored both sexual and racial/ethnic identity together, important distinctions emerged, such as the salience of (a) determining a suitable sexual identity label, (b) exploring cultural heritage, (c) managing stigma around sexual orientation in Black communities and families, and (d) reconciling a host of dual-minority stressors (Balaji et al, 2012;Jamil et al, 2009;Voisin, Bird, Shiu, & Krieger, 2013). While studies that explore identity are inherently meaningful for a population that is oppressed on the basis of identity, it is equally important to acknowledge intersecting identities, as well as the different dimensions of health and experiences that make up the diverse lives of Black YGBMSM.…”

“…In addition to sexual health risk, many important nonsexual health domains for Black YGBMSM-such as mental health and intersectional identity development across marginalized groups (e.g., Black and gay)-are underrepresented in the literature (Jamil, Harper, & Fernandez, 2009;. It is essential, however, to consider the needs and experiences of Black YGBMSM holistically, especially when this population continues to suffer disproportionate rates of negative health outcomes.…”

Resilience Processes Demonstrated by Young Gay and Bisexual Men Living with HIV: Implications for Intervention

“…26 In addition to the oppressive forces these youth may experience related to their sexual orientation and HIV status, African American and Latino YGBM living with HIV may experience additional layers of oppression related to their social and cultural identities. 2,[47][48][49][50] Given the complexity of exploring how this intersectionality of oppressed identity statuses may influence resilience among culturally diverse samples of adolescents and young adults living with HIV, the current study used qualitative methods based in constructivist frameworks in order to allow participants to define and describe ecological influences on their well-being ''in their own words.'' Additionally, the population and context-specific nature of resilience requires that critical indicators of resilience should also be specific to the risk or health condition being studied in order to apply them to future interventions.…”

Mental Health Disorders, Psychological Distress, and Suicidality in a Diverse Sample of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youths

“…and discrimination from the majority on the basis of their race/ethnicity, as well as prejudice and discrimination from within their respective racial/ethnic communities, which have sometimes been found to harbor attitudes toward homosexuality that are more negative than those held among the White population. 24,25 Similarly, bisexual and transgender individuals might experience more mental disorders resulting from being exposed to stigma both in the majority population and in the LGBT community. Bisexuals may be stigmatized by the majority for not being heterosexual, and they may be stigmatized by the gay and lesbian community for not having exclusively samegender attractions and relationships.…”