Coming Out Strategies on Social Media among Young Gay Men in Malaysia

Abstract

Social media have afforded many young gay men the opportunity to explore their identities and practice coming out. The ease of use and the anonymity that can be assumed online has enabled young gay men to come up with different strategies of self-disclosure in social media. The present study seeks to examine these strategies among young gay men in Malaysia, given the limited data on the social media experiences of gay men in the country. In-depth interviews were conducted with six young, gay-identified men to find out the strategies they employed in disclosing their sexual identity online. The analysis of the interview data revealed that the coming-out strategies among the participants mostly resembled those employed by gay men in Western societies, including being out and proud, being out and discreet, and being closeted on social media. The analysis also revealed that the participants held different views regarding the role of social media in the coming out process for gay men in Malaysia. These findings have implications that are relevant to the issues of identity formation among gay men in contexts where homosexuality is still subject to social, legal, and religious condemnation.

‘Coming out’/self-disclosure in LGBTQ+ adolescents and youth: International and Indian scenario - A narrative review of published studies in the last decade (2012-2022)

“…In a study conducted in Malaysia, the online patterns of being ‘Out and Proud,’ where complete disclosure is seen among gays, and patterns of ‘Out and discreet’/’Facebook closeted,’ where anonymity is maintained using online secret identities to explore the process of coming out was discussed. [ 76 ] The study reported several risks of living an anonymous online identity as the boundaries of age and ethical norms are bypassed, putting youths are higher risk of exploitation. [ 76 ] Few studies have also highlighted the potential advantages of CO in social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter).…”

“…[ 76 ] The study reported several risks of living an anonymous online identity as the boundaries of age and ethical norms are bypassed, putting youths are higher risk of exploitation. [ 76 ] Few studies have also highlighted the potential advantages of CO in social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter). [ 77 , 78 ] However, there are safety concerns, too; these platforms can be both transformative and risky (disclosure can lead to bullying and humiliation, etc.…”

Barriers to Antiretroviral Medication Adherence in People Living with HIV (PLHIV) at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines

“…Twitter was chosen as the source of participants since it serves as a safe avenue for participants to disclose their sexual identities. Participants are able to discuss aspects of their personal lives, such as romances and lifestyles, more openly and freely on Twitter, and this is the reason the questionnaire was posted on it [18].…”

Creative compliance and selective visibility: How Chinese queer uploaders performing identities on the Douyin platform

“…The main cause of selective visibility outside China is social pressure in general and ‘stigma related to heterosexism and homo-prejudice’ (Moe et al, 2011: 229) in particular. Partly because of this pressure, some queer users choose to disclose sexual orientation only to some of their friends on Facebook (Jerome and Hadzmy, 2022). Some of them only display that they are interested in LGBTQ+ activities on the homepage of their social media (Das and Farber, 2020).…”