“Nobody Don’t Really Know What That Mean”: Understandings of “Queer<i>”</i>among Urban LGBTQ Young People of Color

Panfil, Vanessa R.

doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1613855

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…For example, pansexuality is often conflated with polygamy, perceived as a period of sexual confusion, or even correlated with promiscuity (Gonel, 2013), while asexuality is often viewed as a pathology of sexual desire (Chasin, 2015). The word “queer” as an identity has also elicited confusion and even pushback from the LGBTQ+ community given its historical use as a slur (Panfil, 2020). Even less is known about people who are questioning their sexual identity, but prior research has found that they are more likely to experience homophobic teasing and victimization than gay/lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual youth (Birkett et al, 2009; Espelage et al, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Does outness function the same for all sexual minority youth? Testing its associations with different aspects of well-being in a sample of youth with diverse sexual identities.

Rentería¹,

Feinstein²,

Dyar³

et al. 2023

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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While research generally supports that greater outness about one's sexual identity is associated with improved well-being, emerging evidence suggests that outness may have negative consequences for bisexual individuals. Yet few studies have examined sexual identity as a moderator of the associations between outness and well-being, especially among youth. As such, the role of outness in the mental health of diverse sexual minority youth (including pansexual, queer, questioning, and asexual youth) remains unclear. Thus, we examined how the associations between outness and well-being differed as a function of sexual identity in a sample of sexual minority youth. Using data from the LGBTQ National Teen Study (N = 11,225), we tested sexual identity as a moderator of the associations between outness and well-being (depression and self-esteem). In the full sample, greater outness was significantly associated with lower depression and higher self-esteem. However, these associations were significantly different for gay/lesbian versus questioning youth. Greater outness was associated with lower depression and higher self-esteem for gay/lesbian youth yet was associated with higher depression and was not associated with self-esteem for questioning youth. The association between outness and self-esteem was also significantly different for gay/lesbian versus bisexual youth. Greater outness was associated with higher self-esteem for both groups, but the association was stronger for gay/lesbian youth. These findings suggest that outness may have benefits for gay/lesbian and bisexual youth, yet it may have negative consequences for questioning youth. These findings can inform efforts to promote positive sexual identity development and well-being of sexual minority youth. Public Significance StatementOutness was associated with lower depression for gay/lesbian youth as well as higher self-esteem for gay/lesbian and bisexual youth, but it was associated with higher depression for questioning youth. Providers, educators, and others involved in caring for youth need to recognize that being open about one's sexual identity can have benefits for some youth but negative consequences for others.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Does outness function the same for all sexual minority youth? Testing its associations with different aspects of well-being in a sample of youth with diverse sexual identities.

Rentería¹,

Feinstein²,

Dyar³

et al. 2023

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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show abstract

“…Finally, given the broad and nonspecific nature of the label queer, people who identify as queer may be assumed to be gay or lesbian even if they are attracted to more than one gender. Furthermore, some members of LGBTQþ communities oppose the use of the term queer because of its historical use as a slur (Panfil, 2020), which may lead to queer people experiencing pushback within LGBTQþ communities.…”

Section: Differentiating Among Subgroups Of Bi1 Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disclosure, minority stress, and mental health among bisexual, pansexual, and queer (Bi+) adults: The roles of primary sexual identity and multiple sexual identity label use.

Feinstein¹,

Hurtado²,

Dyar³

2023

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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Bisexual people are at increased risk for anxiety and depression compared with heterosexual and gay/ lesbian people, but little is known about people who use other labels to describe attractions to more than one gender (e.g., pansexual, queer; collectively biþ). In addition, some people use more than one label to describe their sexual orientation, but research has yet to examine whether using one versus multiple labels is associated with identity-related experiences or mental health. To address these gaps, we explored potential differences in disclosure, minority stress, and mental health among biþ adults based on primary sexual identity and multiple label use. As part of a larger project, 669 biþ adults completed an online survey. Primary sexual identities included bisexual (53.2%), pansexual (26.3%), and queer (20.5%), and 55.2% used multiple labels. Compared with bisexual participants, pansexual participants reported higher disclosure, discrimination from heterosexual people, and depression. Pansexual participants also reported higher anxiety and lower internalized binegativity, but these associations became nonsignificant after adjusting for demographics. Queer participants reported higher disclosure, discrimination from heterosexual people, and anxiety, but only the difference in disclosure remained significant in adjusted analyses. Finally, participants who used multiple labels reported higher disclosure and discrimination from heterosexual and gay/lesbian people, but only the difference in discrimination from gay/lesbian people remained significant in adjusted analyses. Findings highlight the heterogeneity of biþ individuals and the importance of considering bisexual, pansexual, and queer individuals as unique groups as well as considering whether biþ individuals use one or multiple sexual identity labels. Public Significance StatementThis study suggests that there may be important differences among subgroups of biþ individuals based on their primary sexual identity (bisexual, pansexual, or queer) and whether they use one or multiple sexual identity labels. Pansexual individuals appear to be at particular risk for discrimination and depression, and biþ individuals who use multiple sexual identity labels may also be at risk for discrimination. These findings highlight the importance of assessing sexual identity in ways that attend to the diverse range of biþ identities as well as the use of multiple labels.

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“…Notably, the early models primarily sampled members of the White gay and lesbian community in Western countries (e.g., Cass, 1979;McCarn & Fassinger, 1996;Morris, 1997;Troiden, 1988). Although the diversity of experiences of sexual minority (e.g., Galupo et al, 2016;Panfil, 2020) and gender minority communities (e.g., Lerner & Lee, 2021;Minero et al, 2022) is becoming increasingly recognized, as well as experiences shaped by multiple marginalized identities (e.g., Nadal et al, 2017;Santos & VanDaalen, 2016;Wilkinson et al, 2015), there is still a lack of research attention on sexual identity among sexual minorities in China. Exploration of this issue in a cultural context such as China could provide not only localized understanding but also offer important insight into the role of cultural factors among sexual minorities globally and complement existing identity development theories.…”

Section: Sexual Identity Development Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“We don’t have a template to follow”: Sexual identity development and its facilitative factors among sexual minority men in the context of China.

Xu¹,

Wang²,

Budge³

et al. 2023

Journal of Counseling Psychology

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Extant research on sexual identity development among sexual minority individuals has been predominantly conducted in Western contexts and focused on factors that hinder identity development processes. Using thematic analysis, this qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of sexual identity development among Chinese sexual minority men as well as the facilitative factors in China that positively influence this developmental process. The sample comprised 24 participants who self-identified as Chinese sexual minority men. The analysis yielded five overarching themes: awareness of one's attraction and corresponding reactions, identity exploration, moving toward identity acceptance and commitment, acceptance and support from others, and environmental support. The first three themes described the processes of sexual identity development among Chinese sexual minority men, whereas the latter two themes centered on the related facilitative factors in the context of China. The results highlight the importance of understanding the identity development process within Chinese minority men's unique sociocultural contexts. Public Significance StatementThis study contributes to the understanding of Chinese sexual minority men's experiences regarding sexual identity development. We explored the factors that help Chinese sexual minority men recognize and process their identities in the context of China. Suggestions are made for counseling psychologists about how focusing on the Chinese context can inform clinical interventions so that they can better assist Chinese sexual minority men to navigate their identities.

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“Nobody Don’t Really Know What That Mean”: Understandings of “Queer”among Urban LGBTQ Young People of Color

Cited by 13 publications

References 21 publications

Does outness function the same for all sexual minority youth? Testing its associations with different aspects of well-being in a sample of youth with diverse sexual identities.

Does outness function the same for all sexual minority youth? Testing its associations with different aspects of well-being in a sample of youth with diverse sexual identities.

Disclosure, minority stress, and mental health among bisexual, pansexual, and queer (Bi+) adults: The roles of primary sexual identity and multiple sexual identity label use.

“We don’t have a template to follow”: Sexual identity development and its facilitative factors among sexual minority men in the context of China.

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