In/Out of the Closet: Perceived Social Support and Outness Among LGB Youth

Outness is determined by disclosing one’s sexual orientation and gender identity to people we socially engage in everyday life. For lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, coming out may have several consequences due to stigma and discrimination toward sexual minorities. Perceived social support, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sexuality & culture 2023-02, Vol.27 (1), p.290-309
Main Authors: Reyes, Marc Eric S., Bautista, Nickaella B., Betos, Gemaima Reign A., Martin, Kirby Ivan S., Sapio, Sophia Therese N., Pacquing, Ma. Criselda T., Kliatchko, John Manuel R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Bisexuality
Discrimination
Everyday life
Family support
Gay teenagers
Gay youth
Gays & lesbians
Gender identity
Homosexuality
Lesbianism
Lesbians
Original Article
Personality and Social Psychology
Psychology
Regional and Cultural Studies
Sexual orientation
Sexuality
Social acceptance
Social aspects
Social networks
Social Sciences
Social support
Southeast Asian cultural groups
Well being
Youth
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Summary:Outness is determined by disclosing one’s sexual orientation and gender identity to people we socially engage in everyday life. For lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, coming out may have several consequences due to stigma and discrimination toward sexual minorities. Perceived social support, a generalized sense of acceptance, has been associated with greater psychological well-being and sexual identity disclosure. The present study used a sequential explanatory mixed design to investigate perceived social support and its role in the outness of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths in the Philippines. Phase 1 consisted of 239 self-identified LGB Filipinos ages 18 to 24 who completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Outness Inventory. Quantitative results showed a positive relationship between perceived social support and outness, with perceived family support being a significant predictor. Phase 2 involved 11 participants who were randomly selected from the study sample. The substantial interpretations of the qualitative interview supported and validated that perceived social support from family is a determining factor in the participants’ disclosure of sexual orientation. Further analysis revealed that perceived social support from one’s family could be a sequential process influencing the LGB youths’ coming-out decisions. Three key themes emerged in the participants’ experiences of perceived family support that served as the main stages in their coming out process: (1) Initial Reactions, (2) Readiness to Accept the Idea, and (3) Openness and Involvement. Generally, higher overall social support, especially from family members, leads to a higher degree of outness among Filipino LGB youths.
ISSN:1095-5143
1936-4822
DOI:10.1007/s12119-022-10013-7