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Although existing literature is rich with descriptions of the process of coming out for lesbian women, the present study is distinctive in its systematic examination of coming out from the perspective of lesbian women who were sexually abused as children. Through the hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis of interviews with selected participants who identified as lesbian women, the objective of this study was to identify and describe participants' perspectives of childhood sexual abuse, coming out experiences, and their perception of how these experiences might interrelate. Within the complex layers that were common to all the participants, the researcher attempted to interpret and make sense of phenomena across all cases, while respecting and recognizing the meanings that each participant brought to the interview. The results of this study were consonant with findings from previous studies that suggested maintaining a lesbian identity is an ongoing task, continually informed by events and relationships that typically occur during the lifespan of an individual. However, in the course of this investigation, the findings pointed to a new understanding—the coming out process becomes more complicated when histories of childhood sexual abuse need to be considered. While family and social factors had powerful influences on coming out for all the participants, the emotional and behavioral strategies that each woman adapted in order to cope with long-term sequelae of CSA, also appeared to have considerable impact on the coming out process as well. / Ph. D.

This qualitative study is an exploration of the ways individuals experience and reconcile seemingly incompatible sexual and religious identities. The experience of espousing a religious identity which prohibits homosexuality while simultaneously being attracted to others of the same gender is not uncommon. This phenomenon and how individuals navigate it is poorly understood. Though it is often mentioned in existing literature, few if any studies highlight conflicting identities as the core conflict for this population. No existing studies apply identity theories to the phenomenon. For this study data were taken from two points in time, over nearly four years, from four participants. Results from survey 1 and survey 2 were compared for insights into the process of reconciliation. Results were also compared to two strains of identity theory (Stryker and Burke, 2000) to identify applicability of said theory to this phenomenon. Participants all report a conflict between sexual and religious identities. Relatively minor shifts in how they conceptualize and make meaning of their experiences are observed. All experienced a deepening of their understanding and relationship with self and God. Some report aspects of therapy that were helpful/unhelpful to them in this process. Also included are strengths and limitations of this study, implications for future research, and application of findings to a clinical setting. / Master of Science

Substance Use Disorders (SUD) continue to be a significant public health concern as drug use reaches a worldwide high. Research has consistently shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are at a heightened risk of having an SUD than their heterosexual counterparts. While notable work has been done to understand the factors contributing to SUD among LGB populations, there is a substantial gap in research regarding the intersection of race/ethnicity and sexual identity. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the disparities in SUD among sexual minorities across different racial/ethnic and sex groups and the determinants that underlie these disparities. This research involves a statistical analysis of combined data from the 2021-2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to explore prevalence rates and identify demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with disparities in SUD among sexual minority adults (ages 18 and older) in the United States, considering factors such as race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, religiosity, familism, and language. By understanding the prevalence and determinants of SUD within this population, healthcare providers, policymakers, and advocates can work together to develop prevention and intervention strategies to reduce these disparities and improve the overall well-being of LGB individuals in the United States.

The theme of this thesis is women's identity and a process of its development and formation. We specify theoretical basis through which it is possible to approach this subject. The theoretical part also pays attention to the process of biological differentiation of gender, to the question of a gender socialization and describes basic theoretical conceptions of development and formation of a sexual and gender identity which can be possibly found within the frame of psychology. The qualitative research enables to look at women's identity by the view of women themselves. Specific topics of an everyday lived experience appear from the analysis of interviews and these topics could be investigated deeper.

Anecdotal observations among clinicians and laypersons suggest that some men who have been sexually abused by men as children experience more homosexual sexual attraction and engage in more homosexual sexual behavior than men who have not been sexually abused. These men often report feeling “confused” about their sexuality. Some men also report believing that there is a relationship between their homosexual feelings and behaviors and their sexual abuse as children. Moreover, research in the area of sexual abuse reveals that disproportionately more men with sexual abuse histories identify as gay and bisexual than men with non-sexual abuse histories, especially when the perpetrator of the abuse was male. However, very few studies have specifically explored the relationship between sexual orientation and sexual abuse. The proposed study will examine the relationship between sexual orientation in men and their reports of childhood sexual abuse by males. Additionally, the proposed study will distinguish between those individuals that have interpreted their childhood sexual experiences as negative (or abusive) and those who have not. Past research in this topic has categorized participants as “abused” based on a set of predetermined benchmarks (e.g., age differential, specific acts performed, etc.,) while not including the individual’s subjective account/interpretation of the experience. This research will consider how the distinction between intergenerational sexual contact that is experienced as abusive and intergenerational sexual contact that is not experienced as abusive relates to sexual orientation and sexual identity. / text

Same-sex experiences are more prevalent than is thought. Individuals often engage in same-sex behaviours in order to understand their same-sex attractions, which may result in the incorrect integration of a homosexual or bisexual sexual identity. Same-sex behaviour may also lead to feelings of guilt and shame, and can result in confusion regarding sexual identity, which could ultimately influence the successful integration of a sexual identity (a key developmental task during adolescence) and subsequent stages of an individual’s life. This study investigated how young males experienced their sexual identity after having same-sex experiences. In order to better understand these experiences, this study also looked at sexual identity and its development from a psychosocial approach. In addition, this study also took a phenomenological approach into account to better understand how young males understand their same-sex experiences within their socio-cultural context. The qualitative research method was used because it aims to understand how people make sense of their everyday lives and foregrounds participants’ perceptions and experiences. When researching human behaviour, context and behaviour cannot be separated and therefore a phenomenological design was used. The population included five young males who lived in the Boland and Northern suburbs of the Western Cape and who have had same-sex experiences. The participants were selected utilizing the non-probability (convenient purposive) sampling technique, however, the sampling procedure also made use of snowball sampling. Biographically, the participants were between the ages of 18 and 24, and had different sexual orientations. The participants included black and white students who spoke Afrikaans or English, and originated from different provinces in South Africa. Data were collected through a two-part semi-structured interview. The first interview focused on questions about the participants’ sexual preference and identity, same-sex experiences and support system. During the second interview participants were asked to make a collage representing how they viewed their sexual identity with regards to the same-sex experiences they have had. This interview also focused on member checking. The collages and member checking served as forms of triangulation. Data were transcribed and analysed by means of a content analysis that focused on four main categories. These categories corresponded to four main questions that formed part of the first interview. The researcher concluded that each participant experienced his sexual identity and same-sex encounters differently and that none of them experienced the development of their sexual identity as ‘natural’ or as something that was present from birth. They all experienced confusion and conflict about their sexual preference because it was in contrast to their sociocultural context. Same-sex experiences were the result of confusion but also caused confusion and this confusion was mostly experienced in the earlier life stages. More research is needed on the heterosexual identity development of heterosexual identified individuals who have same-sex experiences, so that these individuals can also be accommodated within a sexuality. The development of programmes for therapeutic and/or educational purposes, that focus on the sexual identity and sexual identity development of adolescents, must also be considered in future research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This purpose of this study was to validate the concept of homosexual identity formation using psychosocial personality measures and occupational congruence. Of additional interest was personality or occupational congruence differences which may exist between men who choose to enter job fields stereotyped as gay and those who do not choose those fields.

The sexual identity development process in gay men was the focus of this study. It was theorized that, as a result of negative experiences with the dominant heterosexual culture, gay men might feel mistrustful of heterosexuals in various settings. A new theoretical construct, that of heterosexual mistrust, was identified and explored. A new scale, the Heterosexual Mistrust Inventory (HMI), was created to measure this construct. Gay male subjects' stage of homosexual identity formation (HIF) was also determined. Results indicated that heterosexual mistrust existed to a significantly stronger degree among gay men than among heterosexual men. Heterosexual mistrust was strongly related to stage of HIF. The various settings in which heterosexual mistrust was found to occur were discussed. Implications for current knowledge about HIF and about cultural belief systems unique to gay men were identified and explored.

Examined within this study were the relations between two processes within sexual identity development, sexual identity exploration and sexual identity commitment, and risky sexual behaviors. The moderating effects of sexual identity commitment, sexual self-efficacy, and positive condom use attitudes on relations between sexual identity exploration and risky sexual behaviors were also examined. Risky sexual behaviors included the frequency of substance prior to and barrier protection use during sex, multiple sex partners, and the initiation of sex prior to age sixteen. Study participants included 322 college students attending an urban university in the Southeastern United States. All were heterosexual and reported engaging in vaginal, anal or oral sex in the past 30 days. A high percentage of study participants reported at least one risky sexual behavior in the past 30 days, and most reported not using barrier protection during anal and oral sex. No direct effects were found between sexual identity exploration and any risky sexual behavior. Only one direct effect was found between higher levels of sexual identity commitment and lower frequencies of barrier protection use for oral sex. No moderating effects were found for sexual identity commitment, sexual self-efficacy, or positive condom use attitudes on relations between sexual identity exploration and any risky sexual behavior. The findings highlight the importance of examining how to get emerging adults to consistently use barrier protection during any type of sexual behavior. The results also underscore the complexity of sexual risk-taking during emerging adulthood, and the need for continued examination of the ways in which processes associated with sexual identity development may impact sexual risk-taking during emerging adulthood.