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Sexual Orientation and Developmental Challenges Experienced by Gay and Lesbian Youths
Author(s) -
RotheramBorus Mary Jane,
Fernandez M. Isabel
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1995.tb00487.x
Subject(s) - lesbian , sexual orientation , psychology , homosexuality , coming out , orientation (vector space) , sexual identity , face (sociological concept) , gender identity , developmental psychology , identity (music) , future orientation , social psychology , human sexuality , gender studies , sociology , psychoanalysis , social science , physics , geometry , mathematics , acoustics
Youths with a homosexual orientation face different developmental challenges during adolescence than those faced by heterosexual youths or individuals who recognize their homosexual orientation later in life. We discuss the impact of “coming out,” or defining a homosexual orientation, on the development and identity formation of youths who come out during adolescence. The process of coming out is presented as entailing four broad dimensions: recognizing oneself as lesbian or gay; exploring one's sexual orientation through the gay and lesbian community; disclosing one's sexual orientation to others; and becoming more comfortable with one's sexual orientation. Some of the major challenges faced by these youths are described, and future directions for research efforts are discussed.