LGBQ+ college students’ expressions of grief during sexual identity development: photographic insights from a qualitative study

Abstract

Featuring the experiences of 14 LGBQ+ college students at U.S. institutions across the country, this paper centers on photographs participants took and reflected on as they described expressions of grief relative to their sexual identity development (SID). Drawn from an interview-based narrative inquiry study focused on how LGBQ+ students detail ambiguous loss in SID by considering stories and photos, we employed narrative analysis to examine their photos and data gathered through two individual interviews with each participant. Guided by a conceptual framework integrating literature on SID and scholarship on the social constructionist model of grief, we identified four thematic expressions of grief: Navigating External and Internal Conflicts Shaped by Oppressive Structures, Articulating Varied Emotional Responses in SID, Processes Associated with Coming into Queerness, and Engaging with the Future as Unknown, Yet Filled with Hope. We provide implications for research, as well as for practice targeted at educational and counseling professionals.