Sexual Identity Formation Research Articles

Sexual Diversity and Vulnerability to AIDS: the Role of Sexual Identity and Gender in the Perception of Risk by Young People (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

This paper analyzes the perceptions of risk for HIV transmission and the formation of sexual identities and gender of young men and women of different sexual orientations and color/race. The study is based on ethnographic observation in a variety of nocturnal social environments in Rio de Janeiro and interviews with young people within this context. The findings show that our informants have assimilated preventive information regarding HIV, but have difficulties in adopting consistent condom use. There are variations in HIV risk perception associated with sexual identities and gender: gay men see themselves and are perceived by others as the most vulnerable group. Among youth who claim heterosexual practices, susceptibility to HIV is associated with “others”. Lesbians see themselves as not being at risk for AIDS. It can be concluded that sexual identities and gender influence the perception of AIDS risk. However, being social, sexual identities are contextual and can vary over the course of a person’s life. Our results underscore the importance of the current debate regarding the implications of fixing identity labels to social and political movements.

‘I’ and ‘We’ Identities – an Eliasian Perspective on Lesbian and Gay Identities’

Lesbian and gay sociology has witnessed a reflexive turn in recent years, which emphasises choice, self-creation and self-determination in the formation of sexual identities. Individuals are involved in, what GIDDENS (1991) called, a ‘project of self’ or a ‘reflexive biography’, which allows them to engage in a dynamic and constantly evolving process of defining and re-defining their self-identity. Identity becomes fluid, fragmented and plastic. In a recent issue of this journal, Brian Heaphy argued that such accounts of lesbian and gay reflexivity are partial and fail to take account of the ways in which structural factors continue to limit one's choice narrative and he proposed a move towards a reflexive sociology, rather than a sociology of reflexivity. This article seeks to develop Heaphy's argument further and suggests that the limitation of theories of reflexivity lies in their inability to adequately account for the continued significance of collectivity, interdependency and human relations in shaping an individual's identity. Drawing on Norbert Elias’ figurational sociology, it will be argued that against a reflexive model of identity that privileges individualism, choice and creativity over collectivity and material constraints, there is a pressing need to revisit and re-establish our interdependent relationships with one another.

Gay, Mexican and immigrant: intersecting identities among gay men in Los Angeles

This paper draws on a multi-sited ethnographic research study of sexual identity formation among self-identified gay Mexican men in Los Angeles, Mexico City and Cuernavaca. Relying primarily on in-depth interviews with 24 gay immigrant men and extensive participant observation in Los Angeles, this research explores the intersection of sexuality, social class, ethnicity and immigration in the participants' daily lives and identity formation processes, the potential ways that transnational social networks shape their identities, and the ways that sexuality impacts the contours of their transnational networks. This article argues that the participants' identities as gay men are best understood as hybrid constructions that integrate elements of the gender-stratified activo/pasivo model of homosexuality and the object-choice gay model of homosexuality, and that the integration of these models into their identities is impacted by social class, geography, and immigration. Further, this paper argues that the subjectivities of the gay immigrant men in this study are best understood within a transnational intersectionality framework which conceptualizes identities as hybrid constructions that are produced through the interaction of several salient social forces.

Rethinking Sexual Initiation: Pathways to Identity Formation Among Gay and Bisexual Mexican Male Youth

The topic of same-sex sexual initiation has generally remained understudied in the literature on sexual identity formation among sexual minority youth. This article analyzes the narratives of same-sex sexual initiation provided by 76 gay and bisexual Mexican immigrant men who participated in interviews for the Trayectos Study, an ethnographic study of sexuality and HIV risk. These participants were raised in a variety of locations throughout Mexico, where they also realized their same-sex attraction and initiated their sexual lives with men. We argue that Mexican male same-sex sexuality is characterized by three distinct patterns of sexual initiation--one heavily-based on gender roles, one based on homosociality, and one based on object choice--which inform the men's interpretations regarding sexual roles, partner preferences, and sexual behaviors. We analyzed the social factors and forms of cultural/sexual socialization that lead sexual minority youth specifically to each of these three patterns of sexual initiation. Our findings confirm the importance of studying same-sex sexual initiation as a topic in its own right, particularly as a tool to gain a greater understanding of the diversity of same-sex sexual experiences and sexual identities within and among ethnic/cultural groups.

Queer Mobilizations: LGBT Activists Confront the Law. Edited by Scott Barclay, Mary Bernstein, and Anna‐Maria Marshall. New York: New York University Press, 2009. Pp. vii+376. $89.00 (cloth); $28.00 (paper).

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewQueer Mobilizations: LGBT Activists Confront the Law. Edited by Scott Barclay, Mary Bernstein, and Anna‐Maria Marshall. New York: New York University Press, 2009. Pp. vii+376. $89.00 (cloth); $28.00 (paper).Tina FetnerTina FetnerMcMaster University Search for more articles by this author McMaster UniversityPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Sociology Volume 116, Number 1July 2010 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/655642 Views: 95Total views on this site Citations: 2Citations are reported from Crossref © 2010 by the University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Eser KECECI, Gokce KECECI, Izlem KANLI Redefining the Boundaries: Studies on the LGBTI-Themed Graffiti in the Streets of Nicosia, Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala 64 (Mar 2019): 300–322.https://doi.org/10.33788/RCIS.64.23Sara E. Zoeterman, A. Jordan Wright The Role of Openness to Experience and Sexual Identity Formation in LGB Individuals: Implications for Mental Health, Journal of Homosexuality 61, no.22 (Jan 2014): 334–353.https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2013.839919

The Role of the ‘tōjisha’ in Current Debates about Sexual Minority Rights in Japan

‘Speaking as a tōjisha’ has become an important strategy in establishing ‘correct knowledge’ about sexual minority cultures in contemporary Japan. Originally developed in a legal context where it referred to the ‘parties’ in court proceedings, in the 1970s tōjisha was taken up by citizens' groups campaigning for the right of self determination for the ‘parties concerned’ facing discrimination and has become a central concept for all minority self-advocacy groups. In the 1990s the discourse of tōjisha sei (tōjisha-ness) was adopted by gay rights groups and by spokespersons for lesbian and transgender communities in a battle to change public perceptions of sexual minorities through insisting on their right to speak about themselves in their own voices. This paper considers two unforeseen outcomes of the primacy of the tōjisha in current LGBTQ discourse. Firstly, through insisting on attending to the voice of each individual, it has proven difficult to establish common links among discriminated communities (or within communities) because of widely diverging perspectives. Also, given the broad variety in many individuals' experience of non-normative sexuality, having to identify and speak as a tōjisha has engendered normalizing effects. The current primacy of the tōjisha reinforces developmental narratives of sexual-identity formation (only the ‘out’ homosexual is truly authentic) and in so doing inadvertently silences those unable or unwilling to prioritize the sexual in their presentation of self, or whose modes of self-expression fall outside current orthodoxies that provide the boundaries for sexual-minority identification.

The Implications of Erotic Plasticity and Social Constructionism in the Formation of Female Sexual Identity

According to the definition of erotic plasticity, female sexuality is more flexible than male sexuality and more influenced by social, cultural, and situational factors. The social constructionist model suggests that sexuality is constructed by culture so that female sexuality may vary based on the context of one's experiences. Developing a sexual identity may involve exploring a variety of sexual experiences that may not conform to distinct categories of lesbian, gay male, bisexual, or heterosexual. Therapists working with female clients who are exploring their sexual identity should focus on possibilities for personal growth as well as potential barriers of exploration.

Jovens produzindo identidades sexuais

Nesse artigo analisamos a formação das identidades sexuais de jovens, a partir de uma série de exemplos retirados de trabalhos de campo, no decorrer de vários anos e em diferentes projetos de pesquisa. Argumentamos que os jovens se produzem como atores generificados e sexualizados em e por meio de certas relações centrais. Seus contextos mais imediatos são suas próprias culturas sexuais, formadas em relação a espaços institucionais como escolas, cultura popular comercial e relações domésticas e familiares. Sugerimos que as identidades são poderosamente formadas por meio do que Connell chama de "práticas reflexivas do corpo" - ou seja, o circuito de efeitos entre experiências corporais, vida emocional e explicações culturais. É importante observar, no entanto, que essas experiências e entendimentos são desenvolvidos no contexto de relações sociais de poder. As diferenças sexuais, por exemplo, são sempre acompanhadas e mutuamente moldadas por outras "diferenças que fazem diferença" na vida cotidiana das pessoas, tais como raça, gênero ou corporificação. Interações imediatas, face a face, estão sempre imbuídas de formações culturais mais amplas em torno do sexual, que são reproduzidas e às vezes modificadas em práticas como representação na mídia, processos políticos e legais, venda e consumo de bens, educação e conhecimentos científicos, profissionais e especializados. Sugerimos que tais entendimentos têm implicações consideráveis para práticas profissionais, pois indicam que os praticantes - por exemplo de profissões de cuidado, ensino ou assistência médica - estão direta e ativamente envolvidos na construção da identidade de seus jovens clientes, alunos ou pacientes, ao mesmo tempo em que constroem suas próprias identidades profissionais. Finalizamos argumentando que a prática ética com jovens em relação às suas identidades sexuais emergentes somente é alcançável quando os profissionais são autorreflexivos no que diz respeito às limitações de seus próprios horizontes e cientes de sua parcialidade.

Predicting Different Patterns of Sexual Identity Development Over Time Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youths: A Cluster Analytic Approach

Recent research has suggested that the sexual identity development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths may not follow a single pattern, but may follow a variety of pathways. Although some research documenting variability in identity development exists, unclear are the potential individual and social contexts that predict these different patterns, as well as the contexts that predict changes in identity integration over time. This report longitudinally examined these issues in an ethnically diverse sample of 156 LGB youths (ages 14-21) in New York City. Cluster analytic techniques identified two patterns of sexual identity formation (i.e., early and more recent), and three patterns of sexual identity integration (i.e., high, middling, and low). Gender and sexual abuse were found to predict identity formation; and, gay-related stress, social support, negative social relationships, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and gender were found to predict patterns of sexual identity integration and changes in integration over 1 year. These findings document different patterns of sexual identity development and identify potential contextual barriers and facilitating factors that may be used to develop interventions to promote healthy LGB identity development.

The Impact of Sexual Abuse on Sexual Identity Formation in Gay Men

ABSTRACT Emerging data suggests that as children, gay males have an increased risk for physical and sexual abuse. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a significant subset of children abused by clergy identify as gay as adults. However, we know very little about the impact of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse in childhood on the development and psychosocial functioning of gay men. This article describes the incidence of childhood abuse in the lives of gay men and the probable impact of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. In the treatment of gay men sexually abused as children, including those abused by clergy, providers should use a normative frame for gay identity development such as the Homosexual Identity Formation Model. This treatment model, highlighted with case material, is also discussed.

Internalized Heterosexism

This article provides an integrated critical review of the literature on internalized heterosexism/internalized homophobia (IH), its measurement, and its psychosocial correlates. It describes the psychometric properties of six published measures used to operationalize the construct of IH. It also critically reviews empirical studies on correlates of IH in the areas of sexual identity formation and the coming-out process; mental, psychosocial, and physical health; substance use; sexual risk-taking behavior; intimate relationships; parenting and family issues; gender roles and feminism; race and ethnicity; religion; career issues; and counselor—client interactions and treatment interventions. Last, it discusses limitations of the body of research and provides suggestions for future research throughout the review.

Crafts, Boys, Ernest Thompson Seton, and the Woodcraft Movement

This article examines early influences on art education for boys (Chalmers & Dancer, 2007) in areas traditionally labeled as crafts. Under review is the work of Ernest Thompson Seton, artist, naturalist, storyteller, author, philosopher, crusader for and supporter of indigenous American Indian ways of knowing, and a co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America. Within a discussion of indigeneity and woodcraft, this article contributes to the study of masculinities and art education. Seton’s Woodcraft Indians and the Boy Scouts of America were early 20th-century responses to what Pinar (2001) has termed the “crisis of white masculinity.” As Imms (2003) has stated, “Art education does own a legacy of neglecting boys” (p. 55). Applying Addison (2005), this article considers art and design in the formation of sexual identities. A focus on the life and work of Seton, with an analysis of his semi-autobiographical writing, provides select historical insight into gendered approaches to art education as well as romantic approaches to Native American art and education.

Man as Beast: Nijinsky's Faun

"Man as Beast: Nijinsky's Faun": Nijinsky's choreography of and performance in the modernist ballet Afternoon of a Faun (1912) caused an uproar when, with piebald leotard, pointy ears, and an erect tail that seemed to stand in for what the fig leaves covering his genitals at once signaled and concealed, Nijinsky as the mythical half-human/half-animal Faun seemed to engage sexually with a scarf left behind by a fleeing nymph. In his previous work with the Ballets Russes, Nijinsky had been crucial to the revitalization of the role of the male dancer in early-twentieth-century ballet, but the controversy that his first choreographic work generated suggests that Afternoon of a Faun constituted a transformational moment in the representation of male sexuality. This essay will consider how the narrative structure of Afternoon of a Faun intersected with its innovative choreographic style to stage, through the human/non-human figure of the Faun, a male sexual animal that was at once non-masculine yet non-effeminate. This queerly ambiguous figure constituted a modernist challenge to hegemonic ideologies of sex and gender and thus contributed to the early twentieth-century formation of alternative sexual identities, but the challenge that the ballet originally posed has since been obscured as Nijinsky and the Faun have become pathologically fused in popular cultural and critical discourse. This analysis of the choreography, performance, and reception of Afternoon of a Faun thus serves as a case study of how modernist performance practice disrupted normative sex and gender roles and, in doing so, participated in the development of, and fueled the circulation of discourse about, emergent sexual identities.

Theorizing Female Inversion: Sexology, Discipline, and Gender at the Fin de Siècle

Th e q u e s t i o n o f h o w t o t h e o r i z e historical discourses of sex has received much critical attention since Foucault first developed his influential model of sexuality as the product of historical and socioeconomic contingency. Foucault’s approach has rightly been criticized for marginalizing issues of gender, as queer and feminist critics have turned attention to the complex intersections between concepts of sexual behavior and ideas of gender. Investigations of female sexuality in particular, ranging from the reconstructive lesbian histories of Martha Vicinus and others to the queer cultural histories of female gender advanced by Judith Halberstam, have complicated our understanding of how to theorize the experiential realities of historical sexual subjects whose words and thoughts have not always been preserved. These distinct, frequently opposing studies typically approach the theorization of sexological taxonomies in relation to ideas of modern sexual identity formation, importantly scrutinizing the impact and validity of identity labels and identifying gaps in existing histories of sexuality. but how can we understand the meanings of sexual concepts at the point

Dances of Desire: Commentary on Papers by Dianne Elise and Jonathan H. Slavin

Using metaphoric dance imagery, the author playfully engages the theme of inhibition of desire through an audio-visual-kinetic listening style. She explores potential alternative self-states and dissociated self-other configurations between patient and analyst in the form of multiple dance “couplings.” The analyst's role in the awakening or inhibiting of his or her patient's sexual desire and personal agency is discussed, drawing on potential transference–countertransference configurations and the influence of shame, disempowerment, and stereotypes of gender and race on the formation of sexual identity. How does each patient call for her analyst to change? Will eroticism, dissociated rage, victimization, or betrayal find expression in Amanda's treatment once Slavin renounces his position of idealized holder of knowledge? How does Elise's exploration of the contrast between the female analyst's conventionally desexualized “analytic costume” and her patient's more colorful hyperbolic imagery of her sexuality, further the pursuit of liberation from culturally contextualized shame and devaluation of female sexuality? The author proposes a model of self-acceptance on the part of the analyst of the embodiment of her own fluctuations in sexual desire, along with openness to transference explorations, where relevant, about her own body.

The Coming-Out Process of Young Lesbian and Bisexual Women: Are There Butch/Femme Differences in Sexual Identity Development?

Research on lesbian and bisexual women has documented various biological and behavioral differences between butch and femme women. However, little research has examined whether differences exist in sexual identity development (i.e., the coming-out process). The present study examined longitudinally potential butch/femme differences in sexual identity formation and integration among an ethnically diverse sample of 76 self-identified lesbian and bisexual young women (ages 14-21 years). A composite measure of butch/femme identity classified 43% as butch and 51% as femme. Initial comparisons found butch/femme differences in sexual identity (i.e., nearly all butches identified as lesbian, but about half of femmes identified as bisexual), suggesting the need to examine this confound. Comparisons of lesbian butches, lesbian femmes, and bisexual femmes found that lesbian butches and femmes generally did not differ on sexual identity formation, but they differed from bisexual femmes. Lesbian butches and femmes had sexual behaviors and a cognitive sexual orientation that were more centered on women than those of bisexual femmes. With respect to sexual identity integration, lesbian butches were involved in more gay social activities, were more comfortable with others knowing about their homosexuality, and were more certain, comfortable, and accepting of their sexual identity than were bisexual femmes. Fewer differences were found between lesbian femmes and bisexual femmes or between lesbian butches and lesbian femmes. The findings suggest that sexual identity formation does not differ between butch or femme women, but differences are linked to sexual identity as lesbian or bisexual. Further, the findings that lesbian femmes sometimes differed from lesbian butches and at other times from bisexual femmes on sexual identity integration suggest that neither sexual identity nor butch/femme alone may explain sexual identity integration. Research examining the intersection between sexual identity and butch/ femme is needed.

An Exploratory Study of Puerto Rican MSM Drug Users

Research suggests that sexual silence, family loyalty, and homophobia foster health-compromising behaviors among adult Latino gay males, but little is known about the effect of these sociocultural factors on the lives of Latino children and young teens characterized by gender nonconformity and homosexual orientation. This exploratory study of Puerto Rican men who have sex with men (MSM) used multisession qualitative interviews to examine early life experiences related to gender identity and homosexual orientation, and the place of drug use and risky sexual behavior in sexual identity formation. Gay male and transsexual female participants described at least one sympathetic family member, usually a female, who accepted cross-gender behavior and/or homosexual orientation. Half of the participants experienced unwanted sex as minors, and all were subjected to bullying by schoolmates. As pubescent youth, participants frequented adult gay venues where they were exposed to high-risk sexual and drug-related behaviors. Interventions for sexually questioning and gay/transsexual Puerto Rican youth are proposed.

'And They Sleep Together Like Husband and Wife'

The emergence of modern queer identities is usually located in cities — initially the European and American metropolises, followed by provincial or colonial cities like Sydney. While the argument that a critical mass of people triggers the formation of new identities is compelling, a centralised, urban model of the generation of modern queer identities ignores an alternative theoretical model emphasising flow and connection between the ‘centre’ and the ‘margins’ that has emerged in writing about colonial and post-colonial cultures, but which has a wider applicability in understanding cultural change. In this paper, I argue that marginalised same-sex behaviours and relationships on the periphery of the empire or the nation are implicated in larger patterns of interconnectedness and reciprocity in the historical formation of modern sexual identities. Specifically, I use a family study to explore manifestations of same-sex attraction in early twentieth century Cooktown and the influence of these sexual role models on three subsequent generations.

Suicide Attempts among Norwegian Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youths

The aim of the study was to identify the specific factors that affect the risk of attempted suicide in Norwegian gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) youths beyond the effect of general risk factors presumed to be of importance irrespective of sexual orientation. The national non-probability sample included 407 GLB youths aged between 16 and 25 years of age, among whom 26 per cent of both genders reported a previous suicide attempt. General risk factors for attempted suicide among GLB youths were: lack of parental contact, internalizing problems (depression/anxiety), low self-esteem, regular smoking and victimization. The following risk factors specific for GLB youths increased the risk of attempted suicide even when controlling for general risk factors: currently being in a steady heterosexual relationship, early heterosexual debut (<16), young age of coming out (<15), infrequent contact with heterosexual friends and openness to all heterosexual friends. For practitioners engaged in social work among young people in general or GLB youths in particular, these results show that while coming out is a vital aspect of sexual identity formation that enhances psychological well-being and should be celebrated, in another sense it is a serious stressor with potentially negative consequences unless a strong social support network is there to be relied upon.

Layers of Leather

Leathermen form a gay male subculture that eroticizes leather dress and symbols. This investigation examined the relationship of participants' leather identity to their gender and sexual identities. In addition, the participants described their process of leather identity development, and its meanings and purposes. Six self-identified leathermen participated in semi-structured interviews that were subjected to a grounded-theory analysis. The analysis suggested that leathermen develop a unique form of masculinity, integrating care and vulnerability with an aesthetic of heightened masculine appearance. Flexible interactional scripts allow for gendered signs to be enacted, designating a social status that is not recognized by the mainstream gay community. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research on gay male masculinity, gay community, sexual identity formation, and internalized homophobia.