Homosexual adolescents come from all racial and ethnic groups, all economic backgrounds, and all religious dominations. They live in large cities, suburbs, and rural communities. They are student leaders, athletes, and active members of civic groups as well as school dropouts and runaways. With the exception of a few, most homosexual adolescents are indistinguishable from their heterosexual peers. In fact, most homosexual adolescents are invisible.
In order to understand the development of the homosexual adolescent, there must first be a definition of homosexuality. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (Morantz & Torrey, 2004), homosexuality is the persistent sexual and emotional attraction to member's of one's own gender and is part of the continuum of sexual expression. Many homosexual males and females first become aware of their sexuality during adolescence, as do most heterosexual males and females.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Alfred Kinsey developed a landmark spectrum of sexuality, also known as a continuum, in which his research identified a spectrum of sexual behavior that ranged from sexual behavior and attraction to the opposite sex to sexual behavior and attractions to the same sex. In Kinsey's research, it was noted that few people were homosexual or heterosexual. In fact, his research uncovered that a vast majority of people range somewhere in the middle of heterosexuality and homosexuality.
During adolescence, youth begin to consolidate adult identity. Identity is a complex integration of cognitive, emotional, and social factors that make up a person's sense of self. These include gender, sex roles (social and cultural expectations of masculinity and femininity), personality, and sexual orientation. According to
Adolescence is a time of exploration and experimentation; as such sexual activity does not necessarily reflect either present or future sexual orientation. Confusion about sexual identity or sexual orientation is not uncommon in adolescents. Many youth engage in same-sex behavior; attractions or behaviors do not meant that an adolescent is a homosexual. More to the point, sexual activity is a behavior, whereas sexual orientation is a component of identity. Many teens experience a broad range of sexual behaviors that are incorporated into an evolving sexual identity, consolidated over a period of time.
Overly interpreting the significance of adolescent sexual behavior in relation to sexual identity should be avoided. For example, many gay adolescents are not sexually experienced, many gay adolescents may have heterosexual experiences, many heterosexual adolescents many have homosexual experiences, and even some adolescents may identify their self as gay or lesbian without ever having had homosexual or heterosexual experiences.
Homosexual teenagers frequently describe a sense of feeling different from early childhood. As they age and develop cognitively, many gay and lesbian youth begin to understand the nature of their difference and society's negative reaction to it.
In identifying and learning to manage stigma, these adolescents face additional, highly complex challenges and tasks. Lesbian and gay adolescents must learn to manage a stigmatized identity without active support and modeling from parents and family.
Understanding the concept of lesbian/gay identity during adolescent requires an awareness of adolescent sexual behavior and knowledge of the common coping tools for managing a stigmatized identity development in homosexual adolescents. They are not only fearful of rejection and discrimination, but also may feel uncertain or may be unaware of their sexual orientation.
A large-scale study of Minnesota junior and senior high school students found that although more than 88% described themselves as predominantly heterosexual and 1% said they were either bisexual or predominantly homosexual, more than 10% were unsure of their sexual orientation. Uncertainty declined with age, from 26% of 12 year olds to 5% of 18 year olds. Older adolescents were more likely than younger peers to report homosexual identities, attractions, and behaviors.
Studies of adolescent sexual orientation show that the age of self-identification as lesbian or gay has been dropping steadily. Unlike older gay men and lesbians whose survival often depended on separating their social, professional, and emotional lives, today's generation of homosexual youth has an opportunity to live fully integrated lives. However, self-identification as lesbian or gay at younger ages also means greater stress, more negative social pressure, greater likelihood of victimization, and greater need for support, particularly from nonjudgmental and informed adults who can offer appropriate guidance and education. The need for support is particularly critical to avoid isolation when adolescents begin to question their sexual coming out. Coming out, acknowledging one's homosexual identity is a process in which lesbian and gay men recognize their own sexual orientation and integrate this awareness into their lives.
Early on during the development of their sexual identity, homosexual adolescents are confronted with conflicting values, negative homosexual stereotypes, and a lack of openly gay role models. According to Durby (1994),
Parents, family, and peers fail to validate the adolescents developing non-heterosexual orientation and regard it as a phase. Often, when a child's homosexuality becomes apparent or known to parents, they feel, anger, or disgust and repel the child, leaving such throwaway lesbian and gay youth to fend alone. The fact is that we generally assume that our children will grow up to be heterosexual.
Especially in adolescence, the gay youth learn to conceal their developing sexual orientation to avoid the humiliation of sexual taunts. They feel not liked or forced to engage in heterosexually accepted behaviors such as dating members of the opposite sex. This whole setting creates conflict and confusion and tends to prevent or postpone the normal development process of sexual identity. Savin-Williams (Savin-Williams, Ritch C., 2005) says that
Most youth are raised in heterosexual families, associate in heterosexual peer groups, and are educated in heterosexual institutions. Youth who are not heterosexual often feel they have little option except to pass as "heterosexually normal.". The fact that they must hide their sexual orientation makes it assume a global significance to them considerably beyond necessary proportions.
Researchers have proposed several models of the development of homosexual identity. Bridget Taylor discusses Cass' developmental model of homosexuality (1999, p. 521).
Cass's developmental model proposes that identity formation progresses from an initial awareness of same-sex attraction through homosexual behavior to eventual self-labeling, self-disclosure, and finally the adoption of a positive gay identity. The six discrete stages of the homosexual identity formation model are identity confusion, identity comparison, identity tolerance, identity acceptance, identity pride and identity synthesis
During the identity confusion stage, adolescents are questioning whether he or she maybe gay, or if there were a same-sex attraction, it is usually explained away by the adolescent. In the identity comparison stage, the adolescent is thinking about the possibility that he or she is gay, may experience isolation from others because to commit to a gay or lesbian image of themselves. It is also during this stage that one may choose to pass as being straight or heterosexual. During the third stage, the identity tolerance stage, one is accepting the possibility of being gay, tolerates being gay, is partially relieved because one can acknowledge their emotional needs. It is during the identity stage that adolescents seek out role models in the gay and lesbian community. Their self-esteem and support from others also increase during this stage. The fourth stage of homosexual development, identity acceptance, occurs when one has greater contact with other gay and lesbian people and usually seek gay community activities as opposed to straight activities. Often during the identity acceptance stage, a person may even selectively disclose their sexuality, and have more of a normalizing experience of homosexuality. In the identity pride stage, homosexual adolescents tend to view their sexuality as a duel between heterosexual, or straight, and homosexual, gay. They may not associate with other heterosexual activities all together and often assume all heterosexuals are their enemy- them vs. us. They may become angry or frustrated with homophobic attitudes and generally disclose their sexuality. The final stage of homosexual identity, identity synthesis, entails letting go of the dichotomy of them vs. us, and will selectively choose heterosexuals to contact, Finally, the homosexual feels peace with oneself and is feels free to attend all other aspects of life. The fourth, fifth, and six stages generally do not occur during adolescence rather, it is more common to find a homosexual experiencing the identity acceptance, identity pride, and identity synthesis during the early adulthood period of development.
Many adolescents use various coping strategies and behaviors to try and hide their homosexual identity such as passing as heterosexual in most or all of their interactions. Other coping strategies include denying same sex feelings, avoiding situations that might confirm sexual identity, such as playing football with other boys. The adolescent may also try to change their homosexuality by dating or engaging in heterosexual activity, use alcohol or drugs to repress same sex feelings, or try to rationalize behavior as merely being temporary—a phase. As the adolescent acknowledges his or her homosexual identity, many seek accurate information and support. Adolescents are also increasingly self-identifying as lesbian or gay at younger ages. Access to the Internet, which includes include information and support for homosexual youth, is helping facilitate this early self-identification by connecting other homosexual adolescents on a larger scale. Additionally, access to a well defined community providing supportive social, recreational, and religious activities, helps to dispel negative stereotypes and provides a broader range of choices. Interaction also provides support for managing stigma, learning how to deal with discrimination, violence, and other negative experiences that routinely occur within mainstream society.
Gay and lesbian youth who lack sufficient support or who remain unaware of positive options for living open, productive lives may develop unhealthy coping behaviors that persist into adulthood, placing them at an increased risk of serious health and mental problems. These may include substance abuse, depression, suicide, and HIV/AIDS.
The decision to come out, particularly to parents, may have long-term consequences. Most adolescents are dependent on their parents for financial and emotional support. Although coming out can reduce stress and increase communication and intimacy in relationships, disclosure during adolescence may result in abandonment, rejection, or violence when parents abruptly learn or discover that their child is gay.
Adolescents who are considering coming out to their parents should be encouraged to explore their reasons carefully before doing so. Even parents who try to be supportive need time; access to accurate information, and an opportunity to process what for most will be a distressing and guilt-provoking experience.
Nevertheless, coming out or disclosure plays an important role in identity development. An understanding of common coming out patters can help in assessing available support, family dynamics, and resource needs.
When disclosure is voluntary, the adolescent will probably come out first to those they perceive as less threatening (emotionally, physically, and economically), usually close peers. Although gay friends are more likely confidants, many adolescents, particularly those who are younger, have no friends who are lesbian or gay. Unfortunately, rejection by heterosexual peers appears common (Marsiglio, April/May 2001)
In a 14-city survey, nearly three-fourths of lesbian and gay youth first disclosed their sexual identity to friends. Forty-six percent lost a friend after coming out to her or him. In a study of gay and lesbian adolescents 14 to 21 years of age, less than one in five of the surveyed gay and lesbian adolescent students could identify someone who was very supportive of them.
A study of gay-related stress among adolescents found that the most commons stressors were coming out to parents and siblings, having their sexual orientation discovered by parents or siblings, and or being discovered by friends and being ridiculed because they were gay.
The process of self-identifying as a homosexual during adolescence can take a number of years, starting before puberty when gay teenagers may begin to feel different from others and culminating in self-acceptance through integrating sexual identity into various aspects of one's life. Access to adult and peer support, accurate information and resources can help enhance coping skills, provide a greater self-esteem, and positive help-seeking behaviors.
