User:DCHWave/sandbox

WP:COPYARTICLE, old copy of Coming out which this user had just edited

Identity issues[edit]

See also: Identity (social science) and Personal identity

When coming out is described as a gradual process or a journey, it is meant to include becoming aware of and acknowledging one's gender identity, gender expression, or non-heteronormative sexual orientation or attraction. This preliminary stage, which involves soul-searching or a personal epiphany, is often called "coming out to oneself" and constitutes the start of self-acceptance. Many LGBT people say that this stage began for them during adolescence or childhood, when they first became aware of their sexual orientation or expression. Coming out has also been described as a process because of a recurring need or desire to come out in new situations in which LGBT people are assumed to be heterosexual or cisgender, such as at a new job or with new acquaintances. A major frame of reference for those coming out has included using an inside/outside perspective, where some assume you can keep your identity/orientation secret and estranged from your outside appearance. This is in fact not as simple as often though, as Diana Fuss (1991) explains, "the problem of course with the inside/outside rhetoric...is that such polemics disguise the fact that most of us are both inside and outside at the same time". In reality, not coming out and keeping your personal views separate from how you present yourself is often problematic and leads to a wide range of issues such as mental health and social interactions.

LGBT identity development[edit]

Main article: Sexual identity § Models of sexual identity development

Every coming out story is the person trying to come to terms with who they are and their sexual orientation. Several models have been created to describe coming out as a process for gay and lesbian identity development, e.g. Dank, 1971; Cass, 1984; Coleman, 1989; Troiden, 1989. Of these models, the most widely accepted is the Cass identity model established by Vivienne Cass. This model outlines six discrete stages transited by individuals who successfully come out: identity confusion, identity comparison, identity tolerance, identity acceptance, identity pride, and identity synthesis. However, not every LGBT person follows such a model. For example, some LGBT youth become aware of and accept their same-sex desires or gender identity at puberty in a way similar to which heterosexual teens become aware of their sexuality, i.e. free of any notion of difference, stigma or shame in terms of the gender of the people to whom they are attracted.^{[citation needed]} Regardless of whether LGBT youth develop their identity based on a model, the typical age at which youth in the United States come out has been dropping. High school students and even middle school students are coming out.

Emerging research suggests that gay men from religious backgrounds are likely to come out online via Facebook and Blogs as it offers a protective interpersonal distance. This largely contradicts the growing movement in social media research indicating that online use, particularly Facebook, can lead to negative mental health outcomes such as increased levels of anxiety. While further research is needed to assess whether these results generalize to a larger sample, these recent findings open the door to the possibility that gay men's online experiences may differ from heterosexuals' in that it may be more likely to provide mental health benefits than consequences.

Transgender Identity and coming out

See also: Transgender Coming Out

Transgender people vary greatly in choosing when, whether, and how to disclose their transgender status to family, close friends, and others. The prevalence of discrimination and violence against transgender people (in the United States, for example, transgender people are 28% more likely to be victims of violence) can make coming out a risky decision. Fear of retaliatory behavior, such as being removed from the parental home while underage, is a cause for transgender people to not come out to their families until they have reached adulthood. Parental confusion and lack of acceptance of a transgender child may result in parents treating a newly revealed gender identity as a "phase" or making efforts to change their children back to "normal" by utilizing mental health services to alter the child's gender identity.

The internet can play a significant role in the coming out process for transgender people. Some come out in an online identity first, providing an opportunity to go through experiences virtually and safely before risking social sanctions in the real world. However, while many trans people find support online they don't have in real life, others encounter bullying and harassment for stating their identity online. According to a study published by Blumenfeld and Cooper, youth who identify as LGBT are 22% less likely to report online bullying due to factors such as parents not believing/understanding them or fear of having to come out to explain the incident. This further shows the problems trans individuals can have coming out, where it's very rare to find support and help.

Transgender identity has a different complexity in terms of coming out than the problems associated with LGBT identity. While coming out in terms of sexual orientation influences a variety of perceptions, from family expectations to social stigma, those same problems manifest in a different light when coming out as trans/non-binary. Lifestyle changes such as wardrobe changes or gender reassignment surgery often add complexity to people who want to come out, on top of other financial and physical implications. Additionally, as the transgender community is smaller than most LGBT groups, support and research of this identity isn't as accessible and well known.