Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Identity Formation for Lesbian, Bisexual, and Gay Persons:

1996; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 30; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1300/j082v30n03_03

1540-3602

Michèle J. Eliason,

African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues

There is considerable controversy regarding the means by which lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons achieve a sense of sexual identity. In this paper, the concepts of identity and sexual identity are reviewed, and the literature on lesbian and gay ææcoming outÆÆ processes are critiqued. Major limitations of these studies include their narrow samples, their narrow focus on sexuality, their linear nature, and their lack of attention to the larger sociohistorical context. They tend to ææminoritizeÆÆ sexual identities. A more comprehensive cyclical model of identity development would put sexual identity into a context that includes other important facets of identity such as gender, race, and class--a more universalizing approach.