Supporting LGBTQ+ youth
Photos by by Maria Errico and Shelly Silva | Illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase October 10, 2024
Assistant Professor Eric Layland and doctoral student Mohammad Mousavi share new research and strategies for supporting the coming out process
In honor of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, University of Delaware researchers are shedding light on the complex decision-making process LGBTQ+ youth experience when coming out.
UD doctoral student Mohammad Mousavi, Associate Professor Valerie Earnshaw, Assistant Professor Eric Layland and co-author Norman Chong of the University of Malaya recently completed an extensive review of studies exploring what influences LGBTQ+ youth to share their identities.
After analyzing nearly 5,500 articles and diving deep into 29 key studies, they found that research on the coming out process is evolving, with increasing attention to mental health outcomes.
In a Q&A with UDaily, Mousavi and Layland, members of UD’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), discussed their findings and offered valuable insights on how parents, educators and community members can create a safe and affirming environment for LGBTQ+ youth as they navigate this deeply personal journey.
What do you think is one of the most important takeaways from your study?
Layland: Results of this study challenge the idea that coming out is a single, one-time event where adolescents announce their LGBTQ+ identity and then move forward. Many LGBTQ+ people come out in many different ways and places over their life, including in adolescence. By taking a developmental approach to identity disclosure, we see clear evidence of a complex process that includes navigating relationships, sorting through intentions and goals when coming out and grappling with the costs and benefits of disclosing a stigmatized sexual or gender identity. Ultimately, we hope that this study further demonstrates that adolescents need support across the full disclosure process, not just the moments when they share their identity out loud for the first time. Affirmation and support for adolescents coming out must occur before, during and after disclosure of their LGBTQ+ identity.
What are some of the biggest motivators for coming out as an LGBTQ+ person?
Mousavi: A major developmental task of adolescence and early adulthood is growing to understand and confirm our identities and social belonging. For LGBTQ+ adolescents, a big part of this process is understanding and sharing their sexual and gender identities. In fact, the most common reasons for disclosing, which we identified in about a third of the studies we reviewed, include the desire to live authentically, to manage one’s identity and to seek a sense of community belonging.
Positive outcomes of disclosure include improvements in mental health, such as higher self-esteem, reduced depression and greater psychosocial adjustment. These benefits are particularly pronounced in youth who receive supportive reactions from family or peers post-disclosure.
What are some of the biggest barriers to coming out?
Mousavi: The biggest barriers to disclosing sexual identity are rooted in reasons for avoiding disclosure primarily driven by stigma, fear of rejection and concerns about family support. Although LGBTQ+ youth are increasingly coming out at younger ages due to more culturally supportive environments, anticipated stigma still shapes their decision-making processes. Sexual and gender minority stigma, such as homophobia and heteronormativity, often leads LGBTQ+ youth to avoid disclosure to protect themselves from emotional harm or social isolation. Fear of negative reactions, which can be compounded by vicarious trauma, also discourages youth from coming out.
Feeling constrained to stay "in the closet" can have serious negative developmental outcomes, including feelings of social isolation, greater psychological distress, depression and negative outlooks about themselves or others. Without someone supportive to disclose to, LGBTQ+ youth miss out on the opportunity to build a sense of belonging, an essential component of healthy adolescent development.
What can parents, educators and community members do to support young people during the process of coming out?
Layland: Many parents and educators wait for adolescents to disclose their LGBTQ+ identities before they actively create space that is LGBTQ+ inclusive and resourced for LGBTQ+ youth. Reacting positively to youth coming out is very important, but parents, educators and community leaders should strive to create LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces and homes even before they know if their child or student will disclose an LGBTQ+ identity. This can include showing children and adolescents that you are supportive of other LGBTQ+ people, that you don’t assume all adolescents are heterosexual or cisgender and opening the possibility of diverse gender expression and interests. Instead of waiting for adolescents to lead the way, parents and educators can initiate LGBTQ+ inclusive discussions about gender and relationships, identify and share media with LGBTQ+ representation and invite adolescents to have conversations over time about their identities.
Once adolescents disclose, parents, educators and community members can identify programs, events and educational materials directly related to LGBTQ+ identities. After an adolescent comes out, it is important that adults ask questions and let the adolescent identify what they might want or need. Be prepared for adolescents to evolve in how they describe their identities and their needs over time; changes in an identity label are common in adolescence and should never be interpreted as evidence that LGBTQ+ identities are transient phases. Allow LGBTQ+ adolescents the freedom to explore, change and grow just as we would all other young people.
“National Coming Out Day is a reminder that LGBTQ+ people, including youth, make brave decisions to be themselves when they disclose their identities,” Layland said. “For adolescents, coming out can be celebrated as an act of bravery and authenticity, but it should also be seen as an invitation to be supportive, loving and accepting. As we celebrate coming out, allies should be looking for ways to come in.”
Layland and his research team are recruiting LGBTQ+ youth and their parents for a study of LGBTQ+ youth identity development and parent support. To participate, complete Layland’s interest survey.
To learn more about CEHD research in social determinants of health, including disclosure and stigma, visit its research page.
Resources for UD Students
UD’s Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion offers many resources for LGBTQ+ students and UD community members, including gender-inclusive housing, gender-affirming care resources and LGBTQ+ education workshops. UD’s Student Health Services also ensures that all genders, gender identities and sexual orientations have access to healthcare that meets their individual needs.
In partnership with UD’s Center for Counseling and Student Development, Student Diversity and Inclusion also offers Lavender Chats, a support group that can help LGBTQ+ students navigate the coming out process or other challenges. Students may also consider joining the Lavender Programming Board or the Queer and Trans Graduate Student Union, two UD student organizations.
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