Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youths’ Disclosure of Their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Across Contexts: Processes, Decision Making, and Related Experiences

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youths’ disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (SOGI) reflects both a major milestone in one’s SOGI development but also a perpetual process that occurs across the life course. This study builds on previous frameworks of SOGI disclosure and coming out, documenting how diverse LGBTQ+ youth describe their processes and experiences with disclosing SOGI across varied social contexts (e.g., family, school, and communities). Using a novel data source, chat transcripts from a national LGBTQ+ youth support platform (N = 42 transcripts; 206 unique participants), thematic analysis was used to deductively analyze the processes, decision making, and related experiences SOGI disclosure has on youth. Four themes illustrate an iterative process that LGBTQ+ youth experience regarding disclosure of their SOGI identities: (a) sensing oneself as LGBTQ+, (b) assessing readiness to disclose, (c) consequences of disclosure, and (d) the role of others and the environment in disclosure. These findings illuminate potential strategies for how youth service providers, parents, and educators can support LGBTQ+ youth through these processes.