The Identity Development of LGBTQ Millennial College Students

1. CNSA 510 Introduction to Student Development Theory
The Identity Development of
LGBTQ College Students
P. Max Quinn – December 5, 2011

2. Coming Out Stars
The Identity Development of LGBTQ College Students

3. INTRODUCTION
THERE IS MUCH NEED TO BRING SEXUAL
IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT TO THE ATTENTION
OF HETEROSEXUALS…
THIS WILL HELP TO CLARIFY IMPORTANT
ASPECTS OF SEXUALITY, AS WELL AS THE
‘PRIVILEGE’ HETEROSEXUALS HAVE IN OUR
SOCIETY .
The Identity Development of LGBTQ College Students

4. Foundational Concepts of Research:
Sex, Gender and Gender Identity in Student Affairs Practice
6 interactive factors that influence the development of sexual identity:
1. Biology, physical maturation;
1. Micro-social context, values and attitudes held by significant others;
1. Gender Norms and socialization;
1. Culture, place and time;
1. Religious orientation, extent to which one adheres to a fundamentalist belief
system and the importance of religion in one’s life;
1. Systematic Homonegativity, sexual prejudice, and privilege:
The discrimination and negativity targeted at GLBT folks,
and the benefits society awards heterosexuals

6. Psychological Theories - Internal changes, such as growing self-awareness,
formation of a gay/lesbian/bisexual self-image, and personal decisions about
The Identity Development of
LGBTQ College Students identity management
Gender identity does not determine
sexual orientation.
No single model exists of identifying gender identity of college students.
Sociological Theories - Focus on the impact of community, development of
social roles, and managing stigma, or on the coming out process
Masculinity and femininity are not reliable predictors of
an individual’s gender identity.

7. Vivienne Cass’s MODEL OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION IDENTITY FORMATION (1979)
(REVISED IN 1996)
PRE-STAGE 1: PERCEIVE THEMSELVES AS HETEROSEXUAL AND RECOGNIZE THIS AS A PREFERRED STATE OF BEING
STAGE 1: IDENTITY CONFUSION –
THIS STAGE BEGINS WITH INDIVIDUALS’ FIRST AWARENESS THAT THEIR
BEHAVIOR OR FEELINGS COULD BE LABELED AS GAY OR LESBIAN.
STAGE 2: IDENTITY COMPARISON –
MOVEMENT FROM STAGE 1 TO STAGE 2 OCCURS ONCE INDIVIDUALS HAVE
ACCEPTED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MIGHT BE GAY OR LESBIAN.
STAGE 3: IDENTITY TOLERANCE –
INDIVIDUALS ENTERING STAGE 3 HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY ARE
PROBABLY GAY OR LESBIAN AND SEEK OUT OTHER GAY AND LESBIAN
PEOPLE TO REDUCE THEIR FEELINGS OF ISOLATION.
STAGE 4: IDENTITY ACCEPTANCE –
ALTHOUGH ONE’ SELF-PERCEPTION IS CLEARLY GAY OR LESBIAN, AT THIS STAGE THE
PERSON’S “INNER SENSE OF SELF IS STILL TENUOUS”.
STAGE 5: IDENTITY PRIDE –
IN THIS STAGE, INDIVIDUALS FOCUS ON GAY ISSUES AND ACTIVITIES AND MINIMIZE CONTACT WITH HETEROSEXUALS.
STAGE 6: IDENTITY SYNTHESIS –
GAY/LESBIAN AND HETEROSEXUAL WORLDS ARE LESS DICHOTOMIZED, AND INDIVIDUALS JUDGE OTHERS ON THE
BASIS OF THEIR PERSONAL QUALITIES RATHER THAN SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF THEIR SEXUAL IDENTITY.

8. Sex Typing / Gender Schema Theory / Bem Sex Role Inventory
Sandra Bem

9. Fassinger’s Model of Gay and Lesbian Identity Development (1996)
Individual Sexual Identity Group Membership identity
- Awareness - - Awareness -
Perceiving oneself as difference from other of the existence of people with different
people sexual orientations
- Exploration - - Exploration -
One begins to actively investigate feelings of of individual relationship to the gay and/or
attraction for individuals (or a particular lesbian community
person) of the same sex
- Deepening/Commitment -
- Deepening/Commitment - Individuals make a personal commitment to
One’s sense of self as gay or lesbian is the lesbian and gay community and accept
strengthened, and one’s sexual identity the potentially negative consequences of
becomes more secure and internalized being part of this group
- Internalization / Synthesis - - Internalization -
One’s sexual identity becomes a part of one’s of a minority group identity across contexts
overall identity

10. D’Augelli’s Life Span Model of
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Development (1994)
The Coming out process is affected by three factors…
Personal Actions and Subjectivities
Individual’s perceptions and feelings about their sexual identities
Actual sexual behaviors and the meanings attached to them
Interactive Intimacies
The influences of family, peer group, and intimate partnerships
The meanings attached to experiences with significant others
Sociohistorical Connections
Social norms, policies, and laws found in various geographical periods

11. D’Augelli’s Life Span Model of
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Development (1994)
The Identity Development Process: 6 Interactive Processes (not stages)
Exiting Heterosexual Identity
- Requires recognition that one’s feelings and attractions are not heterosexual -
- Telling others that one is lesbian, gay, or bisexual -
Developing a Personal Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Identity Status
- Involves determining for oneself the unique meaning of being gay, lesbian, or bisexual
will have in one’s life -
Developing a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Social Identity
- Creating a support network of people who know and accept one’s sexual orientation -
Becoming a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Offspring
- Disclosing one’s identity to parents and redefining one’s relationship after such disclosure -
Developing a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Intimacy Status
- Difficult, due to relative invisibility of lesbian and gay couples in society -
Entering a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Community
- Making varying degrees of commitment to social and political action -

12. Exiting a traditionally gendered identity
Recognizing that one is gender variant, attaching a label to this identity,
and affirming oneself as gender variant through coming out to others
Developing a personal transgender identity
Achieving the stability that comes from knowing oneself in relation to
other transgender people and challenging internalized transphobia
Developing a transgender social identity
Creating a support network of people who know and accept that
one is gender variant
Becoming a transgender offspring
Coming out as transgender to family members and reevalauting relationships
that may be disrupted by this disclosure
Developing a transgender intimacy status
Creating intimate physical and emotional relationships
Entering a transgender community
Making a commitment to political and social action through challenging transphobia and
genderism

13. Cultural Considerations
& Limitations
The Identity Development of LGBTQ College Students

14. Application to
Student Affairs
Practice
 Policies that Support student needs;
 Resources readily available;
 Targeted Programming;
 The Inclusion of LGBT topics in curriculum;
 Faculty and staff who are willing to act as
advocates and role models;
 Active Interventions;
 Themed, special interest, or gender-neutral
housing;
 Inclusive, supportive, warm and welcoming
campus culture;
 Creation of a climate that promotes learning LGBTQ Policy
and the development of identities;
 Networks / Communities (Safe Zone
Programs)

15. College Girl
• Natalie had more confidence at the end of
Pg. 310 – the book. Why?
“The big question remained:
If I didn’t want noncommittal • How did she think others perceived her?
hookups and I was done with men, • Was she ever comfortable with her own
then what did I want?” sexuality?
• Did she engage in sexual acts for acceptance
Pg. 319 – and/or to fit into a gender role?
“It was never about the guy.
It was never about the sex. • It took her the entire book to “find herself”
and become comfortable with her body.
It was never about love.” What helped her develop her identity?
What was it about? • Did social expectations depict how she
acted?
What did Natalie want? • What role did Patrick play in her identity
development?
What about… Jack? Jacob? Sasha? Gwen? Faith?

16. THE END 
Thank you!