#CSAM18 Day 18: Model of Homosexual Identity Formation
I went to undergrad at Ithaca College. It’s a pretty liberal small liberal arts college next to a pretty liberal town in the middle of almost nothing. It’s beautiful. Like, take-your-breath-away beautiful. It also attracts people from many different walks of life. A good friend of mine helped push the idea of gender neutral housing into existence in 2008 (maybe 2007?, I might be a year off). There were entire weeks, maybe a full month, of Pride events. The campus flew (it might still, I haven’t been back in a while) the Pride flag 24/7/365.
I was introduced to the idea of someone being pansexual my junior year.
I grew up in a fairly liberal-minded but rural community. We knew about being gay. We were taught safe sex, for all types of sexual experiences. But, once I was in college I had friends who were openly out, openly themselves, openly participating in Pride events. Eventually I’d attend two gay weddings.
But some folks from where I grew don’t understand. Some don’t want to understand. And so when I started learning about the development of sexual identities (along with other identity development theories), I started to understand the process better. I started being able to see what my friends were going through, or had gone through, in establishing their sexual orientation identity.
So while this theory is a bit dated, and we could debate about how applicable it is based on current climates, I wanted to share at least one theory on the process some people who do not identify as heterosexual might go through:
There are six stages of gay or lesbian identity development. 1: Identity Confusion, where a person is questioning what they thought was their sexual orientation. 2: Identity Comparison, where a person accepts that they may be gay and isolated themselves from other who do not identify as gay. 3: Identity Tolerance, where a person privately accepts that they are gay and also seeks other gay and lesbians to connect with, but keeps a separate public identity. 4: Identity Acceptance: Where a person publicaly and privately accepts their sexual orientation. 5: Identity Pride: When a person becomes part of the gay culture and participates in activism. 6: Identity Synthesis: When a person accepts who they are and integrates it into their other identities. A full explanation (that's really clear and helpful) can be found here: https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.lgb/documents/identityModule.pdf
Title of theory: Model of Homosexual Identity Formation
Year theory was published: 1979
Students originally studied: The original development theory was just that - a theory. A way to explain how a person might go through the process of understanding their sexual orientation. Later, Cass did test her theory, which was published in 1984.
Background of the author: Dr. Vivienne Cass is a retired clinical psychologist and author.
How theory can be used now: Some higher ed professionals wonder why so many people come out as LGBTQ+ while in college. Using theories like Cass' can help us better understand the process our students may go through, the personal challenges they may face, when deciding whether or not to come out while in college. There are also some questions, which may not ever be made publicly, about why some who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum may be more active within the community or within politics. We can, again, use Cass' framework to understand why that might happen.
Words of warning: I wonder if some of these clear-cut stages are still applicable to some people. Our social climate has changed a lot since Cass first published about this, and some people grow up in welcoming families and communities, so maybe they don't experience each stage. I also wonder about the timing. If someone where to go through the early identity stages quickly once they enter college due to family or cultural structures at home, do the later stages change for them?
https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.lgb/documents/identityModule.pdf
https://au.linkedin.com/in/dr-vivienne-cass-b3078641
https://jlgvic.org/pdf/Coming%20Out%20Kosher.pdf
I was introduced to the idea of someone being pansexual my junior year.
I grew up in a fairly liberal-minded but rural community. We knew about being gay. We were taught safe sex, for all types of sexual experiences. But, once I was in college I had friends who were openly out, openly themselves, openly participating in Pride events. Eventually I’d attend two gay weddings.
But some folks from where I grew don’t understand. Some don’t want to understand. And so when I started learning about the development of sexual identities (along with other identity development theories), I started to understand the process better. I started being able to see what my friends were going through, or had gone through, in establishing their sexual orientation identity.
So while this theory is a bit dated, and we could debate about how applicable it is based on current climates, I wanted to share at least one theory on the process some people who do not identify as heterosexual might go through:
There are six stages of gay or lesbian identity development. 1: Identity Confusion, where a person is questioning what they thought was their sexual orientation. 2: Identity Comparison, where a person accepts that they may be gay and isolated themselves from other who do not identify as gay. 3: Identity Tolerance, where a person privately accepts that they are gay and also seeks other gay and lesbians to connect with, but keeps a separate public identity. 4: Identity Acceptance: Where a person publicaly and privately accepts their sexual orientation. 5: Identity Pride: When a person becomes part of the gay culture and participates in activism. 6: Identity Synthesis: When a person accepts who they are and integrates it into their other identities. A full explanation (that's really clear and helpful) can be found here: https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.lgb/documents/identityModule.pdf
Title of theory: Model of Homosexual Identity Formation
Year theory was published: 1979
Students originally studied: The original development theory was just that - a theory. A way to explain how a person might go through the process of understanding their sexual orientation. Later, Cass did test her theory, which was published in 1984.
Background of the author: Dr. Vivienne Cass is a retired clinical psychologist and author.
How theory can be used now: Some higher ed professionals wonder why so many people come out as LGBTQ+ while in college. Using theories like Cass' can help us better understand the process our students may go through, the personal challenges they may face, when deciding whether or not to come out while in college. There are also some questions, which may not ever be made publicly, about why some who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum may be more active within the community or within politics. We can, again, use Cass' framework to understand why that might happen.
Words of warning: I wonder if some of these clear-cut stages are still applicable to some people. Our social climate has changed a lot since Cass first published about this, and some people grow up in welcoming families and communities, so maybe they don't experience each stage. I also wonder about the timing. If someone where to go through the early identity stages quickly once they enter college due to family or cultural structures at home, do the later stages change for them?
https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.lgb/documents/identityModule.pdf
https://au.linkedin.com/in/dr-vivienne-cass-b3078641
https://jlgvic.org/pdf/Coming%20Out%20Kosher.pdf
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