Balancing Disclosure and Belonging: Sexual Identity Management, Context, and Resilience Among Sexual Minority Youth

Background: Sexual minority youth (SMY; e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) experience anxiety and depression at rates two to three times higher than their heterosexual peers. The process of identity development during adolescence and young adulthood is often compounded by stigmatizing, homophobic, and prejudicial environments. To navigate these challenges, many SMY adopt identity management strategies—such as passing, covering, concealment, and selective disclosure—requiring constant, context-sensitive decisions about when and how to disclose their sexual identity. Managing one’s sexual identity involves hypervigilance and careful evaluations of the potential risks and benefits of disclosure, including social support, rejection, isolation, and harm. For those holding multiple marginalized identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, religion), identity management also involves negotiating conflicts with cultural, familial, and community expectations. Despite these complexities, research remains limited on the contexts, needs, and strategies SMY employ to manage their identities while fostering mental well-being.

Methods: This study draws from qualitative interviews conducted from March to December 2024 with 40 SMY aged 18–24, recruited through online platforms and nonprofit organizations in North Carolina’s Triangle region. Maximum variation sampling was employed to capture diverse experiences from a pool of over 200 screened participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom, and initial transcripts were generated through the Zoom transcription service, followed by manual verification against audio recordings. Transcripts were analyzed using NVivo 15, with two coders independently generating initial codes and engaging in a consensus-building process to resolve disagreements. Thematic analysis guided the process of refining codes into overarching themes.

Results: Participants had an average age of 21.5 years; 50% identified as male, and 33% as transgender or nonbinary. The sample was racially and ethnically diverse: 27% identified as non-Hispanic White, 23% as non-Hispanic Black, 15% as Latinx, and 35% as Asian, Native American, or multiracial. Experiences of identity management were shaped by race/ethnicity, religiosity, country of origin, and participation in cultural and faith communities. While many participants identified family and faith as sources of conflict, several also described them as anchors of support, demonstrating the dual role these spaces can play in identity management. Six central themes emerged: (1) internal assessment of sexual identity (exploration, discordance, fluidity); (2) appraisal of diverse contexts (code-switching across personal and institutional spaces); (3) managing multiple social identities (balancing intersecting racial, ethnic, and religious identities); (4) negotiating heteronormativity (conforming to or resisting societal expectations); (5) implicit and explicit outness (strategic openness); and (6) outcome expectations (assessing disclosure risks and safety).

Discussion: These findings contribute to the growing body of research on sexual identity management among SMY, highlighting the critical influence of social and cultural contexts. The results underscore the need for prevention and intervention strategies that are attuned to the intersections of sexual identity, social identity, and environment. Families, spiritual communities, and cultural networks emerge as promising partners in efforts to support healthy identity development and reduce mental health disparities. Expanding access to affirming spaces and culturally grounded protective resources is an urgent public health priority to mitigate mental health risks and strengthen resilience within this vulnerable population.