Page 225 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

The Detrimental Impact of Sexual-Orientation Microaggressions 199

To be placed in situations that assail your sexual - orientation identity and
forced to remain silent may do harm to one ’ s sense of integrity. It may make
an LGBT person constantly fearful that they will be “ outed. ” It may make an
LGBT person feel that they have sold out. It may make an LGBT person shame-
ful and guilt - ridden that they did nothing. It may make the LGBT person feel
like a spineless coward. These detrimental consequences can also result in

suppressed or repressed rage and anger that finds only oneself as an outlet.
Ultimately, sexual - orientation microaggressions assail not only the sexual
identity of LGBTs, but also their personal integrity.

Internalized Sexual Stigma

Hiding one ’ s sexual orientation and remaining in the closet can also be
motivated by internalized sexual stigma, oftentimes labeled internalized
homophobia, internalized oppression, internalized heterosexism, self - hate, and
internalized homonegativity (Douce, 2005; Herek et al., 2009; Nadal et al., in
press; Szymanski, Kashubeck - West, & Meyer, 2008). These terms are over-
lapping but describe a process and outcome whereby LGBTs experience
individual, institutional, and cultural oppression in the form of heterosexist
attitudes, beliefs, and feelings that become associated with their self - esteem
system (Szymanski & Gupta, 2009). As a member of a devalued minority, the
person internalizes these negative beliefs and attitudes about oneself and
about members of their own group. Many scholars believe that internalized
sexual minority stigma is the most insidious and harmful outcome of heter-
osexism for LGBTs (Meyer & Dean, 1998; Moradi, van den Berg, & Epting,
2009). It not only aborts the developmental process of LGBTs, but it results in
extreme psychological distress for the person and group.
With respect to its internal consequences, internalized heterosexism is
considered to have two manifestations: identity separation and identity den-
igration (Moradi, van den Berg, & Epting, 2009). The former refers to the
separation of lesbian or gay identity from the self because of internalized
prejudice. Fragmentation or compartmentalization of the self results in feelings of
isolation, alienation, and a possible sense of existential unreality about one ’ s

identity. According to this view, the conflict is between a need to perceive one-
self as a good, moral, and worthwhile person, contrasted against the belief that
being gay or lesbian is immoral, indecent, and repugnant. Any situation that
seems to merge these two disparate views of the self produces feelings of
threat. Internal separation and distancing become the psychological maneuvers

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