Page 227 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

The Detrimental Impact of Sexual-Orientation Microaggressions 201

heterosexuals, LGBTs must cope with a heteronormative and heterosexist society
that causes identity disruptions and confl icts: accepting or rejecting same - sex
feelings, coming out or remaining hidden, dealing with societal denuncia-
tion and oppression, and developing and integrating a positive LGBT identity
(Barrett & Logan, 2002; Hunter & Mallon, 2000). One particularly crucial period
is that of adolescence, a period of exploration and experimentation regarding
gender role and sexual identities. While most LGBTs are aware before puberty
or adolescence that they experience feelings of differentness and same - sex feel-
ings, they often remain unacknowledged (Hunter & Mallon, 2000). It is at the
stage of adolescence, however, that physical growth and change, and emotional,
cognitive, and sexual maturity most strongly pose a challenge to self - identity
as a heterosexual or LGBT.
A major life stressor that confronts LGBT youths is the assumption that
everyone is heterosexual and that same - sex feelings for adolescents are just
“ a passing phase. ” This microaggression is powerful because it prevents and/
or negates the burgeoning development of a gay identity. It also has psy-
chological consequences. The following was written by a gay student in his

self - reflection journal about his childhood.
Imagine what it is like learning about sex, love, and sexuality in a heterosexual
world from heterosexual friends and from heterosexual parents. Imagine what
it is like when you express fears that you may be homosexual and your parents
hide their anxieties by reassuring you it will “ go away, that it ’ s just a phase. ”
Imagine the “ terrible ” secret you ’ re forced to live with, how it takes over your
life every moment of the day, makes it impossible to concentrate on homework,
praying every day to god to make you straight. Imagine what it ’ s like to pretend
to be someone you ’ re not, to live a lie, to deceive your parents and yourself. No, I
don ’ t think you can imagine it. You try, and I appreciate it, but only a gay person
would know.
“ Coming out ” is a major choice point for LGBTs and can occur at any
point in the lifespan. There are varying degrees of coming out which run
from completely out of the closet to being out in safe situations only (gay
friends and allies, but not casual acquaintances). To come out, however, is
to acknowledge to oneself and others that one is gay or lesbian. Perhaps
one of the most cited gay/lesbian identity development models is one
posed by Cass (1979) in which six stages are posed. It describes the dis-

ruptive influences of heterosexism on identity development of gays and
lesbians, and the eventual integration into a positive identity. Barrett and
Logan (2002) capture the entire process in the following progression of

1/19/10 6:12:59 PM
c09.indd 201
c09.indd 201 1/19/10 6:12:59 PM