A Conscious Decision”
Intersectional Identity Formation and Understanding of Asian/Asian American Pacific Islander Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11061890 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jennifer T Tran (0000-0002-3007-2553, California University of Pennsylvania, corresponding author), Yashita Thota (California University of Pennsylvania), Jose Bauermeister (0000-0002-9276-2306, California University of Pennsylvania) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-21 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Homosexuality (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-8369 • E-ISSN: 1540-3602 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00918369.2026.2650691 |
| PMID | 41878939 |
| OpenAlex | W7140287611 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) emerging adults must navigate the intersections of sexual, gender, and racial/ethnic identities while contending with cultural expectations and systemic marginalization. Yet little research has examined how AAPI SGD youth understand and relate to their intersectional identities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 AAPI SGD emerging adults (ages 18-24) recruited nationally and analyzed transcripts using a two-phase approach that combined inductive thematic analysis with intersectionality-informed deductive analysis. Three interrelated themes emerged: Intersectional Identity Understanding and Cohesion, Identity Connection and Pride, and Influence of Social Systems. Participants described experiences of cultural erasure and the denial of SGD identities within AAPI communities, alongside invisibility in LGBTQ+ spaces, resulting in intersectional invisibility that constrained authentic self-expression. At the same time, youth reported selective cultural connections, nonlinear journeys toward SGD pride, and conscious efforts to integrate their identities. These findings highlight identity formation as a dynamic and effortful process shaped by both resilience and systemic oppression. Culturally responsive interventions and community supports are needed to counter cultural erasure, affirm political consciousness, and foster healthy integration of intersecting identities during this formative developmental period
Ethnic group · Human sexuality · Identity (music · Identity formation · Intersectionality · Pacific islanders · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
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Sexual and gender minority emerging adults eliciting narratives (Seen)
Using an intersectional life course perspective to understand familial environment and its impact on sexuality development among Asian American sexual minority college students
Dynamics of Identity Development in Adolescence
Centralizing the psychology of sexual minority Asian and Pacific Islander Americans
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Challenges, coping, and benefits of being an Asian American lesbian or bisexual woman
LGBT strengths
Psychological sense of community, community civic participation, and ethnic identity on social justice orientation and psychological empowerment between LGBQ and Non-LGBQ youth of color
Invisible Asian Americans
Negotiating multiple marginalizations
Identity as Resistance
When Black + Lesbian + Woman ≠ Black Lesbian Woman
Culture, Sexual Orientation, and Distress Among LGBQ Asian and Pacific Islander Individuals
Minority Stress and Psychological Distress Among Asian American Sexual Minority Persons 1Ψ7
Racial and ethnic identity
The Mutually Reinforcing Cycle Of Poor Data Quality And Racialized Stereotypes That Shapes Asian American Health
Mapping the Margins
Emerging adulthood
Intersectional Invisibility
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |