Navigating Remarkable Communication Experiences of Sexual Minorities

Bibliographic Data

ID7500762
AuthorsPamela J Lannutti (0000-0003-1547-9205, Widener University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume9
Issue3
Pages241-244
Publication date2022-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueQED A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2327-1574 • E-ISSN: 2327-1590
PublisherMichigan State University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.14321/qed.9.issue-3.0241
OpenAlexW4362681544
LanguageEN
Citations received4

In his autoethnography, Tony Adams writes that coming out is “ever-present” and “never ends” because in a heteronormative society new interactions with new people require new disclosures of same-sex attraction.1 Yachao Li and Jennifer Samp take readers on a deep dive into the task of managing communication about lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identity in Navigating Remarkable Communication Experiences of Sexual Minorites. Li and Samp provide a detailed and nuanced exploration of how LGB people manage the communication of their sexual orientation that builds on a foundation of well-executed empirical studies to support the construction of their theory of coming out message production (COMP). The book also offers practical suggestions for improving the experiences of LGB people as they manage communication about their sexual orientation.There have been many calls for more studies of the communication experiences of sexual and gender minority individuals.2 Li and Samp have answered these calls by conducting a series of studies on how LGB people navigate revealing and concealing their sexual orientation. Four chapters of the book are dedicated to detailed reporting of mixed-methods, empirical studies conducted by the authors. Each of these studies examines “message content (what people say and do) and message features (how people say and do it)” when managing the disclosure of LGB identity and how these messages affect LGB people and/or their relationships (3).Chapter 2 presents a study of LGB people's initial coming-out disclosures (first time they told someone else about their sexual orientation) and examines links between aspects of these initial coming out messages, depressive symptoms, and psychological stress. These data reveal four scripts used by those initially disclosing their LGB identity. Further, higher amounts of elaboration and emotional expression in these disclosures was associated with better psychological well-being. It is important to note that this chapter establishes a descriptive understanding of coming out messages and shows links between how people communicate during coming out and psychological well-being.Chapter 3 focuses on the messages of LGB people who come out to their heterosexual partner in a mixed-orientation romantic relationship. This study is innovative because it focuses on the experiences of the LGB person in mixed-orientation relationships whereas much of the research and clinical attention in such situations has focused on the heterosexual partner's coping. The chapter describes what factors influenced LGB people's decisions to come out to a heterosexual partner, such as risk-benefits analyses and desires to satisfy personal goals, as well as strategies that participants used in these disclosures including preparing and rehearsing what they were going to say and being direct when coming out. The chapter is an excellent example of the ways that Li and Samp examine understudied aspects of the communication experiences of LGB people but employ well-established communication theories, in this case, communication privacy management theory and the revelation risk model, to do so.Li and Samp examine management of communication about LGB sexual identities within couples in chapter 4. Chapter 4 examines couples’ discussions about the degree to which they wish to reveal their relationship, and therefore their LGB orientation, to others known as “coming out talk.” Li and Samp identified four themes among participants’ coming out talk showing that couples not only coordinated with one another about revealing information about their relationship and sexual orientations, but that many couples also created long-term disclosure plans for doing so. An especially important finding is that relational development and LGB disclosure were linked. As couples’ relationships grew, their coming out talk became more planned and strategic. Further, the data reveal that coming out talk is ultimately beneficial for couples and associated with greater relational satisfaction.Li and Samp shift focus from how LGB people reveal their sexual orientation to how they conceal it in chapter 5. In particular, chapter 5 presents a study on strategic concealment of LGB identity from friends. Although I was initially perplexed as to why Li and Samp chose to focus on concealment from friends instead of concealment from families given that previous research shows that families are often among the most challenging personal relationships for LGB people,3 after reflection I came to realize the decision to focus on friends was astute for several reasons. First, friendships are generally understudied and focusing on friends allowed Li and Samp to highlight that many LGB people struggle with concerns about acceptance across their different types of personal relationships. Second, focusing on friends allow Li and Samp to consider size and quality of LGB people's social network. Finally, the focus on friends was bolstered by Li and Samp more closely considering some demographic factors among LGB people, including race, age, and education level, than in previous studies in the book and considering differences among lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants. Although there were no significant differences by race, younger and bisexual people tended to conceal their identity from friends more than did people who were older and lesbian or gay. Further, those with fewer close friends, lower education levels, and higher internalized homophobia engaged in more LGB identity concealment than those who had more close friends, higher educational levels, and less internalized homophobia.The four chapters that present empirical studies lead effectively into chapter 6, which presents Li and Samp's COMP theory. The clarity of the theory explanation and the strong links that Li and Samp make among their theory, the empirical evidence already presented in previous chapters, and established communication theories of disclosure make the book an excellent way to show students how theory building is done. Thus, I recommend the book as a resource for Communication Theory courses at the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to presenting their compelling COMP theory, Li and Samp also include chapter 7, which focuses on the practical implications of their research for improving the experiences of LGB people as they communicate about their sexual orientation. This chapter is an excellent resource not only for LGB people, but also for clinicians and practitioners who work with LGB populations. Although I would have preferred the title of the book be less broad (“communication experiences”) and more descriptive of the book's focus on coming out messages, this volume is a significant contribution to the literature on messages and message processes in interpersonal relationships and LGB communication

Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology

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