Coming Out Queer: Sexual and Romantic Exploration and Identity Development of LGBQ+ College Students

Abstract

LGBQ+ youth from conservative Christian families and/or communities face challenges developing positive understandings of their sexualities. Many view college as a more welcoming space that will allow them to conceptualize and enact their sexual identities in new and beneficial ways. Yet college campuses may support some aspects of LGBQ+ identity development at the expense of others. Through interviews with 26 LGBQ+ students from conservative Christian backgrounds, we show that the transition to college served as an opportunity to access supportive spaces that encouraged exploration and self-development and affirmed LGBQ+ identities, increasing self-esteem and well-being. However, many students still struggled to access sexual and romantic relationships, limiting opportunities to learn about themselves and their emerging desires. Our findings demonstrate how the interplay between communities of origin and destination conditions shape identity development in emerging adulthood and make clear the importance of sexual and romantic exploration to this process.