Coming out of the desi closet: disclosure of same-sex sexuality in metropolitan-India

Title

Coming out of the desi closet: disclosure of same-sex sexuality in metropolitan-India

Creator

Achar M.; Gopal B.

Description

Coming out of the closet is a psychosocial process that entails the disclosure of ones non- heteronormative sexual orientation to family, peers, and the wider publica phenomenon that is necessitated by the prevalence of societal heteronormativity. With the recent legal decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relationships in India, there is renewed interest in and emergent necessity to expand upon the existing academic discourse on the lives, rights, health and well-being of same-sex attracted individuals in India. The present study accumulates detailed narratives of disclosure of sexual orientation of five male and five female young-adults of same-sex sexuality from ages 18 to 25 in metropolitan cities of India. Thematic narrative analysis is used to gain insight into the factors of being in the closet, those underlying coming out of the closet, and the expectations from and impact of coming out to ones family. Five major themes have emergedthree restraint factors and two propulsion factors influencing sexual identity disclosure. Restraint factors are those that reduce the probability of coming out and these arean incessant pressure to conceal, perceived lack of stability and support, and anticipated disintegration of long-standing familial tradition. Propulsion factors act as catalysts of disclosure and these are target congeniality i.e. approachability of the target of disclosure, and parental validationwhich, when attained, enables the individual to come out more easily to others. The findings have been critically compared and contrasted with the existing body of literature in the domain, which sets the agenda for further inquiry. 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Source

Journal of LGBT Youth, Vol-20, No. 1, pp. 160-178.

Date

2023-01-01

Publisher

Routledge

Subject

Coming out of the closet; disclosure; same-sex sexuality in India

Coverage

Achar M., Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India; Gopal B., Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 19361653

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2021.1958121

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