Growing Up Gay

10 Pages 2600 Words

he self as homosexual in association with romantic and sexual situations (Troiden 46)
Many researchers have either discussed or created several models or theories concerning the development of homosexual identity. However, the most prominent is Troiden’s sociological four-stage model of homosexual identity formation. Dr. Richard R. Troiden describes the development of homosexual identity in four stages: sensitization, identity confusing, identity assumption, and commitment. During the stages of homosexual identity development, many gay adolescents encounter many preconceptions and assumptions regarding homosexuality. These assumptions are presumption of heterosexuality, presumption of inversion, and recognition of stigma (Herdt 4-5).
Using Troiden’s model as a guide, the present paper examines the four stages of homosexual identity development as it affects both gay children and parents. Section one concentrates on the first two stages of homosexual identity formation and the ordeals gay adolescents and parents before disclosure. Section two explains the third and fourth stages of homosexual identity development. Finally, section three discusses parents’ reactions to the disclosure, and the relationship with their child thereafter.



The Pre-Disclosure
Period The first stage of homosexual identity development, sensitization, occurs before puberty. In the sensitization stage, gay adolescents experience feelings of being “different” and marginal from same gender peers (Troiden 50). Comments such as the following illustrate what boys feel during this stage: I had a keener interest in the arts; I never learned to fight; I just didn’t feel I was like other boys. I was very fond of pretty things like ribbons and flowers and music; I was indifferent to boy’s games, like cops and robbers. I was more interested in watching insects and reflecting on certain things. (Durby 5) However, during this time, children do not ass...