Development occurs over the lifespan, and student affairs educators are not exempt from that life-long process. This article examined the coming out experiences of gay men within student affairs master's preparation programs. The study was comprised of 11 participants representing seven different higher education/student affairs administration…

Gay men face decisions associated with disclosure, the process of coming out as gay, when and if to disclose, and how much information. These decisions carry more weight in masculinized industries such as law enforcement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to critically explore gay male law enforcement officers' experiences working in…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the coming out experiences of gifted LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer) alumni from a residential gifted high school. First, we found that gifted LGBTQ alumni (N = 106) realized their sexual orientation/gender identity around 16.6 years old, which is similar to…

This paper examines aspects of coming out as a gay or lesbian person through the models of identity development presented in the literature as well as presenting some findings from face-to-face in-depth interviews conducted with young people telling us what it is like to grow up and identify oneself as gay. The coming out process is set in the…

Objective: This study is a replication of Russ et al.'s (2002) work, which showed that students' credibility beliefs about and perceived learning from a male university instructor were negatively affected when he identified as gay. Because the primary professional responsibility of community college faculty is teaching, and student evaluations may…

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of eight openly gay undergraduate men involved in elected student government. While all of the men in this study identified with coming out, there were differences in their experiences with being out. As themes illuminated visibility, internalized homophobia, expectations of…

The issue of whether to "come out" in class has a poignant history in the literature by gay, lesbian and bisexual educators on this topic. By comparison few heterosexuals have publicly written about whether they explicitly reveal their heterosexuality to students. This paper contributes to the enduring debate about whether to "come out" in class…

Gay academics in China face multiple risks when addressing queer issues on heteronormative and repressive campuses. Little is known about their experiences of navigating the social and political constraints placed upon them. Drawing on interview data from 40 gay academics in China, this article explores participants' strategies for addressing…

It is not easy to "come out" as a teacher, particularly at the middle school level. The overwhelming reason to come out is to make school a safer place for youth who know, think, or fear they are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Adolescence is hard enough without positive role models for every aspect of who one is or is striving to become.…

A small but growing body of research confirms that people in the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities) community are among those underrepresented in STEM (science, technology engineering, and math). This is concerning because diversity and inclusion improves science for all. In response, Canadian institutions…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and their caregivers often describe coming out as a process that impacts the family unit. Oftentimes, caregivers may experience a range of emotions in response to the youth coming out. Caregivers of LGBT youth who seek counseling may benefit from collaborative treatment that addresses their…

As literature on the senior-year transition expands, scholars have explored the experiences of seniors from a range of sociodemographic groups. However, the senior-year transitions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) college students have yet to be examined. This neglect is surprising, given that prior studies suggest LGBQ students face…

Formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion are an under-researched group of LGBTQ parents. This group have potentially complex coming out journeys, which can result in them seeking counselling. This research qualitatively explores the counselling experiences of 12 such men and offers suggestions for working therapeutically…

Talks about the political and personal difficulties involved in "coming out" as a gay or lesbian college instructor and particularly as those difficulties concern the teaching of undergraduate composition courses with a syllabus addressing gay and lesbian issues. (TB)

Mezirow's theory of transformative learning (1978, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2009) posits "perspective transformation" as a central learning process. Key to this transformation is the critical examination of the individual's deeply held assumptions and beliefs through discourse to examine new perspectives and test new ideas. The availability…