A mixed methods approach to plurisexual identity development at the intersection of race/ethnicity and geographical location

The overwhelming focus on monosexual experience in sexuality research suggests that plurisexuality is less common. However, the opposite is true. Bisexuals comprise about half of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the United States. The small body of literature on plurisexual experiences suggests that plurisexuals may have unique concerns regarding invisibility, stigma, lack of social support, and disparities in mental and physical health. Furthermore, very little research has been conducted on sexual identification within the broader plurisexual umbrella. The overarching goal of this study was to investigate plurisexual identity development at the intersection of race/ethnicity and geographical location. A two-pronged approach was utilized in this research in which two independent, yet related studies informed by intersectionality were conducted. The first study investigated variation in plurisexual experiences within several factors related to sexual identity by race/ethnicity and geographical location. Additionally, this study examined how these contextual factors surrounding sexual identity related to sexual identity importance and the ways race/ethnicity and geographical location acted as moderators of these relationships. The second study expanded upon a portion of these findings by qualitatively exploring the sexual identity development of Mexican American plurisexuals from the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Findings from this study indicated that participants engaged in multiple interconnected, ongoing processes including Becoming Aware/Maintaining Awareness, Labeling Self, Seeking Affirmation, Disclosing, and Balancing Belonging and Authenticity. The unfolding of these processes was heavily dictated by cultural and geographical contexts. All participants recounted the strong influence of traditional Mexican culture in their households that was most notably conveyed through the narrative of the “good Mexican daughter” in which participants reported expectations of heterosexuality, enacting traditional gender roles, taking care of the family, upholding an image of purity, and succeeding in higher education. Although participants described the rigid gender and sexuality norms within traditional Mexican culture as oppressive, they also identified opportunities for flexibility of their own family members and conveyed optimism regarding their families’ eventual acceptance of their plurisexual identity. All participants indicated that living in the Chicago Metropolitan Area hindered their sexual identity development to some degree while their current geographical context of a smaller, non-metropolitan city better supported the exploration of their sexual identities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Billington, Alyssa G

Contributors dc:contributor

• Oswald, Ramona F
• Ogolsky, Brian G
• Smith, Shardé
• Galupo, Paz

• Plurisexuality
• Bi+
• Lgbtq+
• Sexual Identity Development
• Intersectionality

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Alyssa Billington

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121371

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F121371