Coming In and Coming Out: Navigating the Spaces between Cultural and Sexual Identity

The present study addresses three objectives: 1) to explore the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) persons who are coming in the United States as students and coming out about their sexual orientation, 2) to explore the cultural narratives that emerge in their disclosure process, and 3) to generate ways to support LGBQ international students. Research on the disclosure process for LGBQ persons have been comprised largely of white, middle-class individuals and families. This narrative inquiry broadens our understanding of how LGBQ persons from different cultures define and experience the coming-out process, particularly in the context of moving to a different country. Twelve LGBQ international students shared their coming in, coming out stories through interviews, journals, a timeline, online forum, and picture. Narrative analysis of their stories consisted of three methods: thematic, structural, and dialogic. These findings provide directions for future research, clinical practitioners, educators, and student affairs personnel working with international students.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Development

Department dc:contributor.department

Human Development

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Nguyen, Hoa N.

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Piercy, Fred P.
• Grafsky, Erika L.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Zvonkovic, Anisa
• Lambert-Shute, Jennifer Jane

• coming out
• sexual identity
• cultural identity
• sojourners
• international students
• narrative family therapy
• narrative inquiry

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:11814

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/78303