LGBT Young Adults on the Street and on Campus: Identity as a Product of Social Context

• In Event: 431 - Regular Session. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies 2

Abstract

Processes of unstable identity fluctuations are prominent in young people’s establishment of sexual and gender orientations. In particular, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young adults face unique experiences related to identity based on their immersion in distinctive social contexts. While research has identified the unique experiences of LGBT college students and LGBT homeless young adults in separate studies, there has been no in-depth exploration of how these two groups compare and contrast across identity development. Using 46 interviews with LGBT college and homeless young adults, we examine the following research question: How do the experiences of homeless LGBT young adults and those enrolled in college compare and contrast along the lines of sexual and gender identity-related challenges? In developing their sexual and gender identities, young adults navigate their social contexts as a means of seeking out resources, support and opportunities that help them develop their self-concepts and coping strategies. The majority of college students’ descriptions of their educational context can be described as “Campus Contexts as Conducive to Identity Development.” While homeless young adults also recount complex encounters with identity formation, their social environment imposes complex barriers to introspection, which can be summarized as “Homelessness as a Hindrance to Identity Development.”

Authors

• Rachel M. Schmitz, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

• Kimberly A. Tyler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln