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The Poetics of Parent-Son Encounters Following Negative Parental Reactions to the Disclosure of Gay Identity

Journal of Humanistic Psychology

Published online on

Abstract

The disclosure of gay identity is considered an important step in the process of gay identity development. However, disclosure—especially to parents—is stressful for sexual minority individuals. Research suggests that most parents respond negatively to the news of their son’s gay identity, and that such negative reactions pose significant risks to that child’s well-being. In this article, the author presents selected findings from his dissertation research, a poetic inquiry into the lived experience of facing negative parental reactions to the disclosure of gay identity. The article begins with a review of the gay identity development, sexual minority stress, and family disclosure literature. Next, the author describes his selected method, poetic inquiry, as an approach to research that aligns with humanistic psychotherapy. In the results section, six poetic transcriptions detailing four participants’ narratives about postdisclosure interactions with parents provide an in-depth look at the challenge gay men face when negotiating negative parental reactions. Finally the article concludes with a brief summary and a discussion of the reasons that poetic inquiry was chosen for research on this topic.