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A life course approach on older portuguese gay and bisexual people: The multifactorial development of sexual identity
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Research shows that successful development of sexual identity is essential for healthy
and well-adjusted ageing. Gay and bisexual (GB) older people have experienced cumulative events
throughout their lives that may have affected the development of their identity. In addition, the few
previous studies show an alarming lack of community connectedness among older GB people in
Portugal. This study assessed the factors that have contributed to the development of sexual identity
in Portuguese GB older adults throughout their lives, using an inductive qualitative cross-sectional
approach based on Life Course Theory. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were carried out
with older (60+ years) GB people living in the community and using the lifeline technique. The
interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis with a codebook approach. Results suggest a
multifactorial contribution of factors throughout the life cycle that have affected the development of
GB older people’s sexual identity. These include historical–cultural factors (e.g., sexual repression and
traditionalism of the dictatorship), psychosocial factors (e.g., cumulative sexual stigma), relational
factors (e.g., relational clandestinity) and intrapersonal factors (e.g., concealment of sexual orientation).
The existence of the Internalized Sexual Minority Disconnectedness phenomenon and its contribution
to the formation of the sexual identity of older GB adults were also verified. These results reveal
important clues about the development of older GB people in Portugal and the factors that may be
affecting the current invisibility of these people in the social and health-related context. Relevant
implications for the clinical context are also discussed.
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Description
Keywords
Aging Sexual minorities Life course Sexual identity Identity development Funding This work wa
Citation
Ribeiro-Gonçalves, J. A., Leal, I., Gouveia-Pereira, M., Carvalho, R. G., & Costa, P. A. (2023). A Life Course Approach on Older Portuguese Gay and Bisexual People: The Multifactorial Development of Sexual Identity. Social Sciences, 12(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12110615
Publisher
MDPI