Understanding the Intersection of Race and Sexuality through Shame and Pride: A Qualitative Study with Sexual Minority Adolescents

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Shame and pride are the primary emotions experienced due to salient social identities (Tracy, 2016). Previous research suggests shame is associated with negative well-being among sexual minority adolescents (SMAs); while pride is associated with positive well-being(McDermott, 2015; Woodford et al., 2014). However, no research has studied how feelings of shame and pride emerge from the intersection of having a sexual and racial minority identity.

METHODS: Life history interviews were conducted with a racially diverse sample of 36 SMAs to understand experiences of stigma related to their sexual minority identities. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to inductively understand how the intersections of race and sexuality contribute to feelings of shame and pride. Five researchers independently open coded the transcripts and then met to collapse codes into themes and subthemes.

RESULTS: Three major themes, each with subthemes, emerged as methods to reduce shame and increase pride: disconnecting, balancing, and connecting. Disconnecting occurred to avoid feelings of shame stemming from racial community rejection and stigmatization. Balancing sexual and racial minority identities were used to reduce shame and increase pride. Connecting helped increase self-esteem and reconnection to their racial community.

CONCLUSION: Sexual minority adolescents of color filter perceptions of their sexual identity through their racial lens, which may contribute to feelings of shame. Participants engaged in strategies to protect against feelings of shame by disconnecting from their racial identity, balancing their racial identity with their sexual minority identity, and cultivating deeper connections to their sexual minority identity.