The experiences of the declared members of the LGBTQ community in Croatia: qualitative research

Cilj ovog završnog rada bio je opisati iskustva deklariranih pripadnica LGBTQ zajednice u Hrvatskoj, s osobitim naglaskom na proces deklariranja vlastite lezbijske orijentacije. Svrha rada je pridonijeti spoznajama o tome kako se deklarirane pripadnice LGBTQ zajednice osjećaju unutar sredine u kojoj se njihova seksualna orijentacija i identitet smatraju neprihvatljivim. Istraživanje je provedeno metodom polustrukturiranog intervjua, sa tri sugovornice koje žive u Zadru i Zagrebu. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju da je proces spoznaje i deklariranja vlastite homoseksualne orijentacije i identiteta, uz individualne varijacije, u slučajevima sugovornica bio načelno sličan onome opisanom u drugdje provedenim sličnim istraživanjima: osjećaj vlastite različitosti javlja se u razdoblju pretpuberteta i puberteta, a proces objavljivanja vlastitog identiteta drugima (engl. coming out) događa se nakon tri do pet godina. Objavljivanje vlastitog identiteta roditeljima pokazuje se najtežim dijelom procesa. Razumijevanje i podrška prijatelja i braće su veći, no pokazalo se da i roditelji s vremenom prihvaćaju deklariranu orijentaciju. Sudionice u istraživanju osjećaju manjak slobode i neprihvaćenost u gradovima u kojima žive, ali i u hrvatskom društvu općenito. Ovo donosi dodatne poteškoće u procesu deklariranja identiteta, te vodi prema odluci o preseljenju u zakonski uređenije i manje homofobne države. Uočena je važnost LGBTQ zajednice sugovornicama, koja je izvor podrške i pruža osjećaj pripadanja. Sugovornice u budućnosti očekuju promjenu današnjeg odnosa prema LGBTQ osobama u Hrvatskoj, no smatraju da će to biti dugotrajan proces.The goal of this B.A. thesis was to describe the experiences of the declared members of the LGBTQ community in Croatia, with a special emphasis on the process of declaring one's lesbian orientation. The purpose of the work is to contribute to the insights on how the declared members of the LGBTQ community feel in the environment in which their sexual orientation and identity are considered unacceptable. The research was carried out by the method of semistructured interviews, with three interviewees who live in Zadar and Zagreb. Research results suggest the process of understanding and declaring one's homosexual orientation and identity, with individual variations, was in the cases of the interviewees generally similar to that described in similar researches carried out elsewhere: the feeling of being different comes about in the period of prepuberty or puberty, and the process of declaring one's identity to others (coming out) happens three to five years later. Declaring one's identity to the parents is shown to be the most difficult part of the process. The understanding and support of the siblings are higher, but it was shown that the parents with time also accept the declared orientation. The participants in this research feel the lack of freedom and acceptance in the cities they live in, but also in the Croatian society in general. This brings additional difficulties in the process of declaring of one's identity and leads toward the decision to relocate to legally more settled and less homophobic states. The importance of the LGBTQ community to the interviewees was noticed, as a source of support and feeling of belonging. The interviewees expect a change of the current treatment of LGBTQ persons in Croatia in the future but think that this will be a long process