Lesbians : the coming out process and self-esteem

Includes bibliographical references (pages 68-72)Coming out can be defined as the developmental process\ud by which homosexuals assume a socially unacceptable identity\ud and integrate it into their private and public lives.\ud Research indicates that coming out counters feelings of\ud isolation, provides support for an internally-consistent\ud identity, and challenges the fears and myths traditionally\ud associated with homosexuality. It has been suggested that\ud this process is important to the homosexual's psychological\ud health. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship\ud between the coming out process and self-esteem in\ud lesbians. It was predicted that outness, defined as the\ud degree of self-disclosure of sexual orientation, is positively correlated with self-esteem. One hundred and twenty lesbians were surveyed. Statistical findings\ud showed no significant relationship between outness and\ud self-esteem. Responses to an open-ended question on\ud coming out suggested the opposite. Forty-two respondents\ud related coming out to feelings of psychological health,\ud and 25 specifically mentioned self-esteem, self-respect,\ud or a similar concept. Findings from the present investigation\ud were explored in relation to theoretical conceptions,\ud methodological limitations, and implications for\ud future research