Despite greater periods of tolerance towards homosexuality, these

people have learned to withstand the prying eyes of others, the salty
comments and the occasional cynicism and mockery of the society. Often
times, being understanding and resilient are their only choice. The 'coming
out' is the main factor that promotes resiliency. A person who is able to admit
who and what he or she really is, is a big leap towards finding one's
identity. Coming out is generally understood as an important part of identity
development of LGB individuals, allowing them to develop an authentic and
stable sense of self (Ragins, 2004). Sexual identity is distinct from sexual
behavior or sexual attraction. An example is the data from national surveys
suggest that men and women endorse engaging in same-sex behavior, but
do not identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, &
Michaels, 1994). Thus, in more behavioral terms, identity commitment
among sexual minority individuals reflects coming to understand one's
sexual orientation and engaging in a lifestyle that is consistent with such an
understanding (e.g., having a same-sex romantic partner, being part of the
gay community). A number of factors, including social anxiety and selfconcealment, may affect identity development among LGB populations.
Given the societal norms of tolerating homosexuality, gays undergo
instances when the outer factors or their environment asks them to go
beyond their comfort zones. An example is when a family member does not
approve of their coming out and sees homosexuality as a disease, a
homosexual is forced to face the consequences if he chooses to remain one
or to conceal all traces of homosexuality in all aspects.
The mental health of homosexuals or any individual is of great
importance. As what most of the gays say, they all undergo pressure and the
like from the society. Social anxiety, defined as excessive fear and avoidance
of social or performance situations, is the most common type of anxiety
disorder and has a documented lifetime population prevalence rate of 13.3%
(Kessler et al., 1994). A key element of social anxiety that may be
particularly relevant for sexual minority individuals is fear of rejection by
others. More specifically, it has been hypothesized that sexual minority
individuals may expect rejection by the heterosexual majority, which may
translate into symptoms of social anxiety (Hart & Heimberg, 2001; Meyer,
2003). When compared to heterosexual men, gay men experience more
symptoms of social anxiety, including heightened fear of negative evaluation
and increased social interaction anxiety (Pachankis & Goldfried, 2006).
Social anxiety and self-concealment also may impact identity development.
More generally, identity refers to adherence to a value, belief, or goal in a
specific domain (Marcia, 1966), and identity development is the active
process of exploring one's identity and committing to an integrated identity
(Worthington, Navarro, Savoy, & Hampton, 2008). More specifically,
commitment to a sexual identity has been defined as a consistent,

enduring, self-recognition of the meanings that sexual orientation and sexual

behavior have for oneself (Savin- Williams, 1990, p. 3).
Stigma is the social process of labeling, stereotyping, and rejecting
human difference as a form of social control (Link and Phelan, 2001; Phelan
et al., 2008). Given that stigma is a complex and dynamic process, the
measurement of stigma is inherently thwarted by challenges including
concerns regarding the level (e.g., interpersonal, structural) and perspective
(e.g., objective versus subjective experiences) at which to operationalize
stigma and measure its severity and frequency (e.g., hate crimes versus
everyday discrimination) (Meyer, 2003a). Here we draw on socio- logical and
public health theory (Socio-ecological model; Baral et al., 2013; Link and
Phelan, 2006). The society looks at gays as far more degrading than
lesbians. Interestingly, the variance in identity commitment accounted for by
social anxiety and self-concealment was greater for gay men than for lesbian
women (Potoczniak et al., 2007), which suggests that self- concealment may
be more salient for gay men due to increased societal stigma toward sexual
minority men. In addition to societal stigma, sexual minorities also may
experience rejection from more personal sources, such as parents or even
themselves (Savin-Williams, 2001). Parental rejection of an individual's
sexual orientation has been shown to increase internalized rejection of one's
own sexual orientation, which then leads to heightened sensitivity to future
gay-related rejection (Pachankis, Goldfried, & Ramratten, 2008). For
instance, among gay men and lesbian women, higher levels of social anxiety
have been shown to predict greater levels of self-concealment, which, in
turn, has been linked to decreased identity commitment (Potoczniak, Aldea,
& DeBlaere, 2007).
Moreover, some studies have also shown that there are threats that
affects the LGBT on how they perceive themselves. Studies have historically
highlighted the increased rates of psychopathology, including suicidal
ideations and attempts, among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth
compared to their straight counterparts. More recently, factors related to
increased risk for suicide in the transgender adolescent patient population
were also explored. Sexual minority youth who come from rejecting families
are at an 8 times higher risk for suicide attempts compared to their
counterparts from accepting families. In addition to the marginalization and
societal ostracism that gay, lesbian, and bisexual (sexual minority) youth
typically experience, transgender adolescents also contend with gender
dysphoria, an issue that often leads them to seek medical and surgical
reassignment of their anatomic bodies. Others have described increased
psychiatric comorbidity in children with GID as well.
Research on teenage youth notes a trend in which self-identification as
lesbian, gay, or bisexual happens at increasingly earlier ages (Troiden, 1998).

It is therefore more likely that students will enter college having already
begun or completed the coming-out process. The DAugelli model describes
six identity processes that operate more or less independently and are not
ordered in stages: Exiting heterosexuality, developing a personal LGB
identity, developing an LGB social identity. In these stages, a support group
is essential. Finding people who undergo the same problems as they do will
make them feel less miserable and not alone. The role of the family is also
important as the coping mechanism of homosexuals. If the fundamental
group of the society where he is from accepts him for who he is, then being
able to be himself will not be a problem as opposed to the homosexuals who
encounter so much stress form their own families. It is thus the case that
many LGB individuals are selective, varying from context to context in how
much they disclose their sexual identity to others. The exploration in this
within-person will vary in the ways and means of disclosure using a selfdetermination theory framework (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000; Ryan &
Deci, 2000).
Being a friend, looking for a true one and finding a support group and
more importantly friends who have the same problems as they do is enough
to make up in exchange for all the stress and anxiety. Satisfying the need for
love and belongingness than a normal individual. (Jordan and Deluty, 1998)
found that the more widely a woman disclosed her sexual orientation the
less anxiety, greater positive affectivity, and greater self-esteem she
reported. Disclosure may enhance self-esteem and decrease anxiety by
eliminating the need for disguising an important part of one's life. This may
also assist the individual in locating support systems, which may also lead to
lower anxiety. "The degree of disclosure to family, gay and lesbian friends,
straight friends, and co-workers was significantly related to overall level of
social support" (p. 57). "Being out" to friends was the best predictor of
overall social support. There is an increased contact with the subculture of
gay and lesbian individuals which facilitates a more positive view of
homosexuality and a gradual development and expansion of a network of
gay and lesbian friends. Selective disclosure is made to others, particularly
friends and relatives. This stage may be a stable time for the individual
because the questions of Who am I? and Where do I belong? have been
resolved. Manodori examined the ways in which rituals help affirm lesbian
identity. Two types of rituals were investigated that are commonly used
among lesbian women. They are commitment ceremonies and baby naming
or child dedication ceremonies. Lesbian rituals can help lesbians reconnect
with their true or genuine selves by providing opportunities for them to retell their stories in a positive light (Laird, 1994, cited in Manodori, 1998).
They call for the support of family, friends, and community, and they validate
the existence of a different way of life. Most of all they affirm a relationship
which society has attempted to erase time and time again (Butler, 1990,

cited in Manodori, 1998). This proves that the LGBT are highly creative
individuals.