| This study examined how young adult men described the initial awareness process of their gayness; its effect on peer relationships and normative developmental tasks; their coping strategies; and the influence of various contextual factors on these experiences. The sample consisted of 20 Caucasians and 15 persons of color between 19 and 30 years of age who participated in a semi-structured interview. Qualitative and quantitative methods (Q-sort and non-parametric statistics) of data analysis were used. Peer relationships were expected to play an important role in latency and adolescent development processes based on ego psychological developmental and gay identity formation theories.; The findings showed that contextual factors such as age of awareness, participant's perceptions of his parent's and culture's (religion, race/ethnicity, region) attitudes towards gays, and family functioning were significantly associated with how participants felt about their emerging sexuality. Gender nonconformity played a major role in peer relationships and the subject's efforts to hide his sexuality. Hiding, while serving a self-protective function, affected peer relationships and normative developmental processes. |
