Bisexual People’s Disclosure Experience to Their Families

“Analyzing qualitative data from 45 bisexual individuals, we examine 2 questions: (a) How do cultural representations of bisexuality influence disclosure experiences in families and family members’ reactions and (b) how do the relationships among family members influence the disclosure process?’ This is the exact statement from the article in which the authors express as the main objective and purpose for their research. I believe the purpose of this article is to highlight the various factors that affect the coming out process as well as how those factors impact the understandings and responses of the family and Bisexual individual.

The article also focuses on different techniques and processes used when disclosing to produce an outcome for favorable understandings and communication. Due to the fact that there is little to no research on bisexual people’s disclosure experiences in families compared to the studies of gay and lesbian disclosure processes, the authors seek to analyze this gap of research in the article.

There are three major findings about bisexual people’s disclosure experiences. The first finding is that a bisexual individual shapes how they approach disclosure by referencing societal and cultural interpretations of sexual identities. Because of the negative connotations and interpretations that society and culture has attached to bisexuality, such as not being normal or deviant, fear of these beliefs in family members have shaped how a bisexual person discloses. Bisexual individuals who are in families that hold negative views of bisexuality or hold more traditional beliefs of different sex relationships, often don’t come out or have a harder time doing so because of family misunderstandings of bisexuality. Those who did disclose used strategic language when explaining their identity for a more desirable outcome and so that their family’s understandings of bisexuality could be broadened and better interpreted.

The second major finding from the article is that the different backgrounds and different interpretations of what it means to be bisexual molds various understandings and responses of family members when individuals disclose bisexuality. The most common response from family members when a bisexual individual discloses is that they are going through a transitional or temporary phase and that family members may hold hope for a future heterosexual relationship since they may interpret bisexuality as still showing possibility of pairing with an opposite sex. Many family members reference these two stereotypes when attempting to understand bisexuality.

The last major finding examines how a bisexual family member’s identity can be monitored or protected by another family member which often plays a huge role when disclosing this sensitive information to the rest of the family. This finding also examines how the disclosing process affects the bigger family picture and how it operates. Some family members did not understand or agree with a family member’s identity and this in turn caused a rupture in the way the family interacted and functioned. In few instances, this was caused by a family member who acted as the protector, who disclosed the sensitive information of the bisexual individual’s identity to the rest of the family in an unfavorable manner.

These protectors may disclose to the rest of the family when the bisexual person did not want other members knowing yet, or not at all, and may use wrong language when describing their identity. They may use terms such as “gay” or “lesbian”, rather than the term “bisexual”, causing more confusion and misunderstandings. Yet, it is more often that the protector or family member knowledgeable of a family member’s bisexual identity usually helps this individual disclose to the rest of the family when they are ready as well as in a positive manner.

The authors suggest three problems with their methodology. The first is that the pool of 45 individuals used to create this research are not as diverse as they would like in terms of race and gender and that the pool of individuals they researched were from limited areas of the Midwest compared to that of other locations globally. The reason why the group is not balanced equally in the ratio of women and men is due to the fact that men are more likely to be judged for being bisexual than women, therefore more women are more open about their bisexuality than men.

The reason why the group is not as ethnically varied as preferred is because the authors did not pick subjects correctly through “informal social networks” of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of various race. The second problem the authors suggest is that their research lacks information on how different factors such as class, gender, age, and race affect bisexual individuals’ disclosure process. The last limitation the authors suggest in their methodology is that the data analyzed does not give the views and interpretations of the family members who have been disclosed too by their bisexual family member. This information could have gave insight as to what those family members were thinking when they were informed of such news. There are a few concerns and questions I believe the authors could have acknowledged when analyzing bisexual disclosure.

What are the positive benefits that may have come from an individual disclosing with a family members, such as, an individual feeling great relief and freedom to express one’s true self. Also, has there been any instances where individuals were greatly influenced or encouraged by their close friends to disclose to their family? Furthermore, for those who do not come out and hide their bisexuality, did they ever feel the need to suppress any emotions or portray themselves to act a certain way that contradicts acts that society portrays as stereotypes of bisexuality in order to hide their identity?

I believe the main purpose of sociology is to better understand social problems in society so that we can create equal opportunity and treatment for all. Getting “Bi” in the Family is a sociologically relevant article because it analyzes how patterns of social interactions and relationships in family structures can change due to negative connotations that society has created of gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual individuals. This is important because we can examine in the article from a sociological perspective, why members of the LGBTQ community are viewed and treated unequally.

By understanding bisexual disclosure in families we can better eradicate negative stereotypes that society has associated to bisexuality allowing for more acceptance, equal treatment, and open opportunities for those who have fear of disclosure or feel they can’t express themselves. The results of a society better determined to understand LGBTQ members in family structures and how they interact would increase positive communications and interactions.

Two theoretical perspectives are used when analyzing the disclosure processes of bisexual individuals. The first theory utilized is the family systems theory. This theory refers to how a family operates and functions by having each member play specific roles to which they are expected to perform. Each member has a big impact on another member’s beliefs and values as well as how they present themselves in public and at home. The authors do not specifically state the second theoretical perspective but explain smaller sub theories and ideas that ties most closely to symbolic interactionism.

I believe symbolic interactionism to be the main theory that can be applied throughout the entire article as it focuses on how different meanings are interpreted and how these meanings are used to influence beliefs and communication with one another. We can apply symbolic interactionism by analyzing how bisexual people communicate their identity within their families and how this communication can change negative connotations of bisexuality into positive meanings. This could in turn benefit family functionality, increase equality for LGBTQ members, and influence the well-being of everyone.