Relationally specific sexual identity concealment and loneliness among sexual and gender minority women in Japan: A culturally situated analysis

Sexual identity concealment is not monolithic; its association with loneliness depends on relational context. Peer-based concealment appears more consequential for loneliness than parent-directed concealment among SGM women in Japan. Interventions should address culturally situated norms in peer relationships, promote alternative pathways to connection, and avoid pathologizing strategic silence while mitigating its emotional costs.