“Like a Whiteboard… Before I Go Home, I Erase Half”: Identity Disclosure Decisions for Emerging and Young Adult Sexuality and Gender Diverse Asians and South Asians in Australia

Identity disclosure decisions among sexuality and gender diverse (SGD) people are often portrayed as a critical step toward personal liberation and individuality with positive psychological outcomes. However, these models reflect Western cultural ideals and overlook the complex experiences of nonwhite people, shaped by intersectional factors such as race and culture. These factors can introduce additional layers of minority stress, discrimination, and risk of social rejection. Identity compartmentalization may result, protecting from familial rejection, cultural conflict, and safety risks, and preserving cultural and relational harmony. Stressors can be amplified among SGD emerging and young adults who tend to navigate these decisions earlier than counterparts in previous generations. This qualitative research used interviews with six SGD Asian and South Asian emerging and young adults living in Australia to explore how they navigated identity disclosure decisions. Results of interpretative phenomenological analysis demonstrated the complexities of identity disclosure, with participants perceiving themselves as needing to navigate both collectivist and individualist values in identity disclosure decisions, and as therefore needing to apply a range of management strategies to navigate these decisions. Results can inform more culturally responsive therapeutic approaches and broaden Western sexual identity development and minority stress theories.