Does It Really Matter? The Impact of Withholding Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity

Individuals who identify as LGBTQ are more likely to experience discrimination and physical violence than their heterosexual peers. It is not uncommon for members of the LGBTQ to withhold sharing their sexual orientation or gender identity. The exercise below may help give you a glimpse into what it is like to withhold part of your identity.

First, identify three roles in your day to day life (e.g. spouse, sibling, parent, profession, etc.) which are most important to you. Next you can either write an introduction for yourself or try having a conversation with someone without ANY reference to these roles. Then consider the following:

1. Was it hard to find something to talk about?

2. Did you have to think about what you could and couldn't share?

3. What was it like to ignore this part of your identity?

Imagine having to go through this in every conversation. Most of us are privileged because we don't have severe consequences when sharing who we are with others. For members of the LGBTQ community, they constantly have to evaluate if sharing their sexual orientation or gender identity is safe.