Who do you come out to ? Individuals' struggle over coming out in Japan and the role of sexual minority groups
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2011-05
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University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Heteronormative society requires non-heterosexuals to "come out" to be recognized, and coming out is often the most challenging experience for sexual minorities. I will discuss how non-heterosexuals deal with the issue of coming out, and how sexual minority groups play a role in relation to individuals' coming out process in the Japanese context. I conducted interviews with 24 non-heterosexuals, including people who are involved with sexual minority activities and did participant observation at three sexual minority groups. Based on my respondents' experiences, I will propose the four stages of the coming out process that describes how non-heterosexuals in Japan deal with coming out, which is distinct from the Western model of the coming out process. The study also found that "imaginary social homophobia" influences people's decisions about coming out. At the same time, continuous activities by sexual minority groups contribute to increase the awareness of non-heterosexuality in Japan.
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sexual minorities
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Theses for the degree of Master of Arts (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Sociology.
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