Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development and Initial Validation of Scales for Coming Out Vigilance and Positive Coming Out Responses

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sexuality & Culture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coming out involves sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) disclosing their identity to others, and is often related to improved health, well-being, and social support. However, coming out is not always perceived as a positive event, and outcomes of identity disclosure may vary depending on how coming out is approached and how others respond. The present study reports on the development and validation of the Coming Out Vigilance (COV) and the Positive Coming Out Responses (PCOR) measures. Two subsamples of SGMs with varying degrees of outness—totaling 399 individuals—were utilized in the development and validation of these measures. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested final scales comprising three items for the COV and eight items for the PCOR. These measures demonstrated acceptable (COV) to excellent (PCOR) internal consistency, as well as metric and scalar invariance between relevant demographic groups. The COV evidenced strong convergent and discriminant validity, negatively correlating with other measures of outness and concealment typically between r = .2 and r = .5. The PCOR did not evidence convergent or discriminant validity with measures of outness or concealment, suggesting that positive coming out responses are conceptually distinct from outness. Both measures also evidenced predictive validity with measures of mental health, well-being, and sexual identity. Taken together, initial findings indicate that the COV and PCOR are psychometrically sound and may be utilized in both research and clinical settings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abreu, R. L., Lefevor, G. T., Gonzalez, K. A., Barrita, A. M., & Watson, R. J. (2022). Bullying, depression, and parental acceptance in a sample of Latinx sexual and gender minority youth. Journal of LGBT Youth. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2022.2071791. Advance online publication.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.

  • American Psychological Association (2009). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation. https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic-response.pdf

  • Baiocco, R., Fontanesi, L., Santamaria, F., Ioverno, S., Marasco, B., Baumgartner, E., Willoughby, B. L. B., & Laghi, F. (2015). Negative parental responses to coming out and family functioning in a sample of lesbian and gay young adults. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 1490–1500. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9954-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baiocco, R., Pistella, J., & Morelli, M. (2020). Coming out OT parents in lesbian and bisexual women: The role of internalized sexual stigma and positive LB identity. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.609885

  • Beauchaine, T. P., Gatzke-Kopp, L., & Mead, H. K. (2007). Polyvagal Theory and developmental psychopathology: Emotion dysregulation and conduct problems from preschool to adolescence. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 174–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2005.08.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bry, L. J., Mustanski, B., Garofalo, R., & Burns, M. N. (2017). Management of a concealable stigmatized identity: A qualitative studyof concealment, disclosure and role flexing among young, resilient sexual and gender minority individuals. Journal of Homosexuality, 64(6), 745–769. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2016.1236574

  • Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 14(3), 464–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Chu, C., Buchman-Schmitt, J. M., Stanley, I. H., Hom, M. A., Tucker, R. P., Hagan, C. R., Rogers, M. L., Podlogar, M. C., Chiurliza, B., Ringer, F. B., Michaels, M. S., Patros, C. H. G., & Joiner, T. E. (2017). The interpersonal theory of suicide: A systematic review and meta-analysis of a decade of cross-national research. Psychological Bulletin, 143(12), 1313–1345. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000123

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (2019). Constructing validity: New developments in creating objective measuring instruments. Psychological Assessment, 31(12), 1412–1427.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, S. G., Aguilar, G., Jensen, C. G., & Magnusson, B. M. (2019). Survey of heteronormative attitudes and tolerance toward gender non-conformity in Mountain West undergraduate students. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(793), https://doi.org/10.3389/psyg.2019.00793

  • Greene R. L., Field, C. E., Fargo, J. D., & Twohig, M. P. (2015). Development and validation of the parental acceptance questionnaire (6-PAQ). Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 4, 170–175.

  • Huang, Y. T., & Chan, R. C. H. (2022). Effects of sexual orientation concealment on well-being among sexual minorities: How and when does concealment hurt? Journal of Counseling Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000623

  • Hur, J., Stockbridge, M. D., Fox, A. S., & Shackman, A. J. (2019). Dispositional negativity, cognition, and anxiety disorders: An integrative translational neuroscience framework. Progress in Brain Research, 247, 375–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2019.03.012

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. D., & Mohr, J. J. (2016). Conceptualizing the closet: Differentiating stigma concealment and nondisclosure processes. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 3(1), 80–92. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joiner, T. (2005). Why people die by suicide. Harvard University Press.

  • Jordan, J. V. (2017). Relational–cultural theory. The power of connection to transform our lives. The Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 56(3), 228–243.

  • Keating, L., & Muller, R. T. (2020). LGBTQ + based discrimination is associated with ptsd symptoms, dissociation, emotion dysregulation, and attachment insecurity among LGBTQ + adults who have experienced trauma. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(1), 124–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2019.1675222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford.

  • Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16, 606–613.

  • Kubicek, K., McDavitt, B., Carpineto, J., Weiss, G., Iverson, E., & Kipke, M. D. (2009). God made me gay for a reason: Young men who have sex with men’s resiliency in resolving internalized homophobia from religious sources. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24(5), 601–633. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558409341078

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lefevor, G. T., McGraw, J. S., & Skidmore, S. J. (2022). Suicidal ideation among active and nonactive/former latter-day saint sexual minorities. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(1), 445–464. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22591

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lefevor, G. T., Sorrell, S. A., Kappers, G., Plunk, A., Schow, R. L., Rosik, C. H., & Beckstead, A. L. (2019). Same-sex attracted, not LGBQ: The associations of sexual identity labeling on religiousness, sexuality, and health among Mormons. Journal of Homosexuality, 67(7), 940–964. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1564006

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Legate, N., Ryan, R. M., & Weinstein, N. (2012). Is coming out always a good thing? Exploring the relations of autonomy support, outness, and wellness for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(2), 145–152. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550611411929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, G. B. (2011). The friends and family plan: Contact with gays and support for gay rights. Policy Studies Journal, 39(2), 217–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2011.00405.x

  • Livingston, N. A., Flentje, A., Brennan, J., Mereish, E. H., Reed, O., & Cochran, B. N. (2020). Real-time associations between discrimination and anxious and depressed mood among sexual and gender minorities: The moderating effects of lifetime victimization and identity concealment. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 7(2), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000371

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y., & Samp, J. A. (2019). Predictors and outcomes of initial coming out messages: Testing the theory of coming out message production. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 47(1), 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2019.1566631

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, A. R., Klepin, H. D., Porges, S. W., & Rejeski, W. J. (2018). Mindfulness-based movement: A polyvagal perspective. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 17(1), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735416682087

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maddock, J. E., Suess, C., Bratman, G. N., Smock, C., Kellstedt, D., Gustat, J., Perry, C. K., & Kaczynski, A. T. (2022). Development and validation of self-efficacy and intention measures for spending time in nature. BMC Psychology, 10(51), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00764-1

  • McDermott, E., Gabb, J., Eastham, R., & Hanbury, A. (2019). Family trouble: Heteronormativity, emotion work, and queer youth mental health. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health Illness and Medicine, 25(2), https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459319860572

  • Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, K. K., Watson, R., & Eisenberg, M. (2020). The intersection of family acceptance and religion on the mental health of LGBTQ youth. Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health, 1(1), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.1891/LGBTQ.2019-0005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohr, J. J., & Kendra, M. S. (2011). Revision and extension of a multidimensional measure of sexual minority identity: The Lesbian, Gay, and bisexual identity scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(2), 234–245. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022858

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I. (2013). APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality. American Psychological Association.

  • Perrin-Wallqvist, R., & Lindblom, J. (2015). Coming out as gay: A phenomenological study about adolescents disclosing their homosexuality to their parents. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 43(3), 467–480. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2015.43.3.467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riggle, E. D. B., Folberg, A. M., Richardson, M. T., & Rostosky, S. S. (2021). A measure of hypervigilance in LGBTQ-identified individuals. Stigma and Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000306

  • Rosati, F., Pistella, J., Nappa, M. R., & Baiocco, R. (2020). The coming-out process in family, social, and religious contexts among young, middle, and older italian LGBQ + adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 617217. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.617217

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, E. F., Sullivan, M., Keyes, S., & Boehmer, U. (2012). Parents’ supportive reactions to sexual orientation disclosure associated with better health: Results from a population-based survey of LGB adults in Massachusetts. Journal of Homosexuality, 59(2), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2012.648878

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, S. T., & Fish, J. N. (2016). Mental health in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 12, 465–487. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093153

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, C., Huebner, D., Diaz, R. M., & Sanchez, J. (2009). Family rejection as a predictor of negative health outcomes in White and latino lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. Pediatrics, 123(1), 346–352. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-3524

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shilo, G., & Savaya, R. (2012). Mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and young adults: Differential effects of age, gender, religiosity, and sexual orientation. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(2), 310–325. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2011.00772.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skidmore, S. J., Lefevor, G. T., & Perez-Figueroa, A. M. (2022). I come out because I love you: Positive coming out experiences among Latter-day Saint sexual and gender minorities. Review of Religious Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-022-00501-5. Advance online publication.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, E. A., Edge, K., Altman, J., & Sherwood, H. (2003). Searching for the structure of coping: A review and critique of category systems for classifying ways of coping. Psychological Bulletin, 129(2), 216–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.2.216

  • Solomon, D., McAbee, J., Asberg, K., & McGee, A. (2015). Coming out and the potential for growth in sexual minorities: The role of social reactions and internalized homonegativity. Journal of Homosexuality, 62(11), 1512–1538. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2015.1073032

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., Fidell, L. S., & Ullman, J. B. (2007). Using multivariate statistics, 5th edition. Pearson.

  • Timmins, L., Rimes, K. A., & Raham, Q. (2017). Minority stressors and psychological distress in transgender individuals. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 4(3), 328–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toomey, R. B., Syvertsen, A. K., & Shramko, M. (2018). Transgender adolescent suicide behavior. Pediatrics, 142(4), e20174219. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-4218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughan, M. D., & Waehler, C. A. (2010). Coming out growth: Conceptualizing and measuring stress-related growth associated with coming out to others as a sexual minority. Journal of Adult Development, 17(2), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-009-9084-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veldhuis, C. B., Drabble, L., Riggle, E. D. B., Wootton, A. R., & Hughes, T. L. (2018). I fear for my safety, but want to show bravery for others: Violence and discrimination concerns among transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals after the 2016 presidential election. Violence and Gender, 5(1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1089/vio.2017.0032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkerson, J. M., Noor, S. W., Galos, D. L., & Rosser, B. R. S. (2016). Correlates of a single-item indicator versus a multi-item scale of outness about same-sex attraction. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(5), 1269–1277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0605-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Willoughby, B., Doty, N., & Malik, N. (2008). Parental reactions to their child’s sexual orientation disclosure: A family stress perspective. Parenting, 8(1), 70–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295190701830680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, A. M., Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Baliousis, M., & Joseph, S. (2008). The authentic personality: A theoretical and empirical conceptualization and the development of the authenticity scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55(3), 385–399. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.55.3.385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, K. (1988). The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52, 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States of America

    Samuel J. Skidmore, G. Tyler Lefevor & Connor O. Berg

  2. Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

    Kiet D. Huynh

Authors
  1. Samuel J. Skidmore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Tyler Lefevor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kiet D. Huynh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Connor O. Berg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Samuel Skidmore and G. Tyler Lefevor. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Samuel Skidmore, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samuel J. Skidmore.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Skidmore, S.J., Lefevor, G.T., Huynh, K.D. et al. Development and Initial Validation of Scales for Coming Out Vigilance and Positive Coming Out Responses. Sexuality & Culture 28, 771–793 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10144-5

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10144-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation