Loss of self in coming out: Special risks for african american gays and lesbians

Abstract Recognizing and publicly acknowledging one's own homosexuality can be seriously traumatizing experiences. However, unlike people experiencing other types of life-altering stress experiences, gays and lesbians all too often find, themselves reviled by and marginalized from the very people and resources they need to productively cope with this life challenge. This article examines three types of self-loss associated with “coming out,” losses that are particularly powerful among African Americans. It concludes with a discussion of the social resources needed to mitigate or prevent these unnecessary and preventable losses.