Feinstein Brian A, Franco Marisa, Henderson Regine Faith, Collins Laniqua Kemecee, Davari Jaleh
Northwestern University, 625 N Michigan Ave #14-047, Chicago, IL 60611.
Georgia State University.
J Bisex. 2019;19(4):461-482. doi: 10.1080/15299716.2019.1671295. Epub 2019 Nov 2.
Bisexual people face unique stressors related to their sexual orientation, but identity invalidation (experiences in which others deny, negate, or refuse to accept an individual's identity) has received limited empirical attention. As such, the goals of the current study were to examine manifestations of bisexual identity invalidation and their consequences for wellbeing, identity, and relationships. Fifty-two bisexual and other non-monosexual (e.g., pansexual, queer) participants completed a qualitative survey that asked them to describe their most stressful experience of identity invalidation. Three coders analyzed the data using a consensual qualitative research approach, and the coding scheme was confirmed by two auditors. Most participants (85%) had experienced identity invalidation. They described five perceived reasons: (1) others did not understand or accept bisexuality; (2) the gender of their partner did not fit with others' beliefs about bisexuality; (3) others believed they were confused; (4) others believed they were "faking" it; and (5) others rejected bisexuality for religious reasons. Participants described consequences of identity invalidation including negative emotions, identity-related challenges, and relational difficulties. These findings suggest that identity invalidation is a common experience among bisexual people and it may be an important intervention target.
双性恋者面临与他们性取向相关的独特压力源，但身份认同无效（即他人否认、否定或拒绝接受个人身份的经历）受到的实证关注有限。因此，本研究的目的是考察双性恋身份认同无效的表现形式及其对幸福感、身份认同和人际关系的影响。52名双性恋及其他非单一性取向（如泛性恋、酷儿）的参与者完成了一项定性调查，该调查要求他们描述自己身份认同无效的最具压力的经历。三名编码员采用共识定性研究方法对数据进行分析，编码方案由两名审核员确认。大多数参与者（85%）都经历过身份认同无效。他们描述了五个被认为的原因：（1）他人不理解或不接受双性恋；（2）他们伴侣的性别不符合他人对双性恋的看法；（3）他人认为他们困惑；（4）他人认为他们是在“假装”；（5）他人出于宗教原因拒绝双性恋。参与者描述了身份认同无效的后果，包括负面情绪、与身份认同相关的挑战和人际关系困难。这些发现表明，身份认同无效在双性恋者中是一种常见经历，它可能是一个重要的干预目标。
