Many Gays Keep One Foot in the Closet

Savvy Decisions: Many Gays Keep One Foot in the Closet


For gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, coming out to friends and family is often seen as a necessary step toward living an authentic life, and studies have shown that being open about one's sexuality may boost mental health. But new research finds that many people are out of the proverbial closet only partially — and that psychologically speaking, such partial disclosure is sometimes a savvy decision.

The research, which surveyed gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals recruited from online message boards, found that most of the volunteers were closeted in at least one area of their lives. Unsurprisingly, the participants hesitated to reveal their sexual identity in environments they judged as controlling and judgmental. About 69 percent said they were not open about their sexuality within their religious communities, for example, compared with only 13 percent who were not out to their friends.

When people did come out in a certain aspect of their lives, the benefits were tempered by how accepting that community was, said study researcher Richard Ryan, a psychologist at the University of Rochester in New York.

"We didn't find any overall negative effect of coming out in controlling environments," Ryan told LiveScience. "Rather, there sometimes was a negligible benefit. … You got some benefit from not having to conceal, but also you're likely paying some social price."
Source:Yahoo News