‘I wanted the whole world to know … it’s just part of who I am’: sexual identity development and management among lesbian, gay and bisexual Chilean adults

Abstract

This study explored how lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in La Araucanía, a region in southern Chile, developed and managed their sexual identities. Twelve adults aged 30 to 41, who came of age during a time of limited LGBTQ+ visibility and legal recognition, participated in semi-structured interviews analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: (1) From discovery to authenticity, encompassing awareness of sexual orientation, identity exploration, and affirmation; (2) Sexual identity in context, addressing disclosure, family dynamics, and identity visibility; and (3) Social barriers against non-heterosexual identities, including the absence of LGBTQ+ representation and socio-cultural challenges such as religious conservatism, heteronormativity, and discrimination. Despite coming of age in a context marked by silence and stigma, participants navigated gradual but ultimately affirming identity trajectories. These findings extend existing Chilean research on sexual identity development to a non-metropolitan conservative context and contribute to understanding how queer individuals negotiate and affirm their identities under socially adverse conditions.