Basic Education Department

Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union

QUESTIONING SEXUALITY: The Impact of the Society’s Perception

A thesis presented to

The Faculty of Lorma Colleges Special Science High School

Lorma Basic Education Department
Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements in Research I

Balangue, Zibelle Ziem

Catbagan, Adrian Dominic
Merindato, Nicole Aliyah
Ocampo, Stephanie Joyce
Soriano, Isiah
Rilloraza, Jamie

--2018
 ABSTRACT

The LGBTQ+ community is a grouping of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and
the “plus” is a symbol that’s come to be valuable due to its wide-ranging significance. The questioning of
one’s gender is the stage where a person goes through confusion with their sexual orientation. Questioning
individuals undergo struggles to find their place and be accepted in the society due to their multiplicity of
their gender status. The researchers would like to explore what the LGBTQ+ community experienced when
they were in questioning and aimed to answer the following questions: a.) What are the impact of sexual
orientation discrimination on LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents? b.) How do LGBTQ+ youths and
adolescents cope up with the society’s reaction during their questioning? c.) What are the support given to
LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents from the following: Family, Peers & Community. The researchers
interviewed LGBTQ+ members to gather their ideas, experiences, concepts and perspectives. The
participants defined the society’s discrimination not as an obstruction but an opportunity for them to
improve their lives. Basing it from their responses, they’re motivated to move forward and live their lives to
the fullest. Throughout these circumstances, they were supported and accepted by their families, peers
and the community’s support on the other hand, was not emphasized. The society wended a path for the
participants to discover opportunities for them to improve themselves as well as conquer the challenges.

Keywords: LGBTQ+, Questioning, Sexuality, Gender, Society

 APPROVAL SHEET

This research entitled "Questioning Sexuality: The Impact of the Society’s Perception" prepared and

submitted by Balangue, Zibelle Ziem; Catbagan, Adrian Dominic; Merindato, Nicole Aliyah; Ocampo,

Stephanie Joyce; Soriano, Isiah; Rilloraza, Jamie, is a partial fulfillment of requirements in the Research I

class has been examined is recommended for approval and acceptance.

Approved by the committee:

Mr. Fernando Oringo

Research Adviser

Mrs. Elizabeth R. Camara

Principal
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The success and final outcome of this study required a lot of guidance and assistance from our research
adviser and we are extremely privileged to have got this all along the completion of our study. All that we
have done is only due to such supervision and assistance and we would not forget to partake our gratitude.

We respect and thank Mr. Fernando Oringo, our very energetic research adviser, for providing us an
opportunity to conduct this study and giving us all support and guidance which made us complete the
study duly. We are extremely thankful to him for providing such a nice support and guidance, although he
had busy schedule managing school affairs.
 Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the Study

“It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have any moral objection to someone else's

sexuality. It's like telling someone else how to clean their house.” (c) River Phoenix

The LGBT+ community, often referred to as the “gay community,” is a grouping of

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and the “plus” sign on the other

hand, is an additional symbol that has come to be valuable and important due its wide-

ranging significance. According to Ortiz-Fonesca (2017), the “plus” sign entails and includes

those individuals within our communities that distinguish as gender non-binary, pansexual,

asexual, gender queer, gender-expansive and the list goes on and on.

You may have heard individuals say they were "questioning" or that they were "gay

curious". People who are uncertain to what sexual orientation they identified as may be

dubbed as being bi-curious, gay curious, and questioning. Some youths question whether

they identify as gay or lesbian, bisexual, or if they are even straight. Often, youths who go

through questioning experience a period of self-exploration and may feel confused. This

leads them to experiment with their feelings and attractions in order to find the best identity

that describes them (ALGBTICAL, 2005).

 However, when these uncertainties happen, the society perks up and starts to

question those who are sexually confused. Questioning one’s sexuality affects the view and

perception of the society but at the same time, the society’s perception impacts the mindsets

of those who are sexually curious, be it negative or positive. People either support them or

discriminate them for what they’re going through.

The complexity of gender and sexuality is why they are often miscomprehended by

the society. According to Frankowski, B. (2004), sexuality is fluid and is no doubt affected by

the consolidation of socio-cultural and biological factors. Sexual identity, behavior and desire

do not always have the same denotation, but often confounded. For instance, the people who

are involved in same-sex behaviors may not always be associated to the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning); an individual may not agree to traditional gender

roles, but may still be eventually identified as heterosexual; and a transgender person may

feel same-sex attraction or opposite-sex attraction.

According to the American Psychological Association (2008), adolescence is a period of

experimentation. It is a normal developmental period where youths become aware of their

sexual feelings and many teens may question their sexual preference. There are times where

they experience same-sex feelings that causes confusion on their sexual orientation. This

confusion declines over time with various outcomes for different individuals.
 Children can recognize gender by the age of 3 and are aware of gender-appropriate

behaviour by ages 5-6, as stated by Tuerk, C. et al. (2003). Transgender people stated that

they sometimes feel like they are in the wrong body because of their internal conflict over

their sexual orientation throughout their childhood and teenage years.

Gender, sexual orientation or sexuality does not always coexist and coincide with each

other; as an example, an individual who identifies and labels themselves as a heterosexual,

may be attracted not only to someone of their opposite sex and have sexual relation and

interactions with someone who is of the same sex without necessarily identifying themselves

as bisexual. One of the most important and vital aspect in the development of a young

individual is their gender identity. Gender identity has a huge role in an individual’s personal

social identity. The questioning and confusion that occur in an individual’s formation of

gender identity can be influenced by the need to fit into gender binaries or adhere to social

ideals envisioned by our mainstream society (Spinelli, 2014).

It is more publicly and socially promoted in the modern day the importance of

understanding that an individual does not need to apply any type of sexuality or gender label

to oneself, along with gender fluidity and sexual fluidity, which are more openly and freely

discussed, widely accepted in today’s society (Diamond Lisa M.; Butterworth Molly, 2008).
 According to Savin-Williams (2005), early in life and younger than puberty, individuals

can become aware of same-sex attraction, they acknowledge or act on it at any point in life.

Though, since millennials or youths begin to engage with dating at an early age, many LGBTQ

teens begin to self-identify as such during this time.

The questioning of one’s gender is the stage where a person goes through confusion

and unsteadiness with their sexual orientation. It is a phase where an individual finds out his

or her “true” self and sexual identity, it is where an individual becomes aware and sensible of

his or her differences. It is a phase where an individual finds out where he or she truly belongs

in the society (Diamond, 2008).

Questioning individuals undergo various struggles to find their place in the society

and to be accepted due to their multiplicity of their gender status. Discrimination from the

society and society's encouragement vastly affects the said individual's perception on his/her

own identity.

Intersectionality is based on the complex way in which the effects of multiple forms of

discrimination (racism, ageism, sexism, homophobia and classism) overlap and intersect

especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals. The idea that when it comes to

different forms of discrimination, they are best understood as overlapping rather than

isolated and distinct (Crenshaw, 1991). When an individual’s identity such as gender,
sexuality, race, age, class etc. overlap, intersectionality happens. When it happens, people

find difficulty in distinguishing the difference between gender identity and sexuality identity,

an example is that being lesbian, bisexual or gay does not mean one is a transgender and

being transgender does not mean one is a lesbian, bisexual or gay (Devor, 1997).

The questioning of a young individual's sexuality or sexual orientation comes into play

in a variety of situations; regardless of experience or lack thereof. For example, an individual

who generally identifies themselves as homosexual may also have sexual interactions with

the opposite sex, but do not necessarily feel that they are bisexual. Furthermore, an

individual may also identify with a definitive sexual orientation or gender without having any,

or only some sexual interactions or experiences.

Most studies about LGBTQ+ individuals assume that the main problem of all LGBTQ+

is that the person's psychological gender and biological sex are disconnected therefore it

confuses the said individual about his/her true identity. We, as the society, must consider that

the LGBTQ+ have their own sexual attraction towards their preferred gender. It is usually

overlooked that their attractions and identities are also vital in determining their sexual

orientation.

The way society views the LGBTQ+ community is a significant factor for questioning

youths. It makes them feel that they do not have a safe environment to establish their gender
or sexuality. They often need acceptance from the people around them because it gives the

individual the feeling that they fit in or that they belong, making them fear the rejection and

discrimination of the society which causes the questioning youths to restrict their gender

confusion in public (Broden et. al., 2011).

The LGBTQ+ youths have a higher risk of physical health, mental health, and social

problems such as STD’s eating disorders, homelessness, depression, suicide and other

complications due to physical and verbal abuse, social rejection and isolation. These

problems are inevitable because of sexual minority status but these happenings increase over

time as a result of the received discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community (Higa et. al., 2014).

Individuals categorized or identified as sexual minority youths sometimes experience

difficulties from their own families, school, religious groups, and in the community. Fear of

rejection, harassment, bullying or in worse cases or situations, abuse, affects the well-being

of the LGBTQ+ individuals. The said youths sometimes experience traumatizing occurrences

and events that result to self-inflicted pain, depression and other forms of mental or physical

complications. Further investigations found out that the LGBTQ+ individuals risk of

attempting or committing suicide is greater in social environments that do not support the

said people compared to environments that accept LGBTQ+ individuals.

 Even so, knowing the youth’s own identity development, involvement and peer

networks in the LGBTQ+ community are actual positive factors that can help and contribute

to them. We may witness the extent and complexity of life circumstances and difficulties that

influence the developmental trajectories and enhance or diminish well-being for LGBTQ+

youths by exploring their positive aspects and phases. Interfusing a persona’s influence and

impact within the environment is useful and beneficial for comprehending adolescent

development in general but may be beneficial when observing the relationship between

countless contexts that may be unsupportive of same-sex sexuality and how sexual minority

youth cope up and react to these contexts.

Russell, Muraco, Subramaniam and Laub (2009) distinguished "personal

empowerment" as resulting from the perception of having a determinant over things in an

individual's life and feeling exceptional about oneself. Perceiving and even manifesting a

feeling of uniqueness because of an individual's LGBTQ identity may contribute to

genuineness but this impression of being "diverse" may also be detaching for some LGBTQ

youth.

Individuals distinguished and identified as LGBTQ+ are affiliated often with negative

perceptions, views and reactions (Ferfolja, 2007). Most individual youths avoid coming out or

worse, acknowledging their sexual orientation due to hompohobia (Thomas et. al., 2002).
 In a recent study, LGBT students were asked how bothered and troubled they were

from hearing people use terms based on sexual orientation used in an offensive manner, and

40% youth reacted and confessed that they were extremely tormented. In addition to that

statement, physical violence and verbal harassment create an environment where students

feel unsafe and unsecured. As stated by Kosciw, 64% of youth reported that they feel unsafe

in their institutions because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and over 39%

reported that they felt unsafe because of their gender expression. Research suggests that

LGBT students often skip school, perform poorly, or drop out because of harassment,

oppression and the feeling that they are unsafe at school. A study found that 29% of LGBT

students missed at least a day of school in the past mont due to feeling unsafe. LGBT students

who constantly experience harassment has GPAs that were about 10% lower than those who

did not (Kosciw, 2004). Another study found that 28% of bisexual and gay male youths

experiencing harassment and oppression dropped out of school (Remafedi, 1987).

Harassment and bullying often results to youth feeling isolated, rejected and hopeless, which

can negatively and immensely affect students not only on their educations, but other matters

such as family relationships and friendships. Harassment by peers is one of the main factors

of suicidal behavior for some LGBT youth (van Wormer, Wells, & Boes, 2000). Rejection by

teachers and peers can manifest into self-destructive behavior (van Wormer & McKiney,

2003). It was found in studies that LGBT youth are two to seven times more likely to have

committed suicide as comparison to their heterosexual peers Faulkner & Cranston, 1998;
Garofalo, Wolf, Wissow, Woods, & Goodman, 1999; Remafedi, French, Story, Resnick, & Blum,

1998; Russell, Franz, & Driscoll, 2001).

Studies stated that questioning and unsure youths on their sexual orientations are at

higher risk of suicidal thoughts, victimization, and drug and alcohol abuse even more so as

compared to lesbian, gay and bisexual youths because of marginalization from LGBTQ peers

and straight alike (Garofalo, R. et. al. 1999).

Society's discrimination is a main contributor to the increasing rate of depression,

self-harm and suicide attempts among the LGBTQ+ community. Studies show that individuals

whom identify themselves as a homosexual or part of the LGBTQ+ community are more

targeted by negative views of people who perceive them as the abominations of the society.

These negative views lead to social rejection and isolation, diminished social support,

discrimination, and verbal and physical abuse. Youths who experience these often skip school

because they feel that they do not belong and are unsafe compared to their heterosexual

peers. These negative experiences lead to chronic stress and severe mental health issues to

the LBTQ+ youths and adolescents. The causes of elevated risk are not often studied as most

people think that this topic is insignificant, for the LGBTQ+, discrimination has become a

normal act of the society. In this study, we want to explore the effects of perceived

discrimination to the mental health and stability of being LGBTQ+, to gain more knowledge
about the impact of sexual orientation discrimination and sexual orientation support on

LGBTQ youths and adolescents, associations among LGBTQ status (Almeida et. al., 2009).

Questioning adolescents who are encouraged, accepted and are receiving support

from peers can often live satisfying and healthy lives and move through the normal process of

adolescent development; as for those who face ostracism, harassment, bullying and other

forms of oppression are more likely to be at risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts and to be

engrossed in high-risk activities, such as alcoholism, drug abuse and unprotected sex

(American Psychological Association, 2008).

Family comes into play as well in the LGBTQ+ community. Studies show that LGBT

adolescents’ relationships with their parents are often intertwined with complications,

difficulties and challenges due to exposure of sexual identity or “coming out” or when

parents find out that their children are LGBTQ+, as stated by Ryan et. al (2010). Another study

assessed that the relationship between family rejection and the health of the LGBTQ+ young

adults. The study showed the associations between parental rejecting behaviors during

adolescence and depression, attempted suicide, the use of illegal drugs and sexual health risk

by LGBT adults. Parental reactions to the disclosure and exposure of LGBT identity may be

negative, occasionally including banishment from their homes. Research has also shown that

multiple family relationships improve after parents become exposed to the needs and well-

being of their LGBT children. Albeit the changes in public visibility and attitudes about LGBT
people and issues over the past decades, some families react to learning about their child’s

LGBT identity with assurance and acceptance. Accepting and rejecting behaviors can

simultaneously happen as families adjust to learning their child’s gender identity.

Strong understanding in the topic of sexual orientation plays a huge impact to the

formulation of gender identity. The two are both significant to an individual's development in

their adolescent stage (Bergstrom-Borins, 2015). We expect that positive outlook of the

society to the LGBTQ+ community will lead to positive adjustments, less mental and

behavioral health risks in adolescent stage: better self-esteem, increased social support from

their peers, better general health status. Other positive effects include decreased depression,

suicidal ideation and behaviors, substance abuse, and sexual risk behavior.

The researchers would like to explore what the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender and Questioning) community experienced when they were in the stage of

questioning their sexual orientations. Did the society’s perception had a positive or negative

impact on them? Were most LGBTQ youths and adolescents supported or discriminated?
Statement of the Problem

The study aims to determine the impact of the society, their perceptions and views, on the

LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, the following questions will be answered.

1. What are the impact of sexual orientation discrimination on LGBTQ+ youths and

adolescents?

2. How do LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents cope up with the society’s reaction during

their questioning?

3. What are the support given to LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents from the following:

a. Family

b. Peers

c. Community
Scope and Delimitation

This study will explore the experiences of LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents during their

questioning and the effects of sexual orientation discrimination & sexual orientation support.

The study will be conducted online through the use of the Internet and various Social Media

engines.

The participants of this study are the LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents, specifically

singers, bloggers, artists, YouTubers, teachers, schoolmates and peers. The researchers

choose to interview national or international participants. The participants will be

interviewed online and in-person, they will be interviewed and asked about their experiences

and reactions on the society’s perception regarding their questioning of sexual orientation.
Significance of the Study

The findings of the study will lead to the benefit of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender and Questioning) community considering the society’s impact. Because of the

society’s views, people part of the LGBTQ community often find difficulty in the process of

questioning due to discrimination and judgement. The study will lead to better

understanding of the perceptions and lived experiences of the LGBTQ youths and

adolescents.

Society – through this study, the society will be able to see and understand the

experiences the LGBTQ Community goes through which can lessen discrimination and

judgement. Understanding what LGBTQ+ youths and adolescents go through will eventually

lead to acceptance.

LGBTQ Community – this research would contribute to the openness and acceptance

of the LGBTQ Community. Through this study, which is solely focused on them, would bring a

sense of belongingness and importance upon them.

School - the study will contribute to the school, as the school will be able to educate

the students in terms of a better understanding of the LGBTQ Community and what they go

through during questioning..

 Students – it will help the students to better understand the LGBTQ Community and

the impact of discrimination, bullying and judgement.

To future researchers - the study will serve as their guide and source of information to

present to in their future studies.

Theoretical Framework

Psychoanalytic theory (Sigmund Freud, 1939) revolves on the aspect of human

sexuality. Personality formation is the main focus of psychoanalytic theory. Freud stated that

an individual’s human behavior can be motivated and influenced by both drives and inborn

instincts and that one’s personality can be shaped by events in the first six years of life.

According to Freud, there are two drives influencing the human behavior; sexual motivation

and aggressiveness. He also stated that everyone’s personality is made up of three divisions;

he labeled it as the id, the ego and the superego. The id is a collection of unconscious desires

that always look for expression. The superego coherently brings to mind personal and social

standards. The ego is the middle, it serves as the balance to reality.

Cognitive theories suggest that one’s perspective and labelling of occurrences conclude one’s

reaction to them. To make it simple, what sexually excites individuals is what they think

sexually excites them. In addition, individuals act based on the labels they accredit to certain

phenomena, sensations or feelings. If one labels a behavior as negative, they have the

tendency to avoid that behavior or experience compared to individuals who label the same

experience or behavior as positive (Jessica Gomez-Scott and Melissa Herzog with Mizzou,

2015).

An individual part of the LGBTQ+ community’s identity development distinguishes two

different processes that discuss the development and attitudes of LGBTQ individuals. The

two processes mentioned are individual identity development and group membership

identity development. These have 4 plans each awareness, exploration,

deepening/commitment and internalization/synthesis. During the first phase, students start

to become aware of the types of sexual feelings and desires. This occasionally leads to

confusion or fear. They also discover that there are others who has the same

situation/experience in group membership identity. Second phase, students start to explore

their feelings of attraction towards the same sex. In this phase, students explore their relation

to the LGBTQ community. The third phase is deepening and commitment where in students

have a stronger understanding of themselves and are ready to commit to being one of the

LGBTQ. The same situation also happens in the group identity development where students

develop stronger knowledge of the values and oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and are

ready to be involved into such community. During the last phase, the individuals include their

sexual orientation/sexual preference into their overall identity and think as they are part of

the LGBTQ group. This action makes them feel that they are secured and accepted. The

parents’ support is crucial for their child’s decision with what they’re going through. They

provide the safe environment needed for “coming out of the closet” for their child to be able

to socialize properly. Not many feel secure about their identity questioning because they

undergo many phases. Negative factors must be prevented as soon as possible to avoid bad

effects like severe depression and suicide attempts (Carol Macnichol, 2010)

There have been multiple theories on the LGBTQ Development. In this case, we have

Vivienne Case’s “Homosexual Identity Model” (1979). Vivienne suggested that an individual

may take years to get pass through a certain stage. “Foreclosure” is when an individual hides
their identity or denies it from people. Foreclosure may happen in any of the stages and

prolong the process. Here the stages from the Vivienne’s Homosexual Identity Model:

Stage 1: Identity Awareness

- The individual is sensible and aware enough to know that he/she is “different.

Stage 2: Identity Comparison

- The second stage where in the individual analogizes their emotions and feelings to

those they distinguish as “heterosexuals.”

Stage 3: Identity Tolerance

- In this stage, the individual tolerates and allows their identity as homosexuals.

Stage 4: Identity Acceptance

- The individual becomes more active in the “gay community” or what the modern

generation call as the LGBTQ+ community and accepts their new identity.

Stage 5: Identity Pride

- The individual takes pride in being a homosexual and becomes engaged in “gay

culture.”

Stage 6: Identity Synthesis

- Synthesizing of former heterosexual identity for their new identity. Here, the

individual fully accepts their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Research Paradigm

The paradigm taken as a whole represents the LGBTQ+ community. The cloud, which

is where the rainbow is protruding from, serving as the research title and topic, is where the

idea and focus of our research can be manifested. The rainbow protruding from the cloud,

which is a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, is divided into three sections. Those three

sections contain the contents, processes and findings of our study, such as the theories,

problems, purpose of the study, gathering and analyzing of data, concepts and dimensions.
Definition of Terms

Asexual - the attribute of an individual where the person does not feel any sexual attraction

toward other people whether it be male or female.

Bisexual - a person who like both genders.

Discrimination - it is an act of treating someone poorly and unfairly/unequally based on

a person's age, sex, gender, religion, race, etc.

Gay - a man who is attracted with the same sex.

Gender - it is the characteristic of being masculine feminine or neuter and not determined by

the biological sex of a person.

Gender Identity – the aspect of undergoing of one’s own gender.

Homophobia - discrimination against homosexuals.

Identity – profile of an individual; the distinguishing personality of someone.

Intersectionality - the complex way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination

(racism, ageism, sexism, homophobia and classism) overlap and intersect especially in the

experiences of marginalized individuals.

Lesbian - a woman who experience sexual attraction to another woman.

Pansexual - the trait of an individual who feels sexual attraction toward others whatever

their sexuality may be.

Queer – strange or odd; a person rejects or does not fit in with traditional gender identities

and sexual orientation; umbrella term to refer to LGBTQ people.

Sex - the nature of an individual as determined by the reproductive system.

Sexuality - expression of sexual interest.

Sexual Orientation – a constant pattern of sexual attraction to one’s opposite sex or gender,

to the same sex or gender, to both or more than one gender.

Transgender - a person who identifies his gender differently from its birth sex.
 Chapter II

Methodology

Research Design

Phenomenology research studies and examines the structures of an experienced

phenomena from a first-person point of view. The data used in this research is based on the

participants’ explanations on their lived experiences that are free from unexamined

preconceptions and conceptual presuppositions.

Online qualitative research is a form of qualitative research conducted online via the

Internet and other Social Media engines. It focuses more on individual depth interviews. The

researchers used a messaging format through emails or other forms of messaging

applications to contact and interview the respondents. Respondents were informed in

advance to give them time to collect their thoughts about the topic. The respondents that

were informed usually provide deeper depth of information than those who weren’t

informed. The researchers asked follow up questions throughout the process about any of

their thoughts, feelings, attitudes, relevant experiences, decisions that they had to make and

behaviors that are related to the purposes of the study in which the respondents added

additional information and details. Using this approach made it easier for the researchers to

get quick feedbacks despite the limited questions given to them.

Storytelling is a method where participants are asked to narrate or write a brief and

short story on an applicable topic. It allows the participants to tell a story relevant to the

given topic. Stories impart emotions and values, and can manifest the similarities and
differences between people’s experiences. Stories are a dynamic form of communication

through which people, society ad communities provide and relay messages, experiences, and

knowledge to others (Bowles 1995). Personal stories are responses to interview that explore

the experiences of individuals (Thomas 2003).

Locales and Participants

The researchers interviewed participants who are part of the LGBTQ+ community,

specifically students, teachers, national or international bloggers, YouTubers, artist,

teenagers and adults. The following participants will be kept confidential and anonymous for

this study. Since the researchers have a vast range of participants, the interview will be

conducted online through the use of the Internet and different messaging engines.

Data Gathering Instrument

The researchers interviewed the participants to gather their ideas, experiences,

concepts, dimensions and perspectives. Semi-structured interview is used. Semi-structured

interview, according to Cohen (2006), are repeatedly predated by observation, informal and

unstructured interviewing in order to allow the researchers to develop a perceptive

understanding of the topic of interest necessary for developing meaningful and relevant

semi-structured questions. The researchers conducted an online interview through the use of

different messaging applications such as Facebook Messenger, Gmail and Yahoo, in which
story telling method was used to get an in-depth background and response from the

participants.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers asked permission from their research adviser before proceeding to

interviewing participants. The researchers then interviewed participants online by pretending

to be an individual in need of help and advice regarding questioning sexuality as to not give

away that the interviews are for the purpose of research. The researchers also asked the

participants to narrate and share a short statement or story about their experiences during

questioning. Follow-up questions were asked as well. After hearing the responses of the

participants, the researchers then replied back to the respondents and thanked them for their

responses.

Analysis of Data.

Thematization is outlined as being aware of recurring patterns in the events or

situations of a narrative, as stated from the research paper of Reza Pishghadam, et. al. 2013.

Thematization entails as well the distinguishing of matters or symbols and theorizing about

their connection, and understanding the central point, the focus and the theme of a narrative

(Randall, 1999).
 Chapter III

Results and Discussions

QUESTIONING AND LGBTQ+ PARTICIPANTS

The researchers have conducted an online interview on LGBTQ+ members and they provided

with them their opinions regarding their experiences during their questioning and thoughts on

the impact of the society’s perception which are classified in the following:

1. Influence of Society – the effect on the character, development or behavior of the LGBTQ+

member. According to Bruce Drake (2013), others may say that today's society is more

accepting than the previous generations, but only 19% of the population says that there is

more discrimination than support directed to the members of the gay community. Many have

been victimized and is/was subjected to taunts, slurs, or hurtful jokes, and some have been

abandoned by their families or rejected by some family member.

“yes, i was discriminated. i was a laughing stock. a clown in my school. i always felt

different, like i don’t belong because of how people made fun of me. i’ve been bullied verbally,

i was actually called the “outcast” and “queer queen” of our class. in 7th grade, it was the worst

peak of the bullying cycle.” said by an Indonesian bisexual respondent.

There are people guilty of committing discrimination against the LGBQT+ community,

whether consciously or unconsciously. LGBTQ+ members are often faced with daily
discrimination from society, peers, family and even school administrations. LGBTQ+ members

endure verbal and physical ostracism that can be infuriating for them (Human Rights Watch,

2001).

LGBTQ+ members being discriminated has become a normal occurrence in the society.

The people in the LGBQ+ community are more likely to be the highlight of discrimination based

on their sexuality compared to heterosexuals. The experiences of these people start from

seemingly benign jokes, and some, worsening into verbal insults, biased treatments, and to

most extreme cases physical violence and other forms of abuse. For many LGBTQ+ members,

unfair treatment has become part of their everyday life and lasts their lifetime: in their homes,

schools, work, and in the community

“i came from a weird house. my dad made me judge myself for everything, and my mom

made me feel like everything is okay. i never felt like i need to deny my sexuality, i love loving

people but some of my family doesn’t know yet.” Said by an Israeli bisexual respondent.

Actual family, peer and community acceptance or rejection of LGBTQ+ members are

important in understanding the individual’s experience of stress, how they cope up with it, and

consequently, its impact to one’s behavior.

“My mom allowed me to cross dress and collect dolls. She and my friends even attend

my beauty pageants.” said by a Filipino gay respondent.

 Families are often dumbfounded when their child comes out to them but eventually

accepts them for who they are. The researchers have gathered from the responses of the

participants that their families are more likely to be accepting of who they are. LGBTQ+

members are given support by their families by allowing them to do whatever they want to do:

join beauty pageants, collect dolls, cross dress and etc. as examples, love who they want to

love, may it be the opposite sex, same sex or no one at all, and be who they want to be.

“my friends were always the ones who would make a comeback to those who made fun

of me. and whenever im upset, they’d always try to cheer me up. they never uttered a single

negative word about me being bisexual. my mom and dad actually hugged me the first time i

admitted that i was bisexual. and there i felt that they accept me, that no matter who i am, what

i am, i am their daughter.” said by an Indonesian bisexual respondent.

Peers have also major role in an LGBTQ+ individual’s life. Friends and associates usually

triggers one’s questioning of sexuality. Basing it from the responses, the participants are more

open to their peers more than their families whenever they face a circumstance that immensely

affects one’s behavior and character. Their peers show their support by sticking by their side,

advising them when one come across an obstacle and encouraging them to do what their

hearts desire. The respondents weren’t able to emphasize the support given to them by the

community
2. Unique Responses – these are the distinctive, personal and profound answers that the

researchers have gathered from the respondents when interviewed and asked different

questions regarding their experiences during their questioning.

“it’s not about who you are but you ask yourself what are you when everybody is not

looking on you. Motivating yourself is hard but inculcating to your inner mind that you can

create possibilities has no boundaries.”

“you are not bound to love people just because of their sex”

“don’t stress over labels, love who you love, and make sure to enjoy it!!”

“I just kind of thought screw it. This is who I am and I won’t change. I am my own person

and no one can stop me from being myself.”

“we often feel desperate to be labeled and then even if some day you realize it wasn’t

true to you, and was just a phase, you won’t have that ego part in your brain, desperate to be

right. no stress over your behavior. just be yourself and love the people you love heck, you

could probably fall in love and spend the rest of your life with someone without labeling

yourself.”
 These unique responses encompass on how the different LGBTQ+ respondents have a

more positive outlook toward their lives. Despite all the criticism and backlash they have

received, experiencing self-doubt and depression, they would always end up realizing that the

society’s perception upon them won’t matter as long as they are not hurting anyone. Society’s

discrimination served not as a hindrance, but as an opportunity for them to improve

themselves and their lives. It was a phase and a bridge that helped them connect to their true

selves. Society’s acceptance and support had also helped and only boosted them more to

become better than those people who have called them names and believed that they have no

place in this world.

3. Individual’s Behavior to Society’s Treatment - many LGBTQ+ people report to dealing

surprisingly well with the society’s discrimination, and most do not really experience

depression or any other mental health condition. However, experiences with discrimination

and ostracism can lead to a higher likelihood of emotional distress, anxiety and depression

(Beyond Blue, 2012).

“i got depressed, of course, because i felt like no one understood what i was going

through. that i was alone in this world. i distanced myself from my family and friends. i took

time for myself and contemplated. then eventually i realized, “this is who i am.” i don’t have to

please others, i can be who i want to be as long as im not hurting anyone. i won’t be happy

unless i face the ugly world and accept myself for who i am.”
 LGBTQ+ members are often pressured to fit it and be accepted with the society’s

standard ideas of being female or male. Those who are subjected as “different” are more likely

to be the center of ridicule, intimidation and even physical abuse.

“my dad doesn’t know, i know that telling him about it will just make him super stressful

and i wouldn’t talk about it at work unless another co-worker would ask. but when there is

backlash, i usually laugh it off.”

Even though there is an increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in society and greater

visibility in the media and public life, many LGBTQ+ members still experience discrimination,

harassment and violence at work, school and in social situations.

“Well I’m not out because of fear that people will judge me.”

“as i’ve said, i distanced myself. it took so much time for me to recover. i coped up in

such a way that i focused more on my studies instead of the foul words that i hear from people.

now that im in 11th grade, im in the top of the class. i proved those who have wronged me that

no matter how much they make fun of my sexuality, i am better than them.”
4. Personal Stories (Love stories, Social life, Sex life, etc.) – these are the gathered short

stories and statements from the respondents when asked to narrate a very short story about

their lived experiences during their questioning.

“I have a son and I am gay, I have a good job and I am gay, I have my education and I am

gay, I have a supporting family and still I am gay.”

“I have a girlfriend but we rarely show affection in public because she's not out.”

“now for when i realized i’m bi? i didn’t really label myself as anything until i was 15 or

so i think, but when someone asked me about my sexuality suddenly, i decided to think about

it for the first time "well, i find both men and women attractive, i guess im bi?" so for me

specificly it was very easy.”

“well, in 9th grade, i was harassed by a male classmate. since i was out with being

bisexual, he and his friends made a bet if they’d be able to make me succumb to their “charms.”

i was cornered in the janitor’s closet, but then i hit him so i could get away and got suspended

for it but whatever, it was worth it anyways. better than suspension than be harassed and be

viewed as a weakling little girl when in fact i am a proud bisexual that is strong and have gone

through storms and will always, ALWAYS, come back up if someone tries to put me down.”
 “I became an advocate for HIV/AIDS at the same time I worked with the youth sector, I

also become an ambassador and board of director of a premiere humanitarian organization

in the Philippines.”

“I was teased by people for being lesbian. They would ask me how I would engage in

sexual intercourse with my girlfriend if I’m lesbian.”

“i actually started questioning my sexuality when i was in 3rd grade. i had a crush on

this one boy but then oddly, i also got attracted to my girl classmate. so that’s when the

questioning started. “

SATURATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

These are the similarities found in the responses of the LGBTQ+ participants, the following are

the gathered similitudes:

- Almost all the respondents we’ve interviewed experienced bullying, ostracism and

criticism from the society during their questioning.

- Most respondents received support from people close to them, like their family and

friends, but never from people outside their community.

- Their questioning started at an early age and this event is usually triggered by

influences from peers and their environment.

 - The respondents coped up with the criticisms they received by being an optimist, not

entertaining the society’s negative opinions about them and focusing on their careers

to prove those who have discriminated them wrong. Society’s discrimination served

not as a hindrance, but as an opportunity for them to improve themselves and their

lives.

- Almost all respondents have shown a defiance towards the society’s criticism.

- The respondents have seen the society’s discrimination not as a hindrance, but as an

opportunity to get to know themselves better and to improve their lives.

RELATION TO THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

These are the affiliations of the gathered data to the researchers’ Theoretical Framework from

Vivienne Case’s Homosexual Identity Model (1979). Most respondents are in Stage 3 and Stage

4 of Vivienne Case’s “Homosexual Identity Model” (1979). Stage 3 is Identity Tolerance where

an individual tolerates and allows their identity as homosexuals. Where in Stage 4 is Identity

Acceptance where an individual becomes more active in the “gay community” or what the

modern generation call as the LGBTQ+ community and accepts their new identity. Though, the

respondents have accepted who they are, they are still not fully out of their closets and are still

not accepted by some of their peers, family and people from their community. Initially,
receiving criticism from the society is just a phase in their questioning. Since millennials are

more likely to be accepting of LGBTQ people than older generations, therefore support from

society outweighs ostracism, according to a new GLAAD ("Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against

Defamation") study.
 Chapter IV

Conclusion and Recommendation

This research therefore concludes that the society’s perception upon questioning individuals

is perceived as both a hindrance and an opportunity and it has both positive and negative

impact on their stability. The social aspect is a significant factor that can cause questioning

youths to feel that they have an unsafe environment in establishing their sexuality. Experiences

of violence and victimization are frequent for LGBTQ+ individuals, and have long-lasting effects

on the individual and the community. LGBTQ+ participants stated that sexual orientation

discrimination has both positive and negative influence upon individuals. Those who faced

bullying, ostracism or other forms of oppression experienced short term depression and self-

isolation. However, the participants defined the society’s discrimination not as an obstruction

but an opportunity for them to improve their lives. The LGBTQ+ participants stated that they

were motivated to move forward and live their lives to the fullest and this served as the positive

impact that came out from society’s discrimination during their questioning. Throughout these

circumstances, they were supported and accepted by their families, peers and the

community’s support on the other hand, was not emphasized. The society wended a path for

the participants to discover opportunities for them to improve themselves as well as conquer

their struggles and challenges.

Coming out of the closet can be difficult to most LGBTQ+ individuals because of the fear of

rejection, lack of support, and the criticisms they've received from the society. These may
cause individuals to suppress themselves from expressing their true identity. LGBTQ+

individuals, including those who are still questioning their sexuality may also be hesitant to

concede to peers thinking that they wouldn't understand. The researchers suggest that

LGBTQ+ members who are looking for support and answers can find them at LGBTQ+ support

groups and forums online, such as Campfire, EmptyCloset, TherapyTribe, etc., where they can

ask their questions to fellow members and therapists, and talk about and share their

experiences freely without being judged. These support groups and forums can give

enlightenment to LGBTQ members, and can empower and encourage them to express their

true identities. Being able to be with and talk to people who understands and have the same

experiences can ease an individual's emotional turmoil knowing that they are not alone.

An example of these said organizations is Fenway Institute. The Fenway Institute at Fenway

Health works to make life healthier for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender

(LGBT), people living with HIV/AIDS, and the larger community. The Fenway Institute is an

interdisciplinary center for research, training, education, and policy development, focusing

on national and international health issues. Their mission is to ensure access to quality,

culturally competent medical and mental health care for traditionally underserved

communities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and those

affected by HIV/AIDS.