Generalized Self-Disclosure Explains Variance in Outness Beyond Internalized Sexual Prejudice Among Young Adults

Outness, or self-disclosure of sexual orientation, plays a key role in the sexual identity development of LGB individuals and is linked with mental health. Lower outness has been consistently linked with higher internalized sexual prejudice; however, no extant research has explored the relationship between generalized self-disclosure and outness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incremental validity of general self-disclosure to explain variance in outness beyond what is accounted for by internalized sexual prejudice among young adults (N = 387; 46 lesbians; 78 gay men; 49 bisexual men; 214 bisexual women). Self-disclosure explained additional variance in outness beyond internalized sexual prejudice. While outness is related to internalized sexual prejudice, general personality characteristics such as self-disclosure may also play a role in LGB individuals' disclosure of their sexual orientation. These findings suggest that while internalized sexual prejudice is still the primary driver of lower outness, lower general self-disclosure may also play an important role. Closeted individuals may be weighing the risks and benefits of disclosing their sexual orientation, as they would with any other personal information. For those struggling with self-disclosure of sexual orientation, clinicians should attend to internalized sexual prejudice while also noting an individual's comfort with general self-disclosure.