View in EDS PDF Full Text

The Personal Experience of Community Among Urban Gay Men, Lesbians, and Bisexuals: Melting Pot or Mosaic?

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Personal Experience of Community Among Urban Gay Men, Lesbians, and Bisexuals: Melting Pot or Mosaic?
Authors: Easterbrook, Adam, Carpiano, Richard M., Kelly, Brian C., Parsons, Jeffrey T.
Source: Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell). Sep2014, Vol. 95 Issue 3, p682-700. 19p. 2 Charts.
Subjects: LGBTQ+ communities, Ideology, Gay community, Human sexuality, Bisexuality
Abstract: Objective 'Gay community' is often conceptualized as a 'melting pot' in which gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) persons are united and integrated into one sexual minority community. Evidence, however, indicates that GLB community may also be conceptualized as a mosaic of sexual minority communities with differing goals and ideologies. We test the validity of these conceptions of community with respect to two facets of the personal experiences of GLB individuals: socializing with GLB persons and GLB community cohesion perceptions. Methods Analyses of the 2005 Sex and Love survey of New York City area GLB persons. Results GLB persons tended to socialize most with their own sexual identity group. Compared to gay men, only bisexual women reported higher perceptions of GLB community cohesion. Conclusion Our findings indicate the presence of a mosaic sexual minority community. The extent of sexual-identity-group-specific socializing patterns suggests that personal perceptions of GLB cohesion may either be idealized rather than based on routine interactions or reflect assessments of within-group (not across-group) cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Description
Abstract:Objective 'Gay community' is often conceptualized as a 'melting pot' in which gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) persons are united and integrated into one sexual minority community. Evidence, however, indicates that GLB community may also be conceptualized as a mosaic of sexual minority communities with differing goals and ideologies. We test the validity of these conceptions of community with respect to two facets of the personal experiences of GLB individuals: socializing with GLB persons and GLB community cohesion perceptions. Methods Analyses of the 2005 Sex and Love survey of New York City area GLB persons. Results GLB persons tended to socialize most with their own sexual identity group. Compared to gay men, only bisexual women reported higher perceptions of GLB community cohesion. Conclusion Our findings indicate the presence of a mosaic sexual minority community. The extent of sexual-identity-group-specific socializing patterns suggests that personal perceptions of GLB cohesion may either be idealized rather than based on routine interactions or reflect assessments of within-group (not across-group) cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00384941
DOI:10.1111/ssqu.12064