User:Alyssasantacruz/Questioning (sexuality and gender)

Adolescents and other youths
During the stage of adolescence, the notions of questioning one's sexuality or gender, along with the diverse areas related to it, can arise as the construction of identity begins to form. It is a stage where exploration, learning, and experimenting often occur. While some youths have little to no issue in self-identifying, many youths encounter a great deal of confusion and uncertainty at this stage. They may have issues in understanding their sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or whether or not they fit into any preconceived social normative labels. Studies have shown that 57% of people first had questioning thoughts on their sexuality or gender between the ages of 11 and 15.

References ^

 * 1) Hollander, Gary (2000). Questioning Youths: Challenges to Working With Youths Forming Identities. School Psychology Review. p. 173
 * 2) Dawson, James (2014). This Book is Gay. Hot Key Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-4714-0395-8.

Behaviors and development
Gender identity is crucial in the development of young individuals as it is a big part of their personal social identity. The confusion and questioning involved in one's formation of gender identity can be influenced by the need to fit into gender binaries or adhere to social ideals constructed by mainstream society. The assigned sex of a person at birth, otherwise known as natal sex, is not always interchangeable with the terms gender identity and gender role. Natal sex and gender identity are, however, different components of identity, and gender identity does not necessarily unfold in the direction of one's natal sex. Gender identity is not the same as gender role; gender identity is a core sense of self, whereas gender role involves the adaptation of socially constructed markers (clothing, mannerism, behaviors) traditionally thought of as masculine and feminine. Natal sex, gender identity, and gender role interact in complex ways and each of these is also separate from the direction of one's sexual attraction. The social constructs of masculinity and femininity may also play a factor in causing confusion for youths; it may impact the way they feel they have to behave if they identify with certain gender identities or sexual orientations.

References ^

 * 1) Spinelli, Ernesto (2014). "Being Sexual: Human Sexuality Revisited" (PDF). Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis. 25 (1): 17–42. Gale A361352864.
 * 2) Istar Lev, Arlene (10 September 2010). "How Queer!-The Development of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation in LGBTQ-Headed Families". Family Process. 49 (3): 268–290. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01323.x. PMID 20831761.

Social
Heteronormativity can contribute to the hesitation of youths in being public with their gender identity and sexuality. This can be due to the fact that one may feel they do not fit with the social constructs of heterosexuality, masculinity, or femininity - which are ideals that do not necessarily include the exceptions and differences of other genders and sexualities. Gender acceptance has two main influences: misunderstanding and fear of the unknown. An inner conflict may arise when the individual transitions to another gender. The social construct of heteronormativity is directly related to gender binary; these two constructs are often conditioned in the mainstream to be more accepted, therefore impacting the acceptance of other genders and sexualities, ones that may not fit into those norms or are fluid between multiple categories.

References ^

 * 1) Istar Lev, Arlene (10 September 2010). "How Queer!-The Development of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation in LGBTQ-Headed Families". Family Process. 49 (3): 268–290. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01323.x. PMID 20831761.
 * 2) Choi, Namok; Herdman, Kevin; Fuqua, Dale R.; Newman, Jody L. (September 2011). "Gender-Role Conflict and Gender-Role Orientation in a Sample of Gay Men". The Journal of Psychology. 145 (5): 507–519. doi:10.1080/00223980.2011.590163. PMID 21902014. S2CID 5671967
 * 3) "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ) Youth". www.advocatesforyouth.org. Retrieved 2015-12-05.

Heterosexual Women
In comparison to heterosexual-identified men and both sexual minority-identified men and women, heterosexual-identified women, in particular, are more likely to be in an identity development phase called identity foreclosure, a non-explorative state where the individual has yet to question a part of their identity including their sexual orientation or gender. Often resulting in the adoption of the default sexual standard of society, committing to heterosexuality without question. Adrienne Rich writes about how society encourages heterosexuality in all aspects of female livelihood in her essay, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence” by not only shaping institutions to provide social and economic benefits for adopting the heterocentric mindset but while also creating barriers to behaviors that challenge the standard, including homosexuality.

References ^

 * 1) Konik, Julie; Stewart, Abigail (October 2004). "Sexual Identity Development in the Context of Compulsory Heterosexuality". Journal of Personality. 72 (4): 815–844. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00281.x. ISSN 0022-3506.
 * 2) Rich, Adrienne Cecile (2003). "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence (1980)". Journal of Women's History. 15 (3): 11–48. doi:10.1353/jowh.2003.0079. ISSN 1527-2036.