Expanding Notions of LGBTQ+
Open accessAbstract
Sexual identity labels and meanings have been expanding. We explore how sexual identities are taking shape, intertwining, and emerging in new forms among a growing number of LGBTQ+ people (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning, or people whose identities are outside the historically privileged or dominant groups of heterosexual sexual identities). We situate contemporary sexual identities in theories of the social construction of identity, intersectionality, and the life course. We review recent research that illuminates identity complexity and intersectionality, the increasingly intertwined understandings and experiences of sexuality and gender, and intersections of sexuality and gender with identities embedded in race and social class. Finally, we consider new work that situates sexual identities in the context of life course development, including life stage, developmental processes, and relationships.
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Conservative Christian communities and organizations are implicated in the large increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation.
“Meanwhile, conservative Christian communities and organizations are implicated in the large increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation (Russell, Bishop, and Fish 2023)”
From Coming Out Queer: Sexual and Romantic Exploration and Identity Development of LGBQ+ College Students (2025) · cites this paper as Russell, Bishop, and Fish 2023
The Life Course section (page unavailable) describes a “deluge of anti-trans policies,” supporting the claim that anti-LGBTQ legislation has increased. It does not implicate conservative Christian communities or organizations in that increase. The discussion of Christian identity in Identity Complexities and Intersectionality (page unavailable) does not link those communities to legislation. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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Russell, S. T., & Fish, J. N. (2016) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093153 · Cited by 1,276 · see citing works
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Coming Out Queer: Sexual and Romantic Exploration and Identity Development of LGBQ+ College Students
Lamont, E., & Roach, T. (2025) · Social Currents · doi:10.1177/23294965241285469 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
- Authors
- Russell, S. T., Bishop, M. D., & Fish, J. N.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Corresponding author
- Russell, Stephen T.
- Venue
- Annual Review of Sociology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2023-07-31
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 281-296
- ISSN
- 0360-0572 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2115
- PMC
- PMC11709134
- OpenAlex
- W4362474362
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 3.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Annual Review of Sociology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- University of Texas at Austin (P2CHD042849)
- National Institutes of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006382, P2CHD041041)
- Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland (P2CHD041041)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (F32AA030194)
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U48 DP006382)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P2CHD042849, P2CHD041041)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Sexuality, and Education
- Keywords
- sexual identity labels, social construction of identity, intersectionality, identity complexity, gender and sexuality, race and class, life course development, queer identity, transgender identity, bisexual identity, life stages
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