“They Want You to Kill Your Inner Queer but Somehow Leave the Human Alive”: Delineating the Impacts of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Change Efforts

ABSTRACT

Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE) aim to suppress the sexual and gender identities of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and other queer (2SLGBTQ+) people. Exposure to SOGIECE is associated with significant psychosocial morbidity. Yet, there is a dearth of knowledge specifying the ways in which these psychosocial impacts are produced and experienced. This qualitative interpretive description study aimed to delineate the impacts of SOGIECE. To do so, we thematically analyzed data from in-depth interviews, conducted between January and July 2020, with 22 people with lived experience of SOGIECE. Study participants indicated that feelings of shame and brokenness related to their sexual and gender identities were deeply implicated in and shaped by experiences with SOGIECE. SOGIECE also had socially isolating effects, which had restricted participants’ opportunities for meaningful connection with others, including romantic partners and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Further, SOGIECE had contributed to experiences of profound emotional distress, mental illness (e.g., anxiety, depression), and suicidality. These findings underscore the need for several responsive policy and programmatic interventions, including legislation to prevent SOGIECE, enhanced sexuality- and gender-related educational efforts with the families and support persons of 2SLGBTQ+ people, and targeted mental health screening and supports for SOGIECE survivors.

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to the people who shared their time and stories for this research and to the following individuals who helped to invite prospective participants: Erika Muse, Matt Ashcroft, Michael Kwag, and Owen Ballendine. We additionally wish to thank the Community-Based Research Centre and Generous Space for assisting with study recruitment.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ “Two-Spirit” is an umbrella term and community organizing tool intended to encapsulate a range of diverse Indigenous genders and sexualities (Pruden & Salway, 2020). There is no singular definition of this term, as its use varies among Indigenous Peoples.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from Simon Fraser University. TG receives trainee support through the University of British Columbia and the US National Institute of Drug Abuse under Grant [R25-DA033756]. TS and RK are supported by Scholar Awards from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.