Holding hands: LGBTQ people’s experiences of public displays of affection with their partner(s)

ABSTRACT

Many LGBTQ individuals grow up with a sense of being ‘other’ in a heteronormative society. This is not just an internal psychological experience, as many LGBTQ individuals report being recipients of hostility, victimisation and harassment. Interpersonally, homophobia and transphobia (both actual and fear of) may play out between partners and inhibit partners from commonplace displays of affection (e.g. holding hands in public). Holding hands in public, a taken-for-granted act of interpersonal affection for many heterosexual couples, may carry particular anxieties and/or significance for LGBTQ partners. This article reports on findings from a research project that explored 27 participants’ personal experiences of holding hands with their partner(s) in public, utilising a participatory, creative research approach. The analysis of data identified themes of vigilance, daily inhibitions, partner negotiations, inside/outside boundaries, and community dilemmas.

KEYWORDS:

• Public displays of affection
• homophobia
• queer spaces
• qualitative
• LGBTQ

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funding from the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grants Scheme (Grant number SRG 1920\101035).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and some data from the research is also publicly available, with participants consent, on the project website: lgbtg-holdinghands.com (lgbtq-holdinghands.com).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the British Academy [SRG1920\101035]