Why Get Involved? Exploring Gay and Bisexual Men's Experience of the Gay Community

Abstract

Involvement in a gay community is a necessary step in the formation of a positive gay identity. However, how gay individuals think of a gay community and how they participate in these communities remains largely unexplored from a psychological perspective. The current study used an online survey containing several open-ended response items asking participants how they define the gay community, their first experience with it, and the advantages and disadvantages resulting from their involvement. The responses of a nationwide sample of 129 gay and bisexual men were coded in accordance with grounded theory. The results revealed substantial diversity in the perceptions and experiences of the gay community. Implications regarding these findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• gay and bisexual men
• gay community
• gay identity
• community involvement
• social support

Portions of this work were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Palm Springs, in January 2006.

This research was supported by a grant from the Colgate University Research Council.

The authors wish to thank Isis Settles for her helpful comments on early drafts of this manuscript.