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Coming Out: The New Dynamics

Nicholas A. Guittar
Coming Out: The New Dynamics
ISBN: 978-1-62637-043-2
$65.00
2014/165 pages/LC: 2013049826
A FirstForumPress Book
Also of interest:  Sexual Minorities in Sports: Prejudice at Play, edited by Melanie L. Sartore-Baldwin

"Raises important questions about essentialist understandings of sexuality and gender."—Mary Anna Roberston, Contemporary Sociology

"A compelling and worthwhile read."—Ashley Green, Mary Kasik, and Esther Rothblum, Journal of Homosexuality

"A valuable glimpse into the shifting contexts of coming out and its implications for future generations of LGBQ youth.... The accessibility and organization of the book lend itself easily to any undergraduate sexualities syllabus, and its key contributions are likely to resonate with scholars interested in sexualities and social change."—Megan Carroll, Gender & Society

"A fresh examination of the complexities of identity formation for GLBQ individuals. Highly recommended."—Choice

"A wonderful book, theoretically grounded and analytically rich. It is a testament to the durability of inequality and the pernicious effects of enduring institutionalized oppression."—Tristan Bridges, The College at Brockport, SUNY 

DESCRIPTION

Nicholas Guittar draws on deeply personal interviews with young people to enhance our understanding of "coming out," revealing the changing dynamics of sexual identity.

Guittar explores how mainstream norms continue to assert their influence over those with nonnormative sexualities. He also highlights the wide spectrum of coming out experiences. His important work sheds light on why, even though fewer people may remain closeted today than in the past, coming out is not a one-time event, but a lifetime process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicholas A. Guittar is assistant professor of sociology at Aurora University.

CONTENTS

  • The Shifting Contexts of Coming Out.
  • The Meaning(s) of Coming Out.
  • The Use of Bisexuality as a Transitional Identity.
  • Sexual Affinities and Progressive Identities.
  • Gender (Non)Conformity.
  • Not a Process, but a Career.
  • The Future of Coming Out.