An Exploration of the Impact of Social Institutions and Interpersonal Connections on the Sexual Expression and Identity of Dually Attracted and Bisexual Women A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF APPLIED AND PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY BY SARAH KOWAL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY OCTOBER 2010 APPROVED: ________________________ LEWIS GANTWERK, PSY.D. ________________________ NINA WILLIAMS, PSY.D. DEAN: ________________________ STANLEY MESSER, PH.D. Copyright 2010 by Sarah Kowal ABSTRACT Research about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations reveals a dearth of empirical knowledge about bisexual women. This study explores the experiences of eleven dually attracted/bisexual women between the ages of 25 and 42, with particular emphasis on communities and social institutions to which they belong. Although research demonstrates that community support plays a critical role in minority mental health, current data reveals that bisexuals experience significant degrees of biphobia and marginalization within LGBT and other communities. This qualitative study focuses on the thoughts and feelings that bisexual/dually attracted women have about their sexuality. Each 1.5 hour long interview probed about how participants’ thoughts and feelings were influenced by experiences in schools, workplaces, religious settings, LGBT groups and families of origin. The semi-structured interview tool was designed to 1) gain a deeper understanding of the overall experience of dual attraction/bisexuality in adult women 2) identify themes that illustrate the core factors that influence how bisexual women choose to identify and participate in their social contexts. The results illustrate that, largely due to perceived social stigma within both heterosexual and homosexual communities, the choice to utilize the term bisexual is highly complicated and leads some women to refuse the identity altogether. Data also illustrates the complex ways in which families, religions and other identity groups influence how participants name their sexual identity. Interestingly, bisexual celebrities emerged as an unexpected and influential “community” for some subjects in this sample. In sum, the core overarching themes that emerged from interview data were 1) Naming (or choosing not-to name) sexual identity; 2) Coming out; 3) Religion and family – acceptance, rejection and the negotiation of ii conflicting values and beliefs; 4) Workplace and school experiences; 5) Dual identity and other social minority experiences. The results of this study can be utilized to guide future research as well as inform clinicians and service providers who aim to gain a more nuanced understanding of the unique experiences and perspectives of this population. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would not have been able to complete this project without the guidance of support of many. To my dissertation committee chair and advisor, Lew, for the unwavering support, humor and gentle wisdom you doled out at just the right moments throughout my time at GSAPP. To Nina, my longest, kindest, most well-read and yet still open-minded supervisor, I hope to be something like both of you when I grow up! Thanks to you both for agreeing to be on my committee and believing in me. Thanks also to Don Morgan, Joan Morgan, Nancy McWilliams, Nancy Boyd-Franklin and Kristin Peck – for your great ideas, mentorship and extra presence when I needed it. To Priscilla, Brian, Erica, Nathan, Talia, Amanda, Laura, Naama, Aurelie, Alicia, Stephanie, Jason Kruk and Lisa Braun - for being great comrades and sharing the journey. To Tal and James for reminding me of how delicious food and New York City can make everything better. Thanks to Laura, Hannah, Dynishal, Lora, Anna, Idra, Leo, Melissa, Alix, Auntie Cathy, Don, Molly, Grampy and Mom – thanks for being my greatest cheerleaders and the backbone of my life. Thanks also to my wonderful partner Dan for understanding when I had the dissertation tone in my voice and for making me smile every day. Finally, I am forever grateful to the brave, whip-smart women who participated in this study. Thanks for your trust and candor in exploring your rich, personal stories. iv DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the players of the Wesleyan University Women’s Rugby Team (classes of 1997 & 1998), an incredible group of women who coached themselves, tackled without hesitation, re-wrote the old boys’ songs and shared multiple, incredible, undefeated seasons. Thank you for showing me how much more was possible. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT...........................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................iv DEDICATION.......................................................................................................................v CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.......................................1 II. BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................4 Sexual Diversity: The Importance of Building Greater Clinical Understanding............4 Minority Stress: Risks and Vulnerabilities ...................................................................8 Beyond Binaries: Bisexual and Complex Sexual Identity in Women............................9 The Importance of Belonging: Community Connectedness and Well Being .....................................14 Dual Identity and Biphobia: Investigating Bisexuals’ Relationship to Community .......................17 Bisexuals and Community Wellness: Possible Directions for future Research.............................................19 III. MATERIALS AND METHODS...................................................................21 Introduction....................................................................................................21 Participants.....................................................................................................21 Rational and Procedures ................................................................................22 Data Collection and Analysis: Grounded Theory Methodology ...................23 Methods..........................................................................................................25 Instruments.....................................................................................................25 IV. RESULTS ......................................................................................................28 Introduction....................................................................................................28 Participant Demographics..............................................................................28 A Note About the Use of Language...............................................................30 Content Analyses: Key Themes.....................................................................31 ‘Stories’ of Bisexual and Dually Attracted Women ......................................68 vi V. DISCUSSION................................................................................................89 Introduction....................................................................................................89 Humanizing an Invisible Population: Studying Variation in Bisexual Samples..........................................................................................................92 Social Norms and Language: The Challenge of Accepting Uncertainty And Multiplicity.............................................................................................94 Conclusion .....................................................................................................99 Questions for Future Research.......................................................................100 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................102 APPENDICES A. Recruitment Flyer .....................................................................................108 B. Consent Form ............................................................................................109 C. Demographic Information About You ......................................................111 D. Semi-structured Interview.........................................................................114 vii CHAPTER I Introduction and Statement of Purpose Until 1980, in the field of psychology, homosexuality was classified as a disorder in the DSM. In general, from the time of Freud through the present, psychologists have at best, a mixed history in their efforts to help sexual minorities (Duberman, 1991; Murphy et al. 2002). In recent decades, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have fought for and received increased levels of visibility, social acceptance, psychological understanding and civil rights. However, there is still a great deal of work to be done before gay, lesbian and bisexual people enjoy the same freedoms, safety level and social visibility as heterosexuals; for psychologists who want to best serve their LGBT clients, it is imperative to continue the quest to understand more about human sexuality generally as well as the unique experiences, perceptions and needs of sexual minorities. This study focuses specifically on the experiences of bisexual and dually attracted women.