The Evolution of Gay Men as Leaders in Higher Education Settings

1. The Evolution of Gay Men as Leaders in Higher Education Settings John L. Sama The University of Vermont May 29, 2003

2. Purpose: • To explore the factors that influence gay men’s evolution as leaders in higher education settings, and how their leadership experiences may be related to the development of their gay identities.

3. How interest developed… • Literature review on Heterosexism and Homophobia in Higher Education for an Applied Research Methods class. • Reflective writing exercise about my own coming-out process in a Qualitative Research Methods Class.

4. My Escape into Leadership • I used my involvement in leadership activities first as a way to avoid having to come to terms with my developing gay identity, then as a tool to help me manage and embrace this evolving identity. • I began to wonder if other gay men experienced similar escapes into leadership.

5. Major Questions • What factors have influenced gay men’s evolution as leaders? • How has being gay influenced gay men’s leadership styles and strategies? • How has leadership influenced development of gay men’s identities?

6. What role does culture/climate at an institution play? • Where do gay men find support? • What challenges to gay men still face?

7. The Literature I focused my exploration of the literature in two primary areas: • Gay Identity Development Theory. • Homophobia and Heterosexism in Higher Education Settings.

8. Gay Identity Development Theory • The process of first becoming aware of, then accepting, and then managing one’s gay identity as one part of a person’s whole identity. • Early models based upon the premise that individuals are socialized in a society that is anti-gay and heterosexual in outlook.

9. Assumptions: • Gay identity is acquired through a developmental process. • The identity development process is influenced by interactions between individuals and their environments.

10. “Stage Models” Individual moves in stages from no awareness that he may be gay to acquiring a gay identity that is fully integrated with the individual’s overall concept of self. (Cass, 1999)

11. Each stage is associated with “incongruence,” or some level of internalized anxiety or turmoil. Conflict between growing awareness that one is gay and how he feels others are going to react if they find out that he is gay. The ability to move between stages depends upon mastering certain developmental tasks.

12. Stage 1: Identity Confusion Am I gay? Stage 2: Identity Comparison I might be gay… Stage 3: Identity Tolerance I probably am gay. Stage 4: Identity Acceptance I am gay. Stage 5: Identity Pride I’m here, I’m queer, get used to it. Stage 6: Identity Synthesis Cass’ Homosexual Identity Formation Model

13. Stage 1: Identity Confusion • Am I gay? Begins to realize that thoughts, feelings and/or behaviors could be defined as homosexual. Three possible approaches to managing incongruence: • Seek more information • Inhibit behavior, avoid situations • Rejects feelings as temporary, experimental.

14. Stage 2: Identity Comparison • I might be gay… Awareness of difference results in feelings of isolation, of not belonging. This stage is about handling feelings of social alienation that arise. Four possible approaches to managing incongruence: • Feel positive about being different, while passing. • Change perception about behavior without changing behavior • Admit he is gay but stops engaging in activity. • Rejects identity and behavior, devalues homosexuality.

15. Stage 3: Identity Tolerance • I probably am gay. Individual’s self image starts to turn away from heterosexual and more toward homosexual. Starts to seek out the gay subculture to combat feelings of isolation. Disclosure to others still feels risky. • Positive contacts? Move toward Identity Acceptance • Negative contacts? Identity foreclosure.

16. Stage 4: Identity Acceptance • I am gay. Individual begins to prefer gay social contacts, develops friendships within the gay subculture. Still some anxiety about being out publicly, so continues to pass as striaght. Begins to come out to straight individuals who he trusts to keep his secret safe.

17. Stage 5: Identity Pride • I’m here, I’m queer, get used to it. Less concerned with how others perceive of him. Strong commitment to the gay community, devalues heterosexual others, rejects hetero-normative values. Anger. May confront the establishment by abandoning passing strategies that he used in the past.

18. Stage 5: Identity Pride (Continued) • I’m here, I’m queer, get used to it. Life changing event may force him to adopt passing strategies again. However, if over time others’ reactions are generally positive, may move to next stage.

19. Stage 6: Identity Synthesis Acknowledges that it possible for heterosexuals to accept his gay identity. Personal and public sexual identities become united.

20. The identity development process is really about managing incongruence between their sense of self and societal attitudes toward homosexuality in whatever context they happen to find themselves, and overcoming the fear of being rejected, ridiculed, abandoned, or harmed in any way.

21. Consequences of concealing identity: • Low self-esteem • Depression • Suicidal ideations “The consequences of concealment are significant, as the individual turns his energy inward, suppressing his own vitality.” (Coleman, 1984)

22. Criticisms of Stage Models • Identity development is more “chaotic, fluid and complex.” • Not a linear process. • Not everyone experiences each stage. • Not everyone experiences stages in the same order. • Not unidirectional – horizontal spiral • Dichotomous • Assumptions may not hold up as societal values change.

23. Recent Identity Development Models • Sexual identity is fluid • Identity is conceived of as a dynamic process by which an individual emerges from many social exchanges experienced in different contexts over an extended historical period. (D’Augelli, 1994)

24. Homophobia and Heterosexismin Higher Education • Homophobia • The individual and societal contempt for and prejudice against homosexuals (Walters & Hayes, 1998) • An individual response of fear or hatred toward lesbian or gay people based on personal insecurities and cultural conditioning (McNaron, 1997)

25. Heterosexism • The assumption of the inherent superiority of heterosexuality, and obliviousness to the lives and experiences of LGBT people, and the presumption that all people are, or should be, heterosexual. (Rankin, 2003) • An entrenched system of moral or religious beliefs, social attitudes, and legal and economic politics that offer privileges to heterosexuality over all other forms of sexual expression or reality. (McNaron, 1997)

26. Heterosexual Privilege • The power and privileges that one receives, accepts and experiences as a heterosexual person, such as the right to a legalized marriage, the ability to adopt children, social activities on campuses that are geared toward heterosexuals, health insurance benefits for one’s life partner, an assumption that one is psychologically healthy, and living one’s life without fear that people will find out that one is [not heterosexual]. (Washington & Evans, 1991)

27. About the Literature… • Mostly quantitative • Students as research participants • Limited but growing number of qualitative studies of faculty and staff (1995 >)

28. Consequences of Being Out on the Job • Discrimination in Hiring • Harassment and Intimidation • Bias in Tenure and promotion • Exclusion from social and professional networks. • Devaluation of Scholarly Work (Taylor & Raeburn, 1995)

29. Important to note that people don’t have to directly experience these consequences in order to feel threatened.

30. But there are also positive consequences to being out: • Building of a sense of community • Empowerment • Role models • Initiate scholoarship

31. Coping Strategies • Yale University Survey • 80% felt it was fairly or very important to be able to disclose their sexual orientation to those around them. • Only 12% felt very comfortable doing so. (Herek, 1993)

32. People adapt their degree of self-disclosure to the circumstances in which they work. • People may also adapt their circumstances to make them more consistent with their preferred lifestyle and degree of openness. (Harry, 1993)

33. Common Coping Strategies: • Assimilation • (Passing as a member of dominant culture.) • Confrontation • (Coming to terms with and accepting one’s differences, a.k.a., coming out.) • Ghettoization • (Spending most of one’s time in gay culture.) • Specialization • (Focusing solely on things gay, to exclusion of other interests or talents.)

34. Examples of coping strategies: • Hide sexual orientation. • Being discreet about private life. • Dual identity: Personal self, professional self. • Faculty may not discuss issues of sexuality or sexual identity in their classrooms. • Avoid associating with out gay people. • Opt out of certain committee assignments. • Monitoring one’s behavior or speech. • Change career path.

35. Maintaining a dual identity is costly: • Feelings of isolation and fear drain energy, which in turn limits productivity. (Waldo & Kemp, 1997) • Coming out to others seems to be related to more positive attitudes toward GLBT. (Herek & Glunt, 1993; Herek, 1994)

36. Not all coping strategies are “escapist!” • GLBT faculty and staff may form social organizations. • GLBT faculty and staff may organize collectively to fight for change.

37. Concluding comments about the literature: {EXCERPT ON PAGE 47.}

38. Methodology:About this study • Qualitative • Naturalistic Inquiry • I wanted to listen to people’s stories, see where they worked, gain a rich picture.

39. Recruiting Participants • Used colleagues and professional acquaintances to help identify participants. (Snowball) • E-mail message sent to 70 colleagues. • Web site. • Web form. • Confidentiality.

40. Site and Participant Selection • Collected 19 participant interest forms over a two-week period. • Tried to select as diverse a pool as possible. • Within driving distance of Burlington. • Eventually selected 10 participants • Set up 1-1/2 to 2-hour meeting times via e-mail.

41. Participant Profile Number of Participants: 10 Average degree of “outness:” 9.3 (Range: 5 – 10) Type of Institution: Public (5) Private (5) Religiously-affiliated: 1 >75% Women: 2

42. Participant Profile Racial Identity of Participants: White (8) African American (2) Area of Responsibility: Student Affairs (7) Other (3) Academic Support (2) Development (1) Academic Affairs (0)

43. Participant Profile Level of Leadership Responsibility: Entry Level (1) Middle Level (4) Upper Level (5) Senior Level (0) Average length of time in Higher Education: 12 Years

44. Data Collection Three primary data-collection techniques in qualitative research: • Interviews • Document Review • Observation (Glesne, 1999)

45. Interviews • Semi-structured. • Development and sequencing of questions. • 14 questions grouped to learn about • Their current job and leadership history. • Their gay identity development process. • How their gay identity and their leadership intersect. • Artifact Review

46. Document Review • Pre-interview: Web site scan. • Current student newspapers • Current faculty/staff newsletters • Resumes.

47. Observation • Mainly limited to participants work environment • Any clues in his office? • Campus environment? • Artifacts

48. Trustworthiness • Credibility • Triangulation – multiple data collection techniques. • Member Checks • Transcripts sent to each participant. • Evolving themes sent to each participant. • Supportive feedback. • Applicability • Purposive sampling • Thick description • Use participants’ words • Dependability/Confirmability • Record-keeping: tapes, transcripts, notes, communications • Transcript citations verified by advisor. • Notes to Self

49. Findings Several important themes emerged: • Gay identity development and sense of self • Leadership evolution • Preferred leadership styles and strategies • Sources of support • Ongoing struggles Importance of context became clear. Importance of leadership.

50. Gay Identity Integral toSense of Self • Gay identity an important part of who these men are. • Ability to be open = ability to be honest. • Imposter Gay Identity: In their own words…[84-85]