title: Self-disclosure to the best friend: friendship quality and internalized sexual stigma in Italian lesbian and gay adolescents.
abstract: This study is the first contribution to the understanding of gender differences in best friendship patterns of adolescents sexual minorities. We explored friendship patterns, self-disclosure, and internalized sexual stigma in an Italian sample of lesbian (N = 202) and gay (N = 201) adolescents (aged 14-22 years). We found gender differences in cross-sex and cross-orientation patterns of best friendship. Gay men (52%) reported more cross-sex friendships than lesbians (20%). The 52% of participants had cross-orientation friendships, and no differences were found between lesbians and gay men. Lesbian and gay men with a cross-orientation best friend showed a lower level of internalized sexual stigma. Gay men with cross-orientation friendship showed a low level of internalized sexual stigma and less conflict with a best friend. For gay men and lesbian participants, self-disclosure to the best friend was better predicted by internalized sexual stigma and self-disclosure. Future studies may provide direct comparisons between heterosexual and sexual minority individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy. roberto.baiocco@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baiocco
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laghi
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Pomponio
authors.forename: Concetta Simona
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Nigito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012737:Sex Factors; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult