title: Positive and negative communicative behaviors in coming-out conversations.
abstract: This essay features typographic analysis of 258 coming-out narratives from 130 diverse lesbian, gay, or bisexual participants. Two typologies of coming-out conversations, one exploring positive communicative behaviors and another exploring negative, are offered. Positive behaviors for all members of the conversation include open communication channels, affirming direct relational statements, laughter and joking, and nonverbal immediacy. Negative behaviors for those coming out included nervous nonverbal behavior, indirectly approaching the topic, and lack of preparation. Negative behaviors for receivers include expressing denial, religious talk, inappropriate questions or comments, shaming statements, and aggressive statements. Future studies and research implications are considered.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication , Northern Illinois University , DeKalb , Illinois , USA.
authors.forename: Jimmie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manning
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D063509:Homophobia / Q000523:psychology; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012650:Self Disclosure; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: coming out; interpersonal communication; practical research; qualitative inquiry; relationships