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The theory of credibility work (CW) reveals the invisible, unjust, and exhausting communication labor individuals perform in relationships. This study extends CW by analyzing interviews with 25 LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States, illustrating how they prepare for, navigate, and recover from family encounters. Participants described emotional bracing, disengaging, or fawning during tense moments, debriefing to affirm identity, and engaging in restorative practices to support well-being. Power shaped tensional experiences – double binds, double standards, and gaslighting – that (re)produced the need for CW and undermined participants’ realities. This study contributes to CW by emphasizing the situated nature of credibility and expanding its scope beyond double binds. Findings urge family members to recognize and reduce the burden of CW for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Thompson et al. (Mon,) studied this question.