The Coming-Out Process of Gay and Lesbian Individuals from Islamic Malaysia: Communication Strategies and Motivations

This exploratory study was an attempt to understand the coming-out process and lived experiences of gay and lesbian individuals in Islamic Malaysia. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted, and data were subjected to qualitative thematic analysis. Three themes which centered on the “coming-out” process were uncovered, and they include: disclosure as self-acceptance, concealment as self and other protection, and sexual identity is not public identity. Even though the specific condition for disclosure and concealment vary from individual to individual, relationship with others and safety appeared to be the two most common reasons for why disclosure and concealment were enacted by the participants.