Living the game of hide and seek: Leisure in the lives of gay and lesbian young adults

Little attention has been given to gays and lesbians in leisure research. Increased understanding of the issues surrounding gay and lesbian people can enhance the leisure of individuals of non‐dominant sexual orientations and allow them to construct positive, self‐expressive leisure experiences. Using a symbolic interactionist approach, this study explored how gay and lesbian young adults assign meaning to their leisure and what role leisure plays in their identity development. Interviews were conducted with 19 gay and lesbian young adults. Three major themes were identified through constant comparative data analysis: negotiation of comfort within leisure, the experience of homophobia, and a desire for group enclosure in leisure. Implications and suggestions for eliminating heterosexism in leisure are discussed based on these findings.