"I was terrified of being different": exploring gay mens accounts of growing-up in a heterosexist society

This study examined retrospective accounts of gay identity formation during adolescence. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with working-class gay men from a small town in the north of England. Themes salient to understanding their adolescent experiences of identity formation were identified: "defined by difference", "self-reflection and inner conflict", "alienation and isolation", "living a lie", "telling others", and "wholeness and integrity". We illustrate how the socio-cultural context of compulsory heterosexuality is central in understanding accounts of both reported minority stress and identity construction. The implications of the research for future interventions designed to tackle homophobia and heterosexism are discussed.