'I got 99 problems and cultural attitudes towards sexual diversity are, like, 98 of them! : A study of the experiences of bicultural LGBT+ adolescents with their social environment and the perspectives on social care in Rotterdam

L. Chantre

This study examined the experiences of bicultural adolescents with LGBT+ feelings on how they perceive their social environment and the social care system in Rotterdam, as well as, how professionals in the field perceive the intersection of culture and sexuality. Using a qualitative semi-structured interview method a total of 14 participants were interviewed, which lasted between one and 1,5 hours. During the interviews open-ended questions were asked to provide an opportunity for clarification or discussion on the topic. The gathered data was analyzed by the means of open coding followed by the axial coding of transcripts. The findings of the study indicated that the social environment of bicultural adolescents with LGBT+ feelings is important in understanding their sexual identity development and their ideas on coming-out. In this process media are often used to gain knowledge on different labels and identities. It was also found that cultural and religious characteristics and attitudes in most cases caused internalized homo-negativity, which influenced the development of a sexual identity and coming-out. In addition, the use of social care was found to be important in these situations. However, it was indicated that organizations are often invisible. Moreover, it was found that professionals in the field of social care lack a sense of cultural sensitivity, which increased cultural misunderstandings on sexual diversity. Professionals agreed that a lack of knowledge on the intersection of culture and sexuality existed, and for this reason it was indicated that education and policy must change to provide well-trained professionals. Consequently, the results of this study led to several implications for the social care system in Rotterdam and future research opportunities, which can be used to improve upon this study.