Lo que se ye no se pregunta: Exploring Nonverbal Gay Identity Disclosure Among Mexican American Gay Men

Common discourse throughout the psychological literature suggests that verbally disclosing one's gay identity to others (i.e., "coming out") is necessary for positive well-being. However, the relationship between verbal disclosure of one's sexual orientation and well-being has been primarily explored with White samples, limiting applicability for people of color. For example, Decena (2011) framed gay identity as el sujeto tacito (the unspoken subject), where identity is implied instead of expressed via explicit verbalization, as a way to understand how gay Latino/x men may approach the coming out process in a more culturally congruent manner. The purpose of this study was to extend the idea of el sujeto tacito and qualitatively explore how gay Mexican American men utilize nonverbal gay identity disclosure strategies. Thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with 6 Mexican American gay men yielded 4 themes: (a) nonverbal or contextual disclosure, (b) normalizing same-sex relationships and sexuality. (c) gender(ed) negotiations, and (d) navigating disclosure expectations. Findings highlight nuances in coming out that can expand how psychologists generally conceptualize coming out in research and practice in Mexican American gay men.