Validation of an inclusive model of sexual minority identity formation on a sample of gay men.

This article outlines the preliminary validation of a new, inclusive model of sexual minority identity formation (McCarn & Fassinger, 1996) on a sample of gay men. The model hypothesizes two separate but reciprocal processes of individual sexual identity development and group membership identity development in a four-phase developmental sequence. The model was developed and successfully validated on a sample of lesbians (briefly described here), and the present study replicates and extends this work, using a modified Q-sort methodology, on a sample of 34 diverse gay men. Results indicated support for the model, in terms of both individual and group processes as well as phases, and suggested that the model is applicable to gay men. Implications of the study for theory, research, and practice are discussed.