Abstract Bisexual+ people (i.e., those attracted to people of more than one gender/sex) face unique stressors related to their sexual orientation, but identity invalidation (experiences in which others deny, negate, or refuse to accept an individual’s identity) has received limited empirical attention. As such, the goals of the current study were to examine manifestations of bi+ identity invalidation and their consequences for wellbeing, identity, and relationships. Fifty-two bi+ participants completed a qualitative survey that asked them to describe their most stressful experience of identity invalidation. Three coders analyzed the data using a consensual qualitative research approach, and the coding scheme was confirmed by two auditors. Most participants (85%) had experienced identity invalidation. They described five perceived reasons: (1) others did not understand or accept bi+ identities; (2) the gender of their partner did not fit with others’ beliefs about bi+ identities; (3) others believed they were confused; (4) others believed they were “faking” it; and (5) others rejected bi+ identities for religious reasons. Participants described consequences of identity invalidation including negative emotions, identity-related challenges, and relational difficulties. These findings suggest that identity invalidation is a common experience among bi+ people and it may be an important intervention target.

中文翻译：

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双性恋+身份失效及其对幸福感、身份和关系的影响的定性检验


摘要 双性恋+人士（即被不止一种性别的人所吸引的人）面临着与性取向相关的独特压力源，但身份失效（他人否认、否定或拒绝接受个人身份的经历）受到的影响有限经验关注。因此，当前研究的目标是检查双性恋身份失效的表现及其对幸福感、身份和关系的影响。五十二名 bi+ 参与者完成了一项定性调查，要求他们描述身份失效时最有压力的经历。三名编码员使用一致的定性研究方法分析数据，编码方案由两名审核员确认。大多数参与者（85%）都经历过身份失效。他们描述了五个感知到的原因：（1）其他人不理解或接受双重身份； (2) 伴侣的性别与他人对双重身份的认知不符； (3)其他人认为自己很困惑； (4)其他人认为他们是在“假装”； (5) 其他人出于宗教原因拒绝双重身份。参与者描述了身份失效的后果，包括负面情绪、与身份相关的挑战和关系困难。这些发现表明，身份失效是双性恋+人群的普遍经历，可能是一个重要的干预目标。