Sliding Under the Radar: Passing and Power Among Sexual Minorities

Abstract

This study investigated the role of intentional and unintentional passing in the lives of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and queer individuals. Qualitative data were collected through a series of nine focus groups and analyzed using grounded theory. Passing as straight allowed participants to maintain or achieve the privileges afforded to the dominant group, but not without costs. This experience was affected by individual factors, which impacted one's social distance from the hegemony, as well as contextual factors, such as perceiver characteristics and environment. In general, passing was seen as both a signifier of oppression and a strategic appropriation of power.