Measuring positive LGBTQ+ identity: Psychometric properties of the Turkish Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Positive Identity Measure

Abstract

AbstractPrevious research with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and various sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) people has largely highlighted how experiences of discrimination and marginalization, and mental health outcomes are related. However, it is important that researchers operate from a strength‐based approach to identify how aspects of one's identity may foster resilience. It is crucial that people working with LGBTQ+ individuals have empirically supported and culturally verified measures to assess such constructs. In this regard, the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Positive Identity Measure (LGB‐PIM) developed by Riggle et al. (2014) was aimed to be translated into Turkish, examining its psychometric properties and validity using a sample of 450 LGBTQ+ people from Turkey. Participants' mean age was 22.44 (SD = 4.61; range = 18–47) and most of them were educated. The five‐factor structure of the LGB‐PIM and its five subscales (authenticity, community, intimacy, self‐awareness, and social justice) was validated by the findings of confirmatory factor analyses. Future researchers may wish to use LGB‐PIM in studies that are designed to understand positive aspects among LGBTQ+ individuals such as resilience and coping and their associations with any type of close relationships (i.e., romantic relationships, friendships, family relations).