In this qualitative study, researchers examined the coming out process experienced by 20 gay, lesbian, and bisexual students in the residence halls of a major research institution. The students ranged in age from 18-26 and included 10 men and 10 women. Eighteen were White, one was Asian American, and one was Latino American. Students reported how they disclosed their sexual orientation, factors influencing the process, and reactions to their disclosures. Recommendations for residence hall professionals are provided.

Coming out, the process of identifying oneself as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, is an important developmental step for many youths. Because students frequently begin coming out during the college years (Evans & D’Augelli, 1996), student affairs administrators need to be familiar with this developmental process and ways to be supportive as students begin to disclose their sexual identity to themselves and others. Until the late 1960s, coming out was viewed as a single event—the first time a homosexuallyoriented person identified himself or herself as such to another individual who also selfidentified as homosexual (Hooker, 1965). Cohen and Savin-Williams (1996) later suggested that coming out involves two components: acknowledging one’s sexual orientation to oneself and disclosing one’s sexual identity to others.“Others” would include other gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, heterosexual friends, family, coworkers, and the public at large (Troiden, 1989). Recently, researchers have defined coming out as a process that occurs over and over throughout an individual’s life (Davies, 1992; Rhoads, 1994). Coming out is viewed as an important component of gay, lesbian, and bisexual identity development (Cass, 1979, 1984;