This stage begins with the person's first awareness of homosexual or bisexual thoughts, feelings, and attractions.
In this stage, the person accepts the possibility of being homosexual or bisexual and examines the wider implications of that tentative commitment.
[citation needed] Possible responses can be: the person may begin to grieve for losses and the things they give up by embracing their sexual orientation (marriage, children).
Will need information about sexual identity, LGBTQIA+ community resources, encouragement to talk about loss of heterosexual life expectations.
[citation needed] Receive support in finding positive homosexual or bisexual community connections.
The person attaches a positive connotation to their homosexual or bisexual identity and accepts rather than tolerates it.
The task is to deal with inner tension of no longer subscribing to society's norm, attempt to bring congruence between private and public view of self.
In the identity pride stage, sometimes the coming out of the closet arrives, and the main thinking is "I've got to let people know who I am!"
[citation needed] Possible responses include: splits world into "gay" (good) and "straight" (bad)—experiences disclosure crises with heterosexuals as they are less willing to "blend in"—identify LGBTQIA+ culture as sole source of support, acquiring all gay friends, business connections, social connections.
[citation needed] The possible needs can be: to receive support for exploring anger issues, to find support for exploring issues of heterosexism, to develop skills for coping with reactions and responses to disclosure to sexual identity, and to resist being defensive.
[citation needed] Possible responses can be: continues to be angry at heterosexism, but with decreased intensity, or allows trust of others to increase and build.
The person feels "all right" to move out into the community and not simply define space according to sexual orientation.
[citation needed] Joanne Kaufman and Cathryn Johnson have argued that based upon more recent research, this model is less valid today than it was at its inception for several reasons:[3]