Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 23 Issue 3

as detailed as possible, your experience of being a bisexual woman of color?” The first author developed sub-questions related to identity development and formation (e.g., “Tell me about questioning/discovering your sexual orientation”), disclosure decisions (e.g., “Tell be about how you decided who to tell and why”), and day-to-day experiences (e.g., “How does being a bisexual woman of color impact your experiences with your family?”). The research team discussed these sub- questions and potential follow-up questions until the team reached consensus. During interviews, if participants answered a question that warranted follow up or needed clarification, additional probing questions were asked. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. d) Data Analysis Data analysis started after the first interview was transcribed. The first author carefully read each transcript and wrote a memo (i.e., reactions, thoughts, and feelings about the interview process, including ideas about intentions and context expressed by the participant). After memoing, transcripts were read line by line and coded for data analysis units (Porter, 1994), which were (a) experiences and intentions, (b) context of their experiences, or (c) data irrelevant to the study purpose (e.g., “I’m going to a wedding this weekend”). Memos and codes were constructed in Microsoft Word 2016 and 2019. Coauthors read all transcripts and memos. In regular team meetings, they raised questions about the codes, code definitions, and the developing taxonomy. Disagreements were discussed until consensus was reached. The research team created questions specifically for the subsequent interviews of each participant as we sought to uncover their intentions, the component phenomena, and the phenomena of their lived experience as bisexual women of color. Data relevant to this study were lived experiences, which were comprised of intentions and actions (e.g., dating a girl would be an intention/action that comprised a woman’s experiences). In identifying intentions after re-reading transcripts and listening to audio recordings, we asked, “what are these women trying to do in this experience?” (Porter, 1994; 1998). This resulted in creating the component phenomena. For example, the intentions/action of dating a girl and exploring that relationship with my friend grouped together into the component phenomenon of testing the waters. Other component phenomena, such as becoming aware of multiple attractions , were identified from similar intentions. The first author then examined how component phenomena were related or interconnected to other component phenomena, resulting in the construction of the main phenomenon. For example, testing the waters and becoming aware of multiple attractions were separate component phenomena that fit under a larger phenomenon of forming sexual identity. e) Validity and Reliability The process of synthesizing the data involved several iterations. Analyses included regular and frequent discussions with co-investigators and other colleagues to help with validation. To improve reliability, interview protocols were consistent. The questions became more focused as more participants were interviewed, but the content of responses was similar, allowing for the construction of phenomena. Memoing allowed for the practice of bracketing during data analyses, as it was imperative that personal biases and experiences did not influence how data were interpreted. We continued to bracket while synthesizing the phenomena through each iteration, and we practiced bracketing in reporting and discussing results in this manuscript (Porter, 1998). In addition to writing memos and reviewing data in research team discussions, we shared our findings with two participants in perception checking interviews and asked for feedback. III. R esults © 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue III Version I 18 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 C “The In-Between Spaces of Those Labels”: Exploring the Challenges and Positives of Being a Bisexual Woman of Color The lived experience of bisexual women of color comprised several phenomena, characterized by perceived challenges and positives in their intentions. First, they determined how their sexual orientation identities fit in the context of their lives and relationships, a sometimes-confusing process aided by self-reflection and often by leaving home environments. Secondly, interactions with others were frequently tempered by decisions about how to share personal information; typically, the women wanted to avoid awkwardness and threats to their safety, worried about what would happen if they were to be their true selves. Third, despite living with challenges often present in the first two phenomena, some women acknowledged positives of membership in a multiple-stigmatized group. For example, they felt positively about their uniqueness, their ability to educate others about marginalization, and about being more empathetic to other marginalized groups. The three primary phenomena describing the lived experience were: (a) forming sexual identity , (b) making decisions about how to share personal information , and (c) acknowledging the positive consequences of identities . Each of these primary phenomena consisted of component phenomena and intentions (see Table 2).