N INDIA, despite media attention to the reading down by the Delhi High Court of Indian Penal Code (IPC) 377 to decrimi- nalise homosexuality 1 and a more positive depiction of same-sex sexuality in Bollywood films, same-sex sexuality is still surrounded by stigma and prejudice. Such a hostile context interferes with establishing positive and healthy development of same-sex sexual identities. Research conducted over the last two decades has focused on ‘coming out’ models to understand the underlying processes of becoming aware of, acknowl- edging, and accepting same-sex sexual iden- tity. Most theorists have concluded that sexual identities are socially (Cass, 1996; Eliason, 1996; Golden, 1987; Troiden, 1993) and culturally constructed (Caplan, 1987; Herek, 1993; Vance, 1998), and developed over a period of time (Troiden, 1988). Existing same-sex sexual identity develop- ment models can be broadly classified into linear and non-linear models. We briefly review some of these models of same-sex sexual identity development in the following paragraphs to assess their strengths and limi- tations in relation to how they can be applied to the Indian context. Linear models (see Cass, 1979; Coleman, 1982; Minton & McDonald, 1984; Troiden, 1989) focus on the resolution of internal conflicts related to homosexual identifica- tion, moving from state to stage. Most linear models describe a path of three to six stages and postulate a defined same-sex sexual orientation as the final stage. Each begins with a phase of awareness of same-sex feel- ings and attraction to recognition of differ- ences, and progressive movement towards self-acceptance and self-disclosure of their sexuality to others. Linear models do not, however, explain the path of those who do not progress predictably through the stages and ignore possibilities of alternative outcomes (bisexuality or heterosexuality) as a final stage. From a socio-cultural perspec- tive, one major limitation of these models is that they ‘do not consider social factor[s] adequately to explain homosexual identity attainment’ (Cox & Gallois, 1996, p.10). 40 Psychology of Sexualities Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, Autumn 2013 © The British Psychological Society Same-sex sexual identity development in an Indian context Apurva kumar Pandya, Siddhi Pandya & Roshan das Nair In the Global South, the HIV pandemic has drawn social scientists’ attention towards issues related to sexuality. However, Western models of sexuality are often used to understand Indian sexualities. Indian research has yet to explore how people come to adopt a same-sex sexual identity. Based on interview data, we describe this process through five developmental markers of same-sex sexual identity formation in an Indian socio-cultural context. These processes included: awareness, exploration, partial acceptance, commitment, and integration. Our study examines how participants made sense of their sexual being and adopted a same-sex sexual identity, and discusses the implications for counselling, HIV prevention interventions, and future research. Keywords: Same-sex sexual identity development; sexuality in an Indian context; indigenous sexual identities. I 1 We use the term ‘homosexual’ in this manuscript as a non-specific or non-identity marker of same-sex sexual attraction/behaviour because for many of our respondents a Western same-sex identity term such as ‘gay’ was not a term they were familiar with or an ‘identity’ they subscribed to. Our participants did not use an equivalent term in Gujarati either. Educated, English-speaking city dwellers in India, however, do use the term ‘gay’ to describe their sexual identity, but they did not represent much of our sample.