“God Didn’t Make a Mistake in Creating Me”: Intrapersonal Resilience Processes among Gay and Bisexual Male Youth in Kenya
Gary W. Harper,
Katherine A. Lewis,
Gabriella A. Norwitz,
Elijah Ochieng Odhiambo,
Laura Jadwin-Cakmak,
Felix Okutah,
Kendall Lauber,
Teddy Aloo,
Ben Collins,
Edwin Gumbe,
K Rivet Amico,
Kennedy Olango,
Wilson Odero,
Susan M. Graham
Affiliations
Gary W. Harper
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Katherine A. Lewis
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Gabriella A. Norwitz
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St., New York, NY 10032, USA
Elijah Ochieng Odhiambo
Anza Mapema Tom Mboya Center, Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, Kisumu 40100, Kenya
Laura Jadwin-Cakmak
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Felix Okutah
Anza Mapema Tom Mboya Center, Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, Kisumu 40100, Kenya
Kendall Lauber
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Teddy Aloo
Anza Mapema Tom Mboya Center, Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, Kisumu 40100, Kenya
Ben Collins
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Edwin Gumbe
Anza Mapema Tom Mboya Center, Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, Kisumu 40100, Kenya
K Rivet Amico
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Kennedy Olango
Men Against AIDS Youth Group (MAAYGO), Milimani Box 1174, Kisumu 40100, Kenya
Wilson Odero
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine, Maseno University, Private Bag, Maseno 40105, Kenya
Susan M. Graham
Departments of Global Health and Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359909, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
Gay and bisexual male youth in Kenya experience human rights violations, including pervasive stigma and discrimination, and these oppressive forces are associated with elevated rates of mental health concerns. Despite these challenges, many gay and bisexual male youth in Kenya are thriving during this critical developmental period. This study explored intrapersonal processes that gay and bisexual male youth in Kisumu, Kenya, highlight as important to developing, and demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 40 gay and bisexual male youth, ages 20–30 (mean = 26.4), and an additional 20 IDIs with gay and bisexual men, ages 22–45 (mean = 26.6), who were working as peer educators (total n = 60), all in Kisumu, Kenya. A total of nine primary themes emerged which describe various intrapersonal resilience processes enacted by gay and bisexual male youth, including sexual identity acceptance, self-confidence, self-love, religious/spiritual affirmation, adaptive coping, successful navigation, legal rights awareness, economic stability, and advocacy satisfaction. These data demonstrate the range of positive personal processes that promote mental health and wellbeing among gay and bisexual male youth in Kenya. We discuss implications of these findings for community-based interventions, and call for a research paradigm shift away from deficits and toward resilience.
