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Trust vs Mistrust. Birth to Infancy
I was born in Los Angeles California to immigrants from Costa Rica. I was raised as a bilingual Spanish and English Speaker. -
Industry vs Inferiority Ages 5 to 12
At this stage of my psychosocial development I realized that I was different from other boys my age. Meaning, that I did not like sports and I acted and spoke in an effeminate manner. As a result of this, my male peers viewed me with suspicion. This was challenging for me because I wanted to fit in with the boys in my age group -
Identity Vs Role Confusion. Ages 12 to 18
By this stage of my psychosocial development I came to the very painful conclusion that I was a gay adolescent. It was not something that I was happy about and I tried to hide it from my family and virtually everyone. On a micro level I just did not engage much with my peers for fear of being rejected. I was very isolated within in my social environment and was really depressed and lonely. -
Intimacy vs. Isolation, Ages 18 to 40
By the time I graduated high school I became much more confident and stronger in my sexual orientation. As a young adult I was fortunate to grow up in the city of Los Angeles and was able to find support groups for queer youth at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian center. My queer identity was crystallized at this stage and I lived and continue to still live as an out and proud gay man. My social environment on a micro level changed as well because I surrounded myself with LGBT friends.
