“Coming In” to Queer Psychology

The Value of Blending Queer Theory and Psychology in Critical Autoethnography

Authors

  • Alicia Wright Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Phillip Joy Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Conor Barker Mount Saint Vincent University

Keywords:

LGBTQ+, Queer theory, psychology, autoethnography, queer pedagogy

Abstract

This commentary reflects upon an Honours thesis undertaken in 2024-2025 to analyze the subjective experience of coming out in adulthood through critical autoethnography. The method used, which blends autobiography with ethnographic observation, was rooted in psychological frameworks and drew upon queer theory—a scholarly perspective that challenges and attempts to disrupt heteronormative assumptions of gender and sexuality—to analyze the first author’s experience of changes in sexual orientation in her thirties. The authors discuss the challenges, and ultimate benefit, of interweaving psychology, which tends to be grounded in positivist and structured views, with queer theory, which promotes fluidity and resists established norms. Sharing their unique perspectives, each author contributed to this essay from their respective discipline, highlighting the possibilities that appear when holding two seemingly opposing theoretical tensions; not just in understanding experiences of diversity among sexual orientation identities, but also in questioning the traditional boundaries of research and the complexity of human experience. As researchers who are also part of the queer community, the authors found great value in queering psychology scholarship, supporting a need for diverse representation within academia. 

Author Biographies

  • Alicia Wright, Mount Saint Vincent University

    Alicia Wright is a research assistant in the psychology department at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology for which she undertook her honours research on the topic of sexual identity transformation in adulthood. Alicia’s academic work is an extension of her career as a massage therapist where she takes a holistic approach to care and prioritizes service for the queer community. She is passionate about qualitative research and using a queer lens to question and disrupt traditional ways of knowing and understanding 2SLGBTQ+ lives and sees this methodological approach as a valuable tool for further understanding the interplay of the mind/body connection. 

  • Phillip Joy, Mount Saint Vincent University

    Phillip Joy is a registered dietitian with the Nova Scotia Dietetic Association and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Human Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax. His research critically examines the intersections of gender, sexuality, and nutrition, with a particular focus on the experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Employing qualitative methodologies framed within poststructuralism and queer theory, Dr. Joy utilizes arts-based approaches, such as photovoice, cellphilming, and comics, to explore and challenge normative discourses in nutrition and health research. www.phillipjoy.ca 

  • Conor Barker, Mount Saint Vincent University

    Conor Barker is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), cross-appointed to the graduate program in School Psychology. He is the founder and director of the Barker Psychology Lab, which centres first-voice perspectives in education to examine the real-world impacts of school psychological services. His research focuses on inclusive education, neurodiversity, and culturally relevant assessment practices—particularly for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and for Black, Indigenous, Newcomer, and rural learners in Canada. 

References

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Wright, A. 2025. The Inside of Coming Out: A Critical Autoethnography of Sexual Identity Transformation in Adulthood. Honours Thesis. MSVU e-Commons. https://ec.msvu.ca/items/368ef775-a2fc-4f4a-8fb3-fd0895c3f161

Cover images shows a blue ceramic tile with a green fish.

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Published

2025-07-16

Issue

Vol. 46 No. 2 (2025): Open Call / Gender and Climate Justice

Section

Open Call 2025

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Alicia Wright, Phillip Joy, Conor Barker

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