Theology in the Raw Understanding Emerging Sexual Identities: Dr. Mark Yarhouse
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Oct 30, 2025 Dr. Mark Yarhouse, a psychology professor at Wheaton College and director of the Sexual and Gender Identity Institute, dives deep into emerging sexual identities. He discusses how youth create new identity labels and the importance of responding with curiosity in ministry. Mark introduces concepts like the looping effect in identity formation and explores variations within asexuality. He examines the rise in adolescent females exploring gender identities and discusses the challenges of labeling, detransitioning, and the need for better long-term data. An enlightening conversation!
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Emergent Identities Are Co-Created Online
- Emerging sexual identities arise as 'emergent' categories co-created by youth in digital and social spaces rather than fixed medical categories.
- These identities often mix sexual and gender language to create more granular, micro-minoritized self-descriptions.
Respond With Curiosity Not Cynicism
- When ministry leaders encounter youth using emergent labels, adopt curiosity rather than cynicism and thank them for sharing.
- Ask what the term means to them and learn how it functions in their life before making judgments.
Listen, Ask, Then Broaden Their Story
- Thank people for sharing identity information and invite them to explain what the label means to them before diving into questions.
- Broaden conversation beyond identity to their other interests, relationships, and goals to 'thicken the plot.'
