Participatory Narrative Inquiry as an Aligned Approach for Understanding and Addressing Queer Impostor Phenomenon with Bisexual+ Femmes

Devin Madden, Timnit Berhane, Luis Torres Nunez, Christine Marie “Lovely”, Alana López, Daniel Eisen, Jean M. Breny and Talina Corvus

No 9mgur_v1, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: Queer impostor syndrome, as it is colloquially called, is a clear nod to the well-researched concept of impostor phenomenon (IP). Bi+ people experience a disproportionate burden of mental distress and are at the forefront of community dialogues about feelings of queer impostorism, but those discussions are lacking from scientific literature. There is a need for more research with bi+ people for bi+ people, and participatory methods are critical for ensuring responsiveness to this marginalized populations’ needs. This equity-driven study leveraged participatory narrative inquiry to elevate the voices of bisexual+ femmes who self-identify with experiences of queer impostorism as it relates to their sexual identity. Twelve bi+ femmes from New York City shared and analyzed their stories and the stories of their research cohort to characterize QIP for bi+ femmes. This paper details the participatory narrative inquiry process, a community-engaged research approach that asks participants to analyze their own stories and data to yield richer, more resonant results and strategies to bring research-to-action. This manuscript offers researchers insight, through the case study of this research project, into a less traditionally considered qualitative method that allows for meaningful engagement across the research lifespan and may be particularly well-suited for bisexuality research.

Date: 2026-10-14
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:9mgur_v1

DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/9mgur_v1

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