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Abstract
The purpose of this research study is to examine lesbian relationships in the Southern United States where one partner is more open about their sexual orientation and one partner is more private about their sexual orientation through Petronio's (2002/2012) Communication Privacy Management Theory. This study contributes to the paucity of literature on communication in lesbian relationships. I assert that being in a lesbian relationship of varying levels of openness results in boundary turbulence as sharing about the relationship gets conflated with coming out and becoming part of a stigmatized group. This is a qualitative study using in-depth, face-to-face interviewing to collect interview data from five female-identified lesbians with past partnerships where they were more open about their sexual orientation than their partner and five female-identified lesbians with past partnerships where their partner was more open about their sexual orientation than they were. Initial participants were recruited through acquaintance relationships and then through snowball sampling. Results demonstrated an increase in long term relational satisfaction by openly discussing privacy navigation prior to entering the following unsupportive environments: religious settings, hometowns, small towns in the Bible Belt, settings where children are present, financial dependence, and unaccepting/disapproving families. Results also showed that partners in relationships with varying levels of openness experienced increased boundary turbulence when they did not communicate their privacy expectations prior to entering these or any other perceived high-risk environments. Findings also demonstrated that, if navigated effectively, boundary turbulence can serve to build trust and strengthen relationships.