On the border: Young adults with LGBQ parents navigate LGBTQ communities.

Abstract

Little research has examined the perspectives of young adults with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) parents, particularly in relation to their identification with the LGBTQ community. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study of 42 young adults (ages 18-29) who were raised by LGBQ parents. We found that participants often described their sense of belonging to the LGBTQ community as shifting over the life course. Some participants, particularly those whose parents had always been out, felt connected to the LGBTQ community as children. Of these, most maintained those connections over time. However, some increasingly deidentified with the LGBTQ community, which they sometimes attributed to their own heterosexual identification. Others, particularly those whose parents came out later in life, described a lack of connection to the LGBTQ community as children. Of these, most became increasingly identified with the community, which they often attributed to their own and their parents' increasing sense of comfort with their parents' sexuality. Heterosexual participants who sought out LGBTQ-oriented groups in young adulthood sometimes encountered resistance from these groups, whereby participants' reasons for wanting to become involved were not readily apparent or appreciated. Our findings highlight the need for practitioners to understand the complex and often changing role of the LGBTQ community in the lives of young adults with LGBQ parents.

Pride and Prejudice : Lesbian Families in Contemporary Sweden

“…Children brought up in LGBTQ families could be described as culturally queer, i.e. they are brought up with non-heterosexual role models and learn early on to see the world from non-heteronormative perspectives (Goldberg, Kinkler, Richardson & Downing, 2012b). The unique experiences gained by these children have been the subject of recent interview and survey studies.…”

“…Researchers surveying the registry report that those who have found their donor or donor siblings tend to keep in touch and describe positive relations. Other issues focused on in interviews with youth and young adults in LGBTQ families concern their relations to the LGBTQ community (Goldberg et al, 2012b), relations to parents after a parental divorce (Goldberg & Allen, 2013b), and views on marriage for oneself when the parents are not allowed to marry (Goldberg, 2014). Most of the studies on children in LGBTQ families include adolescents and/or young adults as their participants, while interview studies with younger children are still rare.…”

Where Are the Adult Children of LGBTQ Parents? A Critical Review

“…Identification as part of the queer community may also manifest through friendship groups and social formations. Goldberg et al () found that many individuals with LGBTQ parents felt connected to the LGBTQ community through links with their parents' friends and their own friendship groups.…”

“…Goldberg's research (Goldberg, 2007a; Goldberg et al, 2012) shows that many of these individuals have experienced “tensions” over their place within the community or ruptures between where they saw themselves fitting and where they are “allowed to fit”). In many cases, they felt that their “queer credibility was invalidated” when LGBTQ community members refused to accept them (Goldberg et al, , p. 78), and many had since questioned whether they “really belonged at all” in the community despite having once felt like it was their home (Goldberg, , p. 557). Some heterosexual children of LGBTQ parents distance themselves from queer communities upon realizing that they have the privilege of “optional” community membership while LGBTQ individuals do not.…”

Resilience in Same-Sex-Parented Families: The Lived Experience of Adults with Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Parents

“…Participants described the fact that their parents were not overly affectionate with one another or did not dress in a stereotypically "gay way", as protective, promoting resilience. This complex paradox is discussed by Goldberg, Kinkler, Richardson and Downing (2011). The authors note that persons with same-sex parents may feel proud of their families but may also have concerns about safety that lead them to limit disclosure about their families in the dominant community.…”