Becoming the Parent of a GLB Son or Daughter

Abstract

Recent research has documented the importance of parental reactions to disclosure for sexual minority youth (SMY) (e.g., Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009). The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the parent perspective of the disclosure to family experience of SMY ages 14-21. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight parents in the United States who had experienced a child disclose their lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) orientation to them. Constructivist grounded theory and symbolic interaction theory informed the methodology and data analysis for the project. Analysis revealed that the process of becoming the parent of an LGB son or daughter is an appropriate narrative to conceptualize the parental experience of the disclosure to family process. The findings highlight how disclosure introduces new roles into the existing family system, which affects the consideration and interpretation of the salience of particular identities, such as being the parent of an LGB son or daughter. Understanding how parents experience the disclosure to family process - particularly, how they understand and re-envision the meaning of being a parent - is crucial for research and intervention to help families become supportive of SMY. Limitations and suggestions for future research are presented.

Parents' Leisure, LGB Young People and “When We Were Coming Out”

“…As Grafsky (2014) argues, "the narrative of becoming emphasizes that it is an active, ongoing process. The disclosure experience is shaped by a dynamic process that involves a dyadic, reciprocal, simultaneous exchange between [the child] and their parent(s)" (p. 49).…”

“…Most of the research on the coming-out-tofamily process centers on the initial parental reactions and subsequent negative outcomes to the young person (Grafsky, 2014). Young people who identify as LGB are more likely to experience conflict at home, and consequently, are over-represented in foster care, juvenile detention, and among homeless youth (Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009).…”

“…The paucity of research in understanding parental perspectives is evident not only in leisure studies, but across the broader social sciences. Existing research relies heavily on the young people's recollections of parental responses (Grafsky, 2014). In part, this may be because "families of origin of GLBT people have been a hard-to-reach-population" p.…”

Understanding Parent Reactions to Coming Out as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual: A Theoretical Framework

“…One example is parents' membership in a religious group that is not accepting of the LGB community, which in turn might lead parents to have a negative response when their LGB child comes out (Butcher, ; Freedman, ; Gonzalez et al, ; Goodrich, ; LaSala, ; Lopata, ; Maslowe & Yarhouse, ; Philips & Ancis, ; Saltzburg, ). However, parents' membership in affirming religious communities can have a positive effect on their reactions (Grafsky, ; Lee & Lee, ; Maslowe & Yarhouse, ; Pearlman, ; Wakeley & Tuason, ). For example, one mother said that her Christian ministry provided guidance on ways to “communicate and love” her daughters, which allowed her to feel more “equipped to be a better mom” (Maslowe & Yarhouse, , p. 360).…”

L’expérience des parents d’un enfant d’orientation homosexuelle : savoirs issus des recherches et perspectives d’intervention

“…Apprendre que son enfant est gai ou lesbienne provoque une redéfinition de l'identité parentale (Goodrich, 2009 ;Grafsky, 2014). La négociation d'un passage vers cette nouvelle identité s'inscrit dans un processus d'adaptation (D'Augelli, 2005).…”