‘Not a big deal’? exploring the accounts of adult children of lesbian, gay and trans parents

Clarke, Victoria; Demetriou, Eleni

Abstract

© 2016 Taylor & Francis. Most literature on lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans families has focused on the psychological and social well-being of school aged children with lesbian, gay and trans (LGT) parents. The aim of the present study was to explore how the adult children of LGT parents make sense of their families. The study focused both on recollections of childhood and on current feelings and experiences. Thirteen women and 1 man completed either an email interview or an online qualitative survey; the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The participants’ accounts were protective of their parents and often drew on the normalizing discourses evident in pro-gay rhetoric about LGT parenting to minimize the significance of their parents’ sexuality/gender identity and the ‘taint of difference’ associated with LGT families. At the same time, the participants strongly challenged heterosexist and homophobic/transphobic assumptions about LGT families and viewed the source of any difficulties they and their parents experienced as resulting from a hetero/cisnormative social context that prevented LGT people and their families from living openly and authentically without fear of discrimination. The results highlight the continuing micro impacts of hetero/cisnormativity in the lives of LGT people and their families.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 15, 2015
• Publication Date: Apr 2, 2016
• Deposit Date: Oct 19, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 13, 2017
• Journal: Psychology and Sexuality
• Print ISSN: 1941-9899
• Electronic ISSN: 1941-9902
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 131-148
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2015.1110195
• Keywords: email interviews, heteronormativity, heterosexism, qualitative survey, thematic analysis
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/915246
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2015.1110195
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Psychology and Sexuality on 13 January 2016, available online: http://tandfonline.com/10.1080/19419899.2015.1110195
• Contract Date: May 16, 2016