Coping With Sexual Stigma

Abstract

Little is known about how youth with LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) parents experience various forms of sexual stigma (i.e., homophobia and heterosexism). Previous studies have focused primarily on frequency of teasing and harassment; therefore, much less is known about how indirect and institutional types of sexual stigma play out in the lives of these youth. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 emerging adults with lesbian parents to ascertain how they experienced and coped with sexual stigma during middle school and high school. Findings revealed that both enacted (direct and indirect) and structural sexual stigma were salient to participants during their adolescence. The reactions that participants had to sexual stigma varied and were categorized as: fearful, defiant, or detached. Coping strategies, as well as factors that influenced the impact of sexual stigma on participants, were identified. Findings have implications for family professionals, policymakers, and future research.

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