title: "Second generation" voices: queer youth with lesbian/bisexual mothers.
abstract: Research on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth with LGBTQ parents is absent in the social science literature. The present qualitative, exploratory study utilized a social constructionist and queer theoretical lens through which to explore the sexual/gender identity formation and disclosure experiences of 18 LGBTQ young adults with lesbian/bisexual mothers. Findings suggest that LGBTQ parents may have a uniquely positive influence on their LGBTQ children in regard to their sexual and gender identity development. However, some participants reported perceiving societal scrutiny related to their mothers' lesbian/bisexual identities and, thus, felt pressure to be heterosexual and gender-conforming. Furthermore, some participants did not necessarily utilize or view their lesbian/bisexual mothers as sources of support in relation to their own sexual/gender identity formation. While much more research is needed that examines the experiences of LGBTQ children with LGBTQ parents, this study represents a first step in addressing the existing literature gap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Studies and Social Work, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA. kuvalanka@muohio.edu
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kuvalanka
authors.forename: Abbie E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult