Verbal and Emotional Responses Among Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents’ Coming Out

Abstract

One aspect of lesbian/gay-parented families that merits attention is the coming out of the parents to their children. In the present study, we extended the current literature by exploring both the emotional and verbal responses of children who find out their parents are lesbian/gay. Findings showed that, while participants experienced a combination of negative, neutral, and positive reactions to learning about their parents’ sexual orientation, verbal reactions were limited to supportive messages and information seeking. Practical implications for lesbian/gay parented families and practitioners are included.

Keywords:

• Coming Out
• Emotional Reactions
• Interpretive Methods
• Lesbian/Gay-Parented Families
• Verbal Reactions

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the interviewees for volunteering their time and sharing their experiences for this study.