How does sexual orientation influence intergenerational family solidarity? An exploratory study

Abstract

In the present cross-sectional study, we used a self-report online survey to assess the perceptions of intergenerational solidarity among sexual minority (lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals) (n = 239) and heterosexual (n = 291) childless adults from Portugal. Gender differences were also explored among sexual minority individuals, regarding their perceptions of received solidarity both from their mothers and fathers. Although sexual orientation had a minor impact on most of the assessed dimensions, compared to heterosexuals, sexual minority participants reported lower levels of normative and affectual solidarity and higher levels of conflictual solidarity. In addition, sexual minority participants experienced higher levels of conflictual solidarity from their fathers compared to their mothers. Among sexual minority participants, women reported lower levels of received functional solidarity compared to men. Findings lend support to interventions to reduce discrimination and improve intergenerational relations among families with LGB adult children.

Keywords:

• Intergenerational family solidarity
• sexual minorities
• gender

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Center for Psychology at the University of Porto, Portuguese Science Foundation [FCT UID/PSI/00050/2013] and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007294.