Growing Up in a Same-Sex Parented Family: The Adolescent Voice of Experience

Abstract

This study gives voice to a unique group of youngsters who are observed and discussed frequently but rarely engaged in the debate about their development. Emerging research on the adjustment of children being raised by same-sex parents focuses on measuring achievements and outcomes. Missing from the literature are studies that capture the voice of the adolescent and his or her experience of growing up in same-sex parented families. These are the same individuals who are caught in the public eye amid a storm of political, legal, and social change. To expand the existing base of knowledge, 14 adolescents who range from 13 to 18 years of age were interviewed. This qualitative method of study allowed for each participant to explore their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, thus creating an opportunity to assign meaning to their experiences. Study findings include themes of (1) Family Concepts, (2) Development of Self, (3) Tough Times and Tough Transitions, (4) Coming Out, and (5) Communities of Understanding. This unique perspective from inside the gay- or lesbian-parented family highlights topics that must be studied further.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescents
• same-sex parents
• gay families
• lesbian parents
• gay parents