Associations Between Queer Parent Family Socialization and Adolescent Outcomes Among Diverse Queer Parent Families in the U.S

Queer parent family socialization (QPFS) refers to the way LGBTQ+ parents talk with their children about what it means to be Queer in society, how to handle family-based discrimination, and ways to have pride in their family’s identity. This construct has been linked with positive well-being outcomes in children with LGBTQ+ parents. This study examined how QPFS-related to adolescent well-being, namely internalizing behaviors, social competence, and adaptive coping. Participants were 191 Queer parents with an adolescent and 114 adolescents with at least one Queer parent (parents and adolescents were not often from the same families). Participants completed surveys assessing constructs of interest. Qualitative data from three families who completed a family conversation task recounting experiences with discrimination revealed that Queer parents deliberately use intersectional socialization strategies when communicating with and raising their children. Parents, on average, reported greater socialization than adolescents, and socialization was positively associated with adolescent social competence and adaptive coping. Findings indicate that QPFS could be protective in diverse Queer-parent families. Clinicians can use these findings to support Queer-parent families in practice, and researchers should further explore QPFS as it relates to the well-being of all members of Queer-parent families.