Children With LGBQ Parents, Sexual Identity

One of the primary functions of family is the socialization of its members, including socialization of sexuality. Sexuality is a multidimensional concept referring to behaviors, desire and attraction, knowledge, thoughts, and identities. Socialization of sexuality is thought to occur explicitly through purposeful conversations, as well as implicitly through conscious and unconscious verbal and nonverbal communication of attitudes and values. Parents and other caregivers play an important role in the sexual socialization of their children, sending implicit and explicit messages about behaviors, feelings, and identities that are deemed appropriate or inappropriate to the family. The majority of parents represented in the youth sexual socialization literature are heterosexual, as few studies have examined the sexual socialization of youth with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) parents. Yet, ...