Sometimes as parents we do what we think is right for our kids only to find out that it’s not. That’s why a new compilation of research about the link between family acceptance and LGBTQ youth wellbeing is so important, especially for youth with anti-LGBTQ parents.
The What We Know project has gathered and analyzed 42 peer-reviewed studies about the links between family support and the health and wellbeing of LGBT youth. Not surprisingly, the studies showed that accepting behavior by parents, especially toward their children’s sexual orientation or gender identity, is linked to the health and wellbeing of LGBT youth. Conversely, families that show rejecting behavior “raise the risk of significant harms for their LGBT children.”
That may seem obvious, but the studies show that in many cases, parents reject their children’s sexual orientation or gender identity because they think it is the right thing to do to help them. By showing parents proof that their behavior is in fact harmful—meeting them with facts, not judgment—we can take the first step towards helping them help their children. In other words, as What We Know says:
Most families with ambivalent or negative views about sexual minorities still love their children, and believe they are helping them to fit in and thrive by rejecting their sexual orientation and/or gender identities; yet such families have been shown to successfully modify their behavior when they learn how harmful rejecting behavior can be to their children’s mental and physical health.
Healthcare professionals, social service providers, educators, and others should take this into account when working with LGBT youth. What We Know explains, “Family, long thought of as playing a neutral or negative role in LGBT youth wellbeing, can play a key protective role against these physical and mental health risks.” In other words, families should be seen as part of the solution, not merely a problem.
We should keep in mind, though, that not every family is the same:
Family background, including race, class, ethnicity, religion, national and regional origin and other factors, can play a role in shaping how parents and youth respond to LGBT identity. Practitioners and policymakers should be aware of the complex and diverse ways in which different populations may view family, sexuality identity and gender expression.
Dr. Nathaniel Frank, the What We Know project director, has a nice piece on Slate in which he further explains the findings and why they matter. In it, he quotes one of the leaders in this research—and in working with families to apply it—Dr. Caitlin Ryan of the Family Acceptance Project (FAP). I’ve been writing about FAP for years* (most recently a year ago in a piece about highly religious families), and am glad to see their work getting more recognition (as well as reconfirmed by other studies).
Go visit the What We Know site to read all the findings of their family acceptance study, as well as their compiled evidence on the wellbeing of children with lesbian or gay parents and the impact of conversion therapy.
*Full disclosure: I did a short-term consulting project for FAP a few years ago as well.