The “Second Generation:” LGBTQ Youth with LGBTQ Parents

Abstract

As research on LGBTQ-parent families has grown and diversified over the past decade, so has research on the second generation (i.e., LGBTQ individuals with LGBTQ parents). One common factor in the lives of second gen individuals is the presence of societal heterosexism and cisgenderism—yet the diversity of their experiences is vast, given the diversity among them in regard to their own and their parents’ race, gender identity, and socioeconomic status, where they are from, how their families came to be, and many other factors. In this chapter we delve into the existing literature on this population while also sharing not-previously-published data from the first author’s own dataset of 30 second gen young adults. We identify potential advantages from which second generation individuals may benefit (e.g., early socialization with LGBTQ identities and communities, special bond between the first and second generations), as well as potential challenges they may face (e.g., intense pressure and scrutiny, complexity of family acceptance). Both clinical and future research implications are discussed, with attention to theoretical and historical contexts, while calling on family scientists and practitioners to continue broadening our understanding of the second generation so as to deepen our knowledge of how to best serve all families.