Families We’re Born With: The Shifting Role of Family Influences in the Identity Journeys of Queer and Trans Emerging Adults of Color

Because of the role that families play in the journeys of queer and trans people of color, researchers have examined how individuals make meaning of these relationships. The purpose of this study was to unearth how queer and trans emerging adults of color (QTEAOC) described the influence of families of origin over time. Using data from an ongoing longitudinal project, this paper documented how 13 individuals spoke to the influence of family in their identity development journeys. Findings demonstrated the following: developing as it pertains to intersecting minoritized social identities (e.g., sexuality, race/ethnicity, gender) meant QTEAOC experienced their family no longer being a primary cultural socializing agent and instead embraced their own internal acceptance of self. And yet, what remained permanent was a continued negotiation of identity with their family of origin.