LGB Sexual Minorities and Parental Disclosure

The purpose of this qualitative, collective case study is to explore how sexual minorities are making parental disclosure decisions in the United States. The theories guiding this study are Minority Stress Theory with theorist Illan Meyer, as well as Family Systems Theory with Murray Bowen, as they explain the relationship between sexual minority stress experienced by sexual minorities while looking at how that impacts the entire family unit during the disclosure process. Data was collected with semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results found that one’s future plans and next steps in life were the motivating factor for sexual minorities who disclosed to their parent(s) in this study. Most of these individuals had a romantic partner who was a factor in their future plans at time of their disclosures. Participants also desired authenticity in being known and would have disclosed sooner had they been promised they would have not have been rejected.