Home as The First Closet: Examining Associations Between Individual, Psychological, and Familial Factors and LGBTQ+ Adolescents’ Identity Disclosure to Family

Identity disclosure to family is a pivotal developmental milestone for LGBTQ+ adolescents, yet limited research has examined the specific antecedents of disclosure to different family members. This study modeled individual, psychological, and environmental correlates of disclosure to mothers, fathers, siblings, and extended relatives in parallel within a common analytic framework. Data were analyzed from a national community sample of 1,748 LGBTQ+ adolescents (Mean age = 15.9; analytic sample = 1,592 due to missing data) in the United States (U.S.). Results revealed a disclosure hierarchy, with adolescents most likely to disclose to mothers (76.3%), followed by siblings (66.1%) and fathers (60.4%). White and transgender adolescents were significantly more likely to disclose than racial minority and cisgender peers. Identity management stress was negatively associated with disclosure, while family support and open communication around sexuality were positively related to disclosure. Counterintuitively, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were positively associated with disclosure, a relationship unmoderated by age, indicating that outness does not inherently signal a supportive home. These findings underscore that “coming out” is a complex, relationship-specific process. Interventions should strengthen supportive family environments and address barriers faced by adolescents with intersecting identities. Given the predominantly White and urban sample, generalization warrants caution.