Memorable Messages and Their Role in Shaping LGBTQ+ Family Dynamics and Parental Communication Goals

Family socialization processes and communication regarding a child's LGBTQ+ identity can extend beyond the parent-child relationship as parents and their children communicate about the child's identity to social networks, such as extended family. However, discussions about a child's LGBTQ+ identity can result in parents receiving various types of messages about their child, which inform the communication goals that parents have within family relationships. We interviewed 15 parents of LGBTQ+ children to understand how memorable messages about their children from other family members influence parents' communication goals. Through a phronetic interactive approach to data analysis, we identify positive, negative, mixed or contradictory messages, and message gaps (i.e., messages people wished they have received) as influential in shaping task, relational, and identity goals for parents of LGBTQ+ children with family members. Theoretically, this study highlights how memorable messages contribute to experiences of support, stigmatization, or dismissal within families and their impact on communication dynamics and goals within the family. Practically, we emphasize the value of supportive messages and offer strategies for parents to navigate family communication about their child's identity effectively.