LGBTQ+ Culture in the Lives of Emerging Adults with LGBQ+ Parents

LGBTQ+ parents engage in socialization practices that introduce their children to LGBTQ+ culture and prepare them for navigating the world as part of an LGBTQ+ parent family (i.e., LGBTQ+ family socialization; Oakley et al., Citation2017; Wyman Battalen et al., Citation2019). However, research on LGBTQ+ family socialization has not yet examined how these practices may inform development through emerging adulthood. This qualitative study examined the perspectives of emerging adults with LGBQ+ parents on LGBTQ+ culture and how it has shaped their development through the transition to adulthood. Participants included 15 emerging adults (Mage = 24.2 years, SD = 3.36) living in the United States who were recruited for a larger study on the experiences of emerging adults with LGBQ+ parents (Cashen, Citation2022). Participants defined LGBTQ+ culture in terms of cultural values (e.g., honoring LGBTQ+ history and activism, expansive and affirming understandings of identities) and cultural practices (e.g., cultural events, LGBTQ+ media, LGBTQ+ fashion). Participants also identified positive ways in which their experiences with LGBTQ+ culture shaped how they navigate developmental tasks in emerging adulthood. Findings also highlight unique considerations for future research on LGBTQ+ family socialization such as generational differences in LGBTQ+ culture and subcultures within the LGBTQ+ community.