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Description:
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This study was an attempt to begin to understand the phenomenon of coming out
from the parental perspective . Specifically , it focused on the factors contained within a
childâ  s disclosure of his or her sexual orientation and their impact on a parentâ  s
satisfaction with the disclosure .
Participants were eleven parents of gay and lesbian children . Participants were
interviewed individually regarding their memories of the moment that their children
revealed their sexual orientations to them . Participants were asked questions about the
parent /child relationship prior to the disclosure , questions about the disclosure as it
actually occurred , and were also asked to describe the most ideal coming out scenario
that they could imagine .
Interview data were analyzed according to the naturalistic inquiry process as
outlined by Lincoln and Guba (1985 ) . The results indicate that there are two types of
components that influence parental satisfaction with the disclosure of a childâ  s sexual
orientation : relational components and process components . Relational components are
those aspects of the parent /child dynamic that influence a parentâ  s feelings of satisfaction regarding the disclosure experience . Process components are the specific
elements of the disclosure moment that influence a parentâ  s ability to assimilate the
information shared by the child and subsequently allow for the integration of that
information into their schema of the child and the parent /child relationship . These two
categories are discussed along with a proposed framework for understanding them as
well as methods of integrating them into an individualâ  s coming out script . The findings
of the current study may be useful in helping gay and lesbian children develop more
successful and accessible coming out disclosures which are targeted towards their
parents . In addition , these results may guide the interventions of mental health
professionals as they work with individuals who are preparing to come out to their
parents . Future studies that address the specific components mentioned within this study
would be useful , as would studies which address the coming out phenomenon from the
perspective of other family members . |