Affirmative Parenting of Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth: Findings From an Exploratory Qualitative Study

Sexual and gender diverse youth (SGDY) face higher rates of internalizing problems than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Positive parent-child relationships are a central influence on the development of youth internalizing problems. Yet supportive parenting of SGDY is vastly understudied. Scholars have emphasized the need for improved measures of parenting SGDY, especially in terms of identity-specific parental support. In this qualitative exploratory study, we outline supportive parenting practices specific to SGDY identities, which we term affirmative parenting. We interviewed 15 SGDY (ages 18-25) via 3 focus groups on Zoom about how their parents support their SGDY identities and their mental health. Thematic qualitative analysis revealed 6 domains of affirmative parenting associated with positive SGDY mental health, including (1) informational support; (2) emotional support; (3) interpersonal support; (4) public celebration and acknowledgement; and two cross-cutting themes (5) proactive support; and (6) evolution of support. Affirmative parenting encompasses behaviors within the parent-child relationship as well as parental support to help SGDY navigate external contexts. Findings identify key behaviors to measure in future studies of parenting SGDY. Our study also provides a conceptual framework for affirmative parenting that informs the development of future interventions targeting parents of SGDY youth and their families, as well as practitioners working with such families.