Feelings of LGBTQ+ Community Belonging Among Diverse Youth with LGBTQ+ Parents in the United States

Although numbers of LGBTQ+ parents have grown in the United States, research about these families has focused more on children’s adjustment rather than community belongingness. Utilizing minority stress, self-determination, and belongingness theories, our study qualitatively examined feelings of belonging among youth with LGBTQ+ parents who are diverse in social identities and geographic region in the United States. Using inductive thematic analysis, four themes were identified. This study supports and extends findings on community belongingness among diverse youth with LGBTQ+ parents. Belongingness was impacted by internal (e.g., identity) and external factors (e.g., parents’ coming out experiences, other communities). Overall, youth with LGBTQ+ parents experience belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, especially locally, and feel positively about it. We describe implications for research, practice, law, and policy.