“It Doesn’t Feel Easy at All”: Stressors and Supports of Parenting Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents in the US Southeast

Abstract

Parents/caregivers of sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents play a vital role in supporting their children, yet limited research considers the perspectives of these parents. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups via Zoom with 16 parents of 17 SGM adolescents aged 13–17 residing in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Parents reported that their SGM adolescents were, on average, 15 years old, most were assigned female sex at birth, identified as transgender, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming, and had received mental healthcare treatment for serious mental health difficulties. A flexible thematic analysis approach identified themes structured around the social-ecological model. Parents described stressors at the structural level (e.g., ramifications of anti-SGM legislation), interpersonal level (e.g., breaking ties with unsupportive religious communities), and intrapersonal level (e.g., exhaustion with being forced into an advocacy position). Parents also reported several sources of support that cut across the three socio-ecological levels and helped them to overcome barriers, challenges, and stressors. This study underscores the difficulties confronted by parents of SGM adolescents in the US Southeast, particularly within an increasingly hostile socio-political climate. Findings highlight the necessity for resources tailored to parents of SGM adolescents to help them navigate multi-level stressors.