Perceived impact of parental and school messages about non-heterosexuality on the sexual lives of LGBTQ adolescents: A retrospective qualitative study with LGBTQ Young adults

Little is known about the process young people go through as they decide to have sex for the first time, including what or who most affects their thinking and the impact of those sources.  The dearth of knowledge about LGBTQ youth is even more profound, as they typically explore their sexuality within a heteronormative environment, which offers few positive models for LGBTQ adolescents to emulate or aspire to. This study explored the perceptions of young LGBTQ adults about the messages they received about sex and sexuality before their first sex experience, the impact these messages had on their developing sexual identities, and their decisions about and experiences of first and subsequent sex. Thirty LGBTQ college students participated in five focus groups to discuss the context in which they made the decision to have sex for the first time, and what were the most salient sources of information and guidance during that time.  Identifying home and school as the most prominent sources, participants discussed messages they remember from those sources.  Qualitative analysis, with inter-rater reliability above .88, suggested that, unlike the experiences of their heterosexual peers, communication from parents focused on the adolescents’ sexual orientation, rather than on sexual behaviors and were almost exclusively negative. While participants remembered occasional comments about protection, they recalled no discussion of relationships, love, or intimacy. Messages from school were largely silent regarding LGBTQ sexuality, unsupportive, or focused only on disease.  Suggestions for interventions to improve communication and support from these critical sources are discussed.