Donor-Conceived Adult Offspring of Lesbian Parents: Stigma, Coping and Mental Health

Abstract

This study examined how established adult offspring born to lesbian parents cope with the renewed anti-LGBTQ+ oppression in the United States. The study included 75 adults in their early thirties (M = 30.93, SD = 0.92; 49.33% female, 48.00% male and 2.66% gender non-binary; 90.67% White, 9.33% people of colour) from Wave 7 of the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study. Even though the majority of the offspring (68%) are heterosexual and no longer live at home, their awareness of homophobic discrimination against their parents may have a negative effect on their mental health. We hypothesised that coping strategies, such as educating others about discrimination or actively resisting it, could reduce the negative impact of perceived stigma on their mental health. Surprisingly, the results showed that adult offspring who coped through educating reported lower life satisfaction when they perceived higher levels of stigma. There were no significant findings relating to psychological distress. The results indicate the importance of studying families with minoritised sexual identities during a time of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies.