About this session

Thursday, 11:50 AM - 1:20 PM

Promoting Positive LGBTQ+ Adolescent Development: Understanding Psychosocial Correlates of Sexual and Gender Identity Developmental Milestones

Recent research among LGBTQ+ adolescents provides substantial evidence that sexual and gender identity developmental milestones are occurring earlier in adolescence than previously observed. Promoting positive development of LGBTQ+ identities among today’s adolescents begins with understanding how sexual and gender identity development unfolds across adolescence and what drives variation in developmental patterns and timing. This symposium integrates theories of positive development, social learning, and intersectionality to expand our contemporary understanding of LGBTQ+ adolescent sexual and gender identity development.

In the first paper, novel intersectional analyses in a multi-country sample of sexual minority youth uncovered environmental variation in identity outness at school and country levels. Next, to reflect fundamental integration of sexual and gender identity development, the second paper utilized a national sample of transgender and nonbinary adolescents to identify three subgroups with distinct developmental patterns of sexual and gender identity awareness and disclosure. Third, in an international sample of transgender adolescents and adults, authors introduced gender identity self-affirmation as a developmental process and found evidence that more positive LGBTQ+ messaging from parents was associated with earlier and accelerated pacing of self-affirmation. Finally, in a national sample of LGBTQ+ adolescents, results demonstrated that more exposure to positive LGBTQ+ socialization from parents and peers was associated with earlier sexual and gender identity awareness and disclosure.

Altogether, the symposium presents methodologically and theoretically innovative LGBTQ+ identity development research that recognizes and supports the interconnectedness and diversity of adolescent sexuality and gender development.

Paper #1
Title	Intersectional Examination of Outness among European Sexual Minority Youth: An ECHAID Approach
Presenting author	S. Henry Sherwood, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, United States

Paper #2
Title	Sexual and Gender Identity Development Timing: Latent Profiles among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents
Presenting author	M. D. Bishop, PhD, Department of Family Sciences, University of Maryland College Park, United States

Paper #3
Title	Timing and Pacing of Gender Identity Self-Affirmation Milestones and Associations with Positive Parental Messaging
Presenting author	August X. Wei, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, United States

Paper #4
Title	Sexual and Gender Identity Socialization from Parents, Schools, and Peers and Timing of Developmental Milestones
Presenting author	Eric K. Layland, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, United States

View all paper details

Session chair
Dr. Eric K. Layland, University of Delaware, United States

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