Measuring Adult Children's Perceptions of Their Parents' Acceptance and Rejection of Their Sexual Orientation: Initial Development of the Parental Acceptance and Rejection of Sexual Orientation Scale (PARSOS). Issue 11 (19th September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kibrik, Ella Lubeznov; Cohen, Nitzan; Stolowicz-Melman, Dana; Levy, Ayelet; Boruchovitz-Zamir, Rotem; Diamond, Gary M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of homosexuality. Volume 66:Issue 11(2019)
• Page Start: 1513
• Page End: 1534
• Publication Date: 2019-09-19
• Subjects: LGBT -- parental acceptance -- parent rejection -- sexual orientaion; Homosexuality -- Periodicals; 306.766
• DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2018.1503460
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-8369

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The Parental Acceptance and Rejection of Sexual Orientation Scale was administered to 256 self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer adults who had been out of the closet to their parents for at least 1 year. Principal component analysis revealed a clear two-component solution: parental acceptance and parental rejection. Findings showed that perceived maternal sexual orientation-specific acceptance was higher, and perceived maternal sexual orientation-specific rejection was lower, for gay/bisexual sons compared to their lesbian/bisexual daughters. Results of regression analyses suggest that both perceived sexual orientation specific acceptance and rejection predicted adult children's psychological symptoms after accounting for perceived global parental acceptance and rejection and the child's gender. The scale's utility for research and practice are noted.