| The purpose of this study was to learn more about the attributes and systemic influences of parents who are accepting and supportive of their sons' gay identities. This was a qualitative study in which fourteen parents of gay sons were asked to tell the story of their own coming out processes as "parents of gay sons." Information concerning their definitions of parental acceptance, their journeys to acceptance, their relationships with their sons, and the ecosystemic influences on their coming out processes was obtained through their narrative accounts. By hearing these stories, an appreciation of personal attributes, strengths, and resiliency of these parents was gained. Ethnographic Content Analysis was used to examine four areas: Parental Definitions of Acceptance, Parents' Relationships with Their Sons, Parents' Stories of Their Coming Out Processes, and Ecosystemic Influences on Parents' Coming out Processes. A grounded theory approach was utilized in an attempt to generate new theoretical concepts from the parents' stories. It is anticipated that the knowledge gained from this study will ultimately assist in developing a strengths-based model that can be utilized in clinical settings to assist parents who are experiencing a coming out process related to the disclosure of a child's gay or lesbian identity. |
