Individuals’ Perceptions of the Most Important People Who Raised Them: Differences by Sexual Identity

Past research suggests that youth who identify with marginalized sexual identities can encounter hostility from their parents due to their sexuality. Such rejection could lead individuals to look to other relationships for material, social, and psychological support as they grow up. We assess this hypothesis by analyzing data produced from a probability survey of U.S. adults that asked respondents to identify the most important people who raised them. Multinomial logistic regression models find that gay or lesbian individuals are more likely than straight individuals to choose their grandmother as the most important person who raised them. Similarly, gay or lesbian individuals are more likely than straight individuals to choose a non-family member—such as a neighbor or teacher—as the second most important person who raised them. These findings provide support for past research that has mainly used qualitative or non-probability data to examine how sexuality shapes family relationships.