A Contrapuntal Analysis of Cultural Discourses between Parent and GLBTQ Child

Abstract

This article presents a contrapuntal analysis of cultural discourses manifested in language used by parents and their gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (GLBTQ) identified children. Using relational dialectics theory, we analyzed parent and GLBTQ adult child interview transcripts, representing 22 individual interviews and 11 parent-GLBTQ child relationships. Child participants self-identified across the full GLBTQ spectrum. All parent participants self-identified as heterosexual and cisgender. Findings include pairs of competing cultural discourses: invisible versus common, tradition versus equality, and choice versus innate. Each discourse represents an example of a societal influence manifesting in participant interviews.