Eleni Demetriou, “Coming Out About Parents: Young Adults from LGB Families in the Netherlands”
Wednesday, 20 April 2016, 19:00-20:30 CET
Ihlia OBA
Oosterdokskade 143
1011 DL
Amsterdam
Research has shown that coming out of the closet is not just related to lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) persons but also to people in the lives of LGB persons, including their children. These children too often struggle with processes of coming out to others about their families. Homosexual identity development (HID) theory views coming out of the closet as a vital step in the formation of homosexual identity. Critical thinkers have denounced the theoretical assumptions of HID theory and have criticised research on coming out for overlooking contextual and situational influences. The coming out stories of children with LGB parents shine light to the fact that they and their families often have to deal with society’s heteronormative views on the family. Heteronormative assumptions and social oblivion to different sexual lifestyles force children of LGB parents to become educators on family diversity. This presentation will be about the coming out stories of adult children with LGB parents in the Netherlands and highlight the social circumstances in which they come out as well as their personal motivations to talk or not talk about their families.
Eleni Demetriou graduated in the MA Sociology track Gender, Sexuality and Society at the University of Amsterdam. In collaboration with others she has conducted a number of studies on gay parenting. During her Bachelors at the University of the West of England she conducted a study on the experiences of adult children growing up with LGT parents, the study (which/that) has been published in the journal Psychology & Sexuality. During her internship at Tilburg University cross-cultural psychology department she looked at attitudes towards gay parenting and homosexuality in Shanghai, Johannesburg, and Tilburg. Finally, for her MA she looked at the experiences of adults with LGB parents coming out to others about the sexuality of their parents. Eleni wishes to continue doing research in gay parenting as well as sexuality and family studies.