Parental Relationships and Family Functioning of Finnish Children Living with LGBTQ+ Parents

Abstract

Our knowledge of family relations and well-being in LGBTQ+ families is increasing, yet few studies so far have gathered quantitative data from both children and parents. The Finnish Rainbow Family study conducted surveys of 10–12-year-old children (N = 41), 13–18-year-old adolescents (N = 47), and of parents of 7–18-year-old children (N = 80 parents/103 responses) living in a LGBTQ+ family. Unlike many earlier surveys, we also asked about experiences of transgender adults in the family. Responses were compared with the nationwide School Health Promotion Study in Finland. Results suggest that the parental relationships and family functioning of underaged children in Finnish LGBTQ+ families are good and resemble those of other Finnish children. Children and parents describe their family life rather similarly. Rainbow families had slightly worse parental relations among 10–12-year-old children but overall better family functioning, and parents were very supporting and encouraging. The detected differences may relate to higher levels of both parental separation and parental education in Finnish rainbow families. Additionally, most adolescents with a transgender parent feel proud of their parent, although many have experienced difficulties talking about the transition with other people.