This Pride month, a new survey of 1,500 LGBTQ+ Gen Z adults found 60% grew up hearing their parents make negative jokes or remarks about LGBTQ+ people.
And for many, hearing these comments meant keeping a huge part of themselves hidden from their families.
The research from EduBirdie found 57% of those surveyed changed how they spoke or behaved to appear straight or cisgender (a person whose gender identity corresponds to the sex they were assigned at birth) around their parents, while 39% changed how they dressed.
Another 43% lied about who they were spending time with, and 35% even pretended to have a crush on someone to seem like they were straight.
While those surveyed are now adults, for some, the negative comments left a lasting impression. Two in five (44%) said their parents’ comments growing up left a bigger mark than friends’.
Almost two-thirds (62%) said the comments made them feel like they had to hide a part of themselves – 43% delayed coming out because of their parents, and one in seven decided not to come out to them at all.
English (US)