A perspectiva familiar diante da revelação da orientação homossexual de jovens e adultos

Abstract

Considering the new perspectives on male and female homosexuality and the coming out process the general goal of this dissertation was to investigate how the revelation of the sexual orientation of young adult homosexuals has reverberated on the family dynamics from the perspective of their parents, siblings and the homosexuals themselves. These are two studies, one integrative revision of the scientific literature, and the other of multiple, crosssectional cases supported by the qualitative research approach. Specifically, Study 1 aimed to understand, through an integrative review of the literature, the repercussions of disclosure of sexual orientation on the family relationships of young adult homosexuals. From the databases LILACS, MEDLINE, PePSIC, PsycINFO and SciELO (published between January 2006 and May 2016), 38 articles were retrieved. Qualitative studies with homosexual people predominated, which limited the knowledge of the coming out for the family, since only one member was heard. It was noted that families were surprised by the revelation, taking time to elaborate the new paths their children had taken, as well as to understand the changes in their dreams for them. Cases in which young people sought the social network as a reference of support in the coming out process were also observed. From the analysis, it is noticeable the need for new studies that cover the theme in order to increase the visibility of the process of disclosure of sexual orientation. Study 2, in turn, aimed to get to know the perceptions of mothers, fathers, siblings and homosexuals about the repercussion of the coming out in the family. Using the in-depth interview and Escort Diagram, eight cases (eight homosexuals and their respective families - fathers, mothers and siblings) were investigated, a total of 24 participants. The interviews and diagrams were submitted to the analysis of thematic content, in which two axes / categories could be constructed, aiming to locate similarities and differences between the cases: 1) The perceptions of mothers, fathers and siblings about the coming out: the beginning and the process of disclosure of sexual orientation and 2) homosexuality and its repercussions on the life of gays and lesbians in the family nucleus. Families, with some difficulty and resistance, accept or are still in the process of accepting their children, with high refusal by parents to talk about it. Siblings of homosexuals played an important role in promoting greater rapprochement among members and helping parents in the process of acceptance. Some veiled prejudice movements could be understood, making the claim that acceptance is a process built over time and family experiences licit. Despite the specificities of each nucleus, in general, in both studies, it was noticed that most of the families, after some time after the revelation, were able to accept the sexual orientation or at least to develop a harmonious coexistence with the children.