Sexual Attraction, Sexual Identity, and Same-Sex Sexual Experiences of Adult Offspring in the US

National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study

March 2019

The latest report from the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study compared the sexual attraction, sexual identity, and sexual experiences of the 25-year-old offspring of lesbian parents to their peers. The study was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior in March 2019.

AUTHORS

Nanette Gartrell
Visiting Distinguished Scholar
Henny Bos
Professor, University of Amsterdam
Audrey Koh, M.D.
Assistant Professor, University of California, San Francisc

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Highlights

The ongoing U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study has followed the same cohort of offspring from conception to adulthood.

The adult children of lesbian parents are more likely than their peers to report same-sex attraction and experiences and sexual minority identity.

The percentage of NLLFS offspring who identified as sexual minorities decreased between the ages of 17 and 25.

Data Points

31%

of female NLLFS offspring reported being only attracted to the opposite sex

54%

of their female peers reported the same

73%

of male NLLFS offspring reported being only attracted to the opposite sex

91%

of their male peers reported the same

54%

of female NLLFS offspring

38%

of their female peers reported the same

33%

of male NLLFS offspring reported having a same-sex sexual experience

9%

of their male peers reported the same

Please contact our communications office to request a copy of this study.

Related Publications

Report

Mental Health of Adult Offspring of Lesbian Parents

July 2018