Marriage Expectations Among Different Groups of Gender and Sexual Minority Youth in the United States

Objective: The study aims to analyze marriage expectations among sexual minority youth in the United States. Background: The possibility of marriage for same-sex couples is recent in the United States. As same-sex couples used to be excluded from getting married, LGB adults have expressed concerns about the institution of marriage and have been less likely than their heterosexual peers to consider it for themselves. However, research is lacking when considering marriage expectations and attitudes regarding marriage among LGBTQ youth. Method: We use wave 2 of the SOGI-Q Health Study, a community sample of 542 LGBTQ youth aged 15–21 collected in 2013, a time prior to federal marriage equality. We assessed measured marriage expectations, both to a same-sex partner and to a different-sex partner, as well as attitudes regarding marriage. Results: Results indicated that gay and lesbian youth were more likely than queer and bisexual youth to expect to get married to a same-sex partner. Individual factors (e.g., higher levels of disclosure to family members) and structural factors (e.g., knowing a married same-sex couple), were associated with higher marriage expectations to a same-sex partner. Religiosity was associated with higher expectations of marriage to a different-sex partner. Conclusion: Sexual identity, religiosity, disclosure, and knowing married same-sex couples were significantly associated with LGBTQ youths’ expectations to marry a same-sex and/or different-sex partner, as well as their attitudes about marriage more broadly. Implications: Attitudes and expectations regarding marriage among sexual minority youth have implications for their future couple and family formation, which are broadly associated with well-being across the adult lifespan.

本研究通过2013年的二手数据，探讨了在美国联邦婚姻平等之前，LGBTQ青少年对婚姻的期望。研究关注了青少年的人口特征、价值观与信仰、以及与污名和歧视相关的个人经验如何影响他们的婚姻愿望。研究回顾了可能与婚姻期望相关的个人和结构性因素，并探讨了这些因素如何影响婚姻的重要性观念。尽管自2015年联邦婚姻平等合法化以来，LGBTQ青少年的婚姻期望可能发生了变化，研究仍提供了一个有趣的视角，反映了当时LGBTQ青少年对婚姻的看法，尤其是在美国部分州已合法化同性婚姻而联邦婚姻合法化仍具可能性的背景下。

本研究使用了2012年至2015年间进行的SOGI-Q健康研究（“同性恋少数群体青少年自杀风险与保护因素”）的二手数据。数据来自于2013年进行的第二波调查，涉及1061名LGBTQ青少年，主要调查了婚姻期望。研究的参与者年龄在15至21岁之间，且自我认同为LGBTQ。参与者主要通过东北、西南和西海岸城市的三个LGBT社区中心以及大学LGBT青少年团体联系。研究测量了婚姻期望、宗教信仰、自尊、家庭对性别与性取向的接受度等变量，以及州内同性婚姻合法化等社会/法律因素。婚姻期望通过对参与者是否预期与同性或异性伴侣结婚的回答进行分析。婚姻态度则通过参与者对婚姻重要性的自我评定来衡量。数据分析首先进行双变量分析，分别探讨与同性和异性伴侣结婚的期望，然后使用多变量回归模型评估影响婚姻期望的因素，最后测试回归模型预测婚姻重要性的态度。

这项研究旨在探讨LGBTQ青少年对婚姻的期望和婚姻的重要性。结果显示，52%的顺性别男孩和44%的顺性别女孩期望结婚，这些比例低于非LGBTQ青少年（2020年，男孩69%，女孩76%）。通过考察性别与性取向、种族与民族、母亲教育程度等人口学特征，宗教信仰、自尊、家庭对性取向的接受度等个体因素，以及婚姻平等法律化、认识已婚同性伴侣等社会/法律因素，研究发现这些因素显著影响LGBTQ青少年对结婚的期望和婚姻的重要性。研究表明，性别认同、宗教信仰、公开性取向和认识已婚同性伴侣等因素与LGBTQ青少年对同性或异性伴侣婚姻的期望相关，而性别认同、宗教信仰及认识已婚同性伴侣则与他们对婚姻的看法有关。结果还揭示，性别认同和宗教信仰对婚姻期望具有重要影响，尤其是宗教信仰较强的青少年更倾向于期望与异性伴侣结婚。尽管公开性取向与同性婚姻期望有一定关联，但家庭接受度在多变量模型中并未表现出显著影响。此外，认识已婚同性伴侣与对同性婚姻的期望存在显著关系。研究表明，婚姻的期望不仅受到社会、文化和法律环境的影响，还与青少年个人的经历和性别认同密切相关。