Fathering Gay Sons: A Typology of Fathering Concerns and Clinical Recommendations

Horn, Angela J.
Wong, Joel Y.

¹Indiana University Bloomington

Angela J. Horn received her MEd in counseling and personnel services with a focus on counseling psychology from the University of Louisville. She is currently a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at Indiana University. Her areas of professional interest include the psychology of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals; the psychology of men and masculinities; and positive psychology.

Y. Joel Wong received his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Texas. He is an associate professor of counseling psychology at Indiana University. He is also an associate editor with the Psychology of Men and Masculinity and the Journal of Counseling Psychology. His main research interests are in the psychology of men and masculinities, Asian American mental health, and positive psychology.

Y. Joel Wong, Department of Education and Counseling Psychology, Indiana University, 201 N. Rose Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. [email protected]

Received March 30, 2013

Revision received July 11, 2014

Accepted July 13, 2014

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 45(4):p 247-257, August 2014. | DOI: 10.1037/a0037632

Fathers play an important role in parenting their children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Men often make meaning of their identity as fathers through competing social and cultural influences. Heterosexual fathers of gay sons may experience parenting concerns specific to this father–son relationship. Grounded in the intersections of 2 bodies of literature on (a) parenting and fatherhood and (b) masculinities, we present a typology of concerns and clinical recommendations for helping clinicians understand experiences related to fathering gay sons. These fathering concerns include (a) emotional responses to their sons’ gay identities, (b) beliefs about sexuality, (c) subjective experiences of the father–son relationship, (d) expressing affection, (e) communication about sexuality, (f) responding to discrimination, (g) finding parental support, and (h) understanding intersectionality and multiple identities. Importantly, we discuss the clinical competencies needed to address these concerns. Clinical implications and future research directions regarding fathering gay sons are considered.