‘I Actually Know that Things will Get Better’: The Many Pathways to Resilience of LGBTQIA+ Youth in Out-of-Home Care

Rodrigo González-Álvarez, Mijntje ten Brummelaar, Samar Orwa, Mónica López López

Research on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other forms of sexual identities and orientations (LGBTQIA+) youth in care has mainly examined their experiences from a risk-based approach, while few studies have explored their resilience experiences. Using in-depth interviews, the present study aims to illuminate the resilience experiences of 13 LGBTQIA+ young people in out-of-home care in the Netherlands.

Four themes emerged from their narratives: relationships that support and empower; construction of a positive identity around their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE); community involvement and self-relying strategies.

The authors' findings support the view of resilience as a complex process that shows at an individual, interpersonal and social level.

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