How LGBTQ+ Young Adults Navigate Personal Risk in App-Based Hookups: The Safety Spectrum Theory.

Research on hooking up is rife with examinations of risky sexual health practices among LGBTQ+ young adults; yet, little has been written about the personal safety practices for this population. This omission is notable because safety practices can enhance the notable positive outcomes related to hooking up. Drawing on one-on-one interviews with 50 LGBTQ+ young adults (20 cismen, 20 ciswomen, two transmen, and eight others) in British Columbia, California, and Connecticut, we developed the safety spectrum theory, which used a spectral measurement to assess how LGBTQ+ young adults negotiate safety practices and implement safety rules. This spectrum was then applied to a three-step sequence of application (app)-based hookup rituals: online initiation, pre-meeting preparation, and in-person meetup. Results indicated that safety strategies may be dictated by situational factors, where individuals adapt to varying circumstances to be more in control of personal safety when hooking up. We further identified that participants move across the spectrum depending upon contextual factors, such as the gender of the potential hookup partner. This work suggests that LGBTQ+ young adults are mindful of their personal safety and deserve more credit than previously attributed in queer and sexual health research. From these findings, we provide evidence-based recommendations to make dating/hookup apps and public health campaigns more effective at mitigating hookup-related risks.

Barriers to Participation in Organized Physical Activity Among LGBTQ+ Youth: Differences by Sexual, Gender, and Racial Identities.

BACKGROUND: LGBTQ+ youth engage in organized physical activity to a lesser degree than their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. Existing literature on this organized physical activity disparity is limited, particularly with LGBTQ+ youth samples. The current analysis examined individual and systemic barriers to organized physical activity for LGBTQ+ youth across sexual, gender, and racial identities. METHODS: A subsample of LGBTQ+ students (N = 4566) from the 2021 Dane County Youth Assessment completed items that measured barriers to organized physical activity and systemic factors (ie, family money problems and bias-based bullying) associated with access to organized physical activity. Latent class analysis discerned patterns of individual and systemic barriers to organized physical activity. Latent class regression modeling tested gender, sexual, and racial identities as correlates of latent class membership. RESULTS: More than half of the sample did not participate in organized physical activity. Four profiles of LGBTQ+ youth were discerned based on self-reported barriers: high barrier (8%), bullied (16%), low interest or perceived skills (28%), and low barrier (48%). The low-barrier class included a greater proportion of LGBTQ+ youth who identified as White, or cisgender, or heterosexual as well as youth self-reporting higher organized physical activity. The high-barrier and bullied classes comprised more marginalized gender and sexual identities. CONCLUSIONS: LGBTQ+ youth experience individual and systemic barriers to organized physical activity, including inequitable access and bullying, and barriers are uniquely experienced across sexual, gender, and racial identities. Physical activity promotion among LGBTQ+ youth would be strengthened by policies that address inequitable access to opportunities and bias-based bullying.

Measurement invariance of the LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale among LGBTQ+ youth.

The LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale (LGBT-PCMS) is a widely used measure of intersectional microaggression experiences among sexual and gender minority people of color. Although it is widely used-and increasingly used in adolescent and young adult samples-it is unknown whether the LGBT-PCMS demonstrates similar measurement properties across subgroups of sexual and gender minority youth of color (SGMYOC). Among 4142 SGMYOC (ages 13-17) we found evidence for either partial or full scalar invariance (item loadings and intercepts were generally equal) across sexual orientation, race-ethnicity, and gender identity groups for all three subscales. Specific patterns of invariance and noninvariance across groups, as well as implications for the use of the LGBT-PCMS and its subscales among SGMYOC are discussed.

Chest Binding: Sociodemographic Characteristics Among a National Sample of Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents.

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of national data documenting chest binding practices among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents, despite the possibility that adolescents chest bind at high rates due to gender identity exploration and/or structural barriers to accessing other gender affirmation strategies. METHODS: We used data from the 2022 LGBTQ National Teen Survey to estimate the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of chest binding among TGD adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB; n = 6,080), and, in supplementary analyses, a broader sample of AFAB and intersex LGBTQ+ adolescents (n = 7,622). RESULTS: Nearly two-thirds (63.8%) of TGD AFAB adolescents in our sample reported chest binding. More than 80% of transgender boys reported chest binding. Chest binding varied by some sociodemographics but was prevalent across many characteristics. DISCUSSION: Chest binding is a common gender exploration and affirmation strategy among TGD AFAB adolescents. Adolescent health providers require data to inform evidence-based healthcare related to chest binding.

Perceptions of bias in HIV prevention services, happiness with social support, and anticipated PrEP stigma among Black and Latine/x sexual and gender diverse individuals.

Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective preventive treatment for HIV, anticipated PrEP stigma can hinder uptake. Perceptions of bias in HIV prevention and evaluations (e.g., happiness) tied to social support among Black and Latine/x sexual and gender diverse (SGD) individuals could be important correlates of anticipated PrEP stigma. To further this line of inquiry, a national sample of 872 Black and Latine/x SGD individuals who had and had never taken PrEP (Mage = 25.1, SD = 2.8) reported how they perceived HIV prevention and how happy they were with their social support. Multivariable linear regressions revealed that greater perceptions of bias in HIV prevention services were associated with higher anticipated PrEP stigma among Black and Latine/x SGD individuals who have never taken PrEP. Greater happiness with friend support was associated with lower PrEP stigma, whereas greater happiness with family support was associated with higher PrEP stigma among individuals who have taken PrEP. Findings highlight the need for PrEP and HIV interventions to address the intersectional stigma attached to prevention and for researchers to understand how evaluations of social support may contribute to stigma among Black and Latine/x SGD individuals.

Experiences of stress and social safety among sexual and gender minority youth by disability status.

BACKGROUND: Though separate bodies of research have shown sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, and youth with disabilities, separately, face distinct social and health disparities, little is known about youth who both identify as SGM and have disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The current study examined differences in wellbeing among SGM youth by disability category (i.e., physical, developmental, psychiatric) across victimization, bullying, dating violence, school safety, and experienced stress. METHODS: Using self-reported data from 9418 SGM youth aged 13-17 in the United States, multivariate linear regressions were conducted to examine how stress and social safety experiences varied across disability status. RESULTS: Compared to SGM youth without a disability, SGM youth across all disability categories (physical, developmental, psychiatric) had greater odds of LGBT- and disability-based victimization, greater average stress, as well as lower levels of school safety. SGM youth with any disability, physical disability, or psychiatric disability also had greater odds of dating violence compared to SGM youth without a disability. CONCLUSION: SGM youth with disabilities may be in particular need of targeted programs that address both disability and sexual/gender identities, and may benefit from increased supports across developmental contexts (e.g., against bullying in school). Stakeholders should consider how such support can be improved, tailored, and implemented, for SGM youth and the diversity of disabilities they have.

Stress of being outed to parents, LGBTQ family support, and depressive symptoms among sexual and gender diverse youth.

Limited scholarship has explored how a lack of agency in identity disclosure (being "outed") to parents is associated with mental health experiences of sexual and gender diverse youth (SGDY). With a national sample of SGDY (N = 9272; 66.8% White non-Hispanic) aged 13-17 (Mage = 15.63, SD = 1.24), this study first compared social position differences between SGDY who were outed to their parents compared to those not outed, and second, investigated how the stress from being outed to parents was associated with LGBTQ family support and depressive symptoms. Results revealed that SGDY who were outed to their parents reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower amounts of LGBTQ family support than SGDY who were not outed to their parents. In addition, greater stress from being outed to parents was indirectly associated with higher depressive symptoms through lower LGBTQ family support. These relationships significantly varied across gender identity. Findings highlight the importance of instilling greater agency in disclosure experiences among SGDY.

Sexual Minority Youth Reporting SOGIE-Based Harassment to Adults at School: The Roles of Experienced Harassment, Outness, Safety, and Adult Support at School.

Despite a proliferation of bullying prevention programs in recent time, limited work has investigated support-seeking behaviors in response to elevated bullying levels among sexual minority youth (SMY). To address this gap, the current study examined how harassment targeting SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), sexual identity outness, school safety, and perceptions of teacher/staff support were associated with SMY talking to an adult at school about harassment. A large contemporary national sample of SMY (N = 5538) between the ages 13-18 (Mage = 15.53, SD = 1.33) who experienced at least one form of SOGIE-based harassment in the past year was leveraged for analyses. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regressions revealed more frequent SOGIE-based harassment was associated with greater odds of reporting harassment to school personnel, particularly among SMY who felt safe at school. Findings highlight the need for school-based interventions to foster school safety among SMY who experience peer harassment to promote their reporting of this behavior.

HIV Information Avoidance, HIV Stigma, and Medical Mistrust among Black Sexual Minority Men in the Southern United States: Associations with HIV Testing.

Uptake of HIV testing is a critical step in the HIV prevention and treatment care cascade. Barriers to HIV testing, however, remain and innovative research in this area is warranted to improve uptake of testing. As such, we investigated the role of HIV information avoidance - a novel construct potentially related to HIV testing. We analyzed this construct in relation to other factors known to impact HIV testing, namely HIV stigma and medical mistrust. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that HIV information avoidance was negatively associated with HIV testing, while medical mistrust was positively associated with HIV testing. HIV testing stigma was not associated with HIV testing. This work contributes to the developing literature on HIV information avoidance and its relationships with HIV stigma and HIV testing uptake. Further, these findings can inform HIV testing interventions which often do not focus on HIV information avoidance. Future research on the mechanisms of information avoidance that are amenable to intervention, and the temporal ordering of the relationship between information avoidance and HIV testing is warranted.

Bias-based bullying, self-esteem, queer identity pride, and disordered eating behaviors among sexually and gender diverse adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Limited research incorporates an intersectional approach when evaluating disordered eating behaviors among those holding minoritized social positions, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning, and/or transgender/gender diverse (LGBTQ) adolescents. The current study assessed stigma experiences from peers at school, self-esteem, LGBTQ pride, and overlapping social positions as they relate to disordered eating behaviors among LGBTQ adolescents. METHOD: Participants included 11,083 adolescents (Mage = 15.6, SD = 1.3; 34.8% transgender/gender diverse) from a large national survey study of LGBTQ adolescents from 2017. Exhaustive Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection analysis was used to identify bias-based bullying experiences (i.e., weight-based, identity-based), self-esteem, LGBTQ pride, and overlapping social positions (i.e., gender identity, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) percentile) associated with the highest prevalence of unhealthy weight control behaviors, extreme unhealthy weight control behaviors, and past year binge eating. RESULTS: Adolescents in the 28 identified groups with a high prevalence of disordered eating behavior held at least one structurally marginalized social position (e.g., high BMI), bias-based bullying experience, low self-esteem, or low LGBTQ pride in addition to being LGBTQ. Weight-based bullying was a salient risk-factor for disordered eating across social positions. Among adolescents with the same social positions, levels of self-esteem, LGBTQ pride, but no bias-based bullying experience, prevalence estimates of disordered eating were, on average, 23% lower. DISCUSSION: LGBTQ adolescents with multiple marginalized social positions and related factors engage in disproportionately high prevalence disordered eating. Findings underscore the importance of addressing intersecting experiences of stigma to reduce disordered eating and promote health equity among adolescents. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Multiply marginalized LGBTQ adolescents, most of whom also reported experiencing bias-based bullying from peers at school, reported disproportionately high prevalence disordered eating. In comparison groups of adolescents with no bias-based bullying experience, prevalence of disordered eating was, on average, 24% lower. Findings underscore the importance of addressing intersecting experiences of stigma to reduce disordered eating and promote health equity among adolescents.

Examining Mental Health and Bullying Concerns at the Intersection of Sexuality, Gender, Race, and Ethnicity Among a National Sample of Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth.

Purpose: Most extant scholarship that examines the health experiences of sexual and gender diverse youth (SGDY) is limited in the ability to apply an intersectional framework due to small sample sizes and limitations in analytic methods that only analyze the independent contribution of social identities. To address this gap, this study explored the well-being of youth at the intersection of ethnic, racial, sexual, and gender identities in relation to mental health and bullying. Methods: Data were from a U.S. national survey of SGDY aged 13-18 years, collected in 2022 (N = 12,822). Exhaustive Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection analysis identified intersectional social positions bearing the greatest burden of negative health-related experiences (depression, anxiety, and past 30-day in-person victimization). Results: Transgender boys were among those at the highest prevalence for compromised mental health and peer-based in-person victimization. Although the primary distinguishing factor was transgender identity for depression and anxiety, there were no racial/ethnic distinctions, corroborating some previous scholarship. Asian cisgender and transgender girl SGDY shared the lowest burden of peer-based in-person victimization in school. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a need for scholars, health professionals, and other stakeholders to better understand the mechanisms that drive negative health experiences and in-person victimization experiences at the intersections of sexual, gender, racial, and ethnic identities.

Queering Hookup Motives in a Diverse Sample of LGBTQ+ Young Adults.

There is a paucity of research on hookup motives among LGBTQ+ young adults, despite the importance of such sexual encounters for the development of LGBTQ+ young adults' identities. In this study, we examined the hookup motives of a diverse sample of LGBTQ+ young adults through in-depth qualitative interviews. Interviews were conducted with 51 LGBTQ+ young adults across college campuses at three sites in North America. We asked participants, "What sorts of things motivate you to hook up?" and "Why do you hook up?" Six distinct hookup motives emerged from participants' responses. They included: a) pleasure/enhancement, b) intimacy and social-relationship motives, c) self-affirmation, d) coping, e) cultural norms and easy access, and f) multifaceted motives. While some of our themes cohered with previously identified hookup motives among heterosexual samples, LGBTQ+ young adults identified new and distinct motives that illustrate major differences between their hookup experiences and that of heterosexual young adults. For example, LGBTQ+ young adults were motivated to pleasure their hookup partner, not just themselves. They were also motivated by cultural norms within the queer community, easy access to hookup partners, and multifaceted motives. There is a need for data-driven ways to conceptualize hookup motives among LGBTQ+ young adults, instead of unquestioningly using heterosexual templates for understanding why LGBTQ+ individuals hook up.

Are HIV Prevention Services Reaching all LGBTQ+ Youth? An Intersectional Analysis in a National Sample.

Although research has examined disparities in HIV prevention behaviors, intersectional research is needed to understand who may be underserved. This study examines disparities in consistent condom use, HIV testing, and PrEP awareness and use across assigned sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and racial/ethnic identity in a large sample of sexually active LGBTQ+ youth (mean age = 16.5) who completed the 2022 LGBTQ National Teen Survey. Four social identities were included as indicators in Chi-Square Automated Interaction Detection models to uncover disparate rates of HIV preventive behaviors. Generally, HIV testing and PrEP services were higher among gay/lesbian and queer youth assigned male, and lower among those assigned female. Certain LGBTQ+ youth may be systematically missed by these services, (e.g., those assigned female; those assigned male who also identify as bisexual, pansexual, asexual, questioning, or straight (and trans/gender diverse)). Providers should strive to serve populations who are not being reached by HIV prevention services.

RESUMEN: Aunque las investigaciones han examinado disparidades en los comportamientos de prevención del VIH, la aplicación de un esquema interseccional es necesario para entender quienes tienen menos acceso a los cuidados de la salud. Este estudio examina disparidides en el uso del condón, las pruebas de VIH y el conocimiento y el uso de profilaxis preexposición (PrEP) entre el sexo asignado, la identidad del género, la orientación sexual, la identidad racial/étnica) en una muestra nacional de jovenes (edad promedia = 16.5), LGBTQ+. Cuatro identidades sociales estuvieron incluidas como indicadores en el modelo de la Detección de la Interacción Automática de Chi-Square para detectar diferencias de comportamientos de prevención. Generalmente, el uso de las pruebas de VIH y los servicios de PrEP estaban mas alto entre los jovenes gay/lesbiana y queer asignados masculinos y mas bajo entre jóvenes asignadas femeninas. Es posible que ciertos jovenes LGBTQ+ estén omitidos de los servicios de las pruebas de VIH y PrEP, incluyendo jóvenes que fueron asignadas feminidas, ovenes bisexuales, pansexuales, asexuales, cuestionando, o heterosexuales (transgénero/a/e o de diversos géneros) que fueron asignados masculinos. Los profesionales de salud deben luchar para servir a las poblaciones que están fuera del alcance de los servicios preventivos del VIH.

Application of an intersectional lens to bias-based bullying among LGBTQ+ youth of color in the United States.

Bias-based bullying influences health, academic success, and social wellbeing. However, little quantitative work takes an intersectional perspective to understand bias-based bullying among youth with marginalized social positions, which is critical to prevention. This paper describes the application of exhaustive chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) to understand how prevalence of race-, gender-, and sexual orientation-based bullying varies for youth with different intersecting social positions. We used two datasets - the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (MSS; N=80,456) and the 2017-2019 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS; N=512,067). Students self-reported sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and presence of any race-, gender-, and sexual orientation-based bullying (MSS: past 30 days, CHKS: past 12 months). Exhaustive CHAID with a Bonferroni correction, a recommended approach for large, quantitative intersectionality research, was used for analyses. Exhaustive CHAID analyses identified a number of nodes of intersecting social positions with particularly high prevalences of bias-based bullying. Across both datasets, with varying timeframes and question wording, and all three forms of bias-based bullying, youth who identified as transgender, gender diverse, or were questioning their gender and also held other marginalized social positions were frequent targets of all forms of bias-based bullying. More work is needed to understand how systems of oppression work together to influence school-based bullying experiences. Effective prevention programs to improve the health of youth with marginalized social positions must acknowledge the complex and overlapping ways bias and stigma interact.

Does Outness Function the Same for All Sexual Minority Youth? Testing Its Associations With Different Aspects of Well-Being in a Sample of Youth With Diverse Sexual Identities.

While research generally supports that greater outness about one's sexual identity is associated with improved well-being, emerging evidence suggests that outness may have negative consequences for bisexual individuals. Yet, few studies have examined sexual identity as a moderator of the associations between outness and well-being, especially among youth. As such, the role of outness in the mental health of diverse sexual minority youth (including pansexual, queer, questioning, and asexual youth) remains unclear. Thus, we examined how the associations between outness and well-being differed as a function of sexual identity in a sample of sexual minority youth. Using data from the LGBTQ National Teen Study (N = 11,225), we tested sexual identity as a moderator of the associations between outness and well-being (depression and self-esteem). In the full sample, greater outness was significantly associated with lower depression and higher self-esteem. However, these associations were significantly different for gay/lesbian versus questioning youth. Greater outness was associated with lower depression and higher self-esteem for gay/lesbian youth yet was associated with higher depression and was not associated with self-esteem for questioning youth. The association between outness and self-esteem was also significantly different for gay/lesbian versus bisexual youth. Greater outness was associated with higher self-esteem for both groups, but the association was stronger for gay/lesbian youth. These findings suggest that outness may have benefits for gay/lesbian and bisexual youth, yet it may have negative consequences for questioning youth. These findings can inform efforts to promote positive sexual identity development and wellbeing of sexual minority youth.

Randomized Clinical Trial of Stigma Counseling and HIV Testing Access Interventions to Increase HIV Testing Among Black Sexual Minority Men and Transwomen.

Advances in HIV prevention tools have outpaced our ability to ensure equitable access to these tools. Novel approaches to reducing known barriers to accessing HIV prevention, such as stigma and logistical-related factors, are urgently needed. To evaluate the efficacy of a randomized controlled trial with four intervention arms to address barriers to HIV/STI testing uptake (primary outcome) and PrEP use, depression, and HIV test results (secondary outcomes). We tested a 2 × 2 research design: main effect 1-stigma-focused vs. health information evaluation-focused counseling, main effect 2-offering HIV/STI testing appointments in person vs. at home with a counselor via video chat, and the interaction of the main effects. Participants (N = 474) residing in the southeastern USA were screened and enrolled in a longitudinal trial. Intervention efficacy was established using generalized linear modeling with binomial or Poisson distributions. Intervention efficacy demonstrated an increase in HIV/STI testing uptake when testing was made available at home with a counselor via video chat vs. in person (83% vs. 75% uptake, p < .05), and participants were also more likely to test positive for HIV over the course of the study in the at-home condition (14.5% vs. 9.4%, p < .05). Stigma-focused counseling resulted in lower depression scores and greater uptake of PrEP among participants < 30 years of age when compared with health information counseling (15.4% vs. 9.6%, p < .05). In order to prevent further disparities between HIV prevention advances and access to HIV prevention tools, we must prioritize improvements in linking people to care. Novel interventions, such as those proposed here, offer a practical, evidence-based path to addressing long-standing barriers to HIV prevention strategies. Trial registration: NCT03107910.

Sexual minority youth in romantic relationships: Associations with youth well-being.

This study investigated differences in depressive symptoms, loneliness, and self-esteem for monosexual (lesbian, gay) and plurisexual (bisexual, pansexual, queer) sexual minority youth (SMY) by relationship status (single, partnered) and relationship configuration (same-gender partner, different-gender partner). Participants included 338 SMY (Mage = 19.10 years) who reported on their relationship status, partner's gender identity, well-being, and ability to confide in partner about LGBTQ issues. Results indicated that for plurisexual youth, single status was associated with greater loneliness; plurisexual youth with same-gender partners reported fewer depressive symptoms and marginally greater ability to confide in their partner about LGBTQ issues than those with different-gender partners. Findings reveal similarities across SMY while also highlighting some unique challenges among plurisexual youth with different-gender partners.

Co-occurring mental health and drug use experiences among Black and Hispanic/Latino sexual and gender diverse individuals.

Black and Hispanic/Latino sexual and gender diverse individuals disproportionately experience overlapping health disparities, such as drug use and elevated depressive symptoms, which are often driven by minority stressors. We sought to better understand the interaction between drug use and mental health, as it may be fruitful in developing effective interventions to address co-occurring health disparities. In a longitudinal, 5-wave sample of 300 Black and Hispanic/Latino sexual and gender diverse (SGD) individuals collected between March 2020 and March 2022, we found a within-person association between greater than average levels of psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and more frequent extra-medical use of cannabis, inhalants, methamphetamines, and opioids over the span of two years. These associations held after adjusting for the direct, within-person association of internalized homonegativity with drug use frequency. These results suggest that psychological distress explains at least some variance in drug use among Black and Hispanic/Latino SGD individuals. This highlights the importance of interventions that focus on mental health among Black and Hispanic/Latino SGD individuals who report drug use.

Cannabis Use Frequency is Associated with PrEP Cessation and Self-reported HIV Diagnosis.

To achieve stated targets in the United States of Ending the HIV Epidemic by 2030, it is necessary to decrease rates of pre-exposure prophylaxis use (PrEP) cessation. In particular, it is key to assess PrEP use and cannabis use frequency given the recent wave of cannabis decriminalization across the U.S., particularly among sexual minority men and gender diverse (SMMGD) individuals. We used data from the baseline visit of a national study of Black and Hispanic/Latino SMMGD. Among participants reporting any lifetime cannabis use, we further assessed the association between frequency of cannabis use in the past 3 months and: (1) self-reported PrEP use, (2) recency of last PrEP dose, and (3) HIV status using adjusted regression models. Compared to those who never used cannabis, odds of PrEP cessation were higher among those who used it once or twice (aOR 3.27; 95% CI 1.38, 7.78), those who used it monthly (aOR 3.41; 95% CI 1.06, 11.01), and those who used it weekly or more frequently (aOR 2.34; 95% CI 1.06, 5.16). Similarly, those reporting cannabis use 1-2 times in the past 3 months (aOR 0.11; 95% CI 0.02, 0.58) and those reporting weekly or more frequent use (aOR 0.14; 95% CI 0.03, 0.68) were each more likely to report more recent PrEP cessation. These results suggest that cannabis users in general may be a population at elevated risk of HIV diagnosis although more research regarding these findings is needed with nationally representative populations.

Sexual harassment, sexual assault, violence, self-esteem, and the role of LGBTQ-specific parental support in a sample of Latinx sexual and gender minority youth.

INTRODUCTION: Oftentimes as result of racism, cissexism, and heterosexism, many Latinx and sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth are victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence. These experiences of victimization are in part related to increased negative mental health outcomes such as decreased self-esteem. Some research links LGBTQ-specific parental support to mental health outcomes among Latinx SGM youth, yet, no research has explored the role of LGBTQ-specific parental support with self-esteem among Latinx SGM youth. METHODS: In a sample of 1,012 Latinx SGM youth (ages 13-17), we assessed: (a) associations between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence and self-esteem, (b) association between LGBTQ-specific parental support and self-esteem, and (c) whether LGBTQ-specific parental support moderated the relation between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence and self-esteem. Main effect and moderation analyses examined interactions between LGBTQ-specific parental support with sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence on self-esteem. RESULTS: Latinx SGM youth experienced low levels of LGBTQ-specific parental support and various degrees of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence. Also, transgender and nonbinary/genderqueer Latinx youth experienced lower self-esteem than their Latinx cisgender counterparts. Increased LGBTQ-specific parental support was related to increased self-esteem. We also identified a significant interaction between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence and LGBTQ-specific parental support, such that parental support was more protective at low levels rather than high levels of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence among Latinx SGM youth. CONCLUSIONS: Findings add to a growing body of research about the importance of LGBTQ-specific parental support for Latinx SGM youth, and the need to examine culturally appropriate approaches to understand parent-child relationship among these communities.