Framing heterosexism in lesbian families: a preliminary examination of resilient coping<FNR>1</FNR><FN>Parts of this paper were presented as a poster for the New England Psychological Association annual conference (October, 2002), Nashua, New Hampshire, USA. </FN>

The goals of this study are to examine the kinds of difficulties children face vis-à-vis heterosexism, how families help their children cope with these difficulties, and how coping leads to children's resilience. The experiences of six daughters of lesbian parents, ranging in age from 7 to 16, were empirically investigated through semi-structured interviews with parents and children. Analysis included open and focused coding. Results suggest heterosexism is evident, but does not seem to negatively impact children's development. Themes include: how parents prepare their children to deal with heterosexism and how parents and children cope with incidents. Results elucidate the findings of previous studies, call for more qualitative research, and suggest future research directions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]