Counterproductive Effects of Parental Consent in Research Involving LGBTTIQ Youth: International Research Ethics and a Study of a Transgender and Two-Spirit Community in Canada

This article offers an evidence-based argument for exempting the majority of LGBTTIQ youth from parental consent requirements in research studies. The argument is grounded in international research ethics principles and social science research studies of risks to the well-being of LGBTTIQ youth. A schema derived from consent concepts used in ethics frameworks in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States is presented for categorizing LGBTTIQ youth into three groups, each with different consent requirements: minors with parents or guardians who support their identity, emancipated minors, and mature minors. It is argued that regulatory frameworks should incorporate context-sensitive criteria for exemptions from parental consent requirements in order to avoid excluding LGBTTIQ young people from the benefits of research and to promote the advancement of knowledge about the issues affecting them.

Publication Date: 
2008
Pages: 
34-56
Volume: 
5
Issue: 
3
Journal Name: 
Journal of LGBT Youth
Location: 
Canada