I have a certain... reluctance to carry RL issues into fandom. For example, the common fanon that Jack is an avid hockey fan owes a lot more to RDA and his preferences than anything we saw on the show. Although I'm certainly intrigued to discover that AT's middle name is Samantha!

I do agree that Sam, at this point, might not be wholly certain that her father completely accepts her. OTOH, there is no canon to support the suggestion that Sam has been chasing that approval all her life - at least I can't think of any!

All this speculation is clearly an indication that it's high time for a new canon vs. fanon. Let's hope I can manage it soon. :) In any case, thanks for a fun discussion!