Chapter Three - LGB-Parent Families: The Current State of the Research and Directions for the Future
Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the research on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) parenting, with attention to theoretical and empirical advances, controversies, and gaps in this area. Over the past few decades, the issue of LGB parenting has grown more visible, both nationally (i.e., within the United States) and internationally. Once a topic that received marginal attention by news outlets, LGB parenting is now featured regularly in mainstream media (e.g., Saint Louis, 2013). Alongside this increased visibility, research on the experiences of LGB parents and their children has grown. Yet this research, while providing insight into many aspects of LGB family life, has been somewhat limited in focus and scope. Namely, the populations that have been studied, the areas under investigation, and the conclusions that have been drawn warrant a critical perspective, which we attempt to bring in this chapter.
In the following sections, we address (a) family building by LGB people, (b) the transition to parenthood for LGB parents, and (c) functioning and experiences of LGB parents and their children. Throughout our discussion of these subtopics, we highlight key areas that future research should aim to answer, such as how recent changes in laws and policies affect LGB-parent families, and how race, ethnicity, social class, and region of residence interface with sexual minority status.
Section snippets
Family Building by LGB People
Given the growing attention to LGB parenting, it is not surprising that research has explored the issue of how sexual minorities become parents: that is, what family-building routes they choose and their experiences with these varied routes. Indeed, sexual minorities build families in a variety of ways. First, many sexual minorities become parents in the context of heterosexual relationships; that is, they become parents before coming out as LGB (Tasker, 2013). Other LGB people become parents
The Transition to Parenthood
What happens when LGB people become parents? Hundreds of studies have examined the issue of the transition to parenthood for heterosexual, biological-parent families (e.g., Kohn et al., 2012, McKenzie and Carter, 2013), yet little research has addressed how sexual minorities experience this key life transition. Over the past two decades, however, inroads have been made in this area. Despite the challenges of recruiting participants before they become parents, several large-scale research
LGB-Parent Families’ Functioning and Experiences
Of interest, of course, is what happens beyond the transition to parenthood for LGB couples and families. A growing body of research has focused on parent, child, and family functioning within LGB-parent households. This research has in part been motivated, and has served to dispel, concerns about the potentially negative impact of growing up with LGB parents (see Goldberg, 2010). The fact that this research was initially motivated by efforts to determine whether lesbian mothers’ sexual
Conclusions
Studies on LGB parenting have grown in number and scope over the past several decades. Findings are consistent in suggesting that despite confronting heterosexism in a variety of social contexts—including the health care system, the legal system, and the school system—LGB parents and their children are functioning quite well.
The research on LGB parenting, however, is characterized by a variety of sampling- and methodological-related problems. As reviewed extensively by Goldberg (2010) and other
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