Learning from African American Lesbian Mothers about Conducting Research

Radis, Brie; Sands, Roberta G.

doi:10.1080/1550428x.2020.1823292

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Was there a process for selecting the participants whose voices are represented in this book? What barriers to recruitment and access were experienced (see Radis & Sands, 2021)? Patton‐Imani did provide information that situated her in her work; however, I believe knowing more about Patton‐Imani's positionality would better help readers explore their own positionality to what they learn and produce.…”

Section: Critiquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Queering family trees: Race, reproductive justice, and lesbian motherhood by Sandra Patton‐Imani

Mitchell

2022

J of Family Theo & Revie

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Parenting is no easy feat. I am not a parent, but I am part of a family and a family scientist, so I understand how it can be full of rewarding experiences among so many challenges. Internal familial interactions should be considered of course in understanding why and how families "do family", but so too must the societal and institutional contexts in which families exist, especially, those families at the margins, who are often invisible. Author Sandra Patton-Imani uses an intersectional and narrative framework to share the experiences of lesbian and queer mothers across the nation from varied family structures, race/ethnicities, and social classes in Queering Family Trees: Race, Reproductive Justice, and Lesbian Motherhood. Through her analysis of her interviewees' and her own experiences in queer mothering, I was able to reflect on my own experiences (e.g., assumptions, challenges, and privileges) of living as a queer woman of color in the United States; on inequities inherent in our society around family formation, protection, and belonging; and on the importance of reflexive qualitative scholarship in family science.In Patton-Imani's introduction, she recounts an experience at her Des Moines, Iowa YMCA. It was 2002, and she and her wife had been going there for a year without incident, always scanning in with their membership cards under their family account. One day, they forgot the cards, and needed the woman at the front desk to sign them in. Upon seeing a Black woman with the same last name as a White woman, the receptionist questioned the legitimacy of their "family." They were not allowed back to the YMCA after the end of the prepaid month. They had violated that particular YMCA's policy about who "counted" as a family, which mirrored the Iowa state and U.S. law at the time-not allowing or recognizing same-sex unions. From 2004 to 2010 Patton-Imani interviewed queer mothers with similar stories of discrimination, invisibility, and illegitimacy. Whereas she provides no official sample description, the book is filled with the diverse voices of several families and comparisons of experiences by race/ethnicity and class. Patton-Imani's introduction continues with a preview of important concepts such as marriage as assimilation or resistance and the examination of intersectionality in LGBTQ+ family-making processes and policies (e.g., welfare, immigration, and adoption) that often leave out queer mothers of color.Chapters 1 through 3 more thoroughly introduce us to the ways in which citizenship and belonging are denied to many LGBTQ+ mothers and how adoption, assisted reproduction, marriage, and choice are inherently impacted by systems of power, privilege, and oppression. In these early chapters, we are also presented with Patton-Imani's theoretical framework and methodology. She explains that "an allegorical reading, grounded in a critical intersectional approach, provides a useful lens through which to discuss the deep complexities and contradictions between the stories coming from these different sites"...

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Section: Critiquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Queering family trees: Race, reproductive justice, and lesbian motherhood by Sandra Patton‐Imani

Mitchell

2022

J of Family Theo & Revie

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“…In the case of our research, it appeared essential to recognize that lesbian and/or queer mothers do not constitute a homogeneous group and that they can belong to various ethnocultural groups and/or classes. They may also display/perform their gender identity in multiple ways, with some being seen as more “masculine” than others and some being perceived as “straight passing” mothers, based on a more normative expression of their femininity (Butler, 2005; Radis & Sands, 2020). These variable identifications (to name just a few) were essential factors in the analysis of our research, as they allowed us to better understand the intersection of simultaneous privileges and oppressions that these women may encounter in their lives.…”

Section: Theoretical and Analytical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesbian and queer non‐birthing mothers in France, Switzerland, and Québec: Differentiated access to reproductive rights

Chbat

Côté

2022

Sexuality Gender & Policy

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The last few decades have seen legal, social, and scientific discourses on lesbian-parent families change dramatically. Although they had been subject to complete exclusion, these families are increasingly being included in several countries. However, this inclusion varies depending on the national context, which is particularly significant in terms of legal recognition. This article reports on the results of research that looked at the experiences of motherhood in lesbian-parent families, specifically the experiences of lesbian/queer and/or trans non-birthing parents in three different national contexts, namely, Québec, France, and Switzerland. As mothers in Switzerland and France do not necessarily benefit from legal recognition of their parental status from the birth of their child (ren), this article will highlight the different strategies they put in place to articulate their motherhood. It will present the ways in which certain legal and social contexts reinforce biological motherhood to the detriment of the mother who has not given birth. In some cases, particularly during a separation of the couple, the mother who has not benefited from legal recognition of her parental status is restricted in her ability to claim her maternity because of a legislative framework that prioritizes the biological mother. This comparative study allows us to better understand how lesbian non-birthing mothers living in different legal and social contexts think about

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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) People in Adult Education Journals: A Literature Review 2010–2022

Baumgartner,

Misawa,

Peyton

et al. 2023

Adult Learning

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This article reviews LGBTQ literature in US-based adult education journals and proceedings. Categories focused on workplace issues, identity, health, learning climate, educational methods, and research. Key themes included (1) harassment, isolation, and discrimination, (2) meaning-making in a heteronormative society, (3) a call for inclusion, and (4) education, training, and inclusive policies and acts. Based on the findings, implications for research and practice will be provided.

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Learning from African American Lesbian Mothers about Conducting Research

Cited by 4 publications

References 79 publications

Queering family trees: Race, reproductive justice, and lesbian motherhood by Sandra Patton‐Imani

Queering family trees: Race, reproductive justice, and lesbian motherhood by Sandra Patton‐Imani

Lesbian and queer non‐birthing mothers in France, Switzerland, and Québec: Differentiated access to reproductive rights

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) People in Adult Education Journals: A Literature Review 2010–2022

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