Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Families

Abstract

This article reviews new scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families. The past decade witnessed rapid expansion of data and strong research designs. The most notable advance was in studies on variation among mostly planned lesbian comother families. Cumulative evidence suggests that although many of these families have comparatively high levels of shared labor and parental investment, they may not be as “genderless” as previously depicted. Gay men's diverse paths to family formation and planned parenthood have also been explored, but almost no research studies their children's experiences. Conceptualizations of sexual orientation expanded to include bisexuals and others, and some understanding of the experiences of transgender people has begun to emerge. Future work should explore relationships among members of the families they create.

The “Persuadable Middle” on Same-Sex Marriage: Formative Research to Build Support among Heterosexual College Students

“…Campaigns that specifically highlight parallels between heterosexual couples and same-sex couples may encourage acceptance of same-sex relationships and potentially samesex marriage. Here, however we guard against presenting same-sex couples as just the same as heterosexual couples; we believe it will be important to represent some of the unique strengths of gay and lesbian couples in such campaigns (see Biblarz and Savci 2010).…”

Law and LGBQ-Parent Families

“…For instance, same-sex couples of color are much more likely to be raising children and are also more likely to be economically disadvantaged compared to their White counterparts (Moore and Brainer 2013); LGBQ parents are more likely to be economically disadvantaged compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Gates 2013); the regions with the highest percentage of same-sex couples raising children include the South and Midwest (Gates 2013); and the majority of LGBQ parents had their children in the context of a different-sex relationship (Goldberg et al 2013). Additionally, bisexual and transgender parents, along with polyamorous families are underrepresented in current research (Biblarz and Savci 2010) (for exceptions, see : Downing 2013;Pfeffer 2012;Ross and Dobinson 2013;Sheff 2010). Researchers should strive not only to include such diversity with regard to family structure and identity of parents in their sample, but also more clearly identify who is part of the sample in their publications (e.g., people in same-sex couples or people who identify as gay or bisexual).…”

A Tale of Two Mommies: (Re)Storying Family of Origin Narratives

“…Co-mother families are increasing in number (MAP, 2011) and in visibility. Thirty years of social scientific research presents a strong case for high levels of family functioning and positive parenting outcomes (Biblarz & Savci, 2010). Co-mothers and their children have been found to be resilient, demonstrating unique strengths (Suter, 2014).…”