“Life is already hard enough”: Lesbian and gay adoptive parents’ experiences and concerns after the 2016 presidential election.

Abstract

The 2016 U.S. presidential election was an especially difficult election for many Americans, particularly individuals with one or more marginalized identities. This qualitative study explores the experiences of sexual minority adoptive parents (n = 50), many of whom were members of multiracial families. Parents completed an online survey 2-3 weeks after the November 2016 presidential election, and 2.5 months later (1-2 weeks after the January 2017 inauguration). Through an integrated minority stress and intersectional theory lens, we examined participants' emotional responses to this stressful, ambiguous political event, their perceptions of how immediate and extended family relationships shifted during the election and its aftermath, and how they coped with stress, including relationship stress, exacerbated by the election and the political climate. Most participants reported experiencing negative emotions such as fear/ anxiety, anger, and sadness upon learning the outcome of the election. Many participants reported that the election impacted family dynamics, including conflict with extended family, partners, or children. Adoptive sexual minority parents coped in a variety of ways, including by pursuing activism, connecting with others, and disengaging from thinking about the election. These findings have implications for how mental health care providers may support adoptive sexual minority parent families to cope with stressful political events.

Perceived Impact of the Parental Rights in Education Act (“Don’t Say Gay”) on LGBTQ+ Parents in Florida

“…Although the consequences of the Parental Rights in Education Act were still uncertain, insomuch as the participants were surveyed during the summer, the fact that it was accompanied by an increasingly hostile sociopolitical context across the state was enough to create fear, anger, disbelief, and sadness. Such emotional responses echo prior work on how LGBTQ+ parents responded to the election of President Trump (Gabriele-Black et al, 2021), but differ in that the parents in this study were generally not surprised by the Parental Rights in Education Act, in that it fell in line with many other recent legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ people and families (Abreu et al, 2021a). It also differs in that, contrary to prior work on LGBTQ+ people’s responses to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, parents’ concerns were mostly centered on their children, and, secondarily, their families: indeed, the Parental Rights in Education Act is centrally focused on the daily learning environment of children (Kline et al, 2022).…”

“…During the campaigns associated with marriage amendments in the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people reported hopelessness, anger, fear, and distress (Flores et al, 2018), although some also maintained hope that legislative setbacks would be overcome and equality would prevail (Rostosky et al, 2010). Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation as it relates to LGBTQ+ people’s mental health has been studied most recently in relation to Donald Trump’s presidential election and administration (Brown & Keller, 2018; Gabriele-Black et al, 2021; Gonzalez et al, 2022; Price et al, 2021). Trump implemented many policies that instantiated and reinforced LGBTQ+-related discrimination, creating minority stress for LGBTQ+ people, which manifested as increased symptoms of anxiety and depression; specific worries about employment protections, healthcare access, and the rollback of civil rights; as well as a general sense of unease, fear, and lack of safety (Brown & Keller, 2018; Gabriele-Black et al, 2021; Price et al, 2021; Radis & Nadan, 2021).…”

“…LGBTQ+ people and parents specifically may cope with the minority stress that is created by discriminatory legislation and hostile climates in a variety of ways, in part depending on their existing resources, and their immediate and broader context. Common coping responses include seeking support, self-care, activism, looking toward the future (i.e., hope), and avoidance (e.g., of the media, people, and spaces that amplify feelings of oppression and associated negative mood; Abreu et al, 2021a; Brown & Keller, 2018; Gabriele-Black et al, 2021; Gonzalez et al, 2022). Participating in and seeking support from the LGBTQ+ community, as well as activism and advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, may also represent aspects of collective action that promote resilience and mitigate the relationship between discrimination and mental health (Breslow et al, 2015; DeBlaere et al, 2019; Scheadler et al, 2022).…”

LGBTQ parent concerns and parent–child communication about the Parental Rights in Education Bill (“Don't Say Gay”) in Florida

“…One study found that LG parents were more likely than heterosexual parents to talk to school administrators if their children were being victimized (Goldberg & Garcia, 2020). In addition to advocating for greater inclusivity and acceptance within their children's schools, LGBTQ parents also talk to their children about heterosexism and homophobia and also teach them to advocate for themselves (Gabriele‐Black et al, 2021; Ollen & Goldberg, 2015).…”

“Things Will Get Worse Before They Get Better”: LGBTQ + People’s Reactions to the 2020 US Presidential Election

“…Structural stigma in the form of public policies and associated political discourse impacts the social relationships of LGBTQ + people, contributing to relationship strain and loneliness (Anderson et al, 2020 ; Doyle & Molix, 2015 ; Gabriele-Black et al, 2021 ), lower relationship satisfaction with significant others (Frost & Fingerhut, 2016 ), and increased arguments with co-workers and family members (Brown & Keller, 2018 ). However, when surrounded by supportive others, experiences of structural stigma can lead to deepened feelings of closeness and openness to discuss one’s sexual orientation (Maisel & Fingerhut, 2011 ), and increased resilience within LGBTQ + communities via increased community contact (Russell & Richards, 2003 ).…”