The Intersection of Multiple Minority Identities: Perspectives of White Lesbian Couples Adopting Racial/Ethnic Minority Children

Abstract

In order to analyse the salience of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and adoptive status for lesbian adoptive parents, this study examined the challenges and strengths described by 20 White lesbian couples (40 women) who were adopting racial/ethnic minority children from within the United States. Data from two time points (pre‐ and post‐adoptive placement) were analysed qualitatively. Results indicated that the majority of women voiced concerns about raising racial/ethnic minority children in a ‘White privileged’ society. Many women reported facing a lack of understanding from others and were aware of multiple layers of stigma. However, having faced discrimination themselves as sexual minorities, many also perceived themselves as possessing unique strengths (e.g., experience coping with stigma). Many women expressed feeling that by drawing on support from their communities as well as their own awareness of and experience with diversity issues, they could prepare their children for the challenges they might face.

Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents’ Socialization Approaches to Children’s Minority Statuses

“…We found that LG parents were more likely to take an engaged or cautious approach to racial socialization, and less likely to be avoidant around discussions of race, compared with heterosexual parents. Furthermore, among parents who described an engaged approach, LG parents were more likely to describe participating in "positive race talk" than heterosexual parents, perhaps because they have come to experience their own sexual minority status as a source of positive difference, and may generalize this view to seeing other sources of differences (e.g., race) as a source of pride, leading them to engage in more intensive socialization around these differences (Richardson & Goldberg, 2010). Furthermore, despite reporting some anxiety about not fitting in or facing homophobia when intersecting with communities of color, LG parents were also more likely than heterosexual parents to describe a commitment to fostering connections with communities of color.…”

“…Both same-sex and heterosexual couples who adopt tend to be non-Latino White, whereas the children they adopt are often of color (Kreider & Lofquist, 2014). Transracial adoption is particularly common among White same-sex couples (Goldberg, 2009), possibly in part because they view themselves as having unique strengths (e.g., exposure to stigma) that will help them to empathize with children of color (Richardson & Goldberg, 2010).…”

Hegemonic Heteronormativity: Toward a New Era of Queer Family Theory

“…Most of these scholarly works (78%) cited Oswald et al (2005) only to define key constructs (e.g., heteronormativity, queering; Dietert & Dentice, 2013;Goldberg & Scheib, 2015;Kuvalanka, Weiner, & Russell, 2013;Lynch & Maree, 2013;Richardson & Goldberg, 2010;Suter & Daas, 2007) or to describe characteristics of the environment in which the study was conducted (e.g., heteronormativity in U.S. society ;Cao, Mills-Koonce, Wood, & Fine, 2016;Sharp & Ganong, 2011;Suter & Toller, 2006;Toomey, Card, & Casper, 2014) or the field of family science more broadly (Allen, 2016;Few-Demo, 2014;Sharp, Zvonkovic, Humble, & Radina, 2014). Importantly, many of these pieces provide empirical evidence supporting the queering processes proposed by Oswald and colleagues (e.g., Berkowitz, 2013;Cohen & Kuvalanka, 2011;Goldberg, 2007b;Goldberg & Allen, 2007;Goldberg, Downing, & Sauck, 2008;Goldberg & Smith, 2015;Hickey & Grafsky, 2016;Oswald & Masciadrelli, 2008;Toomey, McGuire, & Russell, 2012).…”

Identity Transformation During the Transition to Parenthood Among Same‐Sex Couples: An Ecological, Stress‐Strategy‐Adaptation Perspective

“…For example, Moore () found that Black lesbian mothers emphasized financial independence, labor‐work participation, and shared provider role more than shared child care, which was very different from White, middle‐class lesbian parents' egalitarian ideology, characterized as shared paid work, shared housework, and shared child care. In addition, it is noteworthy that children younger than 18 living with same‐sex couples are more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities (Gates, ), which suggests that it might be necessary to investigate the parenthood experiences of White same‐sex couples who adopt racial/ethnic‐minority children (Richardson & Goldberg, ).…”