Lesbian and Gay Families

Question 1

Stresses

Answer 1

• Every form that gets filled out will ask for father and mother.
• The family will have to forever choose how to identify.
• we lack terms and lables and norms for relationships of this configuration.
• Non biological parents risk losing custody or even visitation rights.

Question 2

Benefits and Stresses of Openness

Answer 2

Benefits: ideal position to receive support, services and community, gives children the tools to approach their family’s differences in positive ways and cope with some who is negative.

• creates authenticity and genuine intimacy with family and friends
• school and medical personnel understand the nature of the child’s experience.

Stresses: exposure to homophobic insults, loss of support from extended family, loss of jobs or housing and even violence. loss of custody or visitation with child.
-Anxiety about all these possibilities.

Question 3

Closeted Gay and Lesbian Families

Answer 3

• may look like single parent family or nuclear heterosexual family.
• often the partner lives with parent and shares full time parenting responsibilities but does not get identified as parent or partner.
• child will not have tools to deal with homophobia beyond silence and avoidance.

Question 4

Gayby boom vs. families that started out from hetero couples

Answer 4

Different problems