Abstract
A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SINGLE, GAY ADOPTIVE FATHERS A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University By John D. Matthews, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004 Major Director: Elizabeth P. Cramer, Ph.D. This qualitative study expands the existing literature on fatherhood, single parents, and gay and lesbian adoption to include the unique experiences of single, gay men who became adoptive parents after “coming out,” or establishing a gay identity. To illustrate these unique and common experiences, individual ethnographic interviews were conducted with 16 fathers residing throughout the United States, as well as internationally. Specifically, this study explored the participants’ experiences through their reflections of the adoption process, and through their experiences after the family was established. The participants had experiences to those found in previous studies on gay and lesbian adoption and gay fathers, as well as possessed unique strengths, including tenacity and resiliency. Of particular importance are the strategies that each participant
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