Gay Parents Research Articles

Father–child bonding and mental health in gay fathers using cross-border surrogacy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research questionWhat are the psychological implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for father–child bonding and mental health among Italian gay fathers pursuing surrogacy in the USA or Canada? DesignBetween 20 March and 29 July 2020, this cross-sectional case–control study collected data on father–child bonding quality, depression, anxiety and somatization in 30 Italian gay fathers (n=15 families) who were having or successfully had a child through cross-border surrogacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. These fathers were compared with a sociodemographically similar group of 50 Italian gay fathers (n=25 families) who had children through cross-border surrogacy prior to the pandemic. ResultsAlthough father–child bonding quality and the mental health symptoms of fathers scored below the clinical cut-off points in both groups, fathers who had or were having a child during the COVID-19 pandemic reported poorer father–child bonding (estimate 3.04, SE 1.47, P=0.044) and more depressive (estimate –1.47, SE 0.49, P=0.005), anxious (estimate –1.96, SE 0.55, P<0.001) and somatic symptoms (estimate –2.48, SE 0.52, P<0.001). ConclusionsThe findings call for the development of international guidelines for cross-border surrogacy and underline the need for tailored and ongoing psychological and legal support for intended gay fathers to ease their strain and anxiety related to having a child through cross-border surrogacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early Pension Claiming and Expected Longevity: A Register-Based Study on the Take-up of the Partial Old-Age Pension in Finland

Abstract As of February 2017, Finns have been able to claim a partial old-age pension early at age 61 independent of their working hours or earnings. Focusing on the take-up of the partial old-age pension in Finland, this article investigates whether early pension claiming is associated with expected longevity. We assume parental longevity to signal expected longevity. We use total register data on those eligible to claim a partial pension at age 61 in 2018 or 2019 and link this data to the information on their parents’ birth and death dates. To our knowledge, there exists no previous register-based study that uses parental longevity to explain pension claiming behavior. Since the longevity of the same-sex parent in particular influences subjective life expectancy, the variables of interest were the same-sex parent being alive and the age (at death) of the same-sex parent. The baseline results show a negative connection between the same-sex parent being alive and claiming. The connection disappears after controlling for gender, but the negative connection between the age (at death) of the same-sex parent and the claiming remains significant in a fully adjusted model. Known risk factors for shorter longevity, such as being male, having a lower income and wealth, also increase the likelihood of claiming. The results indicate that people take their expected longevity into account when making pension claiming decisions. This may hold critical implications for actuarial neutrality, the key assumption of the pension system design, and can lead to an unexpected increase in public pension expenditure.

Stuck under the Rainbow? Gay Parents' Experiences with Transnational Surrogacy and Family Formation in Times of COVID-19 Lockdown

Scientific progress in the medical field has contributed to the realisation of becoming parents by people who have previously been naturally excluded from procreation and parenthood, such as older, non-fertile, and homosexual persons and couples. However, depending on specific national regulations, possible pathways to becoming parents are different and often reserved only for some categories of people. This is the case, for example, in Italy, where it is more difficult for homosexual people to have a family than it is for others, since national legislation prohibits homosexuals from using any form of third-party reproduction. Consequently, many Italian same-sex couples turn to agencies abroad to realise their desire to have children, giving rise to transnational practices of family formation. The COVID-19 pandemic and severe lockdown policies have exacerbated some critical aspects of this transnational system of access to parenting. To fight the spread of coronavirus, national governments have placed limits on mobility and, consequently, also placed limits on transnational practices and trajectories of family formation. The specific aim of this paper is to provide insights into the experiences of some gay Italian fathers-to-be who have been blocked in their transnational family formation projects because of coronavirus lockdown measures. The focus lies on how these men reacted to feeling “stuck” and seeing their plans of receiving and/or bringing home their children suddenly foiled by the lockdown measures. Particular attention is paid to how these men coped with exacerbated challenges in the transnational practices of reproduction and family formation.

Differences in Perinatal Outcomes of Birthing People in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages.

It is unknown whether people in same-sex relationships who give birth have different perinatal outcomes than people in different-sex relationships, despite differences in risk factors such as use of assisted reproductive technologies, obesity, smoking, and poor mental health. Marriage equality has established birth certificates as a promising new source of population-based data on births to same-sex married parents. We used birth certificate data from Massachusetts for 201,873 singletons born to married parents from 2012 to 2016. We estimated the associations of several birth outcomes with having a birth parent in a same-sex marriage using propensity score-matched and -unmatched samples. We also tested whether these associations were modified by the use of assisted reproductive technologies. People in same-sex marriages who gave birth had perinatal outcomes related to decreased fetal growth and preterm birth that were similar to those of their peers in different-sex marriages. Use of assisted reproductive technology was associated with decreased fetal growth and increased risk of preterm birth for infants with different-sex parents but not for infants with same-sex parents. More research is needed across other states and to understand why use of assisted reproductive technology is not a risk factor for poor birth outcomes for those in same-sex marriages.

The Impact of Internalized Stigma on LGBT Parenting and the Importance of Health Care Structures: A Qualitative Study.

Research on LGBTIQ+ families has focused on the effects of being in a diverse family on the development of children. We seek to show the experience of parenthood from the perspective of LGBTIQ+ people, considering its particularities and the role that health care services play as a potential support network. We used the biographical method through open-ended interviews, participants were LGBT people, and key informants from Chile, Colombia, and Mexico were selected based on a sociostructural sampling. We found that internalized stigma impacts LGBTIQ+ parenting in five ways: the impossibility of thinking of oneself as a parent, fear of violating children’s rights, fear of passing on the stigma, fear of introducing their LGBTIQ+ partner, and the greater discrimination that trans and intersex people suffer. We identified gaps in health care perceptions: the need to guarantee universal access to health care, the need to include a gender perspective and inclusive treatment by health personnel, mental health programs with a community approach, access to assisted fertilization programs, and the generation of collaborative alliances between health services, civil society organizations, and the LGBTIQ+ community. We conclude that the health system is a crucial space from which to enable guarantees for the exercise of rights and overcome internalized stigma.

Childless Bisexual and Gay Men’s Expectations of Obstacles and Enabling Factors for Pursuing Parenthood

This article concerns childless bisexual and gay men’s expectations of potential future fatherhood. Social context, biological prerequisites and legal restrictions have in previous research proven to be complicating factors in the process of starting a family. This article investigates the experience of 14 bisexual and gay men in Sweden who are contemplating parenthood. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methodology, resulting in a model that identified obstructing and enabling factors in realizing future parenthood. The path to parenthood was seen as a process containing both the decision to pursue parenthood and the belief that parenthood was a possibility. The process toward parthood was not linear, but a pendular movement, affected by obstructing factors and enabling factors. One of the main findings was the experience of invisibility in relation to involuntary childlessness amongst bisexual and gay men. Simultaneously, the possibility to break this invisibility, to become a parental role model for other bisexual and gay men, and to revise images of the nuclear family were strong motivating factors. The findings are discussed in relation to Swedish gay men and fathers’ social situation.

Is the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Doing Enough to Protect the Rights of LGBT Children and Children with Same-Sex Parents?

Abstract Children often face discrimination, bullying and even violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, as do children raised by parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). This article considers what the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is doing to protect the rights of LGBT children and children with LGBT parents. To make such an assessment, this article critically analyses the Committee’s Concluding Observations over a 10-year period, its General Comments and its Views on Individual Communications. The conclusion reached is that while the Committee has made encouraging progress in recent years when it comes to addressing LGBT related issues, there is still room for improvement in the way the Committee seeks to protect children from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“This is Our Family”: LGBTQ Family Narratives in Online NCAA D-I Coaching Biographies

ABSTRACT Intercollegiate sport in the US is known to be heteronormative, heterosexist, and often an unwelcoming space for LGBTQ individuals, including coaches. A decade ago, scholars documented the scarcity of LGBTQ family narratives in online coaching biographies on athletics Web sites. In the years following, a socio-cultural and legal shift occurred pertaining to LGBTQ rights and visibility in the US. This study extends and replicates Calhoun et al.’s research by examining family narratives of a sample of all NCAA Division-I head coaches of women’s teams (N = 3601). Data collected in 2018 as part of the annual Women in College Coaching Report Card™ illustrated despite socio-cultural changes, very few (n = 18, .05%) online biographies included a same-sex family narratives—all were women. Eleven of the 18 head coaches were interviewed, and Erving Goffman’s work was employed to theoretically ascertain why and how these women managed identities, stigma, enacted power, and performed character, namely courage. Implications and future research are offered.

COVID-19 and Color-Blind Racism

Same-sex parents, how police harassment affects adolescent mental health, and unequal distribution of household labor. New research from the journals.

Children Are Human

There are great benefits to be had should the United States, one of the global leaders in economic strength and political power, ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”). The mystery of the United States’s ultimate reluctance to ratify the CRC, despite the nation’s central role in the drafting process, has been interrogated for years. Scholars and policy- makers have developed compelling narratives regarding obstacles to the United States’s ratification and implementation of the CRC. However well- reasoned the arguments for ratification are, there has been little progress in persuading the United States to ratify the CRC. While the work toward ratification should continue on every level, informal implementation before ratification would be advantageous and in line with historical methods of reform in the United States. One area that has been over- looked to the advantage of minority and vulnerable populations is domestic relations courts in the United States. In the United States, children’s rights advocacy work should be conducted like cause advocacy for historically disfavored groups to achieve legal recognition and protection of their rights. For example, parenting equality efforts were primarily focused on creating change in individual courts over time, allowing advocates to teach judicial officers and other legal decision-makers about positive outcomes for children of lesbian and gay parents while dispelling myths, misperceptions, and negative stereotypes about sexual minorities. Similarly, other disfavored parents, like working mothers, religious, and racial minorities, have used individual court cases to advocate and educate until new, progressive norms are adopted as national standards. Advocates for children’s rights should adopt institutional change theory and tailor cause advocacy efforts to implement the CRC principles in local domestic relations courts. Focusing on change from within institutions may shift legal norms more quickly, so children are recognized as fully human and thus rights holders in the United States, rather than relying on external legislative changes.

Experiences of gay fathers with implementing their parental rights and child care

Experiences of gay fathers with implementing their parental rights and child care

RAZVOJ DJECE U ISTOSPOLNIM OBITELJIMA – ČINJENICE, PREDRASUDE I ULOGA DRUŠTVA

DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN IN SAME-SEX FAMILIES – FACTS, PREJUDICES AND THE ROLE OF SOCIETY Changes in the family structure which have been present in recent decades generated new forms of families, among which are same-sex families. These changes are mainly not accompanied by the same speed of changes in society through a change of the system of values, public perceptions and policies. Many same-sex couples raise children who were born in previous heterosexual relationships, realise parenthood through different reproduction techniques, and in some societies, which are more modern and mature than ours and which are pro-European and western oriented, adoption of children by same-sex couples was already legitimized a long time ago. A series of research studies connected to same-sex families and parenthood was conducted to date. The results of most scientific studies have shown that there are no significant changes between children who grow up in heterosexual unions and those who grow up in same-sex unions related to their mental and physical well-being, social competencies, behavioural adjustment, gender identity and role, sexual orientation, social relations and academic achievement. It seems that family processes, quality of parenthood and quality of the parent-child relationship influence the developmental outcomes far more than the family structure does. The influence of stigmatization seems to be controversial as the results are contradictory. The influence of stigmatization is negatively connected to mental health and quality of life of same-sex couples. In spite of that, their children develop into healthy persons in the homophobic society they grow up in. Nevertheless, society burdened by stereotypes and prejudice represents a certain social risk for same-sex families. Opposing scientific research which shows very few noticeable differences between the children of same-sex and heterosexual couples to social beliefs that are not based on scientific facts is important for the social survival of these different families. Scientific literature should be the only relevant factor in designing policies that position same-sex families within a wider social context. It is precisely due to this that this paper provides an overview of scientific research studies that are focused on the potential influences of same-sex unions on the children’s growing up,with an emphasis on the sexual and psychosocial development of the children. The presented results should form a basis for all discussions about the influence of same-sex parenthood on children and only they are relevant for policy-making based on scientific facts.

The Attribution of Parental Competence to Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Couples: Experimental and Correlational Results

ABSTRACT This research examined the impact of sexual orientation on heterosexuals’ judgment of parental competence. Using a vignette approach, Study 1 presented participants with a lesbian, gay, or heterosexual couple who desired to have a child, either as adoptive parents or, in an additional heterosexual target condition, as biological parents. Study 2 presented a lesbian, gay, or heterosexual parent couple; heterosexual targets were either adoptive parents, reflecting the LG target conditions, or biological parents. Contradicting Hypothesis 1, neither target sexual orientation nor way to parenthood (with the latter varied in the heterosexual target condition only) had an impact on parental competence attributions. Confirming Hypothesis 2, participants with personal contact with lesbian and gay (LG) people provided higher ratings of LG target parental competence, mediated by positive attitudes toward homosexuality. Importantly, this mediation did not occur in the heterosexual target condition, corroborating the specificity of the intergroup contact effect.

Factors associated with behavioral adjustment among school-age children of gay and heterosexual single fathers through surrogacy.

Thirty-one children of gay single fathers and 28 children of heterosexual single fathers, all born through surrogacy, were compared with 31 children of gay partnered fathers through surrogacy and 30 children of heterosexual partnered fathers through in-vitro fertilization on their perceptions of self-worth and their father- and caregiver-reported internalizing and externalizing behaviors. For children of single fathers, the study also examined associations between aspects related to their surrogacy conception, feelings about their family arrangement, and behavioral adjustment. All children (47.5% girls) were aged 6-12 years (Mmonths = 97.84, SD = 20.50) and living in Italy; all fathers (Myears = 43.79; SD = 6.42) identified as cisgender, reported a medium-to-high socioeconomic status, and were White (with the exception of one gay partnered father). No differences were found across the four family groups in any behavioral outcome, with children demonstrating, on average, high levels of self-worth and low levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. In single-father families, regardless of the father's sexual orientation, children with a weaker understanding of surrogacy, lower satisfaction with their contact with the gestational carrier, and lower comfort with their family arrangement were associated with more externalizing problems. Furthermore, children's female gender and lower satisfaction with their contact with the gestational carrier were associated with more internalizing problems, whereas children's male gender and greater understanding of surrogacy were associated with higher self-worth. Taken together, these findings do not support the commonly held assumption that the combination of surrogacy conception and single fatherhood is detrimental for children's behavioral adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Academic Achievement of Children in Same- and Different-Sex-Parented Families: A Population-Level Analysis of Linked Administrative Data From the Netherlands.

Although numerous studies have examined how children raised in same-sex-parented families fare relative to children in different-sex-parented families, this body of work suffers from major methodological shortcomings. By leveraging linked administrative data from several population registers from the Netherlands covering the 2006-2018 period (n = 1,454,577), we overcome most methodological limitations affecting earlier research. The unique features of the data include complete population coverage, reliable identification of same-sex-parented families, a large number of children in same-sex-parented families (n = 3,006), multiple objective and verifiable educational outcomes, and detailed measures of family dynamics over children's entire life courses. The results indicate that children in same-sex-parented families outperform children in different-sex-parented families on multiple indicators of academic performance, including standardized tests scores, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment. Such advantages extend to both male and female children, and are more pronounced among children in female than male same-sex-parented families. These findings challenge deficit models of same-sex parenting.

Can Social Desirability Be Detected Statistically at the Macro-Sociological Level?

While a few have argued that social science has been subject to progressive biases, others have discounted such ideas. However, no one has yet performed empirical tests over a large range of studies for such possible bias, which we label macro-level social desirability (MLSD). Combining the results from fifty-nine empirical studies that assessed rates of nonheterosexuality among children of same-sex parents, we found that the higher the maximum rates reported, the less likely those reports were to have been cited in Google Scholar by counts or by annual rate, which may reflect MLSD. However, after several statistical controls, the association for counts became non-significant, while the association for rates became stronger, although the effect sizes were in a moderate (d = .28 or higher) to large range (d, up to .68) by either analysis. Generally, research quality acted as a suppressor variable for MLSD but was significantly related to both counts and rates of citations, indicating that higher quality articles were more likely to have been cited, even controlling for the number of years since first publication. Higher quality articles were slightly more likely to report higher rates of nonheterosexuality among children of same-sex parents. We discuss implications of our findings and suggest future directions of research.

The Motherhood Experiences of Non-Birth Mothers in Same-Sex Parent Families

In this qualitative study, we explored the experiences of non-birth mothers whose child(ren) were planned and conceived within their same-sex relationship. We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 14 participants in Ireland. We transcribed the interviews verbatim and analyzed the data using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Our findings comprised three superordinate themes: A Question of Recognition, An Insecure Connection, and Carving Your Own Way and related subordinate themes. Motherhood experiences were characterized by resilience and vulnerability in parenting their children without legal parental rights and within a heteronormative society that privileged biological motherhood. The dynamic relationship between seeking connection and seeking legitimacy that is at the heart of the participants’ experiences of motherhood is highlighted. Participants encountered challenges to their maternal legitimacy within their families and communities and in their interactions with legal and social institutions. Participants described using various strategies to reinforce their parental identity. Despite the challenges, participants were engaged in constructing satisfying parenting roles. The findings highlight the importance of legitimizing the parental identity of non-birth mothers. Therapists should be sensitive to the additional marginalization of non-birth mothers in same-sex parent families. Validating their vulnerability and their resilience in the face of obstacles may enhance their coping resources. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843211003072

Spirituality and Religious Engagement, Community Involvement, Outness, and Family Support: Influence on LGBT+ Muslim Well-Being

ABSTRACT The current study utilized data from the Social Justice Sexuality Project to investigate influences on psychological well-being of LGBT+ Muslims (N = 75) in the United States. Specifically, path analyses were used to examine the association between spiritual and religious engagement, LGBT community involvement, outness, and family support with psychological well-being. Control variables included lifespan Islam involvement, age, income, and the age at which the participant came out to themselves. Findings illustrate spiritual and religious engagement, outness, and income were all positively related to psychological well-being. Moreover, individuals who had converted to Islam but were not raised in the faith had significantly lower psychological well-being than those who had a consistent experience with Islam from their childhood until the time of the study. The present investigation provides critical contributions to the study of gender and sexual minorities in the United States and the experiences of currently practicing LGBT+ Muslims and those who were raised Muslim. Clinical implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Change and Stability in Public Beliefs About Same-Sex Family Rights in Norway in 2008, 2013, and 2017

IntroductionIn Norway, legal measures securing equal marriage and parenting rights for same- and different-sex couples took effect on January 1, 2009. The aim of this study was to assess Norwegian public beliefs about lesbian and gay family rights in the period of 2008–2017.MethodsThree nationwide surveys representing the adult Norwegian population were conducted with a time series design (data collected in 2008, 2013, and 2017, n = 1246, 1250, and 1250, respectively) utilizing Web-based questionnaires.ResultsOver the 9-year period, there was a decline in negative beliefs about lesbian and gay parenting and marriage rights and gradually less concern about children growing up with same-sex parents, more so for men than for women. Beliefs about equal parenting rights remained more negative than beliefs about equal marriage rights. At all points in time, concern for children’s welfare was the strongest predictor of beliefs about equal parenting rights for same- and different-sex couples, and for all points in time, being older contributed to the explained variance.ConclusionsWe discuss how the findings may relate to policy developments concerning LGBTI rights in Norway. LGBTI rights have gained increasingly significant symbolic value in the public domain, and we suggest that it is productive to reflect on findings in relation to new landscapes of political and public discourse in Norway and Europe.Social Policy ImplicationsThe results reveal contemporary supportive public opinion regarding LGBTI family rights, which currently gives lawmakers a foundation for further institutionalizing LGBTI rights in domains such as in schools at every level and in institutions offering family support and counseling. However, there is also a need for political awareness of emerging discourses linking questions on same-sex family rights to broader divisive sociopolitical processes.

Title: Intimate Partner Violence: The Moderating Role of Personality Trait and Religion.

Objective: Intimate partner violence which is an aspect of family violence has most often than not affected peaceful family growth across the world, while it is largely portrayed that men are the sole perpetrators of IPV and women its victims. Statistics across countries in America, Asia, Europe and Africa have shown men to be victims as well, both in heterosexual and homosexual family, thus IPV can be perpetrated by both sexes just as they can also be victims. This study therefore assessed the moderating role of personality trait and religion on intimate partner violence in heterosexual relationship.&#x0D; Methods: Using a mixed method, 384 residents of Uyo metropolis were surveyed and 10 in-depth interviews was conducted among Psychology and Sociology lecturers from the University of Uyo Akwa Ibom state. The big five factor model served as its theoretical orientation. The big five personality inventory, religious orientation test and intimate partner violence propensity scale were used in generating data. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Chi square test was used to test relationships while their long-run influence was ascertained using multiple and binary logistics linear regression analysis.&#x0D; Result: Findings show that majority of the respondents have abused their partners physically or psychologically. Findings show personality traits and religion as independent and joint predictors of intimate partner violence.&#x0D; Conclusion: It is recommended that clinicians, psychiatrists among other related professionals should always consider personality traits and religion when dealing with issues on IPV.