Narrating self-identity in bisexual motherhood

Our qualitative study investigated the ways in which bisexual mothers came to identify as such and how their identity interconnected with their personal relationship and parenting histories within the social contexts they experienced. Eight women (ages 28 to 56 years old) who had experienced sexual relationships with both women and men over their life span were interviewed. At the time of their interview the participants were mothers to children of various ages from infancy to adulthood. A Labovian narrative analysis was conducted to highlight key points in their understanding of their sense of self in relation to particular social contexts and their story of how they came to identify as a bisexual mother or not. Our findings pointed to involvement in various self-identity projects that were variously integrated and resolved within their life course story, namely, the construction of a positive sexual identity and the development of a romantic relationship and the desire to parent. Our life course development study emphasized sexual self-identity as providing a source of agency and organization with respect to personal development in embracing or sidelining opportunities as these occurred or did not occur within changing social contexts over time

Gay men's Chemsex survival stories

Background: Chemsex (the combined use of drugs and sexual experiences) by MSM is associated with the transmission of STIs and BBVs, but psychosocial factors associated with chemsex engagement and remission remain unidentified. We considered: how do gay men self-identify a chemsex problem and remain chemsex free? Methods: Using a life course perspective this qualitative interview study examined participants’ reflections to discern pathways in and out of chemsex engagement. Six participants (aged 18 years and over) were drawn from a cohort of men who had completed the tailored therapeutic Structured Weekend Antidote Programme (SWAP), run by London based LGBT non-governmental organization London Friend. Transcripts were analysed using a Labovian narrative analysis framework. Results: Each man identified a multiplicity of incidents and feelings that contributed to their engagement in chemsex, and engagement in chemsex was connected to participants’ identity development and desire to belong to a gay community. Underlying individual accounts a common narrative suggested a process through which chemsex journeys were perceived as spiralling from exciting and self-exploratory incidents into an out of control high-risk activity that was isolating and prompted engagement with therapy. Despite seeking therapeutic engagement, participants’ expressed uncertainty about maintaining a gay future without chemsex. Conclusions: Findings indicated that chemsex was associated with a positive gay identity gain, which explained the ambivalence participants’ expressed in maintaining a gay future without chemsex despite their awareness of negative consequences. This is significant both for understanding why chemsex pathways may prove attractive, but also why they may be so difficult to leave. Funding: None KEY MESSAGES: • Participants’ identified multiple incidents and feelings as contributing to chemsex engagement • Chemsex engagement was connected to participants’ gay identity development • Chemsex journeys were perceived to spiral from exciting and exploratory into high-risk activity • Association of chemsex with a gay identity gain explained ambivalence to remaining chemsex fre

"No, We're Not Culturally Ready for That Yet": Chilean heterosexual women's discourses on Lesbian and Gay parenting. "No, Todavía No Estamos Culturalmente Preparados para Eso": Discursos de Mujeres Heterosexuales Chilenas sobre la Parentalidad Lésbica y Gay

This study examined Chilean heterosexual women's discourses concerning lesbian and gay (LG) parenting following a social constructionist perspective. Data from a convenience sample of 15 first-year psychology female students attending an evening university program in Concepción, Chile, were collected through 3 focus groups. Findings through a thematic analysis indicated that the major concern participants reported was that children of same-gender couples would be discriminated, because of their parents’ sexual identity. A minority of participants expressed that having LG parents could disrupt a child's gender and sexual identity development. It is concluded that children in LG parented families are still regarded at best as potentially vulnerable to secondary prejudice and at worst at risk of gender and sexual identity disruption. It would be worthwhile training Chilean psychology students about the development of children of LG parents and also highlighting subtle and enacted forms of sexual stigma. Este estudio examinó los discursos de mujeres heterosexuales chilenas sobre la parentalidad lésbica y gay (LG), siguiendo una perspectiva construccionista social. Los datos de una muestra por conveniencia de 15 estudiantes mujeres de primer año de psicología que asistían a un programa universitario vespertino en Concepción, Chile, se recopilaron a través de 3 grupos focales. Los hallazgos del análisis temático indicaron que la principal preocupación que informaron las participantes fue que los/as niños/as de parejas del mismo género serían discriminados/as, debido a la identidad sexual de sus madres/padres. Una minoría de las participantes expresó que tener madres/padres del mismo género podría perturbar el desarrollo del género y la identidad sexual de un/a niño/a. Se concluye que, los/as niños/as en familias de madres lesbianas y padres gay todavía se consideran, en el mejor de los casos, como potencialmente vulnerables a los prejuicios secundarios y, en el peor, en riesgo de perturbación de la identidad sexual y de género. Sería beneficioso entrenar a estudiantes de psicología chilenos/as acerca de la parentalidad LG y también destacar formas sutiles y explícitas de estigma sexual

Parenting desires, parenting intentions, and anticipation of stigma upon parenthood among lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual women in Portugal

We explored parenting desires, parenting intentions, and anticipation of stigma upon parenthood in a sample of 257 self-identified lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual childfree women in Portugal. No differences between the groups were observed concerning parenting desires. However, lesbian and bisexual women reported lower intentions to have children than their heterosexual counterparts. Although lesbian women considered themselves to have a higher chance of being victims of social stigma as mothers, this was not associated with their parenting desires. Furthermore, younger lesbian women intended to have children to a greater extent than did older lesbian women; relational status did not relate to lesbian women’s parenting intentions, desires, or anticipation of stigma. Overall, this study contributes to knowledge about family formation processes among Portuguese women diverse in sexual identity

Surveying psychological wellbeing in a post-pandemic world: the role of family and social support for LGBTQ+ and cisgender heterosexual adults in the UK

Studies have emphasized the importance of social support in mitigating the relationship between psychological distress and mental health effects, with family of origin and family of formation providing key sources of social support over the life course. Yet LGBTQ+ people may experience family of origin relationships as a source of distress, while partners and friends may buffer the relationship between minority stress and psychological wellbeing. Through our online survey (March-June 2022) when the psychological stress of the COVID-19 pandemic lifted in the UK, we considered the association between psychological wellbeing and sources of social support by sampling n=1,330 LGBTQ+ and cisgender-heterosexual adults. LGBTQ+ adults generally experienced poorer psychological wellbeing outcomes than did cisgender-heterosexual people. For LGBTQ+ adults social support from either family of origin, special person or friends was not as-sociated with depression, anxiety, or stress levels but social support from family or a special person was positively associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Our findings indicate the im-portance of considering negative as well as positive wellbeing

“We wanted a forever family”: Altruistic, individualistic, and motivated reasoning motivations for adoption among LGBTQ individuals

The purpose of this study was to explore motivations for adoption among a diverse sample of LGBTQ adoptive parents and prospective adopters (n = 366), who were recruited through a U.K. network of LGBTQ adoptive and foster families to complete an online survey. Quantitative analysis showed that the majority did not think that being LGBTQ would negatively influence their experience of adopting, although they were evenly split regarding the expectation of whether they would be matched with a harder-to-place child. To explore LGBTQ parents’ motivations for adoption, a thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted. One overarching theme was identified Seeking permanency, together with three often closely related subthemes: Altruistic/Moral motivation, Individualistic/Intrinsic motivation, and Motivated reasoning. The findings reflect important changes in U.K. law since the Adoption and Children Act in 2002 permitted same-gender couples to adopt. We suggest ways to inform the recruitment of potential LGBTQ adoptive parents

Family formations and LGBT+ parenting: pioneering waves of self-defining families and their implications for children

Reviews of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) parenting research have identified three waves of research on same-sex parenting since the 1980s (e.g., Golombok, 2007; Johnson, 2012). A first wave of studies concerned lesbian women, and to a lesser extent gay men, who had become parents while in heterosexual relationships. A second wave examined mostly women (and more residually men) who became parents in the context of a non-heterosexual identity. In both these waves, family and child outcome comparisons with heterosexual families were conducted. Later, moving away from a comparative agenda (Clarke, Ellis, Peel, & Riggs, 2010; Gato, 2016), a third wave was composed of studies dwelling on the unique challenges faced by lesbian mothers associated to their sexual minority status, such as decisions about genetic versus nongenetic parenthood, how childcare tasks would be shared out between a same-gender couple parenting together, or how to manage and cope with sexual minority stigma. We propose a new fourth wave of contemporary research denoting studies in which family members are allowed to self-define enabling families to deconstruct or queer cisheteronormative family structures

Nonbinary young adults without children explore past, present, and future family relationship intentions through family maps

Minimal research has explored how nonbinary people narrate past and present family relationships and their family building desires, despite growing awareness of the distinct needs of nonbinary people. Five nonbinary young adults (aged 22-30 years) participated in a semi-structured interview and family mapping exercise (FME). Visual and verbal qualitative findings were analyzed using thematic analysis with a life course theory lens (Elder, 1998). All participants reported challenging relationships with their family of origin, emphasizing experiences of emotional distance and invalidation plus concealment of their gender identity. Friends and chosen family networks – particularly within the LGBTQ+ community – compensated for emotional needs left unmet by family of origin. Most participants envisaged a childfree future family life and were not currently interested in parenting. Parenthood was conceptualized as a series of challenges linked to a complex array of life course considerations, particularly in relation to family background and risks associated with gender dysphoria, misgendering, and other challenges related to being a nonbinary parent. Although their current conditions did not support nonbinary parenthood, most participants considered that parenthood might be a future option if their context and circumstances changed

Adoption by same-sex couples -- reaffirming evidence: could more children be placed?

A sea-change in attitudes toward the acceptability of same-sex relationships has taken place in the twenty-first century. The UK has been at the forefront of legal changes in allowing same-sex couples to adopt children (the Adoption and Children Act 2002) and groundbreaking research on the well-being of these children. Over a decade on from our previous review for Family Law we evaluate the empirical evidence on the gains for children adopted by same-sex couples in the following areas: psychological adjustment, family relationships, and openness about adoption. Further examination is given to considering the motivations to adopt expressed by lesbian and gay adoptive parents. This includes a willingness to adopt children who have often been deemed hard-to-place, which is reflected in our local authority data too. Yet both adoption services and prospective lesbian and gay adoptive parents still appear hesitant at points of assessment and placement. Given national statistics on the numbers of children waiting for adoption, could more be done to place these children in suitable homes headed by a same-sex couple