Article

Gay Men Becoming Fathers: A Model of Identity Expansion

September 2008
Journal of GLBT Family Studies 4(4):521-541

DOI:10.1080/15504280802191772

Authors:

Alliant International University

Based on in-depth interviews, this article proposes a six-stage model of identity development for gay men who are becoming parents. The six stages include (1) a coming out experience that assumes being gay means not parenting; (2) increased self-awareness and confidence as a gay man; (3) recognition of the strength of newly constructed gay families; (4) observation of gay families and learning about the effects of gay parents on children; (5) valuing the unique gifts a gay man has to offer a child; and (6) an integration of the gay and father components of identity, including both a narrowing and expansion of support networks. The model is compared with well-known models of gay identity and ethnic identity development. To understand this developmental transition, 10 gay men who became fathers after establishing a gay identity were interviewed. These men (four single and six in a couple relationship) described the development of their family, their understanding of their gay father identity, challenges as male primary caregivers, and their evolving relationship with the gay community, with their families of origin and families of choice, and with the larger society.

Social Support in the Transition to Parenthood Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Persons: A Systematic Review

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021
Sex Res Soc Pol

Parenting is a challenging life-cycle transition, particularly for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons who have to deal with prejudice and discrimination. Considering this position of social disadvantage and the potential protective role of social support, our aim in this work was to systematize existing knowledge about the role of social support (i.e., social support, family support, community support, LGBT support, support, and engagement) in the transition to parenthood among LGB persons. Through a systematic review process conducted in May 2019 using PRISMA guidelines, the present study identified 22 manuscripts which accomplished all inclusion criteria. Our results suggested closer relationships to the family of origin and a detachment from the LGBT community in this stage of life cycle. Furthermore, the social support received in the transition to parenthood seems to influence not only the psychological well-being of these parents and prospective parents but also the quality of their relationships with different support networks. Thus, we understand that inclusive clinical and human professional interventions aimed at improving the available social support networks of LGB persons and, consequently, enhance their psychosocial well-being and family relations during this life transition.

Where are all the gay fathers?: Reflections on recruiting gay fathers as participants in leisure research

Article

Oct 2019

There is a dearth of understanding of gay fathers’ perspectives on leisure studies topics. If researchers are to conduct research that better reflects all fathers, it is important to gain insights into recruiting gay fathers, and to ensure that gay fathers know that their perspectives are needed and desired. Thus, in this research note, we highlight two important reflections on the difficulties we encountered when attempting to recruit gay fathers as research participants: (1) Heteronormativity exists in leisure studies and it is problematic for the recruitment of gay fathers; and (2) understaffed organisations are at times unable to help recruit gay fathers for research. Researchers who work with gay fathers may draw on our reflections to overcome similar difficulties that they may face. It is our hope that our reflections may contribute towards achieving the important social justice goal of including gay fathers in leisure studies.

Homoparentalidade no masculino: uma revisão da literatura

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2014
Psicolog Soc

Pesquisas têm identificado semelhanças entre a heteroparentalidade e a homoparentalidade, tanto no que diz respeito às práticas parentais, como no que se relaciona com o desenvolvimento psicossocial das crianças e jovens. Contudo, comparativamente com o volume de investigação com mães lésbicas, os estudos com famílias homoparentais masculinas são ainda minoritários. O objetivo deste trabalho foi, assim, o de efetuar uma revisão crítica da literatura sobre homoparentalidade no masculino. Em primeiro lugar, refletimos acerca dos preconceitos particulares contra a parentalidade gay. Em segundo lugar, revimos os principais estudos com famílias homoparentais masculinas, publicados entre 1979 e 2011. Os resultados das referidas pesquisas foram organizados em torno de cinco temáticas: atitudes face à parentalidade, identidade sexual, relação com o contexto, competência parental e qualidade/dinâmica das relações familiares, e desenvolvimento psicossocial das crianças e jovens. Por último, destacámos algumas limitações e implicações para o futuro da investigação revista.

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

Article

Mar 2016

This article reviews the current research on the potential stressors associated with identity transformation experienced by same-sex couples during the transition to parenthood and the coping strategies they employ. By integrating disparate findings into an ecological, stress-strategy-adaptation framework, we demonstrate that the identity transformation experiences among same-sex couples during the transition to parenthood (a) involve various adaptive processes of navigating different stressors via their human agency within multiple nested contexts; (b) are products of the intersections of individual characteristics, relational dynamics, LGBT community culture, and heterosexual sociostructural norms; and (c) are complicated by social contextual factors such as social class, race/ethnicity, family structure, and the sociocultural environment associated with geographic location. Last, several avenues for future inquiry are suggested.

Gay fathers and their children: A literature review

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2014
Psicolog Soc

Research has mainly identified similarities between lesbian/gay parenting and heterosexual parenting, namely in what concerns parental practices and the psychosocial development of children. However, comparatively with the bulk of research with lesbian mothers, studies with gay fathers are still residual. The purpose of this work was to critically revise the psychological literature about gay fathers and their children. Firstly, we reflected about specific prejudices against gay parenting. Secondly, we revised the most important scientific studies with gay male parents, published between 1979 and 2011. Results of this body of research were organized around five themes: attitudes towards parenthood, sexual identity, relation with the contexts, parental competence and family dynamics/relationship quality, and psychosocial development of children and youngsters. Finally, we highlighted some limitations of the revised research and we drew implications for the future.

HOMOPARENTALIDADE NO MASCULINO: UMA REVISÃO DA LITERATURA PADRES GAYS Y SUS HIJOS: UNA REVISIÓN DE LITERATURA GAY FATHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2014

RESUMO Pesquisas têm identificado semelhanças entre a heteroparentalidade e a homoparentalidade, tanto no que diz respeito às práticas parentais, como no que se relaciona com o desenvolvimento psicossocial das crianças e jovens. Contudo, comparativamente com o volume de investigação com mães lésbicas, os estudos com famílias homoparentais masculinas são ainda minoritários. O objetivo deste trabalho foi, assim, o de efetuar uma revisão crítica da literatura sobre homoparentalidade no masculino. Em primeiro lugar, refletimos acerca dos preconceitos particulares contra a parentalidade gay. Em segundo lugar, revimos os principais estudos com famílias homoparentais masculinas, publicados entre 1979 e 2011. Os resultados das referidas pesquisas foram organizados em torno de cinco temáticas: atitudes face à parentalidade, identidade sexual, relação com o contexto, competência parental e qualidade/dinâmica das relações familiares, e desenvolvimento psicossocial das crianças e jovens. Por último, destacámos algumas limitações e implicações para o futuro da investigação revista. Palavras-chave: família; paternidade; gays. RESUMEN Investigaciones han identificado similitudes entre heteroparentalidad y la homoparentalidad, tanto en lo referente a prácticas parentales, como al desarrollo psicosocial de los niños y jóvenes. Sin embargo, en comparación con el volumen de investigación sobre madres lesbianas, los estudios con familias homoparentales masculinas siguen siendo la minoría. El objetivo de este trabajo fue hacer una revisión crítica de la literatura sobre la homoparentalidad masculina. En primer lugar, se reflexiona sobre los prejuicios particulares contra la paternidad gay. En segundo, se revisaron los principales estudios con familias homoparentales formadas por gays, publicados entre 1979 y 2011. Los resultados se organizan en torno a cinco temas: las actitudes hacia la parentalidad, la identidad sexual, la relación con el contexto, la competencia parental y la calidad/dinámica de las relaciones familiares y el desarrollo psicosocial de los niños y jóvenes. Por último, destacamos algunas limitaciones e implicaciones para el futuro de la investigación revista.

Journal of GLBT Family Studies Wanted Fathers: Understanding Gay Father Families through Contextual Family Therapy

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Katie M. Heiden Rootes

This conceptual paper is concerned with the application of Contextual Family Therapy to gay father families (Boszormenyi-Nagy & Krasner, 1986). Gay fathers experience social and sexual stigma as a result of being both gay and male caregivers of children. Concurrently, much of family theory and therapy is laden with heteronormative assumptions and biases. However, after reviewing several studies that highlighted the activist nature of parenthood for gay fathers, Contextual Family Therapy social justice concepts of entitlement, loyalty, and legacy are offered as a new paradigm for understanding gay father families. Contextual Family Therapy therefore may frame how gay father families enact constructive entitlements for creating families that bend gender stereotypes about gay men (and men in general) as caregivers while remaining flexible and inclusive of adopted and fostered children. The professional implications discussed include suggestions for the therapeutic applications of Contextual Family Therapy with gay father families.

MASCULINIDADES CUIDADORAS, PATERNIDADES E IGUALDADE DE GÉNERO: UMA ABORDAGEM TRANSFORMADORA DE NORMAS SOCIAIS

Chapter

Full-text available

Nov 2024

O livro Entre Paternidades e Maternidades: Perspectivas Interseccionais, organizado por Elder Cerqueira Santos (professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia da Universidade Federal de Sergipe), Helen Barbosa dos Santos (pós-doutoranda CNPq no Grupo de Estudos em Preconceito, Vulnerabilidades e Processos Psicossociais da Psicologia da PUCRS, professora visitante da Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, FURG) e Angelo Brandelli Costa (Grupo de Estudos em Preconceito, Vulnerabilidades e Processos sicossociais da Psicologia da PUCRS), visa à publicação atual sobre as múltiplas dimensões e configurações acerca das maternidades e paternidades na realidade contemporânea do Brasil e de Portugal, e de suas interfaces em diversas esferas de interesse da sicologia a partir de temas centrais, em linguagem clara, mantendo rigor teórico e científico. Os textos são apresentados como ensaio teórico, artigo de revisão teórica ou artigo científico advindo de pesquisa. A comissão editorial, além de especialista na temática das relações de gênero, parentalidades, masculinidades e paternidades, possui um quadro de pesquisadores/professores de diversas universidades brasileiras e instituições não governamentais atuantes no Brasil, em Portugal e na América Latina, que estão convidados a compor cada seção do livro.

FONCTIONNEMENT DE COUPLE CHEZ LES INDIVIDUS EN RELATION DE MÊME SEXE

Chapter

Aug 2017

Parenting Desire and Minority Stress in Lesbians and Gay Men: A Mediation Framework

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2018
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Despite the rapid increase in lesbian and gay (LG) people who desire and decide to become parents, LG childless individuals may encounter serious obstacles in the parenthood process, such as minority stress. Notwithstanding, the psychological processes by which prejudice events might affect the desire to become parents are still understudied. As an extension of the minority stress theory, the psychological mediation framework sheds light on these psychological processes, as it encompasses a more clinical view of stress. Within this framework, the current study aimed at assessing the role of prejudice events in affecting parenting desire in 290 childless Italian LG individuals (120 lesbians and 170 gay men), as well as the role of internalized heterosexism and sexual orientation concealment in mediating the relationship between prejudice events and parenting desire. The results suggest that only in lesbians prejudice events were negatively associated with parenting desire, and that sexual orientation concealment and internalized heterosexism were also negatively associated with parenting desire. Furthermore, sexual orientation concealment, and not internalized heterosexism, mediated the relationship between prejudice events and parenting desire in lesbians, but not gay men. The findings have important implications for clinical practice.

Discourses of LGBTQ Activists about kinship: between homonormativity and queer alternatives

Conference Paper

Oct 2018

LGBTQ social movements have a crucial role in challenging the heteronormative expectations about intimacy, care and kinship and in supporting the strategic recognition of new identities and deconstructing restrictive social categories (Bernstein, 2003; Santos, 2013; Trappolin, 2004). However, queer critiques (e.g., Drucker, 2015; Richardson, 2000) have highlighted that LGBTQ social movements do not necessarily contest dominant heteronormativity, and they can contribute to the social and cultural status quo. As Duggan (2003) highlighted, equal rights politics under neoliberalism have resulted in a new neoliberal homonormativity that privileges the normative family model over radical social change or a critique of dominant heteronormative assumptions and institutions. As the Gramscian notion of cultural hegemony (Gramsci, 1975) indicates, by making use of cultural forms of consensus production, worldviews of dominant groups map the world for others, becoming the border of normality and reproducing the relations of dominance as largely consensual even to those it more directly oppresses. Given the persisting power in Italy of heteronormativity, this paper focuses on the hegemonic processes that may lead to being complicit with the heteronorms, thus sustaining the heteronormative family-based forms of intimacy and kinship. Specifically, the research investigates the hegemonic heteronormative assumptions that endure in the discourses of Italian LGBTQ activists when they talk about lesbian and gay parenthood. Findings highlight the presence of heteronormative traces in their discourses, namely in terms of access to reproduction, the parents’ place within the regime of gender and the right standards for child rearing. Implications on how counter-hegemonic forces can challenge the heteronormative regime of normality are discussed.

LGBTIQ Italian activism and the hegemonic discourse about parenting

Conference Paper

Sep 2016

Although research has consistently shown that stereotypes about children of same-sex couples have no empirical foundation, heterosexual kinship is still the current episteme of intelligibility (Butler, 2002) and the heterosexual couple is constructed as the only natural context for parenting. Heteronormativity leads heterosexuality to interpret itself as society (Warner, 1991) and homosexual parents and their children are subject to stigmatization and to institutionalized forms of discrimination, as in the case of Italy where no recognition are settled for children of same-sex parents. General politics and “regimes of truth”, established by scientific discourses and institutions, are at the origins of the dynamics of power between the heterosexual majority and sexual minority groups (Foucault, 1978). The relations of dominance are often consensual because they are continuously reproduced as natural (Gramsci, 1975a). As Gramsci (1975a; 1975b) highlighted, cultural hegemony is a process of moral and intellectual leadership through which subordinated classes give their “spontaneous” consent to the worldview of the ruling classes, thus agreeing to their domination, with no need of forcing or coercion for accepting their inferior positions. Starting from these premises, this paper analysis whether and how Italian LGBTIQ activists support or challenge the heteronormative ideology of parenting when they talk about homosexual parenting. After examining the historical conditions that led the heteronormative view of parenting to become hegemonic in Italy, this paper presents a Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2001) of the discourses of three groups of LGBTIQ Italian activists about parenting. Data show that participants support certain understandings of parenting that can reinforce the heteronormative view of kinship. Specifically, some of the discourses emphasize the need of blood connections between parents and their children, the “natural limits” to procreation and the necessity of gender complementarity in family roles. The analysis shows how hegemonic ideologies on sexualities and parenting can permeate the discourses of subaltern groups, even in the case of groups that have committed themselves politically to defending the rights of LGBTIQ persons. The study’s contribution lies on supporting activists’ consciousness of their chances to question heteronormativity and to move outward in ways that challenge the ideology of parenting.

Hegemony and Heteronormativity: Homonormative Discourses of LGBTQ Activists About Lesbian and Gay Parenting

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2019

LGBTQ activists have a crucial role in fighting sexuality-based discrimination. However, homonormativity can lead activists to adhere to hegemonic heteronormativity, thus threatening their efforts to widen the concept of family. Drawing on the Gramscian notion of hegemony, this paper analyzes the notion of heteronormativity and its homonormative facet as a form of hegemony that impacts activists, sustaining the premises of heteronormativity and seeking inclusion within such norms. This research investigates the hegemonic heteronormative assumptions that endure in the discourses of Italian LGBTQ activists when they talk about lesbian and gay parenting. Findings highlight the presence of heteronormative traces in their discourses, namely in terms of access to reproduction, the parents’ place within the regime of gender and the right standards for child rearing. Hegemonic heteronormativity appears in multiform ways, and as largely consensual even to those it more directly oppresses, making it difficult to detect and therefore to deconstruct.

No Differences? Meta-Analytic Comparisons of Psychological Adjustment in Children of Gay Fathers and Heterosexual Parents

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2016

The field of literature on gay male parenting is small, especially compared to the number of studies on lesbian parenting. No meta-analysis has specifically compared the children of gay fathers to the children of heterosexual parents nor has any meta-analysis applied the newly developed quality-effects model to this field of research. The current study applied the fixed effects, random effects, and quality-effects models of meta-analysis to 10 studies (35 standardized mean differences) from the past 10 years to evaluate child psychological adjustment by parent sexual orientation. Studies both within and outside of the United States with a range of child ages and sample sizes were included. The quality-effects model of meta-analysis helps mitigate error caused by methodological differences in studies in addition to random error attributed to small sample sizes, making it the most appropriate model for this study. Although the quality-effects model provided results closest to our hypothesis that there would be no difference, results indicated that children of gay fathers had significantly better outcomes than did children of heterosexual parents in all 3 models of meta-analysis. These results may be attributable to potential higher socioeconomic status for gay fathers traditionally associated with dual earner households, better preparedness for fatherhood in the face of strong antigay stigma directed at same-sex families, and more egalitarian parenting roles. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

“Caught Between Two Worlds”: Managing Identity in Bisexual Fatherhood

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2024

Bisexuality in fatherhood is largely invisible, with very little known about the experiences of bisexual fathers. Conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom, this study is one of the first to explore the experiences of bisexual fathers, and, using an identify-focused approach, it aims to understand bisexual fathers’ experiences of managing their bisexuality and role as a father. Twenty-four bisexual fathers in Europe and North America took part in qualitative, semistructured interviews that focused on their bisexual identity, becoming a parent, experiences of family life, and community involvement. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted, and four themes were identified: valuing different types of authenticity, seeking safety in the community, reconciling bisexuality with the traditional family, and sharing and learning across age groups. Despite describing their identity as often invisible, fathers indicated that their personal identity had a significant impact on their social interactions as well as their individual parenting and family practices. Findings contrast stage models of LGBTQ+ identity development, as fathers’ identity work practices were often more important for their identity development and integration than aspiring for full “outness.” Findings expand our scholarly understanding of the role of identity in parenting and highlight the need to improve representation and support for bisexual fathers.

The procreative identities of men in same‐sex relationships choosing surrogacy: A new theoretical understanding

Article

May 2022

The growing visibility of same‐sex two‐parent families and the increased use of surrogacy have expanded LGBT parenting scholarship to include experiences of gay and other men in same‐sex relationships. Yet, even with the growth of research over the past decade on gay and other sexual minority men's parenting experiences, such studies are still undertheorized. The purpose of this article is to conceptualize an enhanced family theory model that addresses the evolution of the procreative identities of men in same‐sex relationships who decide to have children via surrogacy. This framework will identify the unique issues and factors that support same‐sex partnered men's (a) procreative consciousness; (b) procreative responsibility; and (c) procreative transitioning, including barriers that may exert a long‐term impact on fathers in same‐sex relationships. As scholarship on fatherhood among gay, bisexual, and other men expands, the development of a family studies model that examines surrogacy trajectories in the context of men's same‐sex relationships, from considerations of procreation to post‐birth experiences, can enhance family studies theory and research.

Negotiating fatherhood: sport and family practices [Book Review]

Article

Nov 2019

Michelle E. E. Bauer

Single, Stay-at-Home, and Gay Fathers’ Perspectives on their 4-12-Year-Old Children’s Outdoor Risky Play Behaviour and ‘Good’ Fathering

Article

Dec 2018

In this study, we address the question, ‘What are single, stay-at-home, and gay fathers’ perspectives of their 4– 12-year-old children’s outdoor risky play behaviours and how do they relate to discourses of good fathering?’ Through the use of semi-structured interviews, poststructural feminist theory, and critical discourse analysis, we identified five key discourses: Children’s play is safer now than when the participants were children; fathers need to know what each child needs for the child to be safe outdoors; fathers need to protect their children from danger; it’s good to expose children to outdoor risky play; experiencing scrapes and bruises is a part of growing up. The results both reaffirm and resist dominant discourses on good fathering. Further research on this topic is crucial, as fathers play an important role in their children’s experiences of outdoor risky play and injury.

Exploring stay-at-home, single, and gay fathers’ perspectives on their children’s outdoor risky play

Conference Paper

May 2017

Michelle E. E. Bauer

Presently in Canada, fewer children are engaging in outdoor risky play (Tremblay et al., 2015). This is largely due to an increase in overprotective parenting and hypervigilance (Little, Sandseter, & Wyver, 2012). Parents play an influential role in their children’s adoption of safety strategies and parental perspectives on risky play are important to understand children’s approach to danger and risk (Brussoni et al., 2012). While researchers have examined fathers’ perspectives on children’s outdoor risky play in traditional families (i.e. where mothers are primary caregivers) (Brussoni et al., 2012), there is a lack of research on non-traditional fathers’ perspectives. In this paper, I explore fathers’ perspectives on their children’s outdoor risky play in families where traditional gender roles are challenged. My paper addresses the questions, “what are stay-at-home, single, and gay fathers’ perspectives on children’s outdoor risky play behaviours?” and “what roles does masculinity play in these perspectives?” To gain insight into these questions, I will recruit a minimum of five stay-at-home, five single, and five gay fathers, for a total of fifteen participants. Each participant is asked to participate in two interviews. The first semi-structured interview addresses questions relating to masculinity, fatherhood, and children’s outdoor risky play. The second interview is a photo-elicitation interview and occurs weeks after the first interview. During the second photo-elicitation interview, participants will be asked to further discuss their children’s outdoor risky play, while referring to photographs they took of their children playing outside. Participants are asked to take at least ten photographs for this component of the study. My questions and approach are framed by social constructionist views on reality and post-structural feminist theory. Critical discourse analysis is used to gain important insight into participant perspectives and will be used to analyze patterns in language and discourses and the influences of these on greater societal power-relations. I will present preliminary findings from semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation interviews with stay-at-home, single, and gay fathers of children aged 4-12 in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal. Children that are 4-12 learn critical safety strategies that they will use throughout their lives (Sandseter, 2009; Van Mechelen and Verhagen, 2005). This research makes a timely contribution to bridging the gap in knowledge that exists between the fields of gender, sexuality, family dynamics, and injury prevention, and fits nicely within the conference theme of “Engaging Legacies” that promotes inclusive communities.

To Have or Not to Have Children? That Is the Question. Factors Influencing Parental Decisions Among Lesbians and Gay Men

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2017
Sex Res Soc Pol

Few studies have examined lesbians’ and gay men’s parental decision-making processes. Our goal in this work was to review what literature says about this understudied area of research. We first looked at transformations that have made it possible for lesbian- and gay-parented families to gain visibility. We then described how parental aspirations of lesbians and gay men have been operationalized. Factors shaping parental decisions were categorized as sociodemographic (gender, age and cohort, and race/ethnicity), personal (internalization of anti-homosexual prejudice and openness about one’s non-heterosexual orientation), relational (one’s partner’s parental motivation and social support), and contextual (work conditions, access to LGBT support networks, information and resources, and social, legal, and medical barriers). Research findings were discussed and implications for future research and social policies regarding the issue of prospective lesbian and gay parenthood were drawn.

Sexual orientation and sexual identity: Theory, research, and practice

Article

Jan 2012

Gay Men and Surrogacy

Chapter

Aug 2013

Dana Berkowitz

This chapter provides an overview of the scholarship on gay men who have become parents through the assistance of a surrogate mother. Gay fathers choosing surrogacy are at the cutting edge of pushing society to reassess its assumptions and constructions about sex, reproduction, and parenthood. I begin this chapter by outlining some of the guiding theoretical perspectives that have been used to frame the scholarship on sexual minority parenting and assisted reproductive technologies. Next, I detail the different types of surrogacy arrangements and the demographic profiles of those gay men who use surrogacy. I review the few yet promising studies on gay fathers and surrogacy, exploring the rationales behind the men’s choice to construct their family using this pathway; the relationships that develop between expectant fathers, surrogate mothers, and their children; and finally, the consequences for family formation. Then, I briefly discuss the emerging trend of reproductive outsourcing, consider the current legal issues facing gay fathers who use surrogacy, and conclude by offering suggestions for research, theory, policy makers, and practitioners.

Supporting Same-Sex Couples in the Decision to Start a Family

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2014

Although accurate statistics have been difficult to ascertain, current estimates indicate there are between one and four million same-sex couples raising children in the United States. Many same-sex couples face significant systemic barriers such as laws and policies that may complicate and prolong the process of becoming parents. Even when they are able to successfully navigate such systemic barriers, same-sex couples engage in a series of decisions including biological and non-biological pathways to having a child, identifying support systems, and establishing parental roles and identities. Counselors are in a unique position to support same-sex couples in the decision-making and longer-term process of becoming parents. Common challenges, societal and systemic barriers, and opportunities to inform and advocate for this population are discussed.

Motivations for Fatherhood: Examining Internalized Heterosexism and Gender-Role Conflict With Childless Gay and Bisexual Men

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2013

Research with gay and bisexual men indicates that both internalized heterosexism and gender-role conflict have been shown to impact behaviors, roles, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to well-being (Allen & Oleson, 1999; O’Neil, 2008; Shidlo, 1994) and to decisions to become fathers (Ervin, 2004; O’Neil, 2008). With a sample of 164 gay and bisexual childless men, the present study is the first known to quantitatively examine gender-role conflict and internalized heterosexism in relation to motivations for parenthood and perceived parenting efficacy. Results using Baron and Kenny’s (1986) moderator regression procedures indicated that both gender-role conflict and internalized heterosexism moderated the relationship between perceived parenting efficacy and motivations for parenthood for gay and bisexual men. Specifically, both internalized heterosexism and gender-role conflict strengthened the positive relationship between perceived parenting efficacy and motivations for fatherhood. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)

Gay men seeking surrogacy to achieve parenthood

Article

Apr 2013

Assisted reproduction technologies have developed at an extraordinary rate in recent years. This, combined with the changing landscape of legal, technical and social possibilities, enables gay men to consider their options for fatherhood as new opportunities emerge for them to create families. Media coverage of gay celebrities embracing surrogacy as a way of having a family and high-profile legal cases have raised awareness of surrogacy across the world. However, gay fatherhood achieved through assisted reproduction is a highly under-researched area, both in the UK and internationally. The research that currently exists on gay fatherhood is largely related to gay men who become parents through processes such as adoption and fostering and children conceived through previous heterosexual relationships. Much of this evidence has centred on parenting experiences, the outcomes for children or the legal perspectives. This paper outlines the different types of surrogacy and the legal issues facing gay men who choose this route to parenthood, summarizes the limited research on gay men and surrogacy and discusses gaps in the current knowledge base.

Gay Men and Surrogacy

Chapter

Apr 2020

Dana Berkowitz

The visibility of gay fathers is on the rise and scholars are just beginning to understand the diversity of structures, arrangements, and practices within gay father-headed family constellations. This chapter provides an overview of the scholarship on one of these types of families—gay men who have become parents through the assistance of a surrogate mother. I begin the chapter by outlining some of the dominant theoretical perspectives that have been used to frame this body of scholarship. After explaining the different types of surrogacy arrangements and the demographic profiles of those gay men who use surrogacy, I review the small but notable studies on gay fathers and surrogacy. These studies consider a range of dimensions about gay-headed surrogate families, including the rationales behind men’s choice to construct their family using this pathway; the relationships that develop among expectant fathers, surrogate mothers, and their children; and the family experience for gay fathers and their children. I then discuss how gay men were implicated within the rise and fall of reproductive outsourcing or the trend of paying for overseas surrogates from countries in the Global South. I conclude by detailing the current legal issues facing gay fathers who use surrogacy and offering suggestions for research, theory, policy makers, and practitioners. Throughout this chapter I demonstrate how privilege and marginalization intersect in gay surrogate families in profoundly complex and sometimes paradoxical ways.

( book review ) Negotiating fatherhood: sport and family practices: by T. Fletcher

Article

Nov 2019

Michelle E. E. Bauer

LGB + Moms and Dads: “My Primary Identity… is Being a Parent”

Article

Nov 2019

Decades of empirical research has demonstrated that same-sex parenting can produce outcomes that are, at least, comparable to hetero-normative parenting. Less research, however, has examined the common, process-oriented experiences of same-sex adoptive parents. To this end, the current study utilized qualitative interviewing techniques, with nine participants, to discern: (1) the ways in which lesbian and gay adoptive parents came to identify as a family, and (2) the ways in which family formation altered lesbian and gay adoptive parent identities. Collective identity theory helped frame the primary findings. While experiences as “lesbian” or “gay” prospectively informed participant conceptions of family, the paramount identity of “parent” retrospectively usurped all other collective identities. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are also discussed.

Home and Sexuality: Queering the Notions of Parenting and Space in Cachorro (2004)

Chapter

Jan 2017

Adrian Gras-Velazquez

In this analysis of Cachorro (dir. Miguel Albaladejo 2004), the author proposes that the gay protagonist contests notions of what is ‘allowed’ in public and/or private spaces. As he blurs social constraints imposed on gay men, the author shows how the heteronormative, private, domestic spaces are problematized. The film portrays a link between the protagonist’s identity and development and the apartment and city he inhabits, and the character’s queering and de-queering personal space has a corresponding effect on his openness and inhibition about his homosexuality. It is by accepting his parenting role, as well as sharing with his nephew the social spaces that he inhabits, that Pedro finds a balance between both his gay identity and his father figure role.

Are the Fathers Alright? A Systematic and Critical Review of Studies on Gay and Bisexual Fatherhood

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2017

The purpose of the present systematic and critical review was to assess the findings and to identify the gaps in the literature concerning gay and bisexual fathers. A comprehensive search of relevant literature using electronic databases and reference lists for articles published until December 2016 was conducted. A total of 63 studies, spanning from 1979 to 2016, were collected. More than half of the studies were published after 2011 and the overwhelming majority were conducted in the United States. Nine themes were identified in the studies reviewed: (1) Pathways to fatherhood; (2) Motivations for fatherhood; (3) Parenting experiences and childrearing; (4) Family life and relationship quality; (5) Gender and father identities and gender-role orientation; (6) Disclosure of sexual identity; (7) Social climate; (8) Father's psychosocial adjustment; and (9) Children's psychosocial adjustment. It was found that research on gay fatherhood appears to be more heterogeneous than on lesbian motherhood, perhaps because of the variety of pathways to parenthood (via co-parenting, adoption, fostering, or surrogacy). Two-father families are becoming more visible in research on sexual minority parenting and gradually transforming the conceptualization of parenting in family research.

Padri gay. Sfide e risorse di una genitorialità fuori dai ruoli

Article

Mar 2017

Federico Ferrari

A partire dai dati della ricerca, l’Autore traccia i lineamenti di una genitorialita maschile che deve fare i conti con una messa in discussione radicale del ruolo paterno (tradizionalmente dipendente da quello materno nella cura dei figli), e allo stesso tempo con un pregiudizio sulle capacita maschili di offrire tenerezza e accudimento fisico ai figli. Questo, associato a un’aspettativa sociale verso l’omogenitorialita, comporta tanto un maggiore stress genitoriale (con specifici connotati sui quali ci interrogheremo) quanto una maggiore attenzione e investimento sul proprio ruolo genitoriale.

Expanding “Irish Family” Repertoires: Exploring Gay Men's Experiences as Parents in the Republic of Ireland

Article

Apr 2017

Fiachra O Suilleabhain

This article explores gay men's parenting experiences and practices in order to seek insight into how gay men accept or challenge heterosexual family norms and how “family” is understood in the Irish context. It is based on small-scale qualitative research (interviews) with seven gay fathers. Despite the limited routes to parenthood for gay men in Ireland, the research findings indicate that the participants enjoy parenting and that they are motivated in their parenting practices. The gay fathers in this study are participative parents who have made significant decisions in their lives in order to prioritize their children's welfare. The diversity of family constellations and care arrangements that surround gay fathering in Ireland can expand family and care repertoires beyond the traditional biparent heterosexual norm. Gay fathers in Ireland appear to enjoy some security at the private familial level and in the responses from their families and communities, but they are keenly aware that nontraditional families are given less status in Irish society. Unlike other jurisdictions, gay parenting is not articulated by the gay fathers in this research as a rights-based argument. Instead, these Irish gay fathers are de facto activists who seek to “humanize” gay parenting.

“A Gift We Are Unable to Create Ourselves”: Uncertainty Reduction in Online Classified Ads Posted by Gay Men Pursuing Surrogacy

Article

Apr 2016

Surrogacy is becoming an increasingly popular way for gay men to start a family. Those choosing surrogacy must navigate intensive medical procedures, complex interpersonal dynamics, legal maneuverings, and a society that views parenting through a heteronormative lens. With so many unknowns, the need to reduce uncertainty is significant. Online communities offer a starting point, providing information, advice, and classified ads for matching with a surrogate. This investigation employs a qualitative framework for understanding how strategic messaging in online ads featured on surromomsonline.com, the website of Surrogate Mothers Online, LLC, reduce uncertainty and facilitate the matching process for gay men. Analysis identified common themes in ads posted by gay intended parents. Uncertainty reduction theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding how these communication strategies function to reduce uncertainty and facilitate the communication process. The results illustrate that for gay intended parents seeking surrogates, strategic messaging is utilized to reduce uncertainty associated with relationship stability and commitment, financial strength, social support from extended networks, and the ability to navigate the legal and logistical concerns associated with surrogacy and parenting. The findings offer new insights into the gay surrogacy journey.

How Lesbians and Gay Men Decide to Become Parents or Remain Childfree

Chapter

Jan 2013

Nancy Mezey

This chapter examines the understudied question of how lesbians and gay men choose to become parents or remain childfree. The limited research suggests that several factors shape how lesbians and gay men decide to become parents or remain childfree, including personal considerations, support networks, work-related issues, and intimate partner relationships. Existing research also suggests that the role of these factors in parental decision making is shaped by race, class, gender, and sexuality. In general, those with greater race and class privilege tend to have greater access to material resources, to receive greater support from family members, and to intentionally decide to become parents. This chapter reviews past literature on lesbian and gay parenting decisions, suggests new questions for further research, and discusses how studying lesbian and gay men’s parenting decisions informs our understanding of families in general. Reviewing the literature shows how lesbian and gay men’s parenting decision-making processes are socially constructed. In addition, the chapter sheds light on why and how diverse family forms develop at particular historical moments in time. One of the most pressing questions for future research is how race, class, disability, nationality, and geographic location shape parenting decision-making processes.

A Guide for Father Involvement in Systems of Care

Technical Report

Full-text available

Apr 2013

This guide shares information about the importance of fathers in the lives of their children, and it identifies potential consequences if they are not involved. It also offers strategies for systems and families, especially those who are involved in systems of care, to help fathers become more involved.

La homoparentalidad desde gays y lesbianas en la Ciudad de México

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2010

La parentalidad se ha entendido con dos componentes principales, el biológico y el social. Para las personas homoeróticas, la posibilidad de reproducirse y ser padres/madres con su pareja no es posible, por lo que los significados sociales resultan de gran importancia para lo que se ha denominado la homoparentalidad. En este trabajo se quisieron conocer esos aspectos en población que se definiera como gay o lesbiana, además de observar si existían cambios en los mismos antes y después de la aprobación de la Ley de Matrimonios en el Distrito Federal. Se aplicó un cuestionario abierto a 156 lesbianas y gays, 64 en la primera aplicación y 92 en la segunda, con una media de edad de 24.7 y 24.5 años, y desviación estándar de .42 y .63 años, respectivamente. Se encontraron pocas diferencias estadísticas entre las dos muestras, entendiendo que la parentalidad significa una gran responsabilidad, proveer de amor, compañía y aprendizajes; aunque una parte de la muestra demostró no desear tener hijos/as en este momento de su vida. De tal forma que se considera que los cambios legales en la ciudad no han tenido el suficiente análisis de parte de la población lésbico-gay, como para asumirlos dentro de su representación de la realidad.Palabras clave: homoparentalidad, representaciones sociales, Homofobia, familia La homoparentalidad desde gays y lesbianas en la Ciudad de México. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262601753_La_homoparentalidad_desde_gays_y_lesbianas_en_la_Ciudad_de_Mexico [accessed Dec 20, 2015].

Planned Gay Father Families in Kinship Arrangements

Article

Dec 2010
Aust New Zeal J Fam Ther

Henny M W Bos

The current study examined whether there are differences between gay father families (n = 36) and heterosexual families (n = 36) on father–child relationship, fathers' experiences of parental stress and children's wellbeing. The gay fathers in this study all became parents while in same-sex relationships. They donated sperm to lesbian couples and then shared the child-rearing with them in kinship arrangements. It was also examined whether aspects that are related specifically to gay fathers (i.e., experiences of rejection, having to defend their family situation, with whom the children live, and conflicts with the children's mothers) are also related to the father–child relationship, parental stress and children's wellbeing. Data were collected by means of questionnaires filled in by the fathers. No significant differences between the family types were found on emotional involvement and parental concern in the father–child relationship, parental burden (as an aspect of parental stress) or the children's wellbeing. However, gay fathers felt less competent in their child-rearing role than heterosexual fathers. For gay fathers especially, experiences of rejection and the feeling that they have to defend their situation were significantly related to father–child relationship, parental stress and children's wellbeing.

Making Room for Daddies: Male Couples Creating Families through Adoption

Article

Feb 2011

Gregory Wells

Despite the increased visibility of gay and lesbian parents, absent from the literature is theory concerning how or why gay men decide to become fathers and how these families navigate the unique challenge of defining their families within a context of pervasive heterosexism and antigay prejudice. The current study utilized a grounded theory approach to aid in the development of a theory of gay-male-headed family development. Questions considered included the following: Who are these men, and how do they go about forming their families? What challenges do these families face in their daily lives, and from whom or what do they seek support? Finally, what are the experiences of these families as they interact with schools, communities, biological families, and chosen families? Results indicate that this new generation of gay fathers exhibits great strength and resiliency in constructing and raising their families. These men are themselves transformed by the act of fathering while at the same time acting as forces of change to transform the very idea of fatherhood in American culture.

Adoptive Gay Fathers: Transformations of the Masculine Homosexual Self

Article

Feb 2011

This article discusses transformations of the masculine homosexual self that occur in gay men who decide to parent in the context of a committed relationship. Using a developmental narrative approach, 10 adoptive gay fathers (5 couples) participated in multiple open-ended interviews (both individually and as couples). Data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings from this study indicate that fathering was a catalyst for participants' crafting new definitions of homosexual masculinity that emphasized relational and generative aspects of self. Specifically, fathering catapulted participants into a second coming-out process that helped them shed more layers of internalized oppression and redefine homosexual masculinity using fewer external referents such as personal attractiveness or an active social life. Participants also shifted their sense of membership in the gay community, partly because, for most parents, their community of reference became other parents of young children, but partly in response to their perception that the gay community regarded their focus on fathering ambivalently and with mixed support. Ultimately, the meaning that participants ascribed to their fathering role dramatically changed how they understood and enacted their homosexual masculinity.

Toward Inclusivity in Family Narratives: Counter-Stories from Queer Multi-Parent Families

Article

Oct 2010

Annemarie Vaccaro

While literature on gay and lesbian families has increased in the past two decades, much of the literature is shrouded in the Western, heteronormative notion that a family equates to a unit with two parents and children. Even though this norm is not the reality for many families, outdated notions of family persist. This article shares the findings from an in-depth qualitative study of five queer individuals who constructed multi-parent families. Their counter-narratives challenge narrow heteronormative notions of family and offer inspiration to anyone interested in creating a family that includes multiple parents. Common themes among their familial experiences included creativity, time, and effort in familial construction; communication and compromise among multiple parents; parenting outside the norm; and sharing counter-narratives as activism.

Counseling American Minorities: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1989

Developmental and Contextual Factors That Influence Gay Fathers' Parental Competence: A Review of the Literature

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2002

Jorge C Armesto

This article reviews the existing literature on gay parenting using two theoretical frameworks: developmental and ecological. Findings suggest that the normal stressors of parenting are compounded for gay men because of their membership in a socially stigmatized group. Specifically, competent parenting in gay men appears to be influenced by the ability to come to terms with a homosexual identity and negotiate the ongoing stress associated with living in a homophobic and heterosexist society. The author discusses the theoretical implications of these findings and suggests areas for future research.

Contemporary Fathers Reconstructing Masculinity: Clinical Implications of Gender Role Strain

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2002

How can research data about gender role strain improve clinical work with men? The authors present qualitative data from 3 groups of fathers in the Yeshiva University Fatherhood Project: Haitian American, Promise Keeper, and gay fathers. The data illustrate the specific types of gender role strain associated with contemporary fathering and show how men are spontaneously reconstructing fathering and masculinity in general. The authors use clinical examples to show how psychologists can make use of this research knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Quality-Control in Qualitative Research

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1993
CLIN PSYCHOL REV

William B. Stiles

Qualitative investigations of human experience typically report linguistic rather than exclusively numeric results, use empathy with participants as an observation strategy, interpret observations contextually and polydimensionally, accommodate nonlinear (technically chaotic) causal processes, and may seek to empower participants. Their interpretations are often tentative rather than lawlike statements, amenable to expression in narrative and hermeneutic forms rather than exclusively in didactic discourse. By revealing rather than avoiding the investigator's orientation and personal involvement in the research and by evaluating interpretations according to their impact on readers, investigators, and participants, qualitative research shifts the goal of quality control from the objective truth of statements to understanding by people.

Alchemists' Visions: Cultural Norms in Eliciting and Analyzing Life History Narratives

Article

Full-text available

Mar 1990
J AGING STUD

Mark Luborsky

Comparative study within a group of systematically elicited life narratives revealed key variations in narrative sequencing and conceptual templates. These dimensions are associated with significant differences in subjective meaning, frames for interpreting experience, and personal adjustment. This paper describes the study methods and results, and proposes that life histories be studied in the context of other similarly collected narratives, instead of one at a time. It outlines limitations of current methods of eliciting, analyzing, and writing up texts which may systematically obscure important dimensions of subjectivity and of cultural norms.

Single-father caretakers: Demographic characteristics and adjustment processes

Article

Full-text available

Apr 1982

Eighty single-father caretakers were surveyed, the majority of whom tended to be middle-aged, of high educational level, and earning at or above the national average income. Findings suggest that these fathers sought custody because of their love for their children and their confidence in their parenting ability. Despite some minor difficulties, most of the fathers demonstrated satisfactory adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)

Gay fathers: Evolution of the gay-father identity

Article

Full-text available

Jul 1981

Frederick W. Bozett

Interview data from an exploratory study of 18 gay fathers indicate that identity congruence evolves over time as these men participate in both the world of fathers and the world of gays. Disclosure of each identity in the opposite world, and the acceptance of both identities by intimate others, are also crucial to the gay father's achievement of self-acceptance.

Gay Men Choosing Parenthood

Book

Jan 2004

Gerald Mallon

The custodial single father: Who does he think he is?

Article

Jan 1990

D.S. Nieto

Contemporary Fathers Reconstructing Masculinity: Clinical Implications of Gender Role Strain

Article

Aug 2002

Can Men "Mother"? Life as a Single Father

Article

Jan 1986

Barbara J. Risman

The present study addresses the policy questions which emerge when attention is focused on single fathers. A sample of 141 single fathers were surveyed about their experiences as homemakers, the nature of their father/child relationship, and overall role satisfaction. The major finding of this study was that most men felt comfortable and competent as single parents, regardless of the reason for custody or their financial status. Both economic status and reason for custody influenced the father/child relationship and the father's role satisfaction. Social service providers and policy specialists who work with single parents need to be aware that "mothering" is not an exclusively female skill.

Learning from Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies

Article

May 1995

Single Fathers

Article

Oct 1976

Helen A. Mendes

Although single fathers constitute a minority of one-parent families, over a half million men are rearing their minor children alone. These fathers must make special psychological and sociological adjustments in order to function as single parents. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory, comparative case study into the parental experiences of thirty-two single fathers.

Single-Parent Fatherhood: An Emerging Family Life Style

Article

Oct 1976

This paper examines the growing phenomenon of fathers being primary parents due to windowhood, divorce, separation, or adoption. Changes in mortality rates, legal custody arrangements, and adoption procedures are analyzed as primary factors in altering the composition of single-parent fathers in the population. Interviews with 20 single-parent fathers consider the successes and strains they experience in childrearing, in using compensatory services, and in their own adult life style. Recommendations for supportive services and programs needed by these fathers are presented.

Intimate relationships from a microstructural perspective: Men who mother

Article

Mar 1987

Barbara J. Risman

This article argues that individuals paradigms have predominated social scientific explanations for gendered behavior in intimate relationships but that a microstructural paradigm adds necessary additional information. The results of a study designed to test the relative strengths of individualist and microstructural explanations for “mothering behavior” are presented. The microstructural hypothesis is that single fathers will adopt parental behavior that more closely resembles that of women who mother than that of married fathers. Parenting behaviors of single fathers, single mothers, married parents with mothers at home, and married two-paycheck couples are compared. Overall, the hypothesis is supported. The article ends with a discussion of the implications of the microstructural perspective for social change in a feminist direction.

The Custodial Single Father

Article

Jun 1990

Daniel S. Nieto

Through the use of data derived from a survey study, personal interviews, testing, and clinical interaction, an attempt is made to assess the self-perceptions of single fathers relative to a number of dimensions. Single fathers' perceptions about the health of their family structure, their marital status, their personal and parenting capacities, their role performance effectiveness, and their sexual concerns are explored.

From the Margins to the Center

Article

Aug 2005

How can research data about gender role strain in gay fathers improve clinical work with all men? This article describes a qualitative research study of 25 primarily White, middle to upper middle class gay fathers who had children in the context of a heterosexual marriage, and later established a gay identity. The fathers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire in a focus group format. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. The narrative data chronicles the men's efforts to integrate their fathering identity and their gay identity. The findings are discussed using the theoretical framework of gender role strain. The authors propose that research on gay fathers has the potential both to challenge stereotypes about gay men and also to expand the fathering role for all men. The authors use clinical examples to illustrate how research findings from minority groups can expand knowledge about mainstream populations.

Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview studies

Article

Jan 1994

Robert Stuart Weiss

The Childhood and Society

Book

Jan 1950

Erick H. Erikson

Gay Fathers Expanding the Possibilities for Us All

Article

Aug 2005

This article describes a qualitative research study of 21 men who became fathers as openly gay men. The fathers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire in a focus group format. The data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. The narrative data depict the men's paths toward fatherhood. The themes elicited from their narratives suggested how gay men are changing traditional cultural norms for fathers, families, and masculinity. The authors propose that by degendering parenting, reconceptualizing family, and reworking masculine gender roles, gay fathers are expanding role norms in novel ways that may serve as alternative models for all families.

Working with men becoming fathers: The impact of a couples group intervention.

Article

Carolyn Pape Cowan

describes a group intervention developed at the University of California, Berkeley, and offered randomly to a sample of couples in a longitudinal study of partners becoming parents brief review of research on the transition to parenthood and interventions for new parents describes the rationale, procedures, and early effects of this couples group intervention, which was designed to address both individual and marital change during family formation present some new data concerning the longer-term effects of the intervention, and summarize what we have learned about fatherhood by working closely with men during family formation (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Fathering After Marital Separation

Article

Jan 1978

Describes the experiences of a group of separated or divorced upper-middle-class fathers who chose to remain fully involved in the upbringing of their children. As they underwent the transition from married parenthood to single fatherhood, these men learned that meeting the demands of child care contributed to their own stability and personal growth. Sources of conflict and issues relating to learning coping skills, setting up schedules, coordinating home and work activities, getting organized, dealing with children's emotions, and spending time with children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Fathering is a Feminist Issue

Article

Mar 1996
PSYCHOL WOMEN QUART

Louise Silverstein

Feminist theory has not yet addressed the ways in which the ideology of fatherhood has contributed to interlocking inequalities for women in both the workplace and family life. This paper is an effort to inject a feminist voice into the redefinition of fathering, which I see as essential both to the achievement of equality for women and to the reconstruction of the masculine gender role. I begin by describing how our unconscious gender ideology pressures all families to become traditional patriarchal families. I address feminist concerns about the dangers of over-valuing fathers’contributions to child development. I review the research evidence on whether fathers have the same potential for nurturing as mothers, and examine gay fathering in particular. Finally, I suggest that redefining fathering to emphasize nurturing as well as providing will place attachment and connection at the center of gender socialization for men. Masculinity would then become much less oppressive for men as well as for women.

Gay fathers

Article

Feb 1981

Frederick W. Bozett

Data collected by depth interviews indicate that gay fathers proceed through an identifiable career which often terminates in the two identities of gay and father being compatible and noncontradictory. Integration of the two identities is achieved through active participation over time in both the gay world and the father role, and through integrative (positive, identity-affirming) sanctions of both identities by the fathers' heterosexual and homosexual intimates. Integration, however, is not inevitable. Its achievement depends upon the extent of the man's disclosure of both identities and the degree of his participation in both the gay world and in fathering.

Criteria for Assessing the Trustworthiness of Naturalistic Inquiry

Article

Jun 1981

Egon G. Guba

This is the ninth ERIC/ECTJ Annual Review Paper, preparation of which was supported by the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Clearinghouse on Information Resources, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. The material in this article was prepared pursuant to a contract with the National Institute of Education, U.S. Department of Education. Contractors undertaking such projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their judgment in professional and technical matters. Points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent the official view or opinion of NIE. The author is grateful to David Clark, Larry Havlicek, Robert Heinich, John McLaughlin, Cecil Miskel, and Robert Wolf for their careful critique of an earlier version of 1his paper, and to his wife, Yvonna Lincoln, from whose joint work with the author in other contexts many of the ideas expressed in this paper emanated.

Some suggestions for the conduct of biographical research

Article

Jul 1995

Peter M. Newton

Despite the strong and growing interest in biography, few psychologists engage in such studies themselves or feel competent to supervise them. Yet biography is a naturalistic form of empirical research and a rich source of ideas about the development of the individual across the life span. I offer a set of five suggestions for the conduct of biographical research and illustrate its use with examples drawn from archival and biographical interviewing studies. Three of the five suggestions concern the selection, presentation, and interpretation of data, areas where the psychologist's concern about investigator bias and reliability of interpretation has been greatest.

Gay parenting couples: Parenting arrangements, arrangement satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction

Article

Jan 1993

Dan W. Mcpherson

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1993. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-95). Photocopy.

Gay men choosing fatherhood /

Article

Jan 1993

Albert Joseph. Sbordone

Thesis (Ph. D.)--City University of New York, 1993. Photocopy.

Qualitative Data Analysis : an Expanded Sourcebook / M.B. Miles, A.M. Huberman.

Article

Libro de metodología cualitativo para investigación en las ciencias sociales. La utilización de la computadora, el uso de datos y la recolección de los mismos. Se describen detalladamente numerosos métodos de datos y análisis.

Maternal Men–Perverts and Deviants? Making Sense of Gay Men as Foster Carers and Adopters

Article

Jan 2006

Stephen Hicks

This article examines discourses of gender and sexuality that feature in the social work assessment of gay men who apply to foster or adopt in the United Kingdom (UK). Using data from interviews with social workers and managers, the author argues that three versions of the category gay were dominant. In the first of these, gay men were imagined to be maternal and/or feminine. In the second, they were seen as a source of perversion and sexual risk, and in the third, they were assumed to present problematic models of gender. The author critiques these ideas, and argues instead for social welfare practices that reconsider and expand our notions of gender, sexuality, parenting, and kinship.

Homosexual Identity Formation: A Theoretical Model

Article

Feb 1979

Vivienne Cass

A six-stage model of homosexual identity formation is outlined within the framework of interpersonal congruency theory. Stages are differentiated on the basis of the person's perceptions of his/her own behavior and the actions that arise as a consequence of this perception. The person is seen to have an active role in the acquisition of a homosexual identity. Alternative paths of development are proposed within each stage. The notion that people can accept homosexuality as a positively valued status is assumed. Several factors believed to be influential in determining whether a person takes one line of development or another are discussed. The model is intended to be applied to both female and male homosexuals.

The Formation of Homosexual Identities

Article

Feb 1989

Richard R. Troiden

This paper uses sociological theory to develop an ideal-typical model of homosexual identity formation. The four-stage model outlined here represents a synthesis and an elaboration on previous research and theorizing on homosexual identity development. The model describes how committed homosexuals, lesbians and gay males who see themselves as homosexual and adopt corresponding lifestyles, recall having acquired their homosexual identities. Often repeated themes in the life histories of gay males and lesbians, clustered according to life stages, provide the content and characteristics of each stage.

Family Member Reactions to the Disclosure of Homosexuality

Article

Feb 1989

Erik F. Strommen

The present review summarizes what is known about reactions of family members to disclosure of homosexual identity, both within the family of origin and in families where the disclosing member is a spouse or parent. It is suggested that the traumatic nature of family member reaction consists of two related processes: (a) the application of negative values about homosexuality to the disclosing member, and (b) a perception that homosexual identity negates or violates previous family roles. Future research in this complex and understudied area could reveal much about the nature of both homosexual identity and family relationships.

Gay Fathers:

Article

Feb 1989

Frederick W. Bozett

This article reviews the research literature on gay fathers, and includes brief historical perspectives and statistical data. The major portion of the article compares studies of gay fathers with other groups such as lesbian mothers and nongay fathers. Because the literature is sparse, and the research has severe limitations such as small sample size, few definitive statements about these men can be made with certainty. Even so, tentative generalizations are proposed. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research.

Parenting Behaviors of Homosexual and Heterosexual Fathers

Article

Feb 1989

Responses of 33 homosexual (gay) fathers were compared with those of 33 heterosexual (nongay) fathers on the Iowa Parent Behavior Inventory, an empirical measure of dimensions of parenting behavior. Gay fathers did not differ significantly from nongay fathers in their reported degree of involvement nor in intimacy level with children. Gay fathers tended to be more strict, more responsive to children's needs, and to provide reasons for appropriate behavior to children more consistently than nongay fathers. Several explanations are explored for these similarities and differences in parenting styles.

Children of Gay or Lesbian Parents

Article

Oct 1994

There are no data to suggest that children who have gay or lesbian parents are different in any aspects of psychological, social, and sexual development from children in heterosexual families. There has been fear that children raised in gay or lesbian households will grow up to be homosexual, develop improper sex-role behavior or sexual conflicts, and may be sexually abused. There has been concern that children raised by gay or lesbian parents will be stigmatized and have conflicts with their peer group, thus threatening their psychological health, self-esteem, and social relationships. These fears and concerns have not been substantiated by research. Pediatricians can facilitate the health care and development of these children by being aware of these and their own attitudes, by educating themselves about special concerns of gay or lesbian parents, and by being a resource and an advocate for children who have homosexual parents.

Gay Male Adult Development: Some Stage Issues of an Older Cohort

Article

Feb 2000

James R. Peacock

This paper is a qualitative investigation into developmental stage issues, using a sample of older gay males. Twenty Ohio informants were obtained through convenience sampling for unstructured oral interviews. Erik Erikson's developmental stage model serves as representing traditional stage theory. The traditional view portrays life course in heterosexual terms. While the developmental issues addressed across the life course are likely the same or similar, the traditional schedules of these issues are not apt for gays. Gay life paths start at different ages, based on when identity-acceptance begins. Only then can a gay person undertake successful adult development. Findings indicate that as closeted homosexuals, gay men may experience a false development, resulting from living a double-life. With the acceptance of one's homosexuality, developmental regression occurs in an effort to address gay identity issues previously denied or ignored. Many of the developmental issues arise not from being gay, per se, but from discovering how to assimilate being gay into one's life pattern. This paper thus shows an imperfection in traditional stage models.

From the margins to the center: Gay fathers reconstruct the fathering role

A L Benson
L B Silverstein
C F Auerbach

Gay fathers: Encouraging the hearts of gay dads and their families

Jan 2000

R Barret
B Robinson
Barret R.

The life course gender identity projects of adoptive gay fathers: The creative transformation of hegemonic masculinity and the emergence of the fathering self

Jan 2005

J C Armesto
Armesto J. C.

Children of gay and lesbian parents

Jan 1992
1025

M Patton
C Westby
Patton M.

Jan 1987
3

Bozett F. W.

Gay Men Becoming Fathers: A Model of Identity Expansion

Abstract

No full-text available

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