Creating a Family in the LGBT Community

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Same-sex marriage is not a topic that has not faced controversy. In recent years, the “traditional” family structure, namely a heterosexual, monogamous couple and their biological children, has not been the only family structure in Western societies [1]. There have been rising divorce rates, stepfamilies, cohabitation, co-parenting, assisted reproductive technologies, LGBTQ+ families and open adoptions have all contributed to this development [2]. However, members of the LGBTQ+ community still face difficulties when creating a family.


Background

Same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada on July 20, 2005 when the Parliament of Canada enacted the Civil Marriage Act [3]. This act stated that “marriage, for civil purposes, is the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others” instead of the union of one man and one woman [4]. As the legal system changes to be more inclusive, how society perceives a family also changes and this has impacted the definition of a parent. Now that the law states marriage is the lawful union of two people, parents are not obligated to be one man and one woman. The enactment of the Civil Marriage Act was the start for members of the LGBTQ+ community to be recognized as families, however, they still face many challenges when it comes to starting a family.


Social Norms and Stigma

Same-sex couples are still facing complex social and legal barriers when it comes to starting a family. This is because social norms and stigma constantly affect how we live our lives. Researchers speculates that there is still social stigma directed toward LGBTQ+ youth and contributes to psychological stress [5]. It is through social stigma that causes people to believe that certain behaviour is valued and other behaviour is less valued. This valued behaviour thus causes members of the LGBTQ+ community to act in a risky way in order to prove themselves to societal standards [6]. This stress can sometimes lead them to engage in risky behaviors, which includes participating in unsafe sexual activity that results in unplanned pregnancies [7]. These children will then go through not only physical changes when dealing with unwanted pregnancy but also psychological issues as they try and decide what they would like to do.

Psychologists document how social stigma directed toward LGBTQ+ people affect how they form relationships and families [8]. For example, studies from the early 1980s found that same-sex couple relationships were, on average, less stable than different-sex relationships [9]. However, society’s ideal couple is a heterosexual couple and this is what they promote in the media which can be a cause for some same-sex couples to be less stable. Same sex couples may not be as stable because they do not see themselves depicted in the media, which is where people often learn how to behave other than from their parents. Due to this lack of LGBTQ+ people in the media and in a climate of social stigma, LGBTQT+ people may feel as if they have to hide their identities and have relationships with different-sex partners, which may produce children [10]. Although some LGBTQ+ individuals may have children with an opposite sex partner, that is not their only option.


Technology and Medical Intervention

In order to become parents, same-sex couples, may adopt or use Reproductive Technologies (RT), which includes In Vitro Fertilization and surrogacy [11]. RT was initially developed with the intention of being a solution for infertile heterosexual couples, however as same-sex couples became more accepted and with the desire to have biological children they began to use RT [12].


Adoption

LGBTQ+ couples may still be vulnerable to discriminatory attitudes on the part of adoption professionals, when trying to start a family through adoption [13]. The legalities of adoption by LGBTQ+ parents are complicated since many birth parents and some international agencies prohibit adoption by same-sex couples, resulting in a pool of available children that far exceeds the number of heterosexual prospective adoptive parents [14]. Despite there being same-sex couples trying to adopt children who need homes, they are still being prevented from creating family, which is not only devastating for the couple but for a child who is not being allowed to go to a carrying and loving home.


In Vitro Insemination

Female same-sex couples that choose In Vitro Fertilization to start their families face several choices. For example, they have to decide who will be the biological mother and whether to use sperm from a known or unknown donor, which can lead to more legal and psychological hardship [15]. The non-biological mother can still face challenges when trying to legally adopt her child because some mothers have been prevented from adopting their child(ren) [16]. This can take a severe psychological toll on a person as they are being told that their child is not their own because they did not give birth to them. These couples may face other legal issues if they use a person they know as their sperm donor as they might have to include a third party as another parent if that is their agreement.


Surrogacy

Surrogacy is often used by gay men due to a strong desire to have biological children [17]. However, surrogacy can get very expensive so couples often use surrogates who are overseas as a way to avoid high costs of domestic surrogacy [18].


Controversy

There is controversy behind same-sex couples raising children because it challenges the tradition definition of what constitutes a “legitimate” family, a definition that is closely linked to normative understandings of marriage and childrearing [19]. There are anti-gay politics that stereotypes lesbians and gay men as over-sexualized and incapable of maintaining committed relationships and stable families [20]. Despite this stereotypes same sex couples put in a lot of time and thought before trying to start a family because they know just how difficult it can be, thus ensuring that they are committed to one another and this is something they truly want. Research has demonstrated that same-sex couples and families are both similar to and different from conventional families. For example, social psychological research on childrearing shows that the children of same-sex couples are as socially and psychologically well-developed as the children of heterosexual couples [21]. It was also found that children raised by same-sex parents will develop in ‘‘less gender-stereotypical ways’’ than those with heterosexual parents and that children raised by same-sex parents ‘‘do seem to grow up more open to homoerotic relationships’’ [22].


References

  1. ↑ Abraham, H. (2017). A family is what you make it? legal recognition and regulation of multiple parents. Journal of Gender, Social Policy & The Law,25(4). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/12/dutch-family-law-needs-overhauling-to- reflect-multi-parent-families-report
  2. ↑ Abraham, H. (2017). A family is what you make it? legal recognition and regulation of multiple parents. Journal of Gender, Social Policy & The Law,25(4). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/12/dutch-family-law-needs-overhauling-to- reflect-multi-parent-families-report
  3. ↑ [Hogg, P. W. (2006). Canada: The Constitution and same-sex marriage. International Journal of Constitutional Law,4(4), 712-721. doi:10.1093/icon/mol019], additional text.
  4. ↑ [Hogg, P. W. (2006). Canada: The Constitution and same-sex marriage. International Journal of Constitutional Law,4(4), 712-721. doi:10.1093/icon/mol019], additional text.
  5. ↑ [Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples. The Future of Children,25(2), 67-87. doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0013], additional text.
  6. ↑ [Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples. The Future of Children,25(2), 67-87. doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0013], additional text.
  7. ↑ [Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples. The Future of Children,25(2), 67-87. doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0013], additional text.
  8. ↑ [Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples. The Future of Children,25(2), 67-87. doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0013], additional text.
  9. ↑ [Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples. The Future of Children,25(2), 67-87. doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0013], additional text.
  10. ↑ [Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples. The Future of Children,25(2), 67-87. doi:10.1353/foc.2015.0013], additional text.
  11. ↑ [Vitule, C., Thereza Couto, M., & Machin, R. (2015). Same-sex couples and parenthood: A look at the use of reproductive technologies. Scielo. doi:doi.org/10.1590/1807-57622014.0401], additional text.
  12. ↑ [Vitule, C., Thereza Couto, M., & Machin, R. (2015). Same-sex couples and parenthood: A look at the use of reproductive technologies. Scielo. doi:doi.org/10.1590/1807-57622014.0401], additional text.
  13. ↑ [Goldberg, A. E. (2014). LGB-Parent Families and the School Context. Oxford Clinical Psychology. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0006], additional text.
  14. ↑ [Goldberg, A. E. (2014). LGB-Parent Families and the School Context. Oxford Clinical Psychology. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0006], additional text.
  15. ↑ [Goldberg, A. E. (2014). LGB-Parent Families and the School Context. Oxford Clinical Psychology. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0006], additional text.
  16. ↑ [Goldberg, A. E. (2014). LGB-Parent Families and the School Context. Oxford Clinical Psychology. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0006], additional text.
  17. ↑ Goldberg, A. E. (2014). LGB-Parent Families and the School Context. Oxford Clinical Psychology. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0006,
  18. ↑ Goldberg, A. E. (2014). LGB-Parent Families and the School Context. Oxford Clinical Psychology. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0006,
  19. ↑ [Hopkins, J. J., Sorensen, A., & Taylor, V. (2013). Same-Sex Couples, Families, and Marriage: Embracing and Resisting Heteronormativity1. Sociology Compass,7(2), 97-110. doi:10.1111/soc4.12016], additional text.
  20. ↑ [Hopkins, J. J., Sorensen, A., & Taylor, V. (2013). Same-Sex Couples, Families, and Marriage: Embracing and Resisting Heteronormativity1. Sociology Compass,7(2), 97-110. doi:10.1111/soc4.12016], additional text.
  21. ↑ [Hopkins, J. J., Sorensen, A., & Taylor, V. (2013). Same-Sex Couples, Families, and Marriage: Embracing and Resisting Heteronormativity1. Sociology Compass,7(2), 97-110. doi:10.1111/soc4.12016], additional text.
  22. ↑ [Hopkins, J. J., Sorensen, A., & Taylor, V. (2013). Same-Sex Couples, Families, and Marriage: Embracing and Resisting Heteronormativity1. Sociology Compass,7(2), 97-110. doi:10.1111/soc4.12016], additional text.
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