Invisible families : gay identities, relationships, and motherhood among Black women

Mignon R. Moore brings to light the family life of a group that has been largely invisible—gay women of color—in a book that challenges long-standing ideas about racial identity, family formation, and motherhood. Drawing from interviews and surveys of one hundred black gay women in New York City, __Invisible Families__ explores the ways that race and class have influenced how these women understand their sexual orientation, find partners, and form families. In particular, the study looks at the ways in which the past experiences of women who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s shape their thinking, and have structured their lives in communities that are not always accepting of their openly gay status. Overturning generalizations about lesbian families derived largely from research focused on white, middle-class feminists, __Invisible Families__ reveals experiences within black American and Caribbean communities as it asks how people with multiple stigmatized identities imagine and construct an individual and collective sense of self. Cover 2 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction: Two Sides of the Same Coin: Revising Analyses of Lesbian Sexuality and Family Formation through the Study of Black Women 14 1. Coming into the Life: Entrance into Gay Sexuality for Black Women 34 2. Gender Presentation in Black Lesbian Communities 78 3. Marginalized Social Identities: Self-Understandings and Group Membership 105 4. Lesbian Motherhood and Discourses of Respectability 126 5. Family Life and Gendered Relations between Women 176 6. Openly Gay Families and the Negotiation of Black Community and Religious Life 203 Conclusion: Intersections, Extensions, and Implications 238 Appendix A: A Roadmap for the Study of Marginalized and Invisible Populations 246 Appendix B: Selected Questions from Invisible Families Survey 262 Appendix C: Questions from In-Depth Interview on Self-Definitions of Sexuality 272 Notes 274 References 292 Index 312 A 312 B 312 C 313 D 314 E 314 F 314 G 315 H 315 I 316 J 317 K 317 L 317 M 317 N 318 O 318 P 318 Q 318 R 319 S 319 T 321 U 321 V 321 W 321 Y 321 Z 321 Photographs 166 "Mignon R. Moore brings to light the family life of a group that has been largely invisible--gay women of color--in a book that challenges long-standing ideas about racial identity, family formation, and motherhood. Drawing from interviews and surveys of one hundred black gay women in New York City, Invisible Families explores the ways that race and class have influenced how these women understand their sexual orientation, find partners, and form families. In particular, the study looks at the ways in which the past experiences of women who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s shape their thinking, and have structured their lives in communities that are not always accepting of their openly gay status. Overturning generalizations about lesbian families derived largely from research focused on white, middle-class feminists, Invisible Families reveals experiences within black American and Caribbean communities as it asks how people with multiple stigmatized identities imagine and construct an individual and collective sense of self"--Publisher description Mignon R. Moore brings to light the family life of a group that has been largely invisible—gay women of color—in a book that challenges long-standing ideas about racial identity, family formation, and motherhood. Drawing from interviews and surveys of one hundred black gay women in New York City, Invisible Families explores the ways that race and class have influenced how these women understand their sexual orientation, find partners, and form families. In particular, the study looks at the ways in which the past experiences of women who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s shape their thinking, and have structured their lives in communities that are not always accepting of their openly gay status. Overturning generalizations about lesbian families derived largely from research focused on white, middle-class feminists, Invisible Families reveals experiences within black American and Caribbean communities as it asks how people with multiple stigmatized identities imagine and construct an individual and collective sense of self. Introduction: Two Sides Of The Same Coin : Revising Analyses Of Lesbian Sexuality And Family Formation Through The Study Of Black Women -- Coming Into The Life : Entrance Into Gay Sexuality For Black Women -- Gender Presentation In Black Lesbian Communities -- Marginalized Social Identities : Self-understandings And Group Membership -- Lesbian Motherhood And Discourses Of Respectability -- Family Life And Gendered Relations Between Women -- Openly Gay Families And The Negotiation Of Black Community And Religious Life -- Conclusion : Intersections, Extensions, And Implications. Mignon R. Moore. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 269-287) And Index. Drawing from interviews and surveys of one hundred black gay women in New York City the author describes the ways that race and class have influenced how these women understand their sexual orientation, find partners and form families. In particular, the study looks at the ways in which the past experiences of women who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s shape their thinking, and have structured their lives in communities that are not always accepting their openly gay status