Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals: Becoming Parents or Remaining Childfree: Confronting Social Inequalities

"This book recognizes that intense public battles are being waged in the U.S. over the rights of LGB people to form legally and culturally recognized families. Their families are under a kind of sociopolitical scrutiny at this historical moment that compels us all to take stock of our strategies of family-building and, more broadly, the meaning of family in the U.S. today. Through in-depth, open-ended, qualitative interviews with 61 self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual people regarding how they came to have children or remain childless/childfree, this book reveals the challenges posed by homophobia and discrimination and showcases the creative strategies, resilience, and resourcefulness of lesbians, bisexuals, and gays as they build families (with or without children) after coming out. From descriptions of how the early process of coming out affected the desire to parent or remain childfree, to stories about the impact of homophobia and discrimination on the decision-making process, to the dynamics within couples that lead to becoming parents or remaining childfree, to examining how cultural notions of the strength of biology are employed when having children, to accounts of how the closet can be used strategically when bringing children into a family, their voices form the heart of this book. In a sociopolitical context in which gay, lesbian, and bisexual people often have to struggle to access the array of rights and opportunities that are afforded to most heterosexual people without question, addressing the questions raised in this book is an urgent and necessary endeavor" -- Publisher's website Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 1 Families in the Gayby Boom 13 2 Coming Out, Parenthood, and Childlessness 29 3 Homophobia and the Gayby Boom 53 4 Parents’ Decision Making 77 5 Childfree Couples’ Decision Making 103 6 Rearranging and Stepping Out of the Closet to Become Parents 121 7 “Sperm Cocktails” and Other Strategies of Biology Work 141 8 Gayby Steps 173 Appendix A: Methods 185 Appendix B: Sample Demographics 195 Appendix C: Overview of Parents, Their Partners, and Children 197 Appendix D: Overview of Childfree Participants and Their Partners 201 Bibliography 205 Index 215 About the Author 225 Chapter 1: Families in the Gayby Boom Chapter 2: Coming Out, Parenthood, and Childlessness Chapter 3: Homophobia and the Gayby Boom Chapter 4: Parents’ Decision-making Chapter 5: Childfree Couples’ Decision-making Chapter 6: Rearranging and Stepping Out of the Closet to Become Parents Chapter 7: “Sperm Cocktails” and Other Strategies of Biology Work Chapter 8: Gayby Steps Appendix A: Methods Appendix B: Sample Demographics Appendix C: Overview of Parents, Their Partners, and Children Appendix D: Overview of Childfree Participants and Their Partners This Book Draws On Qualitative Interviews With Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People Regarding Whether And How They Came To Have Children. With Their Stories At The Heart Of The Analysis, It Reveals The Challenges Posed By Homophobia And Discrimination And Showcases The Creative Strategies, Resilience, And Resourcefulness That Lgb People Use As They Build Families (with Or Without Children) After Coming Out.