Parenting and Couple Relationships Among LGBTQ+ People in Diverse Contexts

This book analyzes how the increasing number of same-sex couples is changing the traditional concepts of family and parenthood, and how these changes affect the psychological studies of family, couple relationships and human development. The majority of chapters included in this contributed volume present results of research conducted with LGBTQ+ people in Brazil, a country where same-sex couples have been recognized by the national legislation since 2011, but is currently facing a conservative wave which threatens much of the victories gained by the LGBTQ+ movement in recent years. That's why this book aims to provide both updated theoretical and methodological contributions as well as ethically and political engaged reflections to the field of psychological studies of LGBTQ+ parenting and couple relationships. Chapters in this volume analyze different aspects of LGBTQ+ parenting and couple relationships, such as changes in the concept of family; the role of the family of origin in the coming out process of young adults; risk and protective factors in couple relationships between lesbians and gay men; vulnerabilities experienced by trans couples during the COVID-19 pandemic; how lesbians, gays, trans and non-binaries are approaching parenting and raising their families; factors that shape the reproductive decisions of LGBTQ+ individuals; adoption and coparenting in families composed of gay and lesbian couples, among other topics. Parenting and Couple Relationships Among LGBTQ+ People in Diverse Contexts will be of interest to social, developmental and family psychologists and social workers researching and working with same-sex couples and families, and with the LGBTQ+ population in general. Preface 6 Acknowledgments 10 Contents 11 About the Editors 13 Contributors 15 Persistent Issues for LGBTQ+ Families 17 LGBTQ+ Conjugalities and Parenting from a Global Perspective 18 Being LGBTQ+ in the Pandemic Context 20 Final Considerations 21 References 22 LGBTQ+ Conjugalities: Reviewing Gender Uncertainties 23 Between Gender and Heteronormativity: Evidencing the Non-View That Constitutes People 24 A Legislative and Legal Path: In the Brazilian Plots for the Construction of Rights 26 Conjugalities: On the Margins and Intersecting the Laws 29 Homosexuality, Transsexuality, Transvestism, Conjugality, and Prison 31 When the Couple Becomes a Family: Some Notes on the Diversity of Configurations 32 Final Considerations 36 References 36 Attitudes Toward LGBTQ+ People and LGBTQ+ Rights in Continental American-Hispanic Nations 40 From Homophobia to Sexual Stigma 40 Legal Achievements 41 Global Acceptance Index 43 Chicken or Egg: Which Came First? 44 Attitudes Toward Sexual Minorities and the Policies that Affect Them 45 A Survey of Attitudes in Continental American-Hispanic Nations 46 Measures 46 Results 47 Main Findings 48 Sexual Prejudice and Legal Progress in Hispanic America 49 Discussion 51 References 52 Coming Out in Families of Gay and Lesbian People 55 The Coming Out Process 56 Coming Out and Families 57 Parents and Siblings in the Face of Coming Out: An Essential Support Network 58 Coming Out from the Perspective of Homosexuals: The Importance of Parents and Siblings in the Face of This Process 63 Final Considerations 66 References 67 Lesbian Families: Intersection Between Internalized Homophobia and Old Age 71 Lesbian Families in Context: A Historical Construction 74 Coming Out of the Closet: Breaking the Lock of Internalized Homophobia 76 More Lesbian Women Build Families and Age 80 Final Considerations 84 References 84 Couple Relationships in Sexual Minority Emerging Adults: Considerations on Risk and Protective Factors and Implications for Clinical Practice 88 The New Sexual Minority Emerging Adult: Diversity of Sexual Identities in the Twenty-First Century 91 Risk and Protective Factors of Sexual Minority Emerging Adult Couples 93 Clinical Challenges When Working with Sexual Minority Emerging Adult Couples 97 Final Considerations 101 References 102 Social Transformations and Couple Relationships in Brazilian Gay Men 107 The Brazilian Research 109 Biographical Outline of Interviewed Couples 111 Moraes Family 111 Rodrigues Family 112 Lima Family 113 Klein Family 113 Affective Engagement Strategies 114 The Couple Relationships and Its Repercussions 116 Final Considerations 119 References 120 Vulnerabilities Experienced by Trans Couples in Times of COVID-19 126 The Transgender Population and Its Specificities 127 Transgender Vulnerabilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic 130 Trans Conjugality and Gender Minority Stress 131 Trans Conjugality in the COVID-19 Pandemic 133 Violence, Family Rejection, and Weakening of the Social Support Network 134 Disparities in Mental Health and Conflicts in the Division of Household Tasks 136 Economic Limitations, Unemployment, and Challenges in the Gender Transition for the Couple 137 Obstacles to Accessing the Health System and Gender Dysphoria 140 Intersectional Transphobia: Where Sexuality, Gender, Color, and Economic Class Intersect 141 Final Considerations 143 References 143 Resilience in Families Formed by Same-Sex Couples 148 What Is Family Resilience and What Are Its Key Processes? 151 Risk Factors Experienced by Same-Sex Couples Related to Sexual Minority Stress 154 Description of Family Resilience Processes in Lesbian and Gay Couples 157 Belief Systems 158 Organizational Processes 159 Communication Processes 161 Final Considerations 163 References 164 Methodological Strategies in Lesbian and Gay Parenting Research: A Systematic Review of Brazilian Scientific Literature 168 Searching for Evidence in the Scientific Literature 170 Discussing the Findings 173 Final Considerations 184 References 185 Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Nonbinary (LGBTQ+) Parents 188 Demographics 189 Theory, Research, and Best Practices 192 Theory and Research 192 Fears About LGBT+ Parents 194 Best Practices 196 Practice Implications 197 Future Trends 198 Final Considerations 198 References 199 Building a Rainbow Family: Parenthood Aspirations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender/Gender Diverse Individuals 203 Parenthood Aspirations of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals 203 Pathways to Parenthood in LGB People 205 Factors Associated with Parenthood Aspirations Among LGB Individuals 206 Sociodemographic Factors 206 Psychosocial Factors 209 Structural Factors: Legal, Medical, and Social Barriers 211 Parenthood Aspirations of Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals 211 Pathways to Parenthood in TGD People 212 Factors Associated with TGD Individuals’ Parenthood Aspirations 213 Sociodemographic Factors 213 Psychosocial Factors 214 Structural Factors 214 Looking into the Future 215 References 216 “I Want to Have Children Too”: Reproductive Motivations and Decisions in the LGBTQ+ Community 224 Family Rights in the LGBTQ+ Community 225 Ways to Access Parenting for the LGBTQ+ Community 227 Reproductive Motivations and Desires 230 Particularities of Each Group in the LGBTQ+ Community 231 Final Considerations 234 References 235 Justice System Professionals and Adoption by Same-Sex Couples 242 The Listening by the Justice System Professionals 244 The Negative Social Imagination Relative to Adoption by Same-Sex Couples in Brazil 246 Risk/Protective Factors Observed in the Triple Entanglement: Being Gay/Lesbian, Father/Mother, and Through Adoption 249 Need for Flexibilization of the Parental Roles and Functions 251 The Awakening to a New Horizon: Public and Social Policies on the Scene 254 Final Considerations 255 References 256 (Homo)Parenting: From the Adoption Process to the Child’s Arrival 260 (Homo)Parenting and Adoption 261 The Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Couples with Children by Adoption in Brazil 264 Adopters’ Profile 266 Motivation for Adoption 266 Planning and Preparation for Adoption 267 Adoption Process 268 Family Involvement with Adoption 272 The Child’s Arrival 273 Adoptive (Homo) Parenting and Experienced Challenges 275 Final Considerations 277 References 279 Coparenting, Parenting, Affectivity, and Conflict in Homoparental Families 282 Gay and Lesbian Coparenting in the Brazilian Context 285 Understanding Coparenting in Dialogue with National and International Scientific Production 291 Final Considerations 294 References 295 Child Development in Families with Gay and Lesbian Parents and Beliefs About Homosexuality 301 Visibility and Recognition of Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex Parenting 301 Some Empirical Evidence on Children Development with Gays and Lesbian Parents 305 Development of Gender and Sexual Orientation and Its Relationship to Essentialist, Constructionist, and Constructivist Theories 307 Final Considerations and Future Directions 311 References 312 Index 318 "This book analyzes how the increasing number of same-sex couples is changing the traditional concepts of family and parenthood, and how these changes affect the psychological studies of family, couple relationships and human development. The majority of chapters included in this contributed volume present results of research conducted with LGBTQ+ people in Brazil, a country where same-sex couples have been recognized by the national legislation since 2011, but is currently facing a conservative wave which threatens much of the victories gained by the LGBTQ+ movement in recent years. That's why this book aims to provide both updated theoretical and methodological contributions as well as ethically and political engaged reflections to the field of psychological studies of LGBTQ+ parenting and couple relationships. Chapters in this volume analyze different aspects of LGBTQ+ parenting and couple relationships, such as changes in the concept of family; the role of the family of origin in the coming out process of young adults; risk and protective factors in couple relationships between lesbians and gay men; vulnerabilities experienced by trans couples during the COVID-19 pandemic; how lesbians, gays, trans and non-binaries are approaching parenting and raising their families; factors that shape the reproductive decisions of LGBTQ+ individuals; adoption and coparenting in families composed of gay and lesbian couples, among other topics."--Page [4] of cover