Psychology

Gender socialization practices among bisexual and other nonmonosexual mothers: A longitudinal qualitative examination

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Though social scientists have researched sexual-minority parenting practices regarding the gender socialization of children, to date this research has focused exclusively on sexual-minority parents in same-gender relationships, and almost exclusively on the experiences of gay and lesbian parents. This article addresses the gender socialization parenting practices of 25 nonmonosexual sexual-minority women who are in different-gender relationships through analysis of qualitative in-depth interviews that took place over the course of 1 year. Our findings indicate that the experiences of these participants differ from both those reported in previous literature on sexual-minority parents in same-gender relationships, as well as heterosexual parents in different-gender relationships. Specifically, participants do not report sexual identity stigma as restricting the degree of cross-gender socialization in which they engage, nor do they report a gender normative influence from their male partners. Findings are discussed in the context of a socioecological framework.

Publication Title

Journal of GLBT Family Studies

Publication Date

2019

Volume

15

Issue

2

First Page

105

Last Page

126

ISSN

1550-428X

DOI

10.1080/1550428X.2018.1461583

Keywords

gender socialization, bisexual mothers, parenting

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