Psychology

Choices, challenges, and tensions: Perspectives of lesbian prospective adoptive parents

Document Type

Article

Abstract

No research has examined the challenges faced by lesbian women seeking to adopt from the perspective of lesbian couples themselves. The current qualitative study utilized data from 70 women (from 35 same-sex couples) who were in the process of adopting to explore how lesbian women experience and navigate the challenges they encounter during this critical life transition. Ecological, minority stress, and feminist perspectives informed our analysis. Results indicated that many women experienced tensions between their desire to be "out" in the adoption process and the legal and social realities of adoption. Based on their reports, women in this sample faced numerous barriers to adopting but engaged in multiple forms of resistance to legal and social inequities. Women also identified supportive practices by agencies that facilitated the adoption process. Findings suggest the importance of considering lesbian women's experiences as a starting point in understanding how heteronormative social practices shape the experiences of same-sex couples striving to adopt. © 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

Adoption Quarterly

Publication Date

12-1-2007

Volume

10

Issue

2

First Page

33

Last Page

64

ISSN

1092-6755

DOI

10.1300/J145v10n02_02

Keywords

adoption, adoption agencies, challenges, disclosure, laws, lesbian

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