In seeking to adopt, lesbians and gay men may confront various barriers and obstacles. Ideally, they have access to a variety of support resources that can help to buffer the negative effects of these barriers. Lesbians and gay men living in small metropolitan communities may have limited access to support resources, however. The current…

As part of the largest, longest running prospective American study of same-sex parent families, the present investigation examined relationship dissolution in planned lesbian families. Data were collected from 40 separated couples and their 17-year-old adolescent offspring--19 girls and 21 boys. Nearly all breakups occurred before the former…

This study examined the effects of social support components and providers on mental health and sexual orientation (SO) milestones of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths. Data were collected on 461 self-identified LGB adolescents and young adults. Family acceptance and support yielded the strongest positive effect on self-acceptance of SO,…

A positive attachment to one's residential community has been linked to better mental health (McLaren, 2009), stronger social support (Young, Russell, & Powers, 2004), and a higher quality of life (Mak, Cheung, & Law, 2009). Attachment to residential community has been understudied in research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)…

Despite increases in transracial adoption, African American children remain the least likely to be adopted. No research has examined the factors that predict prospective adopters' willingness to adopt an African American child. This study used multilevel modeling to examine predictors of willingness to adopt an African American child in a sample…

This study examines predictors of social support and mental health among 36 lesbian and 39 heterosexual couples who were waiting to adopt. Lesbian preadoptive partners perceived less support from family than heterosexual partners but similar levels of support from friends. Lesbian and heterosexual partners reported similar levels of well-being.…

The theory of ambiguous loss is applied to structural ambiguity and personal transcendence in the parent-child relationship following a same-gender relational ending. Working recursively through the six guidelines of ambiguous loss (finding meaning, tempering mastery, reconstructing identity, normalizing ambivalence, revising attachment, and…

Examined family dynamics associated with family happiness for biological fathers, stepfathers, and adolescents in 48 European-American gay stepfamilies using modified Stepfamily Adjustment Scale. For all three family members, family happiness was more highly related to stepfather inclusion in family and to positive steprelationship than to…

Data collected by depth interviews reveal that many gay fathers disclose their homosexuality to their children. All but one subject reported that their children accepted them as homesexuals. Often the disclosure had the effect of deepening the father-child relationship. (Author)

Conducted study to determine extent to which domestic partnership policies were adopted by municipalities, corporations, and organizations. Findings from 14 communities and 9 corporations and private organizations suggest that almost all policies include personal sick leave and bereavement leave, about one-half provide health coverage, and almost…

Surveys rural gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people (GLBT) and inductively analyzes their responses to open-ended questions regarding aspects of being GLBT in that area. "Best things" included close relationships, high quality of life, involvement with GLBT social networks, and self-acceptance. "Worst things" included…

Assessed the attitudes of parents of homosexual children, primarily members of support groups for parents of lesbians/gays, were they to discover their child(ren) had Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Responses indicated devastation at the thought, with persistence of a bond between parent and child, though parents felt ambivalent…

Studied gay men and women (N=322) concerning parent-child relationships. Found two-thirds perceived their relationship with their father as satisfactory. Over three-fourths perceived their relationship with their mother as satisfactory. The majority perceived that both parents would accept their homosexuality. Data also supported the belief that…

Analyzes a family systems' model that organizes and integrates the sparse knowledge about the experience of heterosexual family members in gays' and lesbians' families-of-origins. Delineates impact on family system of learning that a child or sibling is gay or lesbian, and provides implications for family life education and other activities. (RJM)